My dad came over tonight to check out my back porch and help me formulate a plan for my new stone patio. He brought his resourceful friend John with him, and between the three of us, we have come up with a “grand plan.” My tiny back porch is going to be a beautiful oasis in only a week or two. I had intentions of only adding a few feet to the existing concrete patio, but we’re going to extend this bad boy out, curve it, and dress it up a little! I’ll be having backyard barbecues in no time! (which reminds me… I need to find a grill!)

But my dad is a lot like me. He doesn’t stop with one project. He’s ready for me to do MANY projects. And because I’m just like him, I’m completely on board with his ideas. So after we finish the stone patio (which instead of taking only a morning will probably take us several days, but it will be oh-so-worth-it because it’s going to be beautiful!), he’s going to help me put in my new rose garden (which will include a rock border), and then he wants to put up crown molding in my living room, kitchen, dining room, and breakfast nook. Woah. It’s going to look amazing, but I may need to drop out of grad school to pay for it all. Which is awfully tempting, since I have spent almost my entire day working on a silly research paper (that’s due next Friday… aaak!).

Anyway, the crown molding may have to wait a bit. But it is fun to dream and plan and come up with new ways to improve my house, which I do love so much. Maybe I can sell a kidney or something to pay for all this.