The Fence: Hole-y Cow!

It's been a couple weeks since my last update. So, I thought I'd clue you in on where we stand with the whole new fence situation. The orange marks seen above sat there until this past weekend when Joey, his brother Justin, and a neighbor friend who has (thanks to his job) some awesome landscaping equipment got started on the actual process of building - from scratch - a new fence. This means no pre-put-together fence panels, but instead purchasing a lot of different boards that somehow come together to make a less-expensive version of a fence. I don't know how Joey makes the magic happen, but he does.

Here are a few of the materials purchased...

1. Posts that will stick in the ground and boards to run horizontally from post to post

2. Bags of concrete to mix in a wheelbarrow and pour to secure the fence posts

3. Individual panels that will get nailed to the horizontal boards

There are some brackets, nails and other necessities too, but I don't have a pic of those items.

The first order of business was digging the holes where Joey had spray painted the orange "x" marks in the first picture above. Our neighbor friend had some sort of fabulous hole-digging machine to do this. Joey just had to be sure it got lined up properly and push down on the top of it to make it go into the dirt.

I initially watched through my living room window - watching the dirt spill out all over the lawn. It left a pretty little hole...

I walked away thinking this would be a neat little hole-making process. But when I returned a few minutes later, the scene looked like this...

I was a little worried that the yard was being destroyed, but I kept quiet and let the boys do their job. Pretty soon there were holes dug all around the perimeter of the yard...

Digging the post holes right by the driveway and patio was a little complicated as they had to get super close without hitting any of the concrete. I watched with my eyes closed...

It was successful with just a tiny bit of plastic drain pipe shredded. No biggie.

Then they moved on to finish the rest of the holes along the driveway. In the meantime, Justin started clearing dirt away from the holes to prep for the posts to be set and concrete poured.

The holes are actually much deeper than I thought they would be. 3-4 feet maybe?! I made sure not to drop my phone or camera down there. That's something I would do...

Well, within about 1-2 hours, the hole-making process was completed. The next step? Setting and cementing the fence posts...

...something I know nothing about. But I'll show you what it looked like! Stay tuned.

We're Fencing

Well, we're planning (and starting) to put up a fence in our back/side yard. It's a plan that's been in the works since we bought the house 2 years ago. When we poured our new patio last fall, we knew that the next step of the outdoor-makeover would be the fence.

So, here we are in the spring of 2012 with a new puppy and in desperate need of a fence for containing her and for some privacy in the yard. We are on a super duper tight budget for this. Like pennies. So, we can't do anything fancy. We're leaning towards all-practical with room to embellish later on if additional funds roll in.

As a way of reminder, here is the new bare-as-bones patio...

And here was a tiny list of the many, many things that still needed to be accomplished in the surrounding area...

Joey actually got started on the sinking-steps problem before winter hit. I'll have more on that in a separate post.  The pile of junk got thrown out and the wood pile moved to the opposite side of the porch by our neighbor's fence.  The dirt/grass issue was taken care of by regrading the side lawn and planting new grass. It was super easy, and the new grass grew in fast before winter came. It's a little patchy, but we can fix that this summer. So, here is the layout of our tiny back/side yard.

Joey has started marking wear the post will go. The fence will sit about a foot in from the driveway and sidewalk in order to leave more walking room for people. We're going to wrap the fence around by the side door of the house. This door leads right down to the basement wear the puppy's kennel is kept. So, letting her in and out from this entrance will be easy. There will be a little gate in front of the side walk way for anyone wanting to enter the yard from this point.

Rose will love not having to be on her leash. She'll be free to roam the yard and patio area and see the dog next door. They already talk to each other when they're both outside. And they have play time together EVERY day. I don't even get play time with my friends every day. Lucky pup.

Joey got a head start on this project without me even knowing it (until I saw it completed). He actually started on the opposite side of the patio - both behind the garage and to the right side of the porch.

Behind the garage was a disaster zone. A lot of leftover boards, materials, and junk were piled on the grass-less ground. Joey cleared it all out, laid down new sod, and then added a fence panel at the far end to prevent Rose from wandering to the neighbors on the other side of the garage....

Ignore the peeling paint. The garage and porch siding will eventually be replaced.

Here is the other side of that same panel (I snuck up the neighbor's driveway to take the pic)...

Joey used green-treated wood panels and nailed them into the 2X4 boards he put up. The "green" coloring will eventually disappear, and I'd like to white-wash the fence for a clean, bright finish. Again, this is the cheapest, yet most-durable lumber we could afford.

Meanwhile, on the side of the back porch, Joey got busy installing a gate. He laid down some boards on the dirt for now, but we'll either lay down sod or possibly landscaping stones later. The gate will make access easy to this side of the house, and it allows for our neighbors to easily enter the backyard to take Rose over play time each day. We love our neighbors!

I caught him mid-project, but you can see that he put up posts and the gate frame first. The frame came with hinges to use and everything. So, it was a pretty simple follow-the-instructions kind of process.

Then panels were nailed to the frame to fill in the space. Joey still has to get the latch attached for it to hook to the neighbor's fence.

You can see the gate comes up to Joey's ribs. The fence will be a little bit higher than that. And we're planning to added some decorative lattice or something like that to the top of the fence. So, that will make it seem even higher.

Puppy will hopefully enjoy the freedom of roaming the yard (eventually)...

The next step will be digging post holes, pouring concrete, and getting the fence posts in place.

Joey is planning to start that project not this weekend, but the next weekend. So, I'll have more pictures when the time comes, but we're planning on using the same green-treated wood panels that were installed here. Again, I hope to paint it all white some day, but at least for now we'll have some privacy and dog-roaming room.

Be Our Guest: Adding Color to Kitchen Designs

Hello, all! Mari here from Design Shuffle, a fantastic online community for interior designers, other design professionals and design lovers from around the world. I am so happy to be here visiting J&K Homestead as a guest blogger. Today, we're talking color and kitchens. Whether you want to enjoy a little color during dinner prep or an intense color experience while entertaining, here are eight beautiful decorating ideas for adding color to kitchen designs. Please enjoy!



Beautiful blue glass tiles and blue accessories and textiles give this country kitchen an inviting coastal feel.




In this all white kitchen, lovely little pops of color come from decorative objects, serving pieces and a single glossy red hanging pendant.




An easy, but effective way to add color to a white or black and white kitchen is with fresh fruit, vegetables and flower. Talk about quick changes, this one is simple, but creative.




Colorful kitchen design ideas are sometimes bold like this brilliant red apron sink. Not for everyone, but surely a source of joy for the family who eats and cooks in this wide open space. I love the addition of magenta skirting.




Modern and very stylish, this kitchen is also feels comfortable and inviting with soft color on the cabinets. Wouldn't it be marvelous to sit for a while and visit over coffee or tea and pastries? I love those brightly colored cups and saucers.




A color-splashed wall sets the tone for this stunning Danish kitchen. What is your favorite element in this modern space?




Filled with gorgeous interior design ideas, this soft green kitchen is one of my favorites. Enveloping a room in color does not have to be risky. By choosing a pale version of your favorite hue, you can use it with abandon and never tire of the look.




Then again, if you're fearless about color in your interior spaces, rather than pale shades, choose the happiest, most brilliant hues you can find. Here, the homeowners seem to adhere to the adage "Go bold or go home." Only they went a step further and took bold home to their kitchen.

Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Which kitchen is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below! Also, be sure to head on over to Design Shuffle and check out fantastic designs from top Chicago interior designers, Boston interior designers and many others!