Making the Most of It

Making the Most Most of it

F R O M D E C O R A T I N G U P D A T E S T O O U T D O O R I M P R O V E M E N T S , T H E S E R E C E N T DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECTS WILL BE ENJOYED FOR YEARS TO COME.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

BRICK MADE BETTER

Kellye and Chet Abraham are both Tupelo nurses whose work hours decreased periodically during the quarantine. They used the spare time to paint the brick exterior of their nearly 2,400-square-foot home. Chet also built and hung new shutters. The couple, married 19 years, has three children.

Before

COZY QUILTS

Nancy Beard taught herself to quilt when she was pregnant with her son Lee, now 22. She’s not kept count of the quilt tops she’s pieced through the years, but she recently finished two that she refers to as her COVID quilts. Beard has found time to work on the quilts even though she’s a registered nurse at North Mississippi Medical Center. She enjoys piecing quilt tops because she can pick it up for 15 minutes or spend all afternoon on it.

OUTDOOR ESCAPE

NEW FACADE

The latest in completed projects at the Mooreville home of Heather and Steve Pike is a renovation of their fireplace. Most of the work was done by the Pikes, including removing the stones and completing their first tile job. Heather found the new mantle at Joyful Creations. The couple, married 19 years, spent one week on the project.

Before

Time in quarantine gave Oxford’s Josh White the opportunity to complete a project he’d started a year earlier by building a deck and two platforms. This year, he added railings, stairs and a magnificent screened-in tree house for his three sons. Josh did not work alone: His wife of 15 years, Mary John, supervised. The project took two weeks to complete.

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FOR THE BIRDS

Nicole and Jason Brunner, owners of Brunner Heating & Air in Oxford, saw a picture of a chicken coop/garden and were inspired. They bought a pair of Orpington chickens, then Jason spent two days building the coop, and Nicole painted. The Brunners and their five children have planted a little of everything and now have five chickens and lots of fresh eggs.