Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Summer Evenings on the Deck

It’s time to move out doors.
I love summer evenings out on the deck relaxing at the end of the day.
We built the deck about 3 years ago.
Our yard has been a continuous work in progress for almost all of the 20 years we have lived here. 
There was very little planted. Just grass, five trees and a few vines. 
We enclosed the porch. Read about it here and here.
When we poured the foundation for the sunroom, our concrete guy poured us a little semi-circle patio.
The workers didn't swing out in as much of an arch as I would have liked, so the area was just a tad bigger than our round table.
There was not even room for a grill. 
Bill decided to build a deck from the door of the sunroom all the way to the shed. 



Sorry about the quality - pre blogger days.
The garden that was here would take a lot of heat and sun in July and August so basically anything I planted would start to burn up, so I don't miss the additional planting bed.
Bill did the work himself with a little help from me. 
I had to hold up the supports while he drilled them in the brackets.

            
We did the decking as a family. 


My husband has taught our boys some wonderful wood working skills.


His work cantilevering the stairs is amazing.



One of our first evenings on the new deck was spent celebrating Bill's birthday.

Now, of course you want the pretty pictures of furniture and flowers. Right?

  
Red spoke to me while I was at Walmart. 




The polka dot outdoor canvas was on clearance for $5.00 a yard.  Usually I have tons of waste when I sew. This time I had them cut the fabric to the inch of what I wanted the pillows to be. 



The blue and white stripe fabric came from the thrift store last summer. I think it was $1.00 a yard. I have had the quilt for a long time. We had a rare cool front. I hope it won't be our last. 




I pulled the fire engine out of my neighbor's trash. It has been one of my favorite garden ornaments since then. I just could not see this darling truck sent to the dump!
   






The Adam's china came from my favorite thrift store. I was tickled to get the set of 12 for $30.00. I was really nerdy and looked up what it would cost at Replacements Ltd. $1700.00. There were platters, vegetable bowls, gravy boat, everything. I couldn't believe it. This was our second choice when we registered for our wedding. It's so fun for summer! 


  
I found this little jar caddy on clearance after Christmas at Walmart. I have been collecting jars since then. The canning lids keep the flies out
The Gerber Daisy came from one of my sweet students.



Total spent on this makeover to spruce it up:
Pillows $5.00
Table cloth $4.00
Red planter and Purslaine $8.50.
Geranium $7.50
Watering Can $3.00
Caddy and lids $6.50
Everything else we already had. 
I love the deck.
Bill added so much usable square footage to our yard. 
A bonus to him? Less yard to mow.
I am on a mission to look for outdoor fabric to recover some of the cushions. I have an idea and will get back to you on that.



Time to light the candles and listen to the sounds of the night.
Katie 


22 comments :

  1. Your spruce up is wonderful, Katie! The touches of red add such vibrancy and life to the surroundings. And I LOVE that little fire truck! Aren't you glad others' trash can become our treasures? ;)

    Thanks for linking to Time Travel Thursday this week.

    By the way, have you entered my "French-inspired" giveaway?

    Blessing,
    Liz @ The Brambleberry Cottage

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Liz and thanks for hosting. I will hop on over and check it out!

      Delete
  2. Who doesn't love outdoor living, great deck!
    I specially love the lil red fire truck with the flowers, fantastic.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Michele

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Michele. We will see how long the geraniums can handle the hot Texas sun. :)

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  3. I love your deck! So cheery and cozy and that little firetruck is amazingly cute! Our landlord is in the process of building a deck on the back of our house and I can't wait for it to be done! Another area to decorate. : )

    Thanks so much for stopping by The Cozy Old Farmhouse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't wait to see it Stephanie. I am sure you will have it fixed up so cute!

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  4. Katie Sue isn't that just an awesome relaxing slice of heaven y'all created. Have u tried Cutting Corners on S. Hulen for out door fabric they have a huge clearance section too also Hancock fabric has out door fabric and if u sign up for their emails u get cupons. Hobby Lobby might have outdoor fabric.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No I only tried Joanns. I will give those others a try. :)

      Delete
  5. Came over from Feathered Nest and LOVE your deck. Our deck is like my salvation. I eat my breakfast and lunch out there when I can. Love all the red you have used too. XO, Pinky

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for coming over Pinky! I am enjoying having my morning coffee out there.
      Katie

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  6. The fire truck----YES! enJOYed looking through your blog after I found you on Sugar Bee.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It’s amazing to see how you built your deck from scratch, and made it look like another room of the house. Your choice of furniture was spot on, and I commend you for balancing the colors. Do you have any plans to change it again next summer? This could be a great annual family project!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Angelina. I will tweak it with throw pillows. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
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  15. Your new deck looks lovely! And to think you guys built it all yourselves! Good job teaching your kids some woodworking skills. I also love the way you designed the deck. The fabric choices and the pillows looked like this big hodge-podge designed in a very good way. What wood did you use for the deck? Any plans of building a shade on top of it? Maybe a pergola?

    Dennis Phillips

    ReplyDelete