Thanks to some generous wedding gifts, we were able to start on our much talked about sitting area in the backyard this weekend. We hopped in the truck Saturday morning and picked up a yard of red decomposed granite, twenty limestone blocks, and professional grade weed blocker. Once we arrived home with our heavy load, my husband Jon got started right away by tearing up the grass. I suggested that he roll it up like carpet, but that only works when you are putting down grass. Maybe I got that idea from a cartoon?
Once the grass was torn out, it was time to put down the weed blocker and edge our future lil’ sitting area with limestone blocks. The least I could do, besides take pictures for documentation, was to refill my man’s water supply as needed, assist him with the leveling of the blocks, and cut the weed blocker down to size. Feeling bad about my puniness, I tried to shovel the granite out of the back of the truck with Jon. I helped as much as I could until I was banished to pick up some dinner. He did not want me hurt myself and besides, it was evident I was struggling with all the heaving and grunting. So off I gladly went to buy him some well-earned pizza, soda, and dessert. By the time I got back, it was dark and Jon had finally called it a night by cleaning up.
The next morning, Jon got back to work by unloading the rest of the granite into our “square” and sealed the blocks in place with some Quikrete. We, and I should say that lightly, will be back to work next weekend, adding more crushed granite to our sitting area. All the while, we have been trying to figure out what kind of table and chairs to put out there. Hubby wants to build a table like this one on Ana-White or find one like it. I actually did find a Pottery Barn table quite similar this weekend on Craigslist for $100, but it had already sold when I checked. Boo! Whatever it is, we prefer a long farm table or a simple table with clean lines like the one below:
We want to paint it black
Mixed-Matched Ol' Chairs
We also wanted to place some metal chairs around the table. I like the idea of mixed-matched vintage/antique chairs and I think Hubby is on board as long as they are comfy. Looks like we will get to scour the local antique stores & Craigslist. Yippee! After that is all set up, we will eventually get potted plants to decorate our outdoor living space. We prefer low maintenance foliage after having spent dollar after dollar on plants that end up dying in this unpredictable Texas weather. So we went with the idea of succulents. Besides, they match the whole eclectic & vintage mixed with modern style. We plan on finding uncommon metal containers or pretty planters to place the fleshy cacti. Check out these succulent plants and pots featured on Heather Bullard, a new blog my friend “E” shared with me last night. I will definitely be checking back on her site for more inspiration.
Stay tuned for more deets and photos on our modest, lil’ outdoor sitting area. We look forward to the spring and having friends over for an alfresco dinner. If you have any ideas, blogs, or photos to share with us for a boost of inspiration, please comment!
Hand on Hip 