The House Where We Used to Live

This is the house we lived in before we bought the house where we live now.  When we bought it, the place was a bland, new-construction, 4-bedroom house with an unfinished basement.  It looked a WHOLE lot different by the time we moved out.

My daughter called the other day to tell me that the house is for sale again.  I jumped at the chance to look up the listing online, to see what it looks like now.  I guess the new owners must have been pleased with what we did to the place, because I only see two minor changes in the whole house.  The written details in the listing read like a project list for the things that we did while this was our house.
 
"Fall in love with this impressive Colonial settled in the desirable gated community of The Fairways. A grand two-story foyer with gleaming hardwood floors and an abundance of natural light sets the tone for this stunning home. The sunken formal living room features gorgeous crown molding and neutral color palette. An elegant dining room offers a large bay window with built-in seating, chair railing, hardwood floors and crown molding.

Two-story foyer, still painted the same yellow that we painted it.

 

Yellow living room, with the hardwood floor that we installed.

 

Hardwood floor in the dining room ... yeah, we did that.  They didn't show the archway that we opened up between the living and dining rooms.

 

I built the window seat, and I see that my beaded shades are still on the chandelier.

"The eat-in kitchen sits adjacent to dining room. It has granite counter tops, stainless appliance and large center island highlighted by beautiful pendant lighting. Sliding glass doors open from the breakfast area to the screened patio overlooking the yard.

Granite counters?  We did that.

 

I installed the tile backsplash and beadboard and paneled framing on the island.

 

The current owners put up the pendant lights, but I was the one that got rid of the white vinyl and tiled the floor.

 

Screened porch?  I designed it.  (I really miss having a screened porch.)

"A foot step away is a nice family room with warming fireplace flanked by built-in book shelves.

Tile that we installed in the kitchen and mudroom (door on the left), hardwood in the family room.

 

Those built-in bookshelves are a LOT more complicated than they look.  The back wall is at three different levels, so the shelves step out into the room.

 

I see that the green striped wallpaper is still in the office.

"Vaulted ceilings are boasted in the master suite. Owners will love the abundance of natural light as well as a lux bath with his/her vanity and large soaking tub.

This is the house that taught me that it is possible to have a master bedroom that's TOO big.

 

The fireplace mantel and mirrored overmantel are mismatched pieces that I painted and combined to make a faux fireplace.

 

You can see how huge this bedroom is .... that's a king-sized bed and it barely makes a dent in the space.

 

The useless soaking tub.

 

We used to joke that this bathroom is so big that we could have parties in there.

"Each of the additional bedrooms features plenty of space and comfort.

This was our middle daughter's room.  It was pale green.

 

This was our youngest daughter's room, still yellow like we left it.

 

Hall bathroom.

 

Nothing in here has changed, except for the addition of monkey themed accessories.

"A finished lower level with recreation and family room provides all the extra space you'll need.

I see that the projection TV still there, with the wall unit that I built to hold it.

 

This side of the basement held our pool table.  The current owners have small children, and it looks like it made a great play space for them.

 

More ceramic tile that I put down.

"Out back plenty of running room waits in the spacious backyard with beautiful wooded backdrop."

I went to battle with the HOA over this fence ... and I won!

 

Lots of running room!

 

The Husband and I built the garden shed.

 

I used to spend SO much time out on that screened porch! 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed your little tour of our previous home.  For me, it feels a little weird peeking into the past like this.  (If you know someone who needs a large house and wants to live in a very convenient part of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, click HERE to see the listing.)

 

 

Give Me a Flower -- Just One, Said He ...

I found this vintage book page as I sifted through a box of papers at one of my favorite shops yesterday.

The colorful image of the young couple appealed to me. 

It was the verse, however, that sealed the deal.  I had to have it!

I plan to mat it and frame it and add it to my motley collection of rose-related prints and paintings.  One day, I may even get around to hanging it on a wall ... I wouldn't hold my breath, if I were you.

Can You Stand Another Post About Groundhogs?

My recent success with trapping groundhogs has fueled my motivation to keep at it until I rid this place of the lousy varmints.   (not that this is really possible, but everyone has to have a goal in life.)  Yesterday morning, bright and early, Ruby and I headed toward the barn with some chunks of cantaloupe and apple to bait and set the traps. 

Ruby has become very reliable when she's off lead.  I still put her orange collar and long training lead on her whenever she is outside the fence, though, just to remind her to listen and not get too far ahead of me.

As we went through the gate you see in the photo above, there was this little bunny in the rose field.  It has become fairly accustomed to our presence, and we can actually get pretty close to it before it bolts and heads for the 'briar patch' ... get it ... briar patch ... ha ha.

Just like I did the previous day, I baited and set two traps.  Look at the game camera photo below, and you can see that the door on the trap on the left is tripped, and you can sort of see a shadow of a groundhog inside of it.  Oh, look, there's another groundhog coming to check out the situation.

Less than one minute later, according to the photo's time stamp, we now have two trapped groundhogs.  Even now, I get all giddy about nabbing myself a groundhog "two-fer".

As has been my habit since I caught the first groundhog earlier this summer, each 'convict' has to stand to be photographed for his mug shot.  Groundhog #7 was average size, healthy looking, and was not at all hissy or mean.

Groundhog #8 was the biggest one yet.  He had a very bad attitude, and he hissed and showed us his teeth more than once.

The Husband and I put both of these guys into the truck and drove them down the road to our release place.  They each raced out of their traps when I opened the doors, and they ran down the path and were quickly out of sight.

A Groundhog Story in Photos

Groundhog #6, one of the fig eaters, was trapped and relocated yesterday afternoon.

 

 

The game camera photos from last week showed at least two groundhogs at the barn eating figs, so I set and baited both of our traps in that spot ... one is on the left of the photo below, and one is on the right (but you can barely see it because it's in the shadows).

I must have set the trap on the left incorrectly ... probably forgot to release the safety hook that keeps the trap door from slamming on my arm while I put in the bait.  When I went to the barn at around 3:00 to check the traps, I found that the trap on the left was upside down and a good distance from where I put it. ... and the trap on the right was full of groundhog!  I am SO thankful that my camera was there, because it recorded the whole process. 

Grab a beverage and settle in, and please enjoy this series of photos that shows the activity of a very determined groundhog attempting to get apple and cantaloupe from a closed trap.  (The time shown on the date stamp at the bottom of the photos is correct ... the date is off by one day.)

 Sniffing the trap on the left.

 

 Checking out the one on the right.

 

In there somewhere. 

 

 Groundhog, where are you?

 There you are!

 Probably eating the apple I put in front of the trap.

 This is the photo that proved to me that the trap wasn't set correctly ... the groundhog pushed it onto its side, and the trap door is still open.

 

 

 Pushed it again, and still hasn't tripped the door.

 

 Now it's closed.

 

 Pushed it again.

 "There's still stuff in there."

 "oohh, figs!"

 "What are you looking at?"

 He's over by the right trap again.

 Pushed the left one again.

 and again.

 He's scooting the trap now.

 Pushed it again.

This was the last groundhog photo.  He must have been taking a round-about way, under the fig tree out of the camera's range, toward captivity in the trap on the right.  The next photo in the series showed mostly the seat of my pants as I bent over the trap, wondering why it was so far from where I put it earlier in the day.  (Keeping that photo to myself.)

Both traps are baited and set again this morning (set correctly this time).  Perhaps today will be another fruitful groundhog trapping day!