Deck Updates- Easy Ways to Make Outdoor Spaces Cozy
Summer is finally on the way! And we’ve been getting the deck and yard all ready.
Last year getting the deck built was our project. This year making the deck cozy and entertaining worthy is my mission. So we added a few things. Not done yet, but progress!
Plenty of cushions and a new rug make it cozy! Rug is from Mark and Day, our favorite rug place! (You can still use my code at Mark and Day too- JESSI10). AND, they are doing a free rug pad promotion right now too!
Some cushions and Walmart and Dollar General, but old, and the two darker green are new from Target Dollar Spot. Scotch Guard them to keep them longer, and I take in or put in a deck box when weather is bad. 😉
The other cozy trick is to add little areas. When we have company, chairs can get pulled anywhere, but they start out set up in cozy little spots. These stackable chairs we got to have extra seating, are from Best Choice Products. Different rugs also help tie different conversation areas together.
Another easy thing to add for coziness is plants. Plants bring brightness and life to spaces, and same with outdoor spaces! You don’t have to have a green thumb, mine mostly isn’t 😉, even fake plants do the trick.
I like my plants colorful! Plus, remember the rule of three, add a centerpiece, and outer plants that will grow and hang and you will be potting like a pro. These were all recently planted, but will soon be big snd overflowing! 🤩
One more cozy add is lighting and sound. This can be super simple too. My lanterns are all inexpensive and have solar lights in them. We also added this umbrella light from Brilliant Evolution recently and it adds such a beautiful glow in the evening! You can use code JESSICA15OFF on their lighting too!
The quickest, easiest DIY to up your outdoor game!
Right now I use a simple Bluetooth speaker sat on the table too, but we are in process of installing a whole system with speakers on the house wall. Either way, tunes add to the vibe!
What else would you add?!
XX,
Jess
The Perfect Mix
I have been keeping a notebook of ideas for each room in the house. Lately, Pinterest has made list making for these ideas so much easier! Here are some rooms that are, to me, the perfect mix!
Here is a gorgeous dining room. I love the cow hide rug layered over a larger, more simple one. I also love that striped settee!
http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/03/28/secrets-from-a-stylist-southern-romance-meets-scottish-charm/
I loved this office. I have been known to fall for over the top glam one minute and then over the top rustic the next, but this is the perfect mix. Perfect.
Another dining room with the perfect mix of an awesome rustic table and beautiful pink wallpaper.
Here is a great living room with an amazing sofa!
I am smitten with this window seat. I could nap there.
Hope these rooms bring you some inspiration too!
Dining Chair Love
Browsing some gorgeous photos today I came across two dining room photos that I just loved. The first is so bright and fun with its mismatched chairs. I wish I was bold enough to pull this off!
The next is something I’d absolutely love to try someday, with a bench being used on one side of the dining table. This bench is no regular bench, rather, a gorgeous antique bench!
I absolutely adore that bench! Enjoy!
Oh, and I want to share a peak at my Christmas holiday decor with you, but I’m running a bit behind. Still to come! Hope you all had a great holiday!
Dining Chair Love
I love the rings on the backs of these chairs! I love the leather! I love the studs! I love the chandelier and the wall color and…
Beautiful, no? 🙂
Downsizing the Antiques
My obsession with vintage furniture grows and my house feels like it is shrinking. So… some items must find a new home! I thought I would list a few things here and there on here for you to all check out. Feel free to contact me with any questions!
1. Two vintage metal lawn chairs and matching table. So adorable! SOLD!
2. Vintage tin top cabinet. We used this as our kitchen island. This isn’t the best photo, but it also has lots of charm! SOLD!
3. Vintage Danish modern chair.
Table and Chair Love
It has been forever and a day since a new post… I know! But the new house is keeping me busy!Â
Here is a table and chairs “set” that I love, mostly because it isn’t a set at all. I like how the chairs are different colors, yet look so good together!
Mom’s Dining Chairs
One of my many recent projects is refinishing my mom’s dining room chairs. And yes, I am finished with this one!
Mom has gorgeous antique wood dining chairs. But, the cushions were reupholstered many years ago, and are now raggedy and faded. So, we bought so printed leather and I set to work.
Here is one chair before:
And the after:
This was super quick and easy… and my first experience with powertools, my new staple gun! 🙂
Our Engagement Party!
We finally had it! It’s all over, even the cleaning up! It all went great, and we also wanted to thank everybody for coming and for the great gifts and cards! And, I have a few pictures to share!
The above is the general view of the backyard before the party. The picture doesn’t really do it justice. It was really nice, relaxing, and cozy. It was impressive for those who had seen our backyard a few months ago when we moved in!
The above is the table before all of the food. The vintage table clothe came from Fred and Ethels. The vintage letters are always hanging in our bedroom, and of course we had to have a big diamond! Isn’t that silverware bucket cute? My mom found us that. We also had some big dice (of course!) on the other end.
There were antique Ball jars scattered on the table tops and even in the grass that held candles for lighting up the night.
I love all of the paper lanterns. These were so easy, they had batteries! And, they were only a couple of dollars at the dollar store! They set a nice mood.
And at night everything glowed!Â
I hope some of these simple, but fun ideas help you with your next party. I loved them so much that I will use some of them for our casual BBQs and bonfires!
Lawn Chair Paint Project
I got the new lawn chairs done just in time for the party. Remember these sweet but boring old fashioned lawn chairs we picked up?
Well, with some bright paint and a bit of handy work, they are now unique and look good together!Â
What do you think? I think pretty soon all of these random tid bits will come together!
Picnic Tables and Hammocks
We are getting there! Almost ready for the party! And, not to mention, an enjoyable and usable summer yard! I snagged this little red pillow and teal votive holder yesterday:
It feels cozy now. And don’t worry about that plant hanger behind the table. Something has a spot there, but I will show you in the party pictures. We also got the hammock in the mail and hung it the other day. If you have never relaxed in a hammock then you haven’t lived. This is the coziest spot in our home now! I can see that Tony will never get the yard mowed now! 😉 I also added a couple pillows there.
Also don’t mind the bushy, patchy grass. We are letting that grow as long as possible before the party so that the freshly planted stuff has time to get strong before all the company tramples it. The grass we planted just a few weeks ago has really taken off though! (Probably thanks to all of the annoying rain we have had!)
Look how long and thick some of it is already! And, see the spruced up chair in the background? I will post more on that project soon. The dogs also say hi!
One more thing we added over the weekend was a vintage fiberglass picnic table. My grandparents have had this table ever since I can remember, and now it is ours. But, it is sun faded and scratched. I am looking for a way to refurbish fiberglass if any of you out there have suggestions. I read that some people have had luck with Penetrol. I tried that last night. This did give it a great shine, but as far as bringing back color, I didn’t think it worked. Not to mention it would never bring back the one extra faded area in the middle!  Here it is, and let me know if you have any ideas!
Sweet, huh? Don’t worry, the yard won’t be so stuffed full of junk when the party is over. The other picnic table goes back to the previous owner of the house. We are just using it for extra seating. This gorgeous guy stays! 🙂
P.S. I just wanted to say that Tony has put in many hard, hot hours cutting and dragging out tree limbs and overgrown “things” from this yard. Even though there are still some naked patches and unruly weeds it has come a long long way from the unusable yard it was when we moved in. Thanks Tony! 😉
