OK, so back in the spring of 2012 Da Urchin got herself a house, a house mortgage and all that comes with such a purchase. And of course any house that’s new to you needs personalizing, particularly if it has been empty for 3 years before you get it. So there have been a variety of 2013 DIY projects at Da Urchin’s Place in which I have had my humble part.
Dogwood
Da Urchin bought a Dogwood from a local vender and we planted it between the boulder and the dead-tree-to-totally-get-removed in her side front yard.
Rose of Sharon
I also brought 4 small bushes from my yard and planted them. One went in front of the 2 boulders in the side front yard. It is doing well enough that it bloomed about 6 weeks after it was transplanted.
Another Rose of Sharon
The other 3 bushes were planted on the slope in the back yard.
The Smallest Rose of Sharon
This one produced one bloom several weeks after it was transplanted. The flowers up the hill grew from a perennial wild seed mix Da Urchin bought and planted. Rose of Sharon are very hardy. I’ve got 6 to 8 more of these to transplant at her place next spring.
A friend of Da Urchin’s put in a brick fire pit and grill in her yard and gave her old iron fire pit set to Da Urchin.
Fire Pit After Cleaning and Preliminary Painting
Now I knew it had a few holes but it proved to be worst than I first though once I sanded it up and put the first coat of Hi-Heat Rust-o-leum on it. Oh well, I always wanted a pop rivet gun.
Patched Fire Pit Interior
All’s well that ends well. The hole is to let any water that gets into the pit drain away. I did put another coat of paint on both sides of the pit. I haven’t painted the benches yet.
Fire Pit with Spark Cover
I also cleaned and painted the spark cover for the pit. There is a heavy plastic fitted weather cover for it too. So the rusting shouldn’t reoccur any time soon.
First Fire in the Fixed Pit
Da Urchin decided she wanted tile floor in her bathrooms several months ago. She also wanted nicer vanities in both baths and different mirrors. She started on the guest bathroom.
The New Tile Floor
Once everything was removed from the guest bath Da Urchin and a friend laid down the new sub-floor and tile. Then Da Urchin put down the grouting and we re-installed the toilet. This of course took a trip to Lowe’s for longer bolts to secure the toilet. All home improvement projects take at least 3 trips to Lowe’s, and at least one of those trips will be unplanned.
Bathroom Walls with New Drywall
One side of the existing vanity and the mirror had been glued onto the wall. Very very thoroughly glued to the wall. So sections of drywall had to be cut out and new sections put in. Here they are installed and ready to be painted. Once the painting is done there is wainscoting, a new wall fixture, and then the new vanity to install.
Not all the DIY at her place are large projects. We installed a curtain rod, curtains and curtain holdbacks in the smallest bedroom.
Backdoor & Trim Painted
Da Urchin painted her doors a lighter green and I gave the trim a fresh coat of white paint.
Of course there is more DIY to come.
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