Backyard Makeover: Part 1

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! It felt a little more like Labor Day around here, but I’m so excited about the progress we’re making on the backyard! Beverly was sick this weekend and hopefully got some R & R and her in-law’s lake house. We have several fun projects in the works for Sweet Birdie’s Nest, including birth announcements and moving announcements, as well as some customized birthday party invitations. We hope to have some great pictures from our customers to show you soon!

Ok, so for the part you’ve been waiting for…I’ve been itching to redo our backyard and really make use of its great potential.

Jim and my dad tore down our old deck last weekend, Jim designed a new deck, and we priced and picked out and purchased lumber, which will be delivered on Friday. But in the meantime, my mom and I dreamed up a grand landscaping plan. So while we enjoyed most of the weekend and took several naps, we greeted the Lowe’s delivery truck bright and early Monday morning as Richard {the delivery guy} unloaded 50 bales of pine needles.

We tore into the pallets of pine needles, scattering first in the front yard and then we moved on to the back yard, where we used spray paint and string to mark new beds and expand existing ones. My dad brought over his tiller to turn over some new dirt for us, we tore out a tree/weed thing and cut back another, bagged leaves and just generally worked very, very hard all day. My mom and I purchased some new hydrangea and gardenia bushes, a Japanese maple tree, some flowers and another shrub that we really liked but can’t remember the name of…

before

after

the front yard

The trash guys weren’t thrilled this morning when they pulled up and saw our huge pile of yard waste. But Molly and I were outside playing, so they kept the grumbling to a minimum!

The back yard is definitely starting to come together and I can’t wait to see the completed project!

Coming soon {I hope}: A backyard makeover

I’ve convinced the hubs (and my mom and dad!) to tear down our current deck and build a new one. Our fifth anniversary is coming up and the traditional gift is wood, so I thought a new deck would be the perfect gift. We have a ginormous backyard with lots of tree cover, so even though it’s hard to get grass to grow, it’s still a great spot to hang out and I love to throw parties back there. I also want to work on our landscaping, to create a natural area along the back fence to eat up some of the unused space and provide something pretty to look at. I mean, our neighbor’s cars and a chain-link fence are pretty and all, but I thought some shrubs (hydrangeas maybe?) and some pine needles and flowering perennials would be nicer.

So I did what I always do when I get an idea: I perused the internet to find others who have done the same thing. And I can definitely tell it is warming up outside beside there is no lack of inspiration in blogland for outdoor living spaces!

So without further ado, check out the eye candy I found this week. And be sure to check back…I’ll post before and {eventually} after pics of our backyard!

Kate over at Centsational Girl is ready for dinners on the patio with her DIY, affordable new table cloth and terra cotta pots inspired by pricier versions. I love her use of spray paint and that blue is beautiful!

And then Ashley and her hubs from The Handmade Home are working on utilizing their backyard space to its utmost potential and sprucing up the view on and from their patio. They started the project by extending/building a new fence to enclose their side yard and include it as part of the backyard. Major DIY work going on over there and I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Then Beverly told me that World Market had a yellow and gray outdoor line this year, and you know how much I love that color combo! Our pillows and umbrella are a natural color, so it would be fun to liven it up a bit with fun color scheme. The wheels started turning and I realized I could paint the adirondack chairs yellow!

I also love turquoise and orange, or blue and lime green, or crisp black and white {and I already have a few black and white damask outdoor pillows that I “borrowed” from my mom and never returned!}. We have great basics – 2 comfy adirondack chairs, a Chesapeake table and chairs from Pottery Barn {a major score from the outlet years ago!}, and lots of space. Jim even strung lights from the trees for at my request, so there’s always a party atmosphere. There are a zillion ideas flowing and I can’t wait to get started. I just hope it’s ready to show off {I mean, enjoy} before Molly’s birthday in August!