Front Porch. Epilogue.

Has anyone seen my concentration?
I’ve been trying to finish this post for three days, but my brain keeps wandering off… The kind of stealth abandonment where it sneaks away, unsupervised and unnoticed.

Squandering your thoughts on the consideration of things that are clearly a total waste of time. And yet seem entirely necessary.

For example:
A Pinterest board dedicated to why Karl Lagerfeld is insane. Which would also be a Pinterest board dedicated to why Karl Lagerfeld is awesome.

In comparison, the final Front Porch post is boring. But that’s what you’re getting.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Oct 17, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Front Porch 46 Comments Tags: Big Project, Cabot, color scheme, DIY, Exterior, Front Porch, house colors, IPE, Painting, Porch columns, refinishing deck, Shutters, Writing

Front Porch – Part 3 of 3. Where we sand and stain the floor. But first try to kill each other.

The most exciting part of this front porch project? When we actually PAID someone to do work. It goes against everything Paul stands for… but sanding a floor is the one task he’ll allow someone else to do.

If you’re wondering what it’s like? To pay someone? It’s unbelievably awesome.

I left to go to the farmer’s market and the library and an estate sale. Because when you pay someone else to do work, you can leave your house… and when you come home it’s magically finished! Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Oct 2, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Front Porch, My Favorite Posts 135 Comments Tags: Big Project, Choosing stain color., Communication, Construction, DIY, Freshly Pressed, Front doors, Front Porch, frustration, house renovation, IPE, Marriage, Porch columns, porch floor, Refinish porch floor, Stain, wrap around porch, Writing

Front Porch – Part 2 of 3 – where we paint stuff, and then paint more stuff.

When I used to give people directions to our house, I would tell them to look for the skinny blue house with bright purple shutters.

And purple foundation. And purple doors. And purple eaves.
And purple everything.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Sep 24, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Front Porch 37 Comments Tags: Big Project, Construction, DIY, Front doors, Front Porch, House, house painting, Matching siding, Painting, porch ceiling, Porch columns, porch roof, Power washing, replacement wood siding, Roof line, Shutters, wrap around porch

Front Porch – Part 1 – a saga in three acts… Similar to War and Peace. In Russian. Except about paint and power washing. And in English.

I haven’t written about the house for over a month now… Incase you thought that was because we magically finished? We didn’t.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Sep 5, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Front Porch 39 Comments Tags: Big Project, Construction, DIY, Front Porch, House, Matching siding, Painting, Plastic drop cloths, Porch columns, porch roof, Power washing, replacement wood siding, Roof line, wrap around porch, Writing

Benary Giant Zinnia… best flower ever.

When we first moved in, we had this giant rock on our front lawn. It was just one of the many unexplainable objects d’art collected by the previous owner.

Landscaping was low on our priority list, but the rock irritated me. So I put it on craigslist. Anytime I give something away on craigslist, I am astounded by the tsunami of people who want the very thing I am getting rid of. The rock was no exception.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Jul 11, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Garden, My Favorite Posts 44 Comments Tags: Big Project, Flowers, Landscaping, Lisianthus, P&V, Planning, Raised bed

Completed Medicine Cabinet. Awesomeness.

“I am not a cabinet maker.” Is what Paul said to me months ago, when I showed him my ideas for a giant, recessed, extra-tall, medicine cabinet. He explained that he is not a woodworker, or a finish carpenter, or an elderly Amish man.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.