Month Four: October

Reed's project: clean up water damage and re-organize clothes closet 

Reed's project from Joanna: Replace broken firebricks & prepare fireplace insert for winter

Joanna's project: Clean out and organize the storage cabinets in the mudroom (take two)

Joanna's project from Reed: Organize the mudroom closet (take two)

Sweet September Victory (sort of)

Gosh darn it, I was determined to hit my deadline for both projects in month three. And, for the first time since this experiment began, I did.

Backyard Fire Pit

The fire pit was a bit of a punt, as I salvaged a used fire pit from the beloved Cape Elizabeth Swap Shop (aka the dump). While I have grand plans of a properly designed fire area, this store-bought contraption can serve as a good stop-gap measure, especially as we experiment with the proper location in our back yard.

Fortunately the Super Blood Moon on September 27 provided us with the perfect opportunity to initiate the fire pit and enjoy the unseasonably warm, dry autumn evening. (Yes, that's the eclipsing moon at the top of the picture.)

Redesign our Front Entryway Closet

Until I sat down to document this, I thought I had clearly accomplished this goal, although a technical reading of my original goal - "Resign and organize our front entryway closet" - suggests otherwise. At least the redesign part was accomplished, in part due to an 8PM run to Home Depot on the last day of the month.  

The organization component will be a bit of a work in progress, which was part of my design. I installed adjustable shelves so we can figure out what will work best through experimentation, so the final due date for 'organization' remains a bit down the line.

However, I'm not going to let technical details get in the way of my delusions of victory. 

Something Re-Painted, Something Blue

August Updates:

Better late than never on  my Grill Prep Station Project. Took longer than expected, as projects often do, but I'm pretty happy with the result. It has really increased our barbecuing frequency, but at least those pesky grill tools are out of the kitchen.

Joanna also forgot to give herself credit for an extra project in August. She took our rusted, yellow patio chairs and painted them apple red. Better than new.

It's interesting to realize that in just two months, we've had so many projects that center around the back deck: power washing, staining, light switch, grill station, refurbished grill, and repainted chairs.

The deck is starting to look pretty good just in time to shut it down for the winter.