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Buy a fixer upper, they said. It'll be fun, they said. 😂


Well... ok so some of it's fun.


But mostly, it's a lot of work. And it could take up a lot of your time. And if you're an amateur-home-improvement-DIYe like me, it's also a whole lotta time spent researching all the things for each project. And by research, I mean watching a million YouTube videos on "How To Build x, y, z," Google searching, Pinteresting... just everything I could find on the World Wide Web.


When we first moved in last year, I was hoping we could get the new flooring and full kitchen done before moving on to the big projects outside. But since we don't quite have the budget to start on the interior projects right now, we decided to put all the interior projects on pause for a minute and work on some things we had planned for outside. Especially since we haven't really touched a thing outside since we moved in. Just kept it clean and maintained. But since the existing landscape/hardscape isn't exactly our style... we thought we'd get started on its transformation.


First up on the list of DIY's: Backyard Edition - build a wood gate for our driveway. A modern horizontal wood gate to be exact. And technically it's near the front of the house, but because we're going to focus on the backyard for a bit, this modern wood gate is THE project that will launch the domino effect of projects to come.


So here we go.


Please note: I have never built a fence before in my life and not sure if building a whole gate should have been my first big DIY project EVER, but... here we are! 😂


Let's take a look at what our driveway looked like before:



Like I said before, we have not done anything to improve this area since we moved in. Just keeping it clean and not letting it get overrun by weeds. We have plans to work on the landscape soon - new rocks, maybe some turf, more green plants - but that's a few projects down the line.


1. Setting Posts for Doors/Frame

As you can see, we started from scratch. There was no existing gate to work with. Just a long open driveway. So the first thing we needed to do was add some posts to hold up the doors and framing for the side fencing. This required digging so we made sure to contact 811 beforehand so that the utility companies could come out and mark where we shouldn't dig. Once we were cleared, we started on our project. The first thing we did was attach a 2x4 post to our house on the left side of the gate. The reason for this is because our main gas line runs very close to this are and we weren't able to dig to put a post in the ground. So attaching this post to house was our only option. I measured and pre-drilled 3 holes in the wall as well as the 2x4. And then we screwed the wood to the house using lag bolts.

Then, to make sure the gate was as straight as possible, we ran a string line from this post all the way to the brick wall on the other side of the driveway. We totally eyeballed this one. Once the line was in, we drilled 2 holes (top and bottom) into the 2x4 and the brick wall, and then used masonry screws to secure the post.


Once that was done, we marked the ground where we wanted to door posts to go, using spray paint. We wanted our door opening to be about 10 feet wide. So once the ground was marked, Daniel got to digging the holes. The holes were approximately 2 feet deep and about a foot wide. We poured some gravel at the bottom before adding the concrete mix. We used Quikrete from Home Depot because it made this process a whole lot easier for us - just pour the bag in the hole and add water and that's it! No buckets or wheelbarrows needed at all.



2. Door Frame/Fence Frame

Next up, was building the frames for the doors. Since we wanted the opening to be 10 feet wide, each door measured about 5 feet wide. We cut the 2x4s down to size with a miter saw. And then we used an anti-sag gate kit I purchased from Amazon to put the frame together. The kit came with heavy duty hinges and screws that is good for doors up to 6 feet wide. So... fingers crossed 🤞 that our gate holds up. Tip: make sure to take precise measurements or your doors will not open/close properly.




I added a 2x4 to the middle of each door going vertically so that I would be able to screw the fence boards in the middle as well.


Once that was done, we measured and cut 2x4's to run horizontally from the posts on the house and brick wall, to the 4x4 posts. I pre-drilled pocket holes on each end and then secured them to the vertical posts with pocket screws. Then I added 2x4's to the frame in the spots that I would need to screw the fence boards to.




3. Installing The Wood Planks/Fence Boards

After we got all the framing up, it was time to attach the wood planks. I would have loved to use tongue and groove planks, but with the cost of lumber these days, we used regular cedar dog eared fence boards that we cut down to size. Cedar is naturally resistant to most bugs and moisture and water damage. AND it's also lighter in weight, which I'm hoping will help keep the gate from sagging.





I learned that some metal screws would cause some discoloration to happen in cedar wood over time, so to prevent any kind of that nonsense happening, we used stainless steel screws just to be safe.


