September 09, 2011

Frugal Friday

A Fabulous Frugal Friday
 Make-Over Monday
Combo Day

Busy, busy, busy!!!! Now that it's too cold for swimming the mad push is on to get all our outdoor make-overs done before the snow fly's. A free Craigs List fence to install, a house to paint, finishing the new poolhouse, pruning trees, refinishing an antique dining table and a small end table. Work, work work.
We've been in this house for just a little over 3 years now. One thing I have wanted to do since we moved in was to put a cupola (or 2) on the roof to give my 70's ranch a little personality on the outside. In an ideal world I would have 2 smaller cupola's - one for each end of the house. But I would have settled for one larger cupola centered on the house as well. I discovered cupola's don't come along everyday (or every year) on Craigs List and if I was going to ever get one I'd have to pay. So, giving up on the dream to put one on the house, I ordered a smaller 21" cupola for the poolhouse (according to hubby, still too much $$$). Then, 2 weeks after placing my order, what do I find? A free 36" cupola, copper roof and all, on Craigs List. I quickly e-mailed my request, certain I would never hear back. But, an hour later the phone rang and the cupola was mine. Out of 48 other e-mails I was the lucky winner. So this is, for sure, my most fabulous Frugal Friday EVER!!! A new 36" copper topped cupola would be $1,000 + shipping. So while it isn't exactly the cupola I would have ordered, I couldn't be more thrilled with my find. It is about 40 years old. Hubby re-braced the inside. I scraped and sanded. This weekend (when I finish painting the house) it will get painted. And then............ up to the roof it goes.

Now deciding where to put it. I really always pictured a smaller one on the garage and a second smaller one over the brick end of the house. I'm thinking it is too big for the brick end. And, the solar heating for the pool is on the garage. So now it is between centering over the picture window or the above the front door. Hmmmm............
Now this brings us to Make-Over Monday. We had no plans of taking on this project, but when we got the free vinyl fence for the front of the house it just sort of snowballed.
So this is the house before (ewww) -


and after -


Still needing new front windows, a couple large rocks, and 2 mugo pines but we've come a long, long way.

The garage before and after (the walk-in door is another Craigs List freebie) -



and the hideous bedroom windows -


After -



I still have the back of the family room to get painted and hubby has one peak to paint on the end of the house. I leave him the ladder work as I won't climb higher than my 2-step stool. But I definately have, by far, the most area to cover. So, off to Lowes now, to buy my 4th and final gallon of paint. I just love their Valspar paint.
Monday I'll share my completed poolhouse with it's new little cupola.








3 comments:

TheCrankyCrow said...

Oh I agree....that "before" shot is so "ewwww!" Removal of the white stuff makes all the difference in the world!! ;o) Seriously....I need a Mary redo here....and - really - you get used to those snakes after a while!! You lucky, lucky, lucky dang thing you... a cupola for FREE??? When the HECK does THAT happen!!! Love it!! I can only imagine what old man crow would think if I managed to snag something like that...old male crows can be way too conventional ya know??? Hope things are well Sweetie....Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

Mary said...

I hated this house when we bought it Robin. HATED!!!! I refused to look at it until all other possibilities were sold out from under me. I had 2 other houses picked out but they sold the week before my house sold. :(
What this had going for it was the pool (my life's dream), that it is the very end lot of a big caldesac so zero traffic, it is just 3 minutes from my mother who has dementia and balance troubles, and because they dropped the asking price $30,000 the very day we sold our house. Plus we had to be out of our house just 2 days after close. Yikes! But it is fun turning this 70's lemon into some good old fashioned lemonade, LOL. Just wait till you see the pool house. :o)

Karen said...

Mary the garage and windows look so much better, it takes time but at least you will have your house how YOU want it to be!

Hugs,
Karen