Tha Patio Project - Stage 2

The Patio Project - Stage 2 (in photos)

Disclaimer: I did help! It just looks like Andrew did all the work since I was manning the camera.

 Step 1: Mark area with available items in yard, namely flower pots where herbs refused to grow.

 Also use dirty shoes.

 Step 4: Use crazy sod cutter to make a big hole in yard. (Step 2 was calling the Iowa version of JULIE, who ended up moving our marked patio space back a bit)

 Step 3: Yes, out of order, but renting a truck was necessary, according to the sod cutter rental place.

 Here's a picture of step 2.

 This is the in-between of all steps - very sweaty, pretending to be happy, people. Sometimes we didn't pretend to be happy. Sometimes, we weren't happy.

 Check out our nice work!

 Step 4.75: Find patio furniture on clearance. Leave wife at Target with purchases after said purchases do not fit in car. Drive home quickly (getting a speeding ticket from a traffic cam, thus making the major savings on patio furniture not so major), swap cars, and free wife from Target purgatory. Next day, find chairs on better sale at Menard's, and return chairs to Target. Le sigh.

 Step 5: Keep digging. Make border with stakes.

 Step 6: Make a new and pretty garden!

 Step 7: More digging, and some string.

 Step 8: Leveling. I'll admit to this - I didn't help with this step one bit.

 Step 8: Tamper! That's the tamper in the background - the pole that is sitting upright.

 Step 9: Lay pavers and tamp some more.

 Step 10-36: Sweep sand, and more sand, and more sand, into the cracks.

 Step 37: Figure out something cool to do with pallets.

 Step 38: All done! Voila!

Time for wine...