We did what any two incredibly Type A folks would, we went house shopping. This is one of my strong suits. I mean I'm a pretty good shopper if I do say so myself. I'll admit I wasn't a bit surprised when we found a cute little casa we were happy to consider calling our "own".
We took the plunge and signed a bunch of papers and lo and behold our bid was accepted, YippEe! But wait, not so fast. Turns out after a pricey inspection we realized all the "new" things that had been done to this old house weren't quite up to snuff and we got cold feet in a hurry.
This landed us back at a seemingly dissapointed square one, that is until we started to discuss all the things we really like about not owning a home. Before you know it we had gone from eager buyers to contented renters with a few stipulations in mind.
You see the big lesson we learned is that we are sometimes quick to let things slide here and there in our "rent" home. Meaning the yard gets a little less attention than it needs, or the garage stays messy and unorganized. Going through the beginning stages of considering home ownership and all it would entail made us a little more eager to beautify our current little space (knowing that a splurge on some landscape for a rent house is chump change in comparison to replacing an air conditioner in one we own). And all this is how project "Rent House Beautification" came into effect.
Our new found motivation couldn't have come at a better time of year if you ask me. I love spring. I love it when I pull in expecting to grab a few things at the grocery store only to realize they have flats of blooming beauties just waiting for a new home! I'm a total sucker for wanting to have prize winning flower beds. Just being honest I have failed rather miserably at times and also had some small successes when it comes to gardening. This year I was determined to rise to the occasion and did my research choosing plants that should do well in the heat (crossing my fingers on that one).
Just so you can see what I mean when I say our rent house needed a little outdoor attention here is our plain Jane front flower bed (plain Jane flower bed not to be confused with Carter who is anything but plain Jane) BEFORE...
It was a much happier place after we spent the afternoon digging, planting, and sprucing her up AFTER...
My little garden girls were such a HUGE help and especially enjoyed the task of watering...
Emerson also decided that rocks are really good for teething (who knew) hence the ring of dirt around her mouth...
Our beautification project didn't stop in the front yard, we also had a few tricks up our sleeve for the back patio. They came in the form of some cheerful throw pillows...
And a platter that I am cuckoo for cocoa puffs over (it was only $12 at Target)...
Nate got in on the fun and strung some lights (don't worry we only broke 10 in the process of putting them up) we were thiiiiis close to cussing. It was all worth it though because they add a really festive touch to our nighttime BBQ scene, that's right, we're ready to bring our social "A" game. We've got corn hole and we're not afraid to use it! (And if you don't know what corn hole is I'm just not sure we can be friends.)
As far as planting goes I decided to do a grouping of pots until I am up for tackling some pretty massive flower beds. They add a nice touch for the time being...
And seeing them under this striped umbrella just makes me happy...
Sometimes it is good to be reminded certain sayings that have been around for-EVER have been around for a reason. Hearing things like, "The grass is always greener..." can tend to get a little old until you have a new found realization that you've been eyeing other "yards" and looking over "fences". I feel like I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar and have been completely motivated to take a look at all the really good things about our current living situation. Amazing how when you look at something with a fresh set of eyes it can make you want to kick off your shoes and stay a while...
I'm reminded that if your grass isn't feeling very "green" a little water can go a long way!
2 comments:
Beautiful! I just did the same thing up here in KY. My little house on post needed some sprucing up, and unfortunately it is freezing now. Oh how I miss Texas some days.
So funny-we just caught the home shopping bug too-saw many houses yesterday-considered bidding-and about 5 minutes before I read this post-decided to postpone it for a while. Yay for renting! And yay for your flowers!
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