Day 16 and Cement blocks 101

Day #16
"Supplies"
I use these supplies not only for my planner, but also for my Smash book, my journals and I take all this with me when we go away to the cottage for the weekend.
Let me tell you what is here.

I have my washi tape in the the two end containers. These containers are really neat as they clip on top of each other and there is a top lid that clips on here with a handle.
In the centre I have my travel tote. It is really a tool tote, but whatever works..right. And this works awesomely for me.
It houses my pens, some inks, stamps, sticky notes, flags, journal cards, my smash book and journals.
To see what is exactly in here...click on this link :)

It was a beautiful day to work outside. It was sunny, but not hot. Actually it was a bit cool, perfect day for some yard work.
But I didn't get to my yard work, I did Ashley's.

The previous owners didn't tend to the flower bed and it was so overgrown, we didn't know what was a weed or a plant. Plus it was full of sod.
So day 4 of Ashely purchasing her house, she and her crew, tore it up.
Here is what her front flower bed looked like since that day.
It has looked like this for a few weeks. Every time I am there I just cringe.
I actually couldn't wait to have time to get my hands dirty with this project :)

The blocks are in good shape, and to cut costs down we used the same blocks...we, lol. I worked on this all by my lonesome, lol.
The first thing I did was reshape the bed.
They had a funny shape to it. The girls called it a bum shape, lol.
So I cut into the bed and cut away the sod to make it straight and then curve up to the house.
I then lay down a layer of crusher fines for the blocks to sit on.
I had a bit of a setback, as I used all the crusher fines I had.
So called Wayne to bring me some...working at a gravel pit has its advantages ;)
Then I started laying down the blocks.

I found a nice long straight piece of lumber to push the blocks against so they would all be even.
That piece of wood/lumber is just there as a gauge, I take it out when the first layer is complete.

As I am putting down the blocks I make sure each one is level from front to back and side to side.
If not, then I add or take away some crusher fines from under the block.
This is very time consuming.
But very important. This is like you base layer, so you want it to be perfect.
So I used a level to make sure all was perfect and again I used that wood to make sure the blocks were even to each other.

Now the easy part.
Putting down the top layer.
Because everything is nice and level, all I had to do was put the top blocks in place :)
All 40 of them!!!
Ashley came home from work just in time to see me putting away my tools, lol.
Now the fun part....getting the soil ready for some pretty plants.
Now I just need to find some really nice top soil :)






















As I did this, Kristy and Heather were putting together Ashley's new bed that Wayne and I picked up for her from the border.
Doesn't the white headboard look gorgeous against that blue wall.
Her room is in the upstairs and it has the slanted ceilings...believe me when I tell you she measured this many times, to make sure it would fit before she ordered it ;)
She is staying in her guest room, which she calls Heather and Kristy's room, while she is working on her bedroom and dressing room.
It is so neat to see it all coming together :)
Oh ya I put those base boards back on...before I worked on her flower bed ;)

I hope you all had a very creative Monday.
I did, just not in the paper crafting way ;)

Tracy :)