We bought our forever ... backyard

I've always loved home design and decorating. I'm an avid Better Homes & Gardens reader (yes the hard copy still arrives each month), an HGTV addict, Pinterest board dreamer and Instagrammer follower. Am I handy? No. But I'm crafty. And I know the power of a gallon of paint. Plus, I'm not afraid to try something new.

That's what I told myself (and keep reminding myself) when we bought our forever home ... for the yard. Never would I have imagined being OK buying a new home while not actually liking much about the house itself. It was in the neighborhood we wanted, has the extra space we were after, and overall seemed to have good bones. The layout is good, but the finishes - not my style. Nearly everything in here is original and screams 2000 in all its oak glory. There was love in this home, but they didn't love on the home. There's a project around every corner. That said, the lot is big and the back yard has all the potential for our big dreams of one day digging a big 'ol hole to put in a pool.

Look at that glorious, fairly private space! (Listing photo)

The deck's big, but dangerous. Not just because a lot of boards are deteriorating and need replaced but there doesn't seem to be a real strategy for why the deck steps down where it does, which become more of an ankle-twisting hazard than anything. We're using it for now, but know we'll turn it into a more useful (and ankle safe) pool deck some day.

While we keep saving our pennies for that, we're starting in on other projects to make this house our home. I figure since we're still pretty homebound thanks to COVID-19, we might as well start tackling the things we can.

And because I always feel more whole with an active creative outlet, we're going to document our journey here. Thanks for reading!