Willow House Updates

Well, in a certain sense I hate to post pics yet, because it's not "done"...we're like 95% there, and should be 100% by weekend - except for the shutters on order. Oh, and the gutters. Haha. There's a lot more drama in a before and after than there is in the incremental progress. However, this is a place for memories, not a place for grand reveals, and life is incremental, and slow paced, and sometimes looks like the current mess of my yard. But that's alright. It's supposed to be that way. That's not the "bad" part of life, that IS life! This space, like our home, is essentially a museum of all the things that are important to us. And I want to remember the work, the mess, the teaching and learning. The boys got a bit of experience (their first ever) with our shed build last summer. And now - they're really getting a hang of measuring, power tools, and all that. The boys have installed all the siding on the house, leaving the tricky bits (all around the lights, the HVAC and the up really high peaks for Brian). They have done a fantastic job. We are getting compliments left right and center from the entire neighbourhood - on the colour of the siding (a LOVE), and also on the work ethic of these kids (a proud parent moment - I don't know that we're "there" yet, quite...but I guess it at least appears that they are 😉) A few pics to document the process before I post the final dramatic before and afters, hopefully next weekend!

When we bought the house in 2013. My least favourite thing about it (I mean, outside of the fact that it's a "boring ranch") was the gingerbread on the front posts.

A few years back we painted the doors and shutters - from green to blue.
3 years ago, a new roof. 2 years ago, new windows. This year, new siding! 

We chose new vinyl siding. Our other houses are various shades of blue - different/darker than this blue, but we thought this shade would suit the house best. I suspected at the supply store, that we had picked a colour identical to our shutters, doors and shed, but wasn't sure if my minds eye was really that accurate. When the siding was delivered...Yup. It's almost identical!

Speaking of the shed. Here it is! With lawnmowers, bikes x6, etc etc etc...we needed this space.

It's tall, so there is plenty of overhead storage too. Super functional. Our garage isn't very big - it's a 1 car, but a very small 1 car, boo.

This siding was original to the house in '82. It's hard to tell from pics, but certain "boards" were discoloured/yellowed, and there were chips/cracks in places. Above the light fixture in this pic, the black "dots" - those are chips. Likely a branch or something hitting the house in a hurricane? Who knows. But with spots like that everywhere, it was time for an overhaul.

Gingerbread is GONE. PRAISE!!!!😂😂😂

As of today, (which was not this pic), all the trash & old siding is in it! Calling to get it pulled, YAY!

Brian has to do the peaks (we have 3 of them) painting and siding. It's a little too high for the rest of us to handle.

Boys, getting the last of the siding pulled on the two ridges. 

We decided on white trim, black doors & shutters. I painted the doors and most of the trim - our front door shows the progression over the years...brick red, soft hunter green, smokey blue, and black.

The garage side. Isn't it pretty? I'm super in love with this colour. It's called Coventry D5 Clapboard in Harbor Blue.