Extreme DIY

For most people, springtime is synonymous with blooming tulips, warmer temperatures, and hayfever. I’m beginning to realize that, at the Cassity house, spring awakens a desire to push the limits of our time, money, and sanity. Last spring we were stripping wallpaper, tearing down walls, installing appliances, and performing the various other miscellaneous tasks involved in transforming an old smelly house into something fit for living creatures. All this while I was working full-time and Mike was smack-dab in the middle of studying for finals.*

This year, spring at our place looked a little like this:

Granted, this year’s project of landscaping our backyard was not quite as big of an undertaking as THE REMODEL, but much of it felt the same: Home Depot appearing on our bank statement a bajillion times, Butch impressing me time and time again with his mad skills, and awesome friends and family showing up to help us carry out our hairbrained schemes.
Here’s the project in a nutshell:

Before (I do miss all the trees, but they had to be ripped out. We will be planting more soon):

After (new retaining wall, sprinkler system, and grass- ignore the temporary fence in the first photo):


I never thought something as simple as a functioning sprinkler system and grass could make me so happy, but after we laid the sod I had to strongly resist the urge to kiss it. Goodbye, mud pit/jungle of a yard, hello badminton parties, backyard picnics, and our very own garden.

Next up: New siding for the outside of the house. Gotta love fixer-uppers...

*I keep meaning to do a “before and after” post about our home renovation since I love looking at crap like that on blogs, but do any of you even care anymore?