This post is sponsored by Greenworks.
In little known fact news here at Thistlewood…
….there are four people who are always trying to make it on the pages of this blog.
My children.
They subscribe to the blog and read the blog and correct my grammar on the blog and give me helpful fashion and beauty advice on all things blog-picture related and let me know that the word “whatevs” is so 2011.
And occasionally.
Every so often.
They even leave a comment in the comment section below.
And whenever they finish a project or help design a room or make me the most incredible Christmas present on the planet or tell me a funny story or help me paint a bookcase or twirl like no one is watching, they wait with bated breath and great anticipation to see their name in lights.
Like today.
Because today my wonderful, strong, incredible, patient son, Zack, the waiting is over.
This post is for you.
This is Zack’s path.
The one he built with his own two hands.
The one he designed and created and laid every brick for.
This is his vision.
And here’s how he created this brick path.
1. Bricks
We had tons of these vintage bricks piled up all over the yard. I’m not sure where they all came from. There were some alongside the house and some that had been used long ago to hold up an old fence and dozens stacked up along the side of the fence. They were stacked under a water spout and lay broken in the grass and a few randomly found their way into flower beds. Over a hundred bricks just scattered to the wind.
Zack went and found them all. And then?
He took every single one of these broken and worn and mismatched vintage bricks and created something amazing.
For almost free.
All this masterpiece cost was a couple of bags of sand.
This path was basically his vision.
I asked him if he could create a path for me and he took it and ran with it.
Literally.
2. Dig out the path
He dug out the existing dirt path down several inches and leveled it and raked it all smooth.
3. Fill the area with a layer of sand
Then he filled the area where he was going to place the bricks with a layer of sand.
4. Start laying bricks
Next, he started the painstaking work of putting all the bricks in place. It was like a puzzle. No two of these bricks are exactly alike. There are a lot of half bricks and broken bricks and bricks with holes and bricks with words. He staggered the pattern and made them all fit and finished off the sides and the ends with a row of bricks.
5. Finish with a layer of sand
Then he finished off the entire project with another layer of sand that he pushed down between the bricks kind of like a mortar.
He did the amazing.
He made those broken bricks into a pathway that looks like it might belong in a shady grove in England.
And now that we have an amazing brick pathway?
We have to bring the rest of the yard up to Zack’s masterpiece.
Good thing we have Greenworks.
Good thing we have this cordless Greenworks edger to make the job easier.
With all of the landscaping and outdoor work that we have done this year, I am honored to be working with a quality brand like Greenworks. They specialize in cordless outdoor power equipment. The Greenworks Pro 60-volt family of tools are the ideal choice and designed with medium/heavy-duty construction and materials and high-efficiency motors. These products are easy to start and lightweight, making yard work a whole lot easier.
Here are the details on the Greenworks cordless stick edger
- Greenworks Pro 60-Volt cordless edger has the power you need to get the job done
- 8-inch blade curb wheel guarantees the perfect edge
- Compatible with all Greenworks 60V batteries
- High-efficiency brushless motor engineered to provide more power, torque, quiet operation and longer motor life
- 4-year limited tool warranty, 2-year battery warranty
- Batteries and Charger sold separately
You can see all the details on the edger here.
And in amazing news—Greenworks just became the exclusive outdoor power equipment sponsor of Earth Day. You can read more here.
It’s been a wonderful summer.
Here’s to brick paths.
Here’s to making your mother’s heart smile.
Here’s to seeing your name in lights.
And here’s to finally making the blog.
I love you Zack attack. 🙂
disclosure: This post was sponsored by Greenworks Tools.
All opinions are my own.
Please see my advertising page for more information.
Sweet! What a hard worker. It's amazing how much positive affirmation can change the world one brick at a time. Love it! In other news...I'm back...in fact I posted today and have three more blog posts in my que. Can you believe it? Nancy got her groove back (at least the decorating one). Nancy
Wow beautiful path. It's amazing how something so simple can add such a nice touch. Nice job Zack.
I love it! It has so much more character with the imperfect bricks. The best part is it will remind you of your sweet boy every time you see it..
Beautiful! Your son did a great job! We have a brick path very similar to this. All the bricks were found on the property we bought 2 years ago in Georgia. My husband did a great job making it look like it had been part of the property from the beginning - 50 years ago!
Great job, Zack! Love the arrangement of bricks. Your Mom is right; it looks like a path out of a secret English garden. How special it was laid by you. You made your Mama's heart melt.
I love it. How fun is this. What a great path.
I have laid brick walkways and it isn't easy work. Nice work, Zack!
Besides the sweat equity.... you must have an eye for leveling these bricks so no one trips ! Beautiful job Zack! Your hard work and talent will be remembered for years to come!
So funny! Good job Zach! I love brick paths! Teenage sons are such a gift! My son wants to add video to all of my posts...with his own humor and sound effects. I let him run with it! I am NOT an aspiring YouTube star!
Zack attack....LOVE that! Good job, Zack, and congrats on making the BLOG {:* }
Exactly what we were looking for. We even found lots of variegated bricks, some broken left behind at our new-to-us old cottage. We didn't want a perfect-schmerfect walkway. We were looking for some character. Thanks Zach, you're the man. Can't wait to get started!
All opinions may be your own but we have the same opinion when it comes to Zack. He is amazing and definitely one of my seven favorites in his age group. Ha! Pa loved having Zack work with him this summer. Love you Zack!
Beautiful Brick path!!..Your son Zack did a terrific job!!.I see a Landscape Architect in his future perhaps!!
Hi KariAnne, please tell Zack that he did an amazing job! That beautiful path took a lot of hard work, plus antique bricks aren’t something you find everyday ... at least not out here in Southern California! Good job!
Zack did an amazing job and the path he designed works perfectly with your home and yard. A very smart and talented young man! You have raised wonderful children.
Great bricklayering Zach! Love all the different ones. My great grandfather had a brickyard in Georgia and we have some bricks with his name imprinted on them- think I'll be making a path♥
I love brick paths. It’s super cool your son took the initiative to put his time and hard work into it. You’ll always think of him when you walk on it. GREAT job Zack
He did a great job!! I love that the bricks are all different. We have a TON of bricks around, mostly from taking down a chimney a few years ago, and they've been in stacks ever since - it takes about 2 weeks for them to cover over with Morning Glory vines! Love this idea!
This is so gorgeous, Zack!!! You did a fabulous job!!! What an amazing thing you did for your family, utilizing what you had and your own two hands, heart and hard work!!! I love that it is made with imperfect, antique bricks. That just shows that no matter old something (or someone) is, they can still be utilized to be part of something gloriously beautiful!! Your family will always remember and appreciate this each time they walk on it. Someday, you will be able to tell your children, I made this. It is a pretty awesome feeling!
I LOVE old bricks, especially laid out in a path. I did the same thing in my backyard with a bunch of unearthed bricks that kept appearing every time I started digging (plus a few creative acquisitions from around the neighborhood). And you have some real beauties in your collection, too! I've never seen some of those before. Zach did an amazing job. Yes, it's hard work to fit all the mismatches together like a big puzzle, but there's something very satisfying when it comes together and looks so good.
Absolutely love this brick path!!! No easy task yet masterfully executed, I think Zack may be headed for a career in landscape design! Perhaps the host/designer of his own show on HGTV 🥰
Love this! Great job, Zack! I have a question .... is there anything holding the bricks in place besides the sand? I'm thinking that I would have to do something more permanent (mortar?) up here where the snow flies in the winter.
I’ve sprinkled Quikcrete between the bricks and let the rain do the rest. Great job Zack!
So very charming!
I love your brick path, all the mis-matched bricks makes it even more wonderful. Zack did a great job and i know you are a very proud mom. Thank Karianne and have a great day,
Awesome!
You did an amazing job Zack! Its not easy - I know! I did the same thing at our last home. I love the bricks and the history behind all those bricks. There is something about an old brick path that speaks to the heart.
Zach did an amazing job!! Just love the brick path ❤️
Love the brick path and it’s history :). Even better it was built with loving hands by your son 💜
Love the brick path, Zack!
I love everything about his post. Those bricks will always make your mom heart smile. It'll be there forever and if anyone tries to change it....watch out.
Amazing! An incredible amount of work that turned out beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That walkway is beautiful! What a lovely addition to your sweet home with a very special memory attached to it! Great job Zack and kudos to mom for raising such an amazing son!! You both rock!! 😎
Zak did a terrific job and it looks perfectly aged. You should be a very proud Mother.
The path looks amazing! Zack did a great job! Your yard just keeps getting cuter and cuter!
I’ve been waiting to see the Zack walkway since you mentioned it a while back! Send him to Florida to do mine! Lots of bricks sitting around from the old Capitoll. Great job!
I love it! Zack did a great job! I love all the different kinds of vintage bricks he used. You're so lucky to have such a wonderful son.
You have taught your children well, KariAnne. They all have a good work ethic. They are going to make a difference in this world. By the way, Zack, good job!
Bravo! Good job Zach, very eye catching , you must have your Mithers family Artistic ability!
Now that is a keeper--and so is Zach!!!
How sweet❤️ Zack is a hard worker & creative like his Momma! Hope he didn’t do it in triple digit temperatures 😉
Well done, Zack! Having put in a brick patio several houses ago, I know just how much work this was. What a wonderful gift for your mom!
Love it! My grandpa collected bricks with names/words on them!
Zack is a chip off the old, um, brick block......................path is so amazing, he did a great job. What a treasure of children you two have, HA!
I've been wanting to make some wandering brick pathways around my yard for several years now. Of course reading this post has only increased that desire.....first I'm going to need to find some hidden treasure in the form of tons of old bricks (I literally mean tons) and then I'm going to need to rent or borrow Zack. :-D
KariAnne, what a precious son you have! Zach did such an amazing job in making that brick pathway for you! It was truly a labor of love for you -- his precious Mom! God has truly blessed you with such wonderful children! Just continue to enjoy each one! That amazing pathway will always bring you precious memories whenever you see it!
Yay Zack!! It's charming in every way!!! xoxo
What a wonderful gift !!!!! And useful and well designed and a memory forever! Good job Zack!
Nice work Zack! I love a good brick! I have 9 kids all waiting to star on my blog too! I love it! It's great to be a star-maker!!!