Tying Up Some Loose Ends

I was going back through some old posts and realized that there are several projects that I said I was going to work on and then never posted about, or never let you know whether or how I did them. Today, I thought I’d tie up some of those loose ends, while I’m watching paint dry in our guest bathroom!

1. Outdoor projects: yard and grill area.

At the beginning of the summer, I said I would finally work on clearing out our backyard (see video evidence):

It is so overgrown and in need of major cutting back. I also had big ideas about building a grill island.

Update on progress: nothing has happened! I know, I know. Well, Mother Nature hasn’t been cooperating – it’s either been excruciatingly hot or raining – and I was sidelined for two weeks with the allergic reaction on my arm (read about that here).

So, all of this still needs to be done, but probably won’t for at least a week, given the rainy and hot weather pattern we seem to be in. Still on the list, though.

2. The shed.

The shed is almost finished!

The shed has been an ongoing project since May. Weather delays and errors in ordering the roof and siding have slowed things down. It’s almost finished now, though! I can’t wait to share it with you. Just a few touch-up things that need to be done – filling nail holes, caulking seams, and some paint – and then I can share the finished product!

3. Stair runner.

I can’t remember if I ever mentioned installing a runner on our stairs before. I know that several of you have asked me about the runner on our stairs and asked for a post on how to do it.

It’s one of those posts that I always thought I had written but, ultimately, never did. Senility is a terrible thing.

Anyhoo, I’m going to write a post showing you how to install a runner on wood stairs. It’s a great, easy DIY project. And it makes a huge difference – especially if you have dogs or other pets who have a hard time on wood surfaces. (Hank, I’m talking to you.)

4. Doors to Laundry Room

I revealed my redone laundry room last year (see THIS POST for the big reveal!):

In that post, I noted that the paint on the laundry room doors needed to be redone. The doors were painted gray before (the same gray as the trim in the kitchen) and I just couldn’t get the white paint to cover it well on these doors.

Again, the weather has been a big factor here. I want to spray the paint on the doors, but can’t do that outside until the weather allows. And it has been rainy for seemingly ever and really hot lately. It’s on the list.

5. Rug in Dining Room

We had a rug in our dining room, but when Bear (the original dog who didn’t eat pizza) was around, she often had accidents on this rug.

I cleaned it more times than you can count. And, for a while, I really didn’t want to get rid of it. I like the rug, and it also was really Bear’s rug – she slept here at night when she was too old to climb the stairs. So it was hard after she died to come to terms with getting rid of it.

But now I’ve gotten past that and realized that we need to replace it. The rug has done its service and it’s spent. So, I’m on the lookout for a good rug for the dining room – one that will last forever (or close enough to it).

I didn’t realize that this turned into a Friday (Thursday) Five! Ack! But that’s what’s been on the to-do list of late.

What are you up to in your home?