Back to School Time

Well it is that time of year again for us here in Colorado! Back to school! This is my first week back, I get to meet all my great students next Monday for the start of the 2014-2015 school year. I anticipate it being a lot of fun, even with all the testing changes (cough: PARCC).

When I was teaching summer school I decided it was a great time to update my classroom and make it reflect more of my personality, remember when I first showed it to you in February?  Well it is still similar but I've added some awesome stripes!

Here's the tour this year:

The view from the front of my classroom:

Teacher corner (I still love my FREE desks):

My huge book collection and DIY magazine holders:

Painting the new stripes only took a couple of days after my summer school class was out. Which was awesome, I feel like they add some subtle character and my students will love them! I still want to find a slip cover for the couch that is functional but it is a work in progress!

When do you go back to school? I feel like we are just uncommonly early, but maybe not.

It's a Gutter Job

This last whole month has been filled with posts about the exterior of my humble abode! So here is another one for you as well. Last year all the gutters on the front of my house basically crumbled and fell off the house, or were knocked down from a falling limb or something equally dramatic. Here's a before of the entire front of the house, without gutters:

Here is also the back of the house, which from what I can tell, has never had any gutters at all.

It only took one short afternoon for the guys to come out and do my gutters. I did choose to hire them, especially with my Dad being so far away in New Mexico, I am quite sure this is one of those things you could DIY with the right means, but I don't think its for everyone.

Here's a beautiful view of the finished product:

It definitely gives the house a wonderful finished look and helps navigate the excess water from storms and other precipitation. The total cost was $678 on this bad boy.

The company that did it was called Guttermeister, click on their name if you're local and want to get in touch. I would definitely recommend them!

My house is feeling so grown up! New door, gutters, painted porch, new steps. I love it!

Oh Porch, How Cheerful of You!

I love the updates that I showed you last week, so I figured I should continue that trend into the front of the house. This post is a bit picture heavy but that's because the  front of my yard is a lot larger and I like to focus on the curb appeal, I will let them speak for themselves. The first five are the "before" pictures this year, and the rest are after the new paint job and accessorizing:

Sebastian had to stay inside because he was barky, he still tried to keep an eye on things.

Ready for the after? Here you go!

To- Do List Items Finished:

• Repaint peeling paint 
• Clean the steps
• Replace old ramp with new steps
• Plant flowers
• Repaint from doors and posts
• Accessorize
• Organize seating for max functionality

Product List:

• Large lattice rug, clearance $7.48 at Target
• "Welcome" mat, Target
• Lanterns, Homegoods and IKEA
• Pillows, handmade by mama
• Assorted flowers, local Bookcliff Gardens shop
• Brown furniture, free from friend spray painted with "Espresso" Rustoleum 
• Compass art, clearance $14.38 at Target
• Blue lawn chairs, free from mama, she found them in the trash. 

What do you think of the front porch? I'm totally digging the new rug! Especially since it was dramatically cheaper than replacing all the carpeting on the front, though that does definitely still need to be done. Maybe next year.