Best laid plans.

I had planned to do a wine barrel planter like Kate at Centsational Girl.   

I live in So Cal, so they aren't as cheap here as hers, $40 here, but I thought why not.  We have an area to the side of the garage that I had been meaning to 'refresh'.  It has had dry stacked bricks for 23 years and weeds were growing between the bricks.  I had been wanting to change it to pea gravel for awhile, but DH reminded me that then we have lots of bricks to deal with.  So I went looking for ideas for bricks.  In the mean time here is a before shot.

See the alyssum and hummingbird salvia grew in between the bricks!  While I hated to get rid of them, the bricks had to go.  Don't you love the white rock.  It was DH's grandpa's.  We have about 5 of them throughout the garden.

So after removing the bricks and laying new weed cloth I found this awesome idea for what to do with my bricks, a few of them anyway.  Esther at Fleur Gardens  had this awesome idea for a dry stacked brick column.  Well I had the bricks and a spot to put a small one.  I just needed sand and pavers.  So off to Lowes I went.  Here is a pick of the process:

After I went to Lowes I stopped at Walmart and found a neat pot for $20, it is Better Homes and Gardens and is lightweight.  I then stopped at Home Depot, they are in a loop around town, and got some succulents, they were on sale 4 for $10.  So here it is

What do you think?  I like how it gives the space some dimension.  Here is a close up:

Hopefully the succulents will start spilling over the sides and the orange flowers of the plant in the middle the hummingbirds will like.  Here is the whole area with the gravel.

Love how it turned out.  Now on to figure out what to do with the rest of the bricks.  Any ideas?

Toodles,

Laura
































 

Bee in my Bonnet!

Ever have one of those, a bee in your bonnet!  I just couldn't take the closet under the stairs anymore!

As I have said before we have a small tract house in So Cal.  There are only 3 doors downstairs, it is an open concept house.  The door on the left is the closet, under the stairs.  The door in the center left goes to the garage, and the door on the right is the powder room, I have talked about it here.  Please forgive the mess in the foreground, I was still cleaning up from the redo!

 
It is the closet that is giving me fits.  Here it is before.  It is the only closet downstairs so it houses the vaccum, wrapping paper and gift bags, coats, backpacks, TV trays and a few holiday items.  A lot for a little closet.  But for 23 years it has only had one small shelf, yeah not so much loving that.

So I decided to put in some shelves, DH wanted to know why today, but I said just help me cut and I will do the rest!  So he cut the boards and I measured and nailed them in, love the nail gun!

 Painted it the same color as the kitchen, Not sure the color but it is Ralph Lauren paint and we did the kitchen 6 years ago!  Painted the shelves white and then went to HomeGoods and found some cute baskets and bins for all my goodies!

Love how everything is organized, now I just have to put up the hooks for the coats and backpacks!

I can see the floor! I know it still has a lot in it, but it is organized and I know where everything is.  Now I just have to get some cute labels!  

Have a great day,

Laura