Improving in Many Ways

I finished my table yesterday, and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the way it looks.

 It took me longer than I expected because my energy levels are still really really low. I am starting to bounce back slowly, incrementally, but I'll take every bit of feeling better that I'm given. My headache seems to have gone away; now it's just sinus pressure, which is fine because I can take something and get some relief. The tuning fork feeling has lessened, and my vision is improving.

The inside of my house (well, except the kitchen and the computer room/office) looks amazing. I don't say that with the intention of being a braggart, I'm just awed that my house turned out so nice, and essentially, it was due to paint.

Now with the warmer weather, my “itch” has turned to outside and my yard.

We have a fairly large yard, at least by city standards, and I enjoy being out there when I can be. For years, I have wanted a fire pit, but I didn't want my house (or the neighbors' houses) to smell smokey. I love the smell of campfires, I just didn't want it in my house. Secondary reason, my mom had asthma, and I didn't want the smoke residue to aggravate her asthma. So, I never got a fire pit.

One day last year or the year before, we were watching a home improvement show, where they did a patio/deck remodel. One of the features of this deck was a stand alone fireplace that was filled with blue glass. It was beautiful. I started digging for information, and I discovered that it was a propane fireplace. Genius! Heat and beauty without the smell of camping!!

I started looking for the propane fireplace I saw on that show. I found something really similar for only $3100!

 I looked for DIY versions of that fireplace, but what I found was above my skill set (if I liked the way it looked) and still above my pay grade. I started doing different searches and thought that I wanted one that hid the tank inside. I kept looking, and finally found one that I liked. Then I accidentally found another one, but it wasn't tall enough for the tank. It did come with a long enough hose so that you can hide the tank,

though. I liked them both, but one I liked a little more than the other. I let my husband decide. This is the one I ordered,

 and it should be here next week.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that our house came with a pool. If I didn't, that's fodder for another day. Anyway, we built a good sized pool deck a few years back when we a) outgrew the small deck that came with the pool and b) the wood started splintering. Our yard has wooden fences around 3 sides, but the front fence is a chain link fence, which means you can see right into our yard from the street. I've always felt uncomfortable with that, but because of the wind and the fact that there's nothing wrong with the fence, we haven't done anything about replacing it.

The other night while looking for fireplaces, I happened upon this stuff.

It was inexpensive enough (a tiny fraction of the cost and effort of building a new fence) that I thought I'd try it. Sometime later in the season I'll let you know how it's working. I hope it looks half-decent when we hang it.

This year, my husband's birthday falls on Mother's Day as it does from time to time. Knowing I bought _______ for my husband's birthday gift (he sometimes reads my blog), I knew he'd feel uncomfortable getting me what I usually ask for for Mother's Day (nothing, plants for outdoors, a card...I'm not big into Mother's Day). Also knowing this particular Mother's Day promises to be rough for me, I actually asked for a gift. I saw these benches on Pinterest (it's a wonderful and terrible place) that I wanted to make.

 I asked my husband if he and the kids would make them for me for Mother's Day. I asked for two of them to go with the fireplace/firetable/firepit I ordered. Now I'm searching for cushions and having the “should I make cushions or should I buy cushions” debate with myself.

It seems like all of a sudden I have the home improvement itch after languishing for years about doing much around here. I could list a bunch of reasons why I think I've been bitten by the DIY/Home Improvement bug recently, but really, I'm not sure it matters. I just know that I'm happy with the way it's turning out.