2015: Before & After

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas last week!  Another year has come and almost gone... which means it's time for our annual project recap.  What did we set out to accomplish this year?  Here's my project list for 2015:

• Make new curtains for the living room (Got these for Christmas, pictures coming soon!)
• Rebuild deck… still. (Did it!  Hooray!)
• Finish exterior spruce-up with black storm door, and paint white trim
• Replace dining table
• Repaint dining room with satin paint and add wainscoting and chair rail
• Mini-kitchen update with custom-built island, move pendant light, add sideboard (added a mini island, does that count?)
• Finish parking area edger
• Finish steps in the woods to the new garden 
• Start creekbank planting in new garden
• Add firepit area to new yard
• Add compost pile to garden

We completed a few small things and one big thing last year.  The new deck was our big project for the year.  It's one of my favorite projects so far!  Here's a look:

Before:

After:

We also redesigned the adjoining patio and added some new landscaping to the flower bed in front:

It's such a nice spot to relax now... I can't wait until Spring when we will get to enjoy it so much more!

Another outdoor project from 2015 was reseeding our backyard (again).  We amended the soil with a new top dressing of topsoil before planting so hopefully that will help with the longevity of the grass!  

We also finished the steps in the woods leading to the new garden area.  I planted liriope along the other side after these photos were taken.  So it's all nice and completed now.

This year I also helped my sister create a bear themed nursery for her son Barrett.  It turned out cute:

In the new year, I'm pleased to announce we will be working on our own nursery!  We are expecting our first child in June 2016! :)  I'm sure there will be lots of baby related projects as we prepare for our little one's arrival.  

Which brings me to our to-do list for the upcoming year 2016:

• Redecorate guest room for new baby's nursery!
• Build a home gym in the basement for Michael (in progress)
• Finish exterior spruce-up with black storm door, and paint white trim
• Replace dining table
• Repaint dining room with satin paint and add wainscoting and chair rail
• Finish parking area edger
• Continue creekbank planting in the new garden
• Add firepit area to new yard
• Stain and seal new deck

Here's to a fun, healthy, productive New Year 2016!