Around the House

Front Door Makeover (And Pavers Too)

May 9, 2013

Okay guys, let’s just stop calling this Deuce Cities Henhouse and start calling it Deuce Cities Gardening4Lyfe blog, cause that’s what your in for in the coming posts. Not only that, I’m going entrance makeover crazy over here too, somebody stop me! I don’t know if you’ve ever had front steps that were on the verge of crumbling, but we have for years. It’s been a mess, and although these steps are falling apart, there is a lot to be said for holding off on that expensive concrete repair bill for yet another season. That stuff is spendy! I know that fixing up the stairs and front walk would really improve the curb appeal of the house, but spending that kind of money this summer isn’t something we had in the cards. In the meantime I will continue to repair these babies the best I know how; with a little bit of cement and a lot of concrete/patio paint. As you can see, the difference is really night and day. If I can continue to keep the steps clean and tidy throughout the summer I believe we can bring these sad-ol’-steps through another winter. Hopefully next spring new front steps [...]

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Back Door Makeover

May 8, 2013

Hey-O! I don’t know about you guys, but now that it’s finally made it to spring ’round these parts I’ve been trying to make up for lost time. I’ve been doing outdoor projects left and right trying to get everything ship shape and ready for spring and summer enjoymentz. I have a whole to-do list of small outdoor projects that need to get done, and I’ve been checking them off! Feels so good. I think after tackling the big spring indoor to-do list, I’ve decided to make an outdoor to-do list chalked full of projects that have been nagging at me forever. Like for example, painting the purple back door gray, and repairing and painting the steps to match the house. I mean dirty green steps are cool and all, but c’mon. So I’ve spent the last two afternoons painting doors and steps, hanging new/old house numbers and making the backyard vibes even more righteous then they already were. The patio and back entrance are getting closer and closer to being super cool. I’ve tackled the stairs, door and house nums, now I need mother nature to do the rest. I’m still waiting on grass, leaves and plants to make [...]

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Vintage Rag Rug in the Entry Way

April 16, 2013

So this “spring thing” isn’t happening here in Minnesota, it’s sad to say at the very least. Today we are seeing our first sunny day in over a week, and the temp is still hovering around 40º. The weather reports say that maybe by the end of next week we might see 50º, still 10º less than the average temp for this time of year. Oh and everything is still covered in snow, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen happen in MN in April. I don’t doubt the crumby weather is what inspired me to purchase this rug from Marrakech, Morocco about 2 weeks ago. I saw it on ebay during one of my internet window shopping binges (aka pretend shopping). I wasn’t looking for it, but once I spotted it I knew it would be perfect for the entry way. I am desperate for color and sunlight and green right now, and there was something about this rug that satisfied a small bit of my insatiable spring yearning. I had been on the lookout for a long and narrow rug for the entry way for awhile. I considered getting something blue, and then I considered getting something patterned. [...]

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Can you Feel my Rug Buzz?

April 8, 2013

Yo Budz!, Thanks for sticking with me there while I was on spring break with the kidrens. Guess what arrived in the mail last week?? That’s right, a new rug for the living room, and yes, I finally decided on one. You may have noticed that this rug is not the Souk rug from West Elm, but something very similar. You all know how much I debated over that rug. I wanted it so bad, but was afraid of how it would be keeping a white rug with the kids around. Not only that, the Souk comes in 5×8 or 8×10. The 5×8 seemed too narrow for my space, and the 8×10 would’ve been too huge. Then it happened, I was over at RugsUSA on a whim and I found this rug, and it was on sale, and it came in 6′x9′… for 50% off. The price was too good to pass up, it was less expensive than any rug I had on my list, (even the Ikea stockholm rug). I figured for the price, I wouldn’t feel too bad if in a few years it was too dirty to keep around any more, and for now I am totally [...]

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The Hugest Spring To-Do List Ever : Part 3

March 22, 2013

Guys, don’t I look cool in that photo up there? That was me super, super sick, trying to clean our crazy toy land that we call the basement in order to get things ready in time for spring, and the big home appraisal coming up next week. I’m feeling slightly better these days even though I still can’t hear very well (you know the old adult double ear infection), but I’m still getting shit done. We’ve got deadlines! You are going to be impressed by all the stuff we’ve tackled over the last week. Here goes… Look at our hallway upstairs, it looks nice, and pretty and clean. It didn’t used to look like this. I wish I had a before, but I was over it and not in the mood for taking pics. In one day I installed a new light fixture (again with the knob and tube and old gas lines), and painted all the banged up and dirty trim white. Ahh, it looks so nice! That isn’t my dream light fixture up there, but it works for now. I picked it up over at the Home Depot a few weeks ago for $20 and painted the base [...]

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