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.