Shiny Brown Fireplace

Ta-da! It's finally finished: the fireplace!

Completed fireplace

I think those shiny brown Mexican tiles give it the vaguely turn-of-the-century look we were going for.

I can't wait for the grout to dry so I can casually drape--something, I'm not sure what--on the hearth, to insouciantly highlight the fact that we have a hearth!

And--oooh!--next Christmas, we can hang stockings on the mantel! I've never had a mantel of my very own before.

The room suddenly feels incredibly different--better, cozier, more civilized, more interesting.

Matt, pondering.
Heh.

Dug.
Also--it's been a weekend of much progress--we finished digging the pond. I dug by myself yesterday, and we finished it off together today. Whew.

Matt still has to get the rest of the ligustrum stump out, but the major dirt moving--that's done. We both think (hope?) that this represents the hump of this project, and that it's all downhill from here.

However, there is still potential for pain and catastrophe...

Matt's frustration overcomes his prudence. That's one tough ligustrum--it didn't budge. Fortunately.

Next steps in constructing pond:

1. Procure and spread sand on horizontal surfaces--1-2" thick.
2. Lay carpet remnants given to us by kind neighbor (Ms. D) as underlayment
3. Water in the carpet so it fits snugly
4. Peel back sod from edge of pond ~6-8"
   
5. Procure and install sheet of plastic pond liner. At its widest points, the pond is 16 feet long and 16 feet wide, so that's going to be one substantial piece of pond liner.
6. Hold liner very loosely in place with a few rocks, and fill with water.
7. Trim liner edges and cover with rocks.
8. Get fountains hooked up.
   
9. Buy fish! Buy lotus! Buy waterlilies! Buy a duck! (Oh, maybe not that last one. But we would so like a dear little tiny duck.)
10. Create crushed granite terrace, flower beds, &c., &c.