Or…alternate post title:
My Top 5 Tips for How to Build a Retaining Wall in Your Backyard in Secret
1. Be sure that your husband/significant other is working very long hours/seven days a week at the office for a week or two. And in the event he should come home during daylight hours, keep the window blinds closed at all times.
Trust me ladies…you do not want to hear him yelling from the other end of the house “Luuuucy! You’ve got some ‘splainin to do!” Can you see the difference? Closed blinds are mandatory.
2. When your husband/significant other leaves for work at the crack of dawn, complain about all the work that you have to get done that day. That way he’ll know you’re too busy to be up to anything. Be careful though…be sure the work you complain about isn’t tangible, i.e., don’t complain about having to mow the lawn ’cause you’ll have to explain why it isn’t mowed when he gets home. Try something like organizing all the pictures on your hard drive or taking your mother furniture shopping.
(Hey, check out my cute project manager!)
3. Be sure and hide all the receipts for construction supplies so they can’t be accidentally discovered. Hide them someplace he won’t look for the duration of the project. Try the cleaning supplies cabinet.
4. Clean up after yourself after each day’s work. Make sure all the shovels/rakes are in their usual place in the garage. Be careful not to track any dirt/gravel into the house. And be sure that the truck you use to haul supplies isn’t sitting in the driveway when your hubby/so arrives home from work.
5. Be prepared with a response in the event you get caught before your project is completed. You know… in case you suddenly hear “What the (*&$ is going on here?”, it’s best not to be caught speechless. Practice one or more of the following choices:
“Retaining Wall???? WHAT retaining wall????”
“Holy Cow!!!! Someone’s putting a retaining wall in our backyard!!!!”
“OhMyGosh! The Retaining Wall Fairy has paid us a visit. Who knew there even was a Retaining Wall Fairy???”
And one last little thought…just for fun, you might want to keep track of the number of times that you almost got caught. (My count was 5, but happily, the project was completed (well, with a few minor touchups needed next week) two hours before discovery — yipee!!!)
XOXO,
Anna
*Disclaimer: Should you choose to attempt covert operations such as those described above, The Thimbleanna Blog assumes no responsibility in the event of injury to your body or your untimely demise. In addition, if you have small children, do not, I repeat DO NOT, attempt covert operations. Small children will rat you out every time!
**Apparently, thirty years of watching man-preferred mindless tv can come in handy!
You make me laugh….good work, Anna. Nice wall. That was a lot of work to do by yourself. Yes, my small man would have ratted me out. He has a rather big mouth considering his overall size. LOL.
Too funny! Congratulations on a successful covert operation!
Wow Anna, I could use you around here…lol You go girl, your wall looks wonderful!! No go rake some leaves!
*Now
You are a legend! How funny and the best part is that you have some photos to prove you didn’t get contractors in so he knows you did it all by yourself.
Wow, I am seriously impressed! I’m guessing that keeping it a secret made the hard work more bearable, maybe even a little bit fun? I’d love to have seen his face when it was discovered!
Of all the guesses…this one didn’t even make the radar…so was he happy? or I imagine at least smart enough to say he is!
Awesome Anna!!!! You amaze me!
great tips! haha. your wall looks great!
Holy smacks girl the wall looks great – please please tell me you had help with that wall and didn’t do it all yourself – sister you are a wealth of talent, that’s all I got to say :)
Hugs – mrs. farmhouse
i am s o o o IMPRESSED…you are AMAZING!!
You win the prize for the most multi-talented woman I (virtually!) know!
You must have some serious callouses on your hands after taking on a project like that! Great job!
Look at you SuperWoman! WOW!
I’m officially impressed! You are WOMAN, hear you roar! Great job!
The wall looks fantastic- aren’t you a clever one! What a lot of work – you did a great job- a couple of our staff at work were busy building them this summer and commented on the expense time and energy needed to create these walls.
Hope your other renovations are going well and that you will soon get a chance to quilt again.
Warmest regards,
Anna
You crack me up!!! But good work! I hope Mr. Thimbleanna was pleased (at least after the initial shock).
Love the wall – piecing of a different sort.
Your project manager reminds me a lot of mine – Chloe. Hope yours was not so bossy as task master as mine always is. You did a wonderful job, as always. You never cease to amaze me!
Oh my goodness – I love the cupcake rainboots hard at work…too funny, you are sneaky, and apparently exceedingly capable at construction as well! Congrats on the finish, very impressive!
Gosh you’re funny! That wall looks amazing! Way to go, construction goddess.
That is an AWESOME looking retaining wall! My husband would be thrilled to discover one is our backyard! ;0 Anna, can you tell us who your accomplices were or did you build that thing yourself??!@! ;0
Are you for hire and for real? Seriously woman, that is no small feat. I am amazed at your talent. All of this and you quilt too!!!
I forgot to say you make me feel like a slacker. I am absolutely hiding this post from my husband. He’ll expect me to be able to do this and it just ain’t happenin’.
i admireth and adoreth thee.
thou hast done well.
You are so funny! I can’t believe you actually built a wall in secret!
