Our Backyard

I took a cue from the Reluctant Entertainer's (love, love, LOVE her blog) recent post and decided to make our outdoor living space a little more...well...livable.  Our backyard is small, yet cozy.  And Cary did an awesome job on our firepit several summers ago.  But for some reason, we rarely sit out there.  With all of the trees, the table always seemed to have leaves and dirt and grime on it.  So instead of decorating, I just had one tiny plant in a hand-painted pot from Carter in the center of the table.  No table clothes or candles or anything.  The worst part is that the table sits directly outside our sliding door in the living room.  So we stare at that dirty table every single day.  It was time for a change.  Time to extend our living room to our deck.  And with very little effort and $15, here's what I now see when I look out the sliding glass doors...

The best part is that the only thing I bought was the floral table cloth (err...shower curtain!!  Hello, totally waterproof! And it fits perfectly!)  I had the black runner, which is made of a bamboo-type material.  I'm hoping it will hold up against the rain and will be heavy enough to not blow in the wind.  The tray was a gift from Pottery Barn but it had a big skull on the inside.  Cute for Halloween, not exactly appropriate for the rest of the year.  I put a beige placemat inside and voila...a new tray!  The rest of the stuff was all from my decorating closet....glass jar (which a lid, so I can cover it and not get water in it when the candle isn't lit), white candles, mason jar and pillar candles, sea shells, watering can, and the same potted plant inside a white planter.  I honestly feel like I want to sit out there in the morning with a cup of coffee, and then drink mojitos on the deck in the evening.  It feels like a whole new space to me. Funny what a few decorations and a little TLC can do!

Now that all of the plants have come in and the bushes are starting to bloom, the firepit area looks nice and lush.  That's Cary's area!

 And thanks to Bobbi for, yet again, planting some beautiful flowers and herbs for me!

Come on over for a cup of coffee or mojito!  :)  (Or glass of wine, or diet coke, or whatever sounds good to you!)  I'm ready to entertain!