I didn't want a lot of space in between planks, but still needed to leave a little space to allow for any expansion or shrinkage when the weather changes. So for that, we used business cards as spacers. I call that being resourceful 😉.


4. Sanding/Staining Fence Boards

I actually did this BEFORE doing everything else because I wanted to make sure to get the front, back and the sides stained to protect the wood so it lasts longer. I spent about 2 days sanding all the boards. And then another 2-3 days were spent staining. And because it's been such a hot summer so far here in California, I was only able to really work on it for about 3 hours in the morning and some evenings.



I really wanted a teak wood colored gate so this is the stain we got from Lowe's.



I have seen some people stain before installation and I have also seen people do it afterwards. Obviously I am no expert and I can only assume that it's a matter of preference. I can't say one method is better than the other... I'll just say YOU DO YOU!


And there you have it! A horizontal modern wood gate for our Spanish styled home.






I am very pleased with how it all turned out! Did we do a good job or what? Let me know what ya think in the comments below!


Here's a list of everything we used:


MATERIALS

2x4 Douglas fir

4x4 redwood

dog eared cedar fence boards

Quikrete


TOOLS

masonry drill bit

drill bits/screw bits

paint brush


HARDWARE

masonry screws

lag bolts

stainless steel screws


Disclosure: That Plain Jane Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including Amazon.com.


This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I use and love.











Updated: Mar 11, 2022

I'm an island girl at heart which means I'm a beach girl through and through. Can you believe I've lived in California for almost 22 years and I've barely (like 6 years barely) begun to explore the lake life? Sure, I've visited Big Bear Lake every so often - whether its for a staycation or just to stroll through the village and enjoy the area - but I've never actually stepped foot in the actual lake. It wasn't till we had Ella and my MIL had moved up to Gardnerville, NV (just outside of Lake Tahoe) that Lake Trips became an actual thing in my life.


So I thought I'd share all the different lakes we've been to so far. All very beautiful lakes, each with their own unique "personality".


NorCal

1. Lake Tahoe (Sand Harbor)

Probably one of the most popular lakes and definitely one of the biggest. We love to visit in the summers as well as the winter. And because this spot is so popular, it's also almost always super crowded and their parking lots can fill up quick. So it's always best to go super early in the morning to find that perfect spot on the beach. Lake Tahoe's water is just so blue, cool and refreshing you can't not want to keep going back.


Lake Tahoe Sand Harbor circa Summer 2019



Lake Tahoe Sand Harbor Circa Summer 2018



2. Silver Lake

We've been to this one twice already and is one of our favorites. We love the coves we get to hang out in where the water is calm enough for the littles to play and we don't have to worry about crazy waves crashing up onto the shore. We also got to hike and do some boulder climbing.


Silver Lake circa Summer 2021



Silver Lake circa Summer 2020 (during the time when California was on fire)



3. Blue Lakes

Another beautiful and quiet lake but not kid friendly. Very limited "beach" areas for them to play. Mostly just dirt and rocks. But it's the perfect lake to go kayaking, paddle boarding... things like that. We took our inflatable boat out and got to explore other areas of the lake. We had gone in July of 2019 and it was cool to see that not all the ice from winter had melted yet.


circa Summer 2019



4. Caples Lake

Pretty lake. But probably my least favorite. The one time we've been, it wasn't busy at all. Which is a plus for sure. However, the minute we stepped foot onto the rocky beach, we were attacked by flies that bite. I never knew biting flies existed till then. One bit my toe so hard, it started bleeding. I'm not a wuss, I can handle bugs and blood. But I'd say it totally ruined it for me 😂. Nothing a lil bug spray couldn't fix. But still, bugs are annoying.


circa Summer 2018



5. Kirkwood Lake

This one is a good one if you're not into crowded lakes. It's definitely a lot more quiet and serene, perfect for fishing and just taking a boat or paddle board out. And just like Silver Lake, there were lots of hiking trails to explore as well as rocking/boulder climbing opportunities. Also great for camping. Lots of pesky mosquitos though. So make sure to have all things bug sprays handy if you plan to go to this lake!


circa Summer 2021




SoCal

6. Big Bear Lake

Like I said earlier, I've never actually been IN this lake. But I love walking through the village of shops and restaurants. If you're not a fan of swimming or boating in lakes, it's still a cute place to visit year round.




And yes, these are are the only pics I could find of any of our trips up to Big Bear 😂. Ella wasn't even a year old yet in these photos. But I promise you, Big Bear is beautiful!


7. Silverwood Lake

And last but not least, Silverwood Lake... not too far from Big Bear Lake. I'd say it's kind of a hidden gem. I had never been here till just recently (like almost a year ago recent) and we decided to go here because we thought it wouldn't be as crowded as it is everywhere else. Because we were very much still practicing covid precautions and trying to avoid being in large crowds. Hence the mask wearing (yes we were outdoors but we were around a few people at times so we were just being safe). It's not as big a lake as all the others, but it's still a nice spot to hang out and chill. And there's picnic areas, too. But it can get pretty windy so check the weather before you plan to go!


circa Summer 2022




It's crazy looking back at all these pictures... mostly because my babies have gotten so big since!


Anyway, there ya have it! I highly recommend ALL of these places if you're ever in Cali and are wanting to get some lake fun in. Whether its's for vacation or just a weekend getaway... totally worth the trip. I promise!


xoxo,

Jane

Hi, guys!!! It's me! 🤣 Yeah, I know. It's been awhile. Been thinkin' a lot about how to make an official comeback to the blog world. But then I remembered that I'm still a nobody in this space, which helped take off some of the pressure. And so HERE I AM!!!! 😂😂😂


2020 turned out to be a shitty year. Let's not even pretend it wasn't because it just didn't turn out to be the. best. year. EVER. Like we all hoped. I did my best to remain as positive as one could be during a worldwide pandemic, but who are we kidding. It just freakin' SUCKED. Especially on the internet. With the Black Lives Matter movement happening in the middle of the year, and the anti-maskers running amok, and then having to deal with everyone turning EVERYTHING into something political... it just got way too toxic for me and I just had to unplug from it all and focus on what was most important to me - my sanity and being present with my family.


So... let's rewind a bit with a recap of how our 2020 went. We started off the year STRONG. Made some goals, went to Hawaii in March, came back just in time for a nationwide lockdown and we quarantined/stayed home pretty much forever. Oh and I became a teacher! Ok, ok... that's a bit of an exaggeration. I didn't become a REAL teacher - and by REAL teacher, I mean one with credentials. I just became Ella's REAL teacher's assistant. Virtually. Because Virtual Learning is now a thing - circa 2020. In August, we had a flood in our house (and if you didn't know, we were living in a rental with my FIL and his 2 teenage daughters) which kinda forced us out of the house while it was turned into a construction zone. We didn't have anywhere to go, so we escaped Southern California and went up to Gardnerville, NV to stay with my MIL for a bit. We had planned to only be there maybe a month at first, but we ended up staying for a little over 5 months. Which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My girls only saw their grandma and other grandpa maybe 2x a year pre-covid. So this gave them (and us) the time to make memories and to just enjoy living that country life.



We got to experience a true Fall and Winter season complete with all the holiday things and were able to save up enough money to FINALLY buy a house.


Yup, you read that right.



We. Freakin'. Bought. A. HOUSE.


The current state of our housing market in the U.S. is INSANE right now and we didn't think we would be able to snag one since it's SO competitive out there (we bid on a total of 7 houses 😳). But we did! And I will have to write a whole separate post to talk about the entire experience later - because THAT was just a rollercoaster of crazy that deserves a blog entry all its own. The main thing is - we found one and we're extremely grateful our offer was chosen. And so our 5-month stay in Gardnerville, NV came to a bittersweet end in February and we returned back to SoCal to begin the next exciting chapter of our lives.


Life happened. Even during a pandemic. And I am SO glad I took a break from all things social media and the internet to enjoy the simple joys in life. And as crappy as 2020 was, I have so much to be grateful for.


So, as you may have already guessed... we have been super busy with making our new "old" house a home and now that things have slowed down a bit, I thought I'd give my blog some love. Because... I got LOTS to share - more of ALL the mom life things PLUS all the home reno/decor life things. This is going to be FUN!


I hope you'll stick around for all of that!

Until the next one...


xoxo,

Jane

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