How was everyone’s weekend? Wonderful I hope

We were able to tackle a project we have had on our list since we moved in. We finally got to work on our backyard!

Since Spring it has turned into a bit of a jungle out back, and the last thing we want are our neighbors thinking we’re “those people on the street” that don’t know how to use a mower or hedge clippers.  So we went ahead and took care of that.

Here are some photo’s to give you a better idea:

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Our lovely yard (and this was the beginning of June)

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Most recently:

We have a little “jungle” issue on our premises

Now, for the weekend-work-filled after photo’s…

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We have ground!

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and even more ground!!

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Also, I think I found OJ’s glove with a broken golf club:

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hopefully they don’t need that glove for evidence because it got thrown into the burn pile we’ve started:

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just don’t look behind the burn pile… we’ve only tackled the front 1/3 of the backyard
(what?! we have a really big yard!)

So what did everyone else do this weekend?   Only 4 more days until the weekend

I went by Habitat for Humanity the other day and spent a lot of time walking around the warehouse and [junk] yard. I have been on the search for a few things lately, like a new mailbox, some flower pots, and old windows. I came across some older windows, but nothing that really caught my eye, and then I saw this fabulous mailbox:

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another shot:

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It would need a little cleaning up, but I thought it was really fun & cute. It’s not your normal mailbox, which I like, and it shoots just a little personality out there for everyone driving by.

After looking at it and wondering if this was the mailbox I’d been waiting for (am I the only one that makes a big deal about such small decisions?!) I looked at the price…

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That red chalk says $40.00  and for some reason I thought that was expensive for a mailbox, so I left it. A few days later I went to a few places to check out mailbox prices (ours is pretty bad looking) and discovered that apparently $40 is not a lot of money for a mailbox. In fact, unless I want some cheap metal or plastic, $40 is a really good deal…

Now I’m just hoping that no one else saw the cute mailbox and it’s still there waiting for me when I go back by there today. Keep your fingers crossed for me, k?!

The past few days have been very lazy and productive days for us. After work I got to hang out with this guy at the house:

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Okay, so that picture is pretty old. So old that it was back in the days before red eye removal was done on your home computer. I couldn’t help but use this photo since I just rediscovered it. I mean look at it, he looks dang goooood!

Like I was saying, it’s been a lazy and productive few days. Stephen has been pretty sick so I’ve been busy finding tissues all over the house while he’s been sleeping all day it gave me prime opportunity to do some spring (?) cleaning.

I did some major paper shredding, CD organizing, and photo editing today. By photo editing, I mean I got rid of the ugly pictures you take on your digital camera but forget to delete after you transfer them onto your computer…

It was such a productive day, with my cleaning and his sleeping-for-the-past-2-days, that we are fixing to celebrate with a BBQ Hawaiian pizza. I’ve had a crazy hankering for some pineapple and bacon.

I love coming home after a long day and finding a present on my doorstep…

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Also, I think it’s time for a pedicure, just to be safe for spontaneous foot-in-picture moments down the road. Plus, it’s summer (not that I don’t wear those same sandals all year long anyways).

It was a good 2 1/2 years ago I was gifted with a very awesome present! A present from the person that knows me best. Someone that knows how much I dislike spending money on household items. Not just any household items either (I love my Hawaiian Breeze Air Freshener), but more specifically cleaning products. Is it weird that it takes every ounce of my being to spend $8 on trash bags? Or that I don’t think soap bars should cost almost $1 a bar. It’s pure lunacy!

Just before we got married my mom bought me the ultimate laundry detergent. This baby washes around 275 loads of laundry! And, here’s the doozy, it only costs $14.00 !! My mom has been getting this for years, which must have been super helpful with the piles of laundry she handled for 4 kids!

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Massive pale of laundry detergent
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Since the container is so large I fill this little glass jar and keep it my laundry basket:

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Interesting… just seeing the top of my washer makes me dream of something nice and new.

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Yes, I’d like the towels too! After all, I’m decorating our master bedroom in blue and grey! Wow, I think it’s a sign… of course, by sign I mean daydream. Our washer and dryer are around for the long haul! Until those clothes-cleaning buckets die there’s no need to spend money on something else. Am I right ?!?!  {Please agree with me, it’ll make me feel better}

At this rate, if we continue to buy items in bulk (like the detergent that has already lasted us 2 1/2 years, our 5 lb rice bag, boxes upon boxes of sandwich baggies, T.P., and pasta (we eat a lot of spaghetti)) then one day we will have saved enough to upgrade!

Yes, I’ve gone and done it, I’ve found an entirely new area to add to my “what to decorate” list… you aren’t surprised, are you?

Now, while I would LOVE to be able to decorate a beautiful and serene back patio/porch, that isn’t in the cards just yet. Stephen and I have a lot of plans and idea’s for the house, but the money and time have not quite made it there yet. I have it on good standing that my plans and idea’s will never quite mesh up with our availability and budget.

However, that won’t stop me from dreaming

Until we save up enough for the back patio, I will focus on our front porch. I am very happy to say that as of yesterday afternoon our porch has become pest free! The kind man from Florida Pest Control got to our house within 1 hour of us calling, which impressed me like crazy!  While our goal is to get those pesky, non-paying tenants to leave our property for good, I’m also okay with a temporary fix. I can’t wait to sod our yard, but, well… let’s just leave it at the fact that we have A LOT of yard, and it isn’t going to be cheap.

