Outdoors | So Pretty is as Pretty Does.

Oct 2

DIY Halloween {Spooky Steps}

Over the weekend, I started to get excited to decorate for Halloween, but with so many projects going on right now, I’m really trying not to spend much time or money on spookifying (hey, it could be a word) the house. To that end, here’s an easy and inexpensive way to let the neighborhood know you’re ready for trick-or-treaters using s idewalk chalk.

I chose my back steps for this display for two reasons. 1) The steps are under the patio roof so the chalk won’t wash away the next time it rains and 2) due to our parking set up, it’s the way most people enter the house. Read more

Sep 20

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Inspiring Exteriors {Bungalows}

Each winter, as the cold and sometimes snowy months near their end, my cabin fever causes me to partake in one of my favorite hobbies: list making. I jot down all of the projects I intend to start and finish (that part is key) in the coming spring, summer and fall. To maintain some semblance of order, I throw all of the possibilities onto a spreadsheet and get a rough estimate the cost and time requirements. Then, my husband and I sit down and prioritize. We aim for one major and two minor projects for each season.

Full disclosure: This plan is not foolproof – there are often delays and/or emergency projects that override our original ideas, but having our list helps me stay simultaneously focused and humble.

This fall, our major project is painting the house – something I have desperately wanted to do since we moved in almost two years ago. Here are some of the exteriors that have been inspiring me:

{The shade of blue I’ve chosen is fairly close to this beautiful bungalow featured on M y Little Apartment. I love the yellow door.}

Jun 13

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Set up to Succeed

Back in April we added raised beds to our garden. The idea of having warmer soil temperatures, control of soil quality and fewer weeds appealed to us. Since then, we’ve made even more changes to our garden to make it easier and more fun to grow our own food.

Jun 11

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Succulent Centerpiece

I love having flowers in the house, but buying bouquets week after week really adds up. So, I’ve gone a different route while still enjoying a bright and natural centerpiece.

Jun 6

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Intro to the Out Building

This is one of those times where I cringe when thinking about sharing these pictures, if you’ve read From Hoarder to Order, you know I abhor sharing super messy before pictures. But if I don’t share them, you won’t have the hideousness of the before to compare to the amazing after. (Disclaimer: I don’t really know that it’s going to be amazing, I’m being optimistic. I actually have no idea how this will turn out.) But, here it goes…

We have an out building that was once used as a chicken coop, a storage unit and a potting shed. I’m hoping to completely renovate it and make this building an art studio, because again, if you’ve read From Hoarder to Order, you know that we don’t have a ton of space for all of my ongoing projects. So, I started demolition on the interior yesterday. This is her good side: