Makeover or Breakdown?

I’ve been moonlighting. Curious about my gig? A hint: I’m covered from head to toe in scratches. Have I been training alligators? Good guess, but no.

Okay, I’ll tell you. For thirty-one days, my moonlighting gig was in our front yard, making over the planter I built years ago. I’m posting about it because I like encouraging others who are considering changing their space on a budget. If you are a renter and don’t have outdoor space or can’t dig up a yard, you can brighten your world with a few potted plants. A cheerful splash of color does not need to break the bank.

The story starts on Saturday, February 21. I woke up and decided it was time for a change, so I marched to our front yard and started hacking away towers of Sticks of Fire, the orange pencil cactus. Some were almost as tall as I am. Thirty-one sweaty days later, I finished.

Sticks of Fire require almost no water, and their color is beautiful. But let me save you some trouble: if you get them, put them in a pot—not the ground. My Sticks of Fire forest started with a few small plants in the ground--which multiplied. Taking it down almost took me down.

Perhaps the story really starts seventeen years ago, when I designed our front planter. I measured a half-circle, bought concrete blocks, and created a semi-circular planter in our yard. I did multiple drives to get free dirt to fill my new planter and added succulents. Some were free, from Craigslist. It was a lot of work but satisfying. 

This is our front yard a few hours into demolition. The Sticks of Fire were five feet tall. The "before" was not bad, but things had become a bit too wild and I was ready for a change.

Fast forward to now, and the Sticks of Fire have multiplied and become trees, so I’m hacking away at them. I put out cuttings of the cactus and other succulents for people to take. It feels good to share these with others, since so many people shared cuttings with me.

Each day, my neighbors walk by, some with dogs. They ask about what the new look will be. “Top Secret,” I reply. (I love things that are Top Secret.) “Check back soon,” I say.

We broke heat records for February and March, but I kept digging. Some days I did an hour or two after working at preschool. A few days I wrestled stumps out of the ground for many hours. At times, I wondered if this was a breakdown of the stumps—or of me. (Maybe both.) 

My new garden plan involves mimicking the existing half-circle wall with two more half-circles inside. Here is the sketch I did, thinking the effect would be like a fountain. My final effect does not look exactly like this but I may add more plants. Who knows? Right now, I’m enjoying the change. 

On the hottest day, my kind neighbor Kat made me laugh when she walked her dog by our dirt installation. Her humor prevented a complete meltdown on my part (thanks, Kat). One neighbor offered help, and a few days later, another attempted to give help. I thanked them but explained that this is my mountain to climb. My sweet hubby definitely would have helped but I was determined to do it on my own.

Once the Sticks of Fire were down to stumps, it was time to remove them. The last two stumps were at least eight inches across, deep and stubborn. I used the electric saw, clippers, Japanese pull saw, and a shovel to loosen them. Mostly, I dug under the stumps to pry them out. I slipped on mud and tripped on slippery rocks. I fell into the 18-inch-deep hole I dug around the huge stump. There were tears and curses. Blisters and cuts. The preschool kids were impressed by my Band-Aid count (one day it was seven). I lift weights twice a week, but this yard work was a true workout. For all the upper body work I’ve done on this makeover, I expected my arms to look like Ronda Rousey’s by now. (They don’t.)

Day fifteen: I finally got the biggest Sticks of Fire stump out of the ground. The roots had formed twisty knots and wrestling them out was not fun. After a long labor, my bundle of agony was finally out of the ground. I'm exhausted but victorious!

Here I am, sitting in the hole that the stump was in.
It's 18" deep and almost as long as a bathtub!

.

The second big stump, Sir Stumps A Lot, came out next. 

Notice the weed cloth that did not prevent weeds. Instead, 
the roots grew through it, making the extraction...extra fun.

After that victory, I leveled the dirt and started building my walls. I’m using concrete blocks that I already had, repurposing them. I replanted succulents that I took out of our planter, as well as some I’ve had in pots. I'm putting down cardboard onto the dirt as a weed barrier (Sam, thanks for the tip!). Weed barrier fabric has not worked for me, so we will see if cardboard does. Next, I will add succulents, which I've been growing for years. They multiply, so this is great for my Small Budget/Big Impact plan. 

Progress shot...

I spent almost nothing on this project. I bought a bag of soil and nine extra concrete blocks from Craigslist. A lot of my materials we repurposed from my other projects. Back yard plants were moved into the front yard. I shoveled rocks we already had in the front yard into my new planter. Reusing is satisfying.

These wall planters were ones I moved from the back.
I already had mini disco balls and beads,
 so creating this area was free.

I enjoy the variety of colors and textures.
Don't be afraid to experiment...

This is a mosaic pot I made years ago.
Painting the rim with turquoise paint I already had
makes the orange flowers pop. I love contrast!

The flamingos were moved into their own area

so they can be a flamboyance of flamingos.

(That is what a group of them is. Seriously!)

Moving things around (indoors or outdoors) can give your space a refresh, often without spending a dime.

I love sharing these triumphs to encourage others not to fear DIY projects. This post is not about bragging—it’s about sharing tips and a few laughs. You can make your space beautiful without spending a lot.

