list no. 50 :: before the year ends

I've got this week and next before miss thing is out of school for the year. It's a long break, the 21st through the 7th, and we're taking full advantage of that with our upcoming, very exciting, road trip.

I had a recent epiphany, (although I dislike that word quite a lot), and realized that in most aspects, I stop something before I finish. And because our house falls into that category, we're making a big effort to get things done around here. 

There are things that M needs to take care of, (and he's a bit more of a procrastinator than me), so while he does his thing, I plan to take care of the other things that also need to be done. Such as...

1. We need to landscape the front and back patios.
2. The terrace off our bedroom and the big one off the back of the house need help, but the twinkle lights are the smoke and mirrors for right now, while I figure out what the hell I want. 
3. The front patio and entry way needs vegetation and there's not a lot of room.
4. I'm thinking potted succulents for the front walkway/gate/fence/thing. I don't know what else to call it - it's a combination of wrought iron, small pillars and cement. 
5. There's also the entry way that is a rectangular walkway that needs more plants, because all I have is one right now, that needs to be re-potted.
6. Maybe more potted gardenias - when they bloom it will be amazing.
7. The back patio is really all the outdoor space on the ground level that we have. 
8. I think at one point there was a tiny yard, (oh how I wish it was still there!), so instead, I'll work with what we've got.
9. I want a chiminea.
10. We can't have a wood burning element on our upper deck, and our fireplace was renovated, (god knows why), into a cheesy, and non-heat conducting fire and ice number, and I love a wood fire.
11. I found really pretty solar lights because there's no outlet. 
12. And I'm dying to have a container lemon tree.
13. I'm thinking Meyer lemon just because they're so flavorful and amazing when they've been preserved.
14. I also want containers of honeysuckle, which smells amazing, vines beautifully and will give some semblance of privacy once it fills in. 
15. A small cafe table and two chairs. 

What will most likely happen by the end of the year...

1. The chiminea will be in place.
2. The solar lights will be strung.