Small Details, Tall Trees and the Weather Briefly Turns

Scott found any number of interesting things in the garage attic when we moved in, including two panels of amber bottle glass we later discovered were originally installed at the kitchen peninsula behind the range. Scott tried to install them recently, but it appears we don't have all the original hardware. We'll have to tackle that project later. Instead, the pegboard doors Scott found in the attic found their home in the laundry room, making the room look much more pulled together, if a little dated. The laundry room still needs quite a bit of work to be completely functional, but for now, it works.  

Pegboard doors in the laundry room

There was a flurry of activity last week getting the house ready for Scott's birthday party. Cleaning, minor projects like adjusting closet doors, drywall work, and hanging my new vintage pink tulip swag lamp in the little corner bedroom were on the agenda.

Vintage pink glass swag lamp in the little corner bedroom

Closer look at my vintage pink swag lamp

Mastering the art of drywall patching

Friday morning Multnomah Tree Experts were on hand to trim up the trees in the front yard. The ice and snow storms this winter took their toll on on some of the larger branches and there were quite a few dead branches and some that were hanging much to low. Scott watched, fascinated, as one of the crew used ropes and pulleys to hike himself up to the very top of the tree closest to the house, dropping limbs and branches as he went. They were here for about three hours all told and the results are amazing.

Exterior circa August 2016

The weather turned sunny and somewhat warm on Sunday so we spent several hours removing shrubs from the base of the tree closest to the street. The idea is to remove the shrubs along the driveway and put down mulch providing a clean, neat look and better sight lines to the house. 

Trees trimmed up and first shrubs cleared

The results, even after a few hours of labor and four filled yard waste bags, are striking. With the trees trimmed up we can start to see the plan. Still much to do, but it's a start.