Don't let the sunny disposition in this photo fool you. Look at that bottom left corner. The bush was literally growing around the chair. LOL. 

One of the first things we did in our new humble abode was pull out all the overgrown weeds and power wash the patio.

#POWERPATIO. This was a major upgrade to the overall look of the backyard. 

Another thing we did right away was cut down the inconveniently placed bush in the middle of the yard. For the past few months, we've just had a stump. Looking forward to un-earthing that bad boy.  

I have been so excited to plant a garden here until I realized what mint taking over an entire garden bed looks like on the root level. While it smells delicious, I worry about the mint coming back time and time again. Note to readers: plant your mint in a container!

After much hoe-in' and hand-weeding, I'm getting there. Halfway through, I decided to change the strategy of my vegetable garden this spring/summer and go the container route. 

We were gonna rent a rototiller, but then decided we'd save the money and get a good workout in instead. I'm proud of this! Next, we'll cover this area with cardboard and lay mulch down. My vegetable garden will still go in this spot, it will just be in containers instead of in the ground!

Let me tell you something about my man, Nick. He is a grade A trash panda. He LOVES finding things on the side of the road and I have to be honest, most of them are amazing finds. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Since moving in, he found this beautiful patio furniture that just needs new cushions and a little sanding. PLUS, a 50 inch smart TV that we have hung in the garage. It has a black line running down the left side, but who cares! It's awesome for when we workout in the garage! 

Still on the hunt for the perfect seat cushions. The furniture is all sanded down and just waiting to be stained. Our fire pit was an amazing Christmas gift from my parents. I am so excited to entertain outside when the weather stays nice! *Trash can is not a permanent garden feature. It's just still there from when we were weeding*

We love this pine tree that sits right outside our kitchen window. It's the same one with all those godawful over-grown weeds from when we moved in. Nick has some AMAZING plans for a butterfly garden in this space. I am so excited for all the beautiful flowers and butterflies!