I love those house flipping shows and those home remodel shows. When the TV crews showed up at the foreclosure next door in early February, we couldn’t wait to find out what was going on. A&E’s Flip This House had descended with a flurry of activity.

Two months into the flip I am so ready for them to be done. The everyday workers and the camera crew are very nice but the investors and “stars” of the show make terrible neighbors. I’m tired of coming home to the aggravations of whatever over-the-line thing they have been doing all day while I’m at work.

I’m not sure what a house that was flipped for a TV show really means to the value and integrity of the house. Would you buy a house that was flipped for TV?

Our dining room anchors the middle of our house. You can see it from every other room. When we moved in we quickly realized that what we needed was some sort of bar cabinet. After researching the options, from full-out bar furniture, to sideboards, hutches, consoles and even elaborate shelving, we were stumped. The things we loved were too expensive or too large or both. The things in our price range and size were fiberboard and ugly.

A year later, while peeking in a local store window, we spotted the prefect piece, a mid-century, Scandinavian sideboard. It was on sale and the store owner brought the price down even more when we expressed interest. With the right piece of furniture and some new art work, the room has been transformed into a vibrant and warm center of our home.

This morning, after opening the living room curtains I passed a mirror only to see an ant crawling on my neck. With a little yelp I flailed my fingers at it, flicking it somewhere. A few minutes later I felt something climbing up my leg, under my skirt. Blah! I danced around the room, feeling it move from the back to the front of my leg, where it gave a little nip as I tried to crush it. This was not an ideal start to my day.

Now, with the day over, as I sit at my desk, I am convinced that there are bugs crawling across my toes and I can see them out of the corner of my eye, busy in their little bug lives. Or big bug doings, take your pick, because bugs down here come in all sizes.

Owning a home in the south means battling home invasion every moment. I never realized all the things that are sizing up your home, from the furry like squirrels, rats, mice and even cats, to the armored cockroaches, ants and even bees, to fellow man kind including the religious, environmentalist, beggars and even thieves. All that is just the fauna, I’m not even going to get into the flora.

Being a frugal, organic leaning person, I was appalled to learn of all the use of chemicals and pesticides on, in and around peoples homes. It seems like everyone has some sort of service to keep the beasties at bay. Moments like this morning, make me want to reconsider my stance and instead take immediate action.

However, the first year of homeownership has taught me that nothing can be tackled in one fell swoop, it is all about stages, and plans and slow progress. So I’ll hang in there, trying not to scream out loud when the native critters get too close and keep reinforcing the barriers.

As promised here are few photos of the transformation of our house through paint. When we bought the house the foundation was such a light, bright color, it really popped out, it made you notice the foundation. We selected a color that makes the foundation disappear. We also changed the front steps from the strange blue gray color to a nice terracotta/Georgia Clay brown. I’m really happy with the results.

Thanks to my parents for bringing down their paint sprayer and then actually doing all the work.

Atlanta prides itself on the number, size and diversity of trees within the city limits. I’ve been cutting back and cutting down the overabundance of magnolia trees trying valiantly to take over the yard. Meanwhile I’ve had my eye on two trees that I wish I had instead*. The Crepe Myrtle, with its showy flowers, peeling, textured bark and beautiful fall colors (see above) and at least one of the many varieties of Japaense Maples, with their careful shapes, precise leaves and bright fall colors. Maybe if I can cut down a few more trees in the stealthy cover of darkness** I will actually have room to plant these beauties.

* I honestly don’t have anything against magnolias, well, expect for their giant, plastic like leaves and giant, wood like seed pods, that completely cover the yard in fall. I think cutting back to two magnolias in our yard should be sufficient, not the 5 plus that we have now.

** Our county has strict ordinances on how many, how big and what type of trees you may remove on your own property. This is a law that I actually think is a great idea, but aren’t laws made to be broken?