Summer 2016 - Changes to the Exterior of the House

It seems that again it has been a long time since I've posted...but...

I GOT A JOB!!  Yes, you read that right!!  I applied for a part-time position on a whim, got an interview, and got the job! I'm doing clerical work for a Chiropractic office here in the city, and I'm loving it! But it has definitely put a damper on the projects around here. McG also has had some changes to his work schedule. For most of the summer so far, he has been on the afternoon shift which means we have been on opposite shifts. It makes getting things done a bit more difficult. We have been enjoying the summer as well on the weekends and had a small getaway to St. Jacob's, Ontario a few weekends ago.

In between, we have finished painting the exterior of the garage.  It went from looking like this when we first bought the house back in 2014....
































To this...

We used the same "Mined Coal" color that we painted the house with last summer and "Extra White" under the covered area to make it a bit brighter.  We painted the side garage door a bright red, and added the same red to a star we placed on the peak of the garage and a few other accessories as well.

A month or so ago,  we purchased a small awning for over the back door on Kijiji which is similar to Craig's List here in Canada.  It was in mint condition and fit perfectly over our door.  It was a great buy for just $50.

It really finishes off this area nicely and keeps some of the weather off the back steps.  It's great not having to stand in the rain while you try and unlock the back door.  It also keeps out some of the sun which heats up the family room.  This doorway faces south and those door handles can get quite hot in the sun!!

The final project outside so far this summer has been to put siding under the windows at the front of the house.  Although our home is vertical aluminium siding, for some reason there was never any siding put under the windows.  They were just plywood with some decorative trim.  McG worried about rotting and water getting in, so we knew all along that something had to be done.  We just weren't sure what.  We looked at many options, but decided on a stacked stone looking siding.

Here's a look at what the area looked like before...

And here it is now...

So there you have it!  I know that we've been away from the blog for awhile, but we've been busy.
Next project is to add some wide white trim around the windows and some stone to the gardens!

I'm hoping to be able to update you again soon!  Until then HAPPY SUMMER!!

Cheryl