In previous posts we've discussed the sad state our home was in when we purchased it, our slow journey to bring a level of respect back to the house's facade, and the downward spiral it has been in since last year after a series of unfortunate events.
As part of our vow to bring back the curb appeal (read: sexiness of our home) our house seemed to have lost over just a few short months, we committed ourselves to several items. One of which involved removing the construction sign and orange cone that had adorned the front of our home since the elimination of our tree last summer.
The previous tree had stood prominently in its location in front of our home for roughly 60+ years. It had grown tall and strong, and was one of the few lasting and significant trees on our block. It provided shade from the mid-day to early evening sun, as well as an enjoyable vista from within our master bedroom. It was actually one of the very pleasing elements of the front of our house, until recently.
Two summers ago, like Jude Law's hairline of late, we started to notice some thinning on top. We looked around online to see what the cause could be, but didn't find anything useful. We finally decided that the tree had seen better days because it hadn't been cared for in a while, so we put in a request for the city to come out and trim it.
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After a somewhat long journey, and a fairly lengthy multi-part blog series, we've finally reached the final step of our organic garden project. In yesterday's post, we covered the construction of the raised bed.
With the raised bed complete and full of soil, we had one final prep step to complete before we could focus on our planting arrangement. Alex's parents have a very green thumb and I've always loved their gardens. A couple of weeks ago they gave us some growing advice for our garden. Their words of wisdom, "worm poop."
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A couple weeks ago we posted about starting work on our backyard vegetable garden. The project has been progressing nicely and it's about time we fill you in on what we've accomplished. We've read through our copy of Square Foot Gardening, got some great advice from friends and blog readers, and now we're inspired to make the garden grow! But before we could plant, we had to take the next, very important step in accomplishing our goal: finishing the bed to make the actual area to plant.
We selected the north wall in our backyard to ensure it receives as much sunlight as possible. The amount of light we get is going to be the big limiting factor in our garden. With our large tree at one end of the yard, and the house at the other, we get just a few hours of sunlight per day. This spot gives us our best chance at success.
With the location chosen, we pulled up all of the bricks and cleared the area of debris and stubborn obstructions.
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Dear Clary Sage,
It's not you. It's me. When I first spotted you amongst the rows of other painted fellows, I fell for you. I thought you were the one. On paper, you appeared to be the perfect shade of sage green, a soft dusty hue that would complement our oriental rug.
But after several years of daily interaction, longing stares, encounters in a dimly lit room, and glimpses over a glass of wine, your true color has revealed itself. Instead of a dusty sage, you are a hideous shade of melted mint chocolate chip ice cream. A blight on my life. An unappealing hue that does not brighten my day.
It was in the cold harsh reality of the morning that I made the tough decision that our relationship must end. I've grown, I'm not the same person as I was when we first met, and I want to take my life in a different direction. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but it's over. I'm leaving you for Benjamin Moore's Monroe Bisque.
Please...don't call me.
XOXO,
Wendy
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I love to entertain, and one of my favorite hobbies is making cupcakes. In fact, I'm thrilled when someone asks me to bring dessert, specifically cupcakes, to a party. This past weekend was no exception. It was my friend Katie's birthday, and the host asked me if I wouldn't mind bringing my signature baked goodies.
Cupcakes have been all the rage for a few years now, and Old Town Alexandria is home to two gourmet cupcake establishments. (Well, three actually if you count Buzz Bakery on the north side of town.) As divine as their baked concoctions may be, $3+ per cupcake is a little rich for my taste, especially if you're feeding a large group of people. Why spend that kind of money when you can make healthier, cost effective, beautiful baked concoctions in your own home?
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