Colorful Improvements

It's been 7 years since we had this house built and it was time to change up a few things that we were never really happy with from day one. Hello, hardware stores! Let's spend some money!

The first thing Mike wanted to do was paint. After 7 years it was due and this would also give us a chance to change things up, do some serious cleaning in all the nooks and crannies. Besides, he really enjoys it. 

It's hard to tell by the picture but he got with it and painted the entire living room, kitchen and hallway. Now, you see, Mike did all the painting because I am not allowed to. I'm only allowed to paint outdoors. More on that later. Just know that I did some knuckle busting scrubbing to get things more like when we first moved in.


Ace Hardware had a promotion online giving away samples of paint every day in March. It's one of those things that go "live" at noon and if you are not there to click exactly when it updates, well you don't get nuttin'. I managed to score 17 of the paint samples offered and since we were painting anyway, let's add some color.



Oh yeah, a nice blue complimented by an even nicer green.


Bright, bright green. I'm loving it.


And also a shocking yellow.


This is the "aquarium."


So while Mike was painting doors indoors I headed outdoors to do my thing. Dollar store to the rescue, these are small clay pots tied with a key inside for a bell. And I re-used an old rusted rake. It's amazing what a good coat of paint can do.


Not too bad for a gal who can't paint. And I can't. I don't have the patience for it. It seems pretty simple to me. The thing is one color, you want it another color, so just slob the stuff on and there you go. Right? (Yes, those are stickers, dollar store stickers.)



This one wasn't on the list to begin with. Mike went outside to cook us some steaks on the grill and the whole blasted thing caught fire. And looking at it afterwards it was rusted and dirty and broken all to hell. I'm surprised he used it as long he did. 

It was time for a new grill. This one is a bit smaller but that's a good thing, just cooking for two anyway.



Delicious!


I was never happy with the sink that we had put in 7 years ago. It was your typical average 2 hole stainless steel sink and it wasn't installed correctly to begin with. ("Stainless" steel isn't stainless now is it?) The squirt hose came loose within a month and the drains were too high so that water laid in the bottom and eventually started to rust and pit. 

I wanted a new sink and I wanted a pretty one and while I was at it I wanted one that was going to last. I found this white cast iron sink and added a new faucet. This thing is HUGE and deep and weighs a ton. I love it.


Another thing we were never really happy about was the front door. For one, it was never installed right to begin with either and didn't quite close properly. It was a solid steel door and had no window at all. Our little entryway is blocked on both sides from the bedroom windows so that if someone came to the door there was no way to see who stood there.

Fixed that! Brand new windowed door and a lovely splash of color!



Oh yes, this is coming together.



So now I have an old grill, an old sink, and lots of leftover samples of paint. What to do? Ya'll know I can't stand to let anything go to waste. So, let's just scrub this thing down, rearrange a few things, add a coat of paint and now we have a new birdbath/feeder!!



And here's Mikey, opening and closing that brand new front door, very proud of himself. 
Good job!

It's time to go, I hear my credit card screaming....









Spring at Low Roller Acres


We have been busy busy busy with some home improvement projects and I finally realized I hadn't put up a post in a while.


So here are some random shots of stuff here at Low Roller Acres



My night blooming cereus out in full daylight.



You know I have to include pictures of birds.



She's pretty...



Blue Jay...


Not sure, any guesses?



Boat tailed grackle...



Hm, something left a long slithering track in the mud.



Could it be this guy?
Nope, too small...



Yup, I bet this is the culprit.



He's looking at me looking at him.



Green looks like he's impaled himself on the tip of a mother-in-law's tongue.



Ibis high up in a pine tree.



And lastly, a dung beetle, rolling up a ball of....


Next up, when we get everything done, some bright, bright paint and a few new home improvements.

See ya'll then!