Our yard/outside of our house {no longer a ghetto}

Well, we've lived here, 870 Sugarberry (yes that's really the name of our street) for about a year and a half{ish}, we don't really have an official "move in day" because we were living here before we actually got to sign papers and our loan transferred and all that...boy that was a learning experience I'll never forget, read about it here. Annnnnnnyways. We've basically been doing work on our "blue little house" since we've before we owned it. Painting, new flooring, decorating, this and that. We've taken our time because we like to move slow {or our funding forces us to} but regardless we've completly enjoyed making this home ours to enjoy. One area that's been a little neglected was the front yard. Why? I don't really know. You'd think we would have jumped right on that because after all its the first thing people see...buuuuuut we didn't until recently.

Here's the BEFORE

To-do list
-Remove nasty diseased bushes from the right side of the door.
-Remove crazy non-flowering rose bush from center of the yard
-Make the straw ground look like actual grass {Cost of water and little seed. Tyler's still working on this part}
-New window coverings (does this count as outside work considering its inside but you see it outside...see my confusion?!) {$90 total, we bought the front window at Home Depot and the smaller master bedroom window covering is from Teen Challenge thrift store (only $9!!)}
-New plants and landscaping {$25 total, we were gifted a lot and bought the rest at Lowes and Bi-Mart}
-Get rid of the horrible blue garage door you can spot a mile away (these people were obsessed with blue) {Paint $15}
-New light fixture {$25 @Costco}
-Shutters {$30 @ Lowes}

The AFTER

{Still} to-do list
-finish lanscaping...we have the front area that needs something else, but I just can't put my finger on what
-re-seed the side of the yard were its been overtaken by weeds {yuck!}
-New door knob and paint the door, I'm thinkin a cranberry color...thoughts?
-plant wave petunias in my black pots {which by the way were $6/ea at Good Will}
-New Roof possibly this summer!! A darker one at that!

There ya have it, we aint livin in the Ghetto no mo! {well except for the fact that our neighbors have Christmas lights up and ON! year round....}