part 1: backyard clean-up - Bricks

Welcome to part one of something that will probably take months (years, really) to finish: my new backyard! While the weather is splendid, I can't get too excited. No planting until I'm sure there will be no more frosts. So today, I began with a plan and a small part of a larger project.

Here's my plan. Kind of. There's also a big list to the left of stuff I still need to do with the house. (Oh and to the right I was making a pattern for some kitchen curtains. Someday they will be sewn....) I highly recommend painting a chalkboard wall. They are so fun.

The previous homeowner left a large pile of bricks. Somewhere around 144 (and about 10 half bricks). I'm not sure what they were going to be used for, but as soon as I started dreaming up ways I would use them my mind immediately went to creating bordered areas to plant stuff. Basically, it was an easy way to fancify the space.

I also uncovered this guy. Is this Dora's friend? I don't watch enough TV, but there were Dora the Explorer stickers on the wall in one of the bedrooms.

The top shows the before and the bottom the... kind of after. Obviously I need to turn the dirt and actually place the bricks. Right now Alex and I were just plotting them. I can't wait to get the flowers/veggies in!

Another before and after. This time, the patio. I'm looking to get a small dining set soon. Of course, it's going to be 45 degrees tomorrow (it was 75 today!), so I can probably hold off for a while.

Unfortunately, the sun went down before I could take all my pictures, so I'll add some more from the sides of the house tomorrow.

There are still 14 bricks and 6 half bricks left. Hmmmm...