Upping the Curb Appeal

Last week Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors issued a challenge for us to "Gitter Done."
I'm all about a challenge and it was perfect timing for "U" week

and to simply get something done!

In my last post I may have misled some of you that I got all those
"updates" done in less than a week.
So not true.
My point in that comment was that I redecorated this house when we moved
7 months ago and I have already started doing some things over.
So, for me to finish something that I didn't already "finish" was a big step!

For Donna's party we didn't have to do anything big and it didn't have to involve decorating, we just merely had to set a goal and get it done.
Well, you know me, everything has SOMETHING to do with decorating.
I chose to work on this:

My front entrance area.
The garage is perpendicular to the front door so the area around my front door is basically a driveway. There not alot to work with in term of curb appeal.

I've told you all about my beigeness.
Nothing was saved from the beige paint.
The door looked kind of weird just floating above the big beige sea.

It wasn't that much work.
I just really planted some flowers, hung a basket and painted the front step, but it really made a difference.
Here's the after:
I am planning on hanging some house numbers, I just can't find exactly what I am looking for. They will go in the area between the basket and the front door.


I put some flowers in the planter area and ooooh, there is a shutter...


You can see just a glimpse of my new shutters,
but you will have to come back for "W" week to see more of those and hear the story about hanging them. Let's just say only the air conditioner was injured in the process but almost not!

Come by Donna's and see what other people have gotten done and come back to me this week for "V." I have 2 posts planned and maybe you'll find something to take away from it!

Outdoor Dilemma

I've made it to "O" week.

I am just going to skip over all the innuendos that could apply here and go directly to my DECORATING post:

I am adapting this post so I can join in with Amanda at Serenity Now for another one of her "Decorating Dilemma" parties.

I have a "dirty" white house with a brown roof.
When we moved in one of the first projects I did was paint the front door red
(Crabby Apple Red by Sherwin Williams).

I LOVE my front door. No matter what you blogging people do,
I will NEVER want to change the color of my front door.
Wait, did someone paint their front door neon green? That might look cool too...
just kidding. I seriously have no plans to change my mind on this.

What I need some input on are my shutters. The shutters are currently just a few shades darker than the house...and that is SO not my style.
Look at those shutters...see what I mean. BLEEEEECK!
Hubby made me some new shutters and I, for the life of me, CANNOT decide on a color.

I have three shutters painted three different colors. What do you think?

Option #1 (Dark Rockwood Red)

Option #2 (French Roast)


Option #3 (some dark brown I can't think of the name of)

Now, here is a shot of all of them with the door as a coordinating color reference:
They go (from left to right) Options 1, 2, and 3
Look at it again from far off with more of the house:
Again (L toR) Options 1, 2, 3
That one shutter closest to the window is also painted in Option 1.

Please vote.
But let me say that option #1 (which is the color I started with and have had on display for 2 months) looks rather purple in sunlight. Not to let that sway the votes...
I really want to get my shutters hung up.
I. HATE. THAT. MONOTONE!!!