To be honest, I’m a little conflicted about posting this essay. We have a lot of terrible things happening in the world right now, and I don’t want to be insensitive by posting a lighthearted essay on plants. Still, I’m going to post, and I hope that my readers get a boost from it. I won’t deny that our country and our world are struggling hard. But we also need breaks from our stress--moments of joy.

It’s Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter. Some friends will celebrate Passover this week. Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover or something else—I wish you a happy spring. I hope that you find beautiful moments each day and the sun warms your face. Until next time, be safe and shine on! 

A Giant Makeover

Once upon a time, there lived a twelve-foot skeleton who welcomed people to his San Diego neighborhood. His name was Festive Franklin, and he stood outside his home. He stood as a beacon of cheer to all who saw him, including an artist named Sarah, who regularly drove by his castle.

Sarah noticed that he had his own Instagram (of course he did—he was the unofficial mayor of his neighborhood) and she began to follow his account. For more than a year, Franklin had been posting pictures of himself, dressed in cool clothes for each holiday. Being a festive dresser herself, Sarah was glad that Franklin enjoyed celebrating life. But for the last few months, it seemed Franklin was so busy greeting neighbors and visitors that he had forgotten to wear festive frocks.

One day, Sarah dropped a note in the mailbox at Franklin’s place. She offered to make Franklin a “2026” shirt to help him ring in the new year. Franklin’s mom/manager/momager texted immediately and gave Sarah the go-ahead.  Which brings us to today….

Franklin in his birthday suit.

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Blog readers, this is my first post of 2026. It is not an easy time in the world right now, and I hope this post brings a touch of levity to your day.  We can’t ignore the challenges in our world, but we do need breaks from stress. People need to smile and laugh, so consider this your creative coffee break.

Have you ever made clothes for a twelve-foot skeleton? Now, I can check that off my list. And you can, too!

If you want to dress a giant skeleton, you do not need to know how to sew. All you need is an idea. (Of course, you also will need stretchy fabric, and hot glue or fabric glue. But my point is, anyone can do this if they want to.)

Franklin’s mom and I texted ideas back and forth. She explained that you can’t put clothes onto Franklin the way you dress yourself, because there are cables behind him holding him upright. Any clothing would need to be tied in the back, like a hospital gown.

My initial sketch.

Over the course of two weeks, I chipped away at the project, after work or when I needed a break from my usual chores. First, I focused on a shirt for Franklin. I researched online how big the shirt would need to be, then cut pieces for it from a stretchy sheet I thrifted a year or two ago for another project. I sewed up the sides of the shirt, but you could hot glue them if you prefer. Next, I added decorations to the shirt, using felt, paint, gems and fabric scraps I already had. 

This shirt looked big. Would it be big enough?

Gems gave it some extra sparkle...

I wondered if Frankie might feel extra naked if he had only a shirt, so I decided to make him pants from the same stretchy sheet. (Online, skeleton pants measured approximately 93 inches long, which seemed really long—that’s almost eight feet of pants! But this was my first skeleton makeover, so I trusted the dimensions given.) If the pants were too big, I could cut them on site. They looked like they would be too large even for Shaquille O’Neal. I love Shaq. He is a giant at 7’1”, and he also has a big heart. Shaq often does kind things for kids and people who need help. 

Progress shot.

View from a six-foot ladder. 

How cute is he?

It turned out, the pants were not too big—they could have been longer! But we will get to that soon. I dyed half of the pants with green fabric dye that was left over from a past project. Tie dye is fun, and it felt like a fitting look for a guy whose name is “Festive.”

Once I finished painting and decorating, I cut the back of the shirt and pants, and attached ties made from left-over fabric. Frankie’s pants easily could have been another foot longer, but since this is San Diego, he won’t get too cold. This project did not cost anything to make, as I had all the supplies at home already, and it felt extra satisfying to create a lot of impact for free. 

Today was Dress Up Day, and I got to meet Franklin’s parents. They were friendly and fun and delighted that I wanted to do a giant makeover on Franklin. I was delighted that they wanted me to. Ares helped me dress Frankie, and held the ladder. If you dress a twelve-foot skeleton, bring a trusty person to hold the ladder. Also bring safety pins and clamps, just in case.

Franklin's green belt was supposed to be a headband, but I could not get high enough to fasten it, so we made it into a belt. Voila!

This was an enjoyable project for me. A bit of a challenge, but manageable. Sometimes you just need to do something that is a happiness-booster. Potentially, I can boost a lot of people’s happiness—not just mine. Anyone driving by will notice that Franklin is starting 2026 off with a festive look. If I can add a little joy to someone’s day, I’m glad to do it!

Making people smile or laugh has been one of my favorite things to do—for decades. As a teenager I did this through theater, and as an adult, I’ve tried to bring cheer to people through my art. I have been a teacher for more than eight years, and it’s been a pleasure to cheer on my students, and to give encouragement—a kind word, a smile, a high five.

So, from Festive Franklin and Sassy Sarah, Happy New Year. I will keep bringing some sparkle to my corner of the world, and so will Frankie…

Is there a project you undertook, simply because it sounded fun? Share in the comments below. Also, please send this to a friend or two. It would be fun to see how many people Franklin can cheer up. In my next post, I will let you know how many people we reached.

Til then, keep shining!