By no means has this summer at the cottage been as busy as last year, but we’ve still been finding problems here and there that need to be taken care of. One thing we’ve been putting off for two years has been changing out the ugly lattice that runs along the side of the deck.

One of the big pushes for us was seeing how amazing Morgan’s (from the Brick House) slats turned out in front of her home!

The before…

The sliding door.

And the result!

I can’t believe it took us so long! For some reason we thought it was beyond our skill level, until Juli got fed up and demanded that we figure it out. It was a rough start at Home Depot, when we realized they didn’t really sell the size of slats we were looking for (and they don’t rip–cut along the grain–larger pieces). After circling the lumber department 5 times, we finally noticed some 1.5 inch thick slats of red cedar. It wasn’t the budget choice, but it was the only choice, and we figured that the savings we made not hiring someone were compensation enough. Plus, the cedar is gorgeous and these are like feature walls, so it ended up being beyond worth it.

The slats were spaced out 1.5 inches apart and by some divine grace the slats of the door actually line up perfectly.

By this point we gave each other a high-five, took a beer break, and admired our handy work.

After doing the first two, we knew we needed to finish the other side.

We got right to work. I was obviously dressed appropriately.

Another great transformation, another high five.

Next weekend, we’ll have new outdoor furniture, and hopefully some greenery for the deck too!

In other news, for dinner on Friday we had steamed clams!

Isha: I bring you mouse, you give me baguette. That’s how it works, right?

Riiight?