Yard Projects-My Pea Gravel Patio

Part of owning an older home is making sense of other people's landscaping choices. Fortunately, our home was the recent recipient of a "fix and flip" so the floor plan is pretty wide open, but the yard is... Well? It needs help. Over time, we've tackled a few projects here and there but this summer shall be known as "The Summer of the Backyard." We have a big, beautiful tree that needs some sort of patio around it, a bunch of beds that need to be made, and new sod throughout.

I've wanted a pea gravel patio for a long time and Joel is pretty positive that it is the worst decision in history as it will spread throughout the world. I've found a product online that I'm really excited about. It's sort of like a soil additive that permanently bonds rocks together.
It's called Gravel-Lok and I'm considering forgoing the stabilizing grid (we don't have any heavy vehicular traffic planned for our little patio) and just doing the standard road base/tamp/pea gravel patio route with the super goo stuff to make it stick together. I'm sure there will be adventures along the way as this plan currently sounds entirely too simple, but I'm going to try it anyway.

Wish me luck. Will post pictures soon!

Moving to Midvale

When my fiance (now husband) Joel and I decided to buy a house for our rapidly approaching married life, the Wasatch Front sprawled with possibilities. He's from out-of-state so has no attachment to any particular area but works in North Salt Lake. I grew up in the south valley area and work in Utah County. We wanted an older neighborhood with trees, we wanted something centrally located, and we wanted good freeway access. In retrospect, it's find of funny we didn't just say "We want to live in Midvale."

We looked at houses all over the place. We looked at newer, inconveniently located houses and older, run-down houses in "nicer" areas. When our Realtor showed us our house, we both fell in love. Near a city park and located on a quiet cul-de-sac, the house was everything we wanted. We made an offer and the rest is history.

The house is mid-century, on a quarter-acre and surrounded by many of the people who built the neighborhood in the 50s. Both of us can commute to work in 15 to 20 minutes. The area nearby used to be an orchard and remains tree-filled. Birds chirp and sing like a Disney movie. It is truly a beautiful, relaxing place to live.

So what's the catch, you're wondering? Why doesn't everyone move to Midvale?

Well, Midvale has a somewhat scandalous reputation that I'm hoping this little blog can help refute. Many people think of Midvale as crime-riddled and run-down. Sadly, there are touches of that, but there are also people who love the city, it's businesses, and it's rich history of mining and culture. I hope to share some of that love.

Erica