Not Sure I'm a "Cookie Cutter" Neighborhood Kind of Girl

Actually... I know I'm not a cookie cutter neighborhood kind of girl! BUT... that is where we live now and although I love our house, and our neighbors (most of them), I know in my heart that I would rather live in a big old house complete with lots of character, that sits on lots of land, where I don't have to ask permission to plant certain flowers in my front yard! Oh, and while I'm being choosy, I'd also like for it NOT to be 90 degrees and humid THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY!!!! Sigh. Humidity and I are not friends. I dream of the day where I pack up kids and dogs and go stay in a farmhouse in Maine for the summer... and then eventually live there all the time...with a big old barn...

Okay, where was I??? Oh, ya... the dreaded Home Owner's Association. I know why we have one. I'm happy it keeps the neighborhood looking nice... blah blah blah. Our neighborhood is new, so the builder still has control over our H.O.A. and we have to get approval for everything. So, tonight I e-mailed in my request for approval to make some landscaping changes. I drew a map of our front lawn showing all the existing plants...

And then I drew another map showing the changes. I also spelled everything out in the body of the e-mail AND included pictures of the plants I would like to put in our front yard. The one thing I am dying to do is get rid of all the stinkin' pine straw! Ahhhhhhh! I can't stand it! I am very excited to get some good dark brown mulch and spread it around. Of course, I'll be regretting that decision as I'm actually out there spreading mulch in the 90 degree hot and HUMID weather that has descended upon Charleston for the next 4+ months... but I digress.

Phase I of my front yard makeover plan also includes edging the planter beds with some kind of nice stone or something. Not sure yet. I need to go browsing at Lowe's and Home Depot. It also includes putting a flag out front on one of our porch posts. I have bigger plans for Phase II that include putting railings up on our porch, putting in a porch swing and some lattice with Confederate Jasmine crawling up it as well as two comfy chairs with ottomans or rocking chairs. Alas... Phase II will not be taking place for a while because all of those changes cost a lot more money than buying plants!