“Holy Cow!!!! Someone’s putting a retaining wall in our backyard!!!!” – Best cover-up ever!!
great job!
LOL………..love this post……….you did well……..
Anna you are hysterical! Your retaining wall is wonderful and look at those cute boots!
ROTFL,,,,O.M.G.! I knew you could do it all, teach me how to put down a wood floor without the husband finding out. Battles over here, I need to be clever/sneaky. Great work. xoxo
Oh I get it. If I get some cute boots I’ll be able to construct a wall?? LOL
Wow! What a wall, and what a job! Well done!
Hope you didn’t harm yourself, because I’ve heard is easy to get harmed when you go undercover…
So that is what you have been up to!
Wonderful job!….both at keeping it secret and your construction work!
Love those boots!
You are the amazing WONDER WOMAN! Cook, bake, sew, knit, work full-time, great personality, have hundreds of wonderful friends, mother, wife, and crazy person…who knew you could build a kick ass retaining wall. Wow you should run for …no nevermind. you always amaze me. robin
Funny as always, and great job on the wall. How did he take it? I know the covert home improvement operations always go better than the ones you ask permission / help for!
Not only are you amazing you are hilarious. I really need an retaining wall at my house. Want to come to Utah?
Anna- You “ROCK”! Your retaining wall is beautiful. I am inspired! And, since my husband never notices anything around here, I may not have to be so covert. :)
Ha! This made me laugh so I read it to my hubby and he laughed even harder! Thanks ;0)
Great job on the wall, I am impressed.
It turned out beautiful…you’re so sneaky!
WOWsers!
Fabulous wall!! Sadly I can’t do such things, now that Malcolm is ‘retired’ (years before official retirement age, I wouldn’t want you to think we are old!!). But when he did work, especially when he had lomng trips abroad, I could indulge my destructive/constructive tendencies!!
Wow – I am sooo impressed!!! How did you know how to do that? With drainage and everything?! I just laughed and laughed, it was a great blog post Anna!!! You have a wonderful sense of humor!!!
Hugs – Diane from Michigan
You are Super Woman!! What can’t you lend your hand to? Amazing.
wow – what a lot of work. We did a very small years ago and I said “never again” –
Yours looks fabulous and you must feel very proud!
You have gone off the deep end!
You are so much more ambitious than the rest of (well, me) us Anna. I am super impressed. Truly this is the engineer in you.
Brilliant! I did some yard WORK myself while the mister was away for a couple weeks and had to point it out to him when he got home. It was in the front yard and all the neighbors kept walking by slowly with unbelief in their eyes but encouragement on their lips.
Wow Anna! Very impressive!! The wall you built is VERY impressive, but your ability to do it all in secret is also very impressive. I am in awe! LOL
LOL……this is my favorite post ever!!! I am copying it so that I can follow the instructions for future projects I might have brewing!! Thanks for all the wonderful tips!!!
Wowee. What a fabulous job (and a fabulous post, it really made me laugh!)
I’m just wondering why the secrecy about the wall? If my husband knew I was doing such a thing he would be so happy that I hadn’t asked him to do it and he had gotten off scott-free with no assistance required!!
You are pretty amazing! Great work!
Sas x
This post was so much fun to read…had to come back and read it again! And wow, woman…you are amazing!
I swear, woman! We would have so much fun being neighbors! Now I bet you’re glad THAT project is done! Hopefully it fixes the little problem! Did you ask your husband afterwards, “so how do you like me now?” lol!
LOL – you are too funny! Even my DH noticed the title of your post as he walked in from work (it happened to be on the screen) and came to have a read. :o)
I got told not to try it! LOL
Dude!!!! I’m sooooo impressed! I figure if it ain’t quilt blocks it just ain’t worth it!!! Lol!!!
It looks amazing. Wanna come do my yard?!
LOL, what great covert tips. I have written them down, incase I ever decide to do something (but probably not and will just will wait for hubby to do it, even thought he never will) The wall looks fab by the way xoox Clarice
wow I dont even know what to say except YOU are my HERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well Done You!!! What an exceptional handywoman you are!! Love the tips – they have been bookmarked for future reference! Very cute project manager by the way – hope he was helpful in keeping mum!!
I am late to this party here but ohmygosh you built your own retaining wall. Wow. I don’t have that kind ofthing in me any more. Good for you. I’m seriously envious.
You are so funny! Great job on the retaining wall.
Nice roses, grateful hubby, sounds good. I love the makeover. The bench tops would be good for making bread and I’d love taps like yours too.
I love you Miss no-twitter Thimble Anna! I heart your beautiful black chairs that would look AWESOME in MY kitchen. ;0
I’ll make a deal with you Miss no-twitter Anna, send me those beautiful chairs and I’ll start a blog…deal? ;0
Have an AWESOME time in Houston and give Kristyne a big hug from me. ;0
And here I was, laboring under the illusion that one of the principal functions of husbands was to build retaining walls….Who knew? Nice wall though! Where are the flowers?
Gorgeous!
You GO girl! That’s one beaut of a retaining wall! :)