One year ago this weekend, my neighbor’s crazy dog ran over, jumped on me and pulled my drawstring shorts down while the owner continued to make conversation. That same weekend, I moved into my first house!

A year later, I find myself busy fixing pretend objects when I see them near my house to avoid that owner leaving go of the leash and that dog getting in my hula hoop of personal space.

Also a year later, I have repainted the bathroom, replaced the vanity, toilet and baseboards and added beadboard (wainscotting) to the opposite wall. I have made little changes to make the house more energy efficient like changing to CFL bulbs, putting an insulated blanket on my water heater and having an aluminum garage door (and got an auto opener) installed. I painted the basement and garage walls and floors to help trap dust, which in turn keeps less cycling through the HVAC system–good for that and for me as an allergy sufferer.

See all my project photos, including before and afters, in my Home Improvement set on Flickr