Back to the porch talk. I, being a Wells, love movement. Wether it be in a rocking chair, a swivel office chair or a swing. I tend to rock even if I am sitting on the couch. Ask Stephen, he just looooves it! I figure it goes back to being in the womb. My mom must have had a rocker or some sort, or maybe she was always doing those Denise Austin workout video’s. There’s no way to know for sure, but regardless I know the #1 priority for our front porch. In case you haven’t guessed it yet, here are a few clues…

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I would LOVE an outdoor swing. There is something so relaxing and enjoyable about sitting outdoors and just moving in the breeze, almost like you are on a float in the water feeling the breeze across your face. All 3 of those pictures are amazing and show what I am looking to add to our home. The one problem we have is that our porch is not super wide. That is what I LOVE about the 3rd picture. It looks like I could get a book and a cup of lemonade and just relax the afternoon away.

When I brought up decorating our front porch the first thing Stephen said was “I bet you’d love a swing. I can picture driving up after work and you sitting there reading a book.” That man knows me so well!

So, other than my #1 porch necessity, here are a few more pictures that I really like…

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This would look AMAZING. I love the bucket and bench.

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What a fun and pretty way to brighten up your outdoor space! I also really like the Adirondack chair!

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If you have been to this site before, you know I am drawn to anything with white and blue combined!
This looks so relaxing and comfortable

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Surprise, surprise – rockers!  haha
I would love sitting and chatting on our porch. Therefore, 2+ seats are needed

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A table is always helpful on a porch, and I really like the old metal tube being used as a planter. So clever!

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Is anyone else having a case of porch fever?!  I can’t wait until we get ours completed, and with our normal pests out-of-commission, I think this weekend seems like a great time to start!

Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday. We are having a few issues at the house that we are trying to fix, and last night was a doozy.

We aren’t sure yet, but I think we are having a problem with our air conditioner…

This of course stems from the fact that it was hot in the house ALL night, despite the air running the entire time. I feel air coming out of the vents, but it sure doesn’t feel cool to my hand. Plus, this ancient thing isn’t helping me see what temperature it is even set on:

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It looks like the air is set at 75, but last night it was cooler outside than it was inside, and in Florida that is never a good sign!

Now, for problem #2. Yes, the evil house spirits didn’t stop at just 1, they decided to attack full force (and I’m not including the leak under our bathroom sink and the kitchen sink – those are on a complete different “fix it” list).

Next up we have these moochers that have decided to take over our house:

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That is what it looks like inside our laundry room door. These guys have been sprayed, but it’s just an example of the amount of un-invited guests that are using our home for their own.

They have already taken over our yard, but I guess that wasn’t enough room for them.

Here is what the room looks like all the way across…

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All those little black spots are recently dead visitors (I hope they’re all dead). Anyone have a solution for killing off 1000′s of  Pyramid Ants?!  Yard included?!  We have the pests man coming by today to do a temporary fix, but I want these guys gone for good!

I mentioned before that we have an ant problem. Well it has officially become an ant invasion. Imagine Mars Attacks, but with ants, and instead of killer laser guns they have nasty stinging bites and can fit in every little hole and crevis imaginable. Also – rather than landing outside your house inside a big UFO, they are crawling all over the outside brick walls of your home. Ya, it isn’t a pretty picture.

Tonight we are experiencing a first in the Ringl home. We are having a houseguest over. Not just any house guest either, this sweety has yet to even visit our new home. My parents left town this morning and so this weekend we are dog sitting for them. Yep, we are watching and hosting the precious Angel in our house until Sunday.

After our last dog sitting experience we decided it would be best to keep her in our own territory (where there is also about 1/3 an acre between our parking spot and the road), safety first! Angel has never been to our house, and she will be the 2nd dog to visit so far. We are pleased with the idea of having her close by for a few days (& it won’t hurt to save on gas by not taking the drive over to feed her and play with her each day). She is a total sweetheart and very obedient, so we aren’t worried about the fact that we have a fenceless yard. If you stay stay, she stays. Sit, she sits. Close the door, she closes the door. You get the picture.

Other than the fact that she is probably shedding a pound of fur a day, this should be a really fun weekend. I’m sure she’ll enjoy it more than sitting at home alone all weekend. Who knows, maybe she’ll find some pesky yard critters to take care of for us. Ahh, if only mom and dad had an anteater we were taking care of…

Here’s a picture of our weekend guest for you.

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She is as precious as she looks   and a total napper too. A girl after my own heart.

It has been headboard central here in the Ringl household and I’m glad to report that it is now sitting proudly in it’s permanent spot. Stephen is THRILLED that I am done playing with the staple gun for a little while. Turns out my “workspace” in the living room isn’t conducive to the television area. Silly boy.

So from the living room, to our bedroom:

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I love how it looks in it’s new space. It’s so comfy and adds some much needed dimension to the room (finally!)

I will add that while I think the headboard looks great, I am not a fan of the current bedding! Looks like it’s time to start browsing around for some soft and cool linens, comforter included!

Look what new piece found it’s way into our kitchen:

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Here’s a better angle for you:

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That’s right, it’s a kitchen desk! Is it a temporary fix?  Maybe. Has it been useful? Most definitely!!

I got the desk as a package deal when we got our $50 craigslist tv stand. While I was going there to pick up 1 piece, I certainly wasn’t going to turn down the desk when the seller offered it. She was moving and needed to get rid of it, so score for the Ringls!

Now, on to one of my favorite pieces in the kitchen, or entire house really. It happens to be sitting on the desk in the kitchen right now

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It’s a bird drawing that my friend Sarah made me for my birthday. I have told you before, that girl has skill, and that talent is gracing our kitchen with amazing pride! I get comments on it every time someone comes over.

Now you know what’s new in our house. I just wish I could see what’s new in your homes.

For now, it’s time for LOST. 2 episodes to go people. Maybe I’ll finally figure out what this show is actually about…