Backyard oasis

If you remember back to the "things that I'm loving" post from a while back, one of the things that I posted was.....mmmmm pergola.

I have been wanting to turn our backyard into a backyard oasis, and I FINALLY got the pergola that I had been wanting.

My birthday was back in June, and the pergola was basically my birthday gift. I was in Atlanta for a workshop when it was installed. I was very excited to see it when I got back.

This is how it looked after it was installed and without our furniture in it. They guy who installed it also put a chandelier that holds t-lights. It's cool!

I wanted to put my outdoor pottery barn curtains that, if you remember from a previous post, I had on our patio on the pergola, but I could not find any rods long enough. My sister, Sharon, gave me the idea to buy some dowels from Home Depot. Dowels are the poles that you will see or use in your closet. I thought that was a great idea.  I bought some dowels and came up with the idea to stain them the color of the pergola. The guy that installed our pergola left two cans of stain for us. So, this was perfect!

I began staining...

 and staining .....

It took a few coats to get it like I wanted, but it turned out great.
Here's the finished product.  I think it is a great upgrade to our house and hopefully will be a great selling point when we get ready to sell.

You will see a hammock in the pic. I got this on sale at big lots. It was originally $129. I almost gave up an paid original cost, until I noticed it was marked down to $99. I still procrastinated. The next couple of weeks it as $64...wooo hooo! I jumped on it. It is such a comfy hammock. 

Our friends love it too. Here's my friend, Esha, hanging out in it. It's ivory and is basket weave type material. It matches the curtains very well.  We also bought the white pot in the background from a place close to our house.



 We also installed a flower bed in the backyard. This gives some great visual interest as it is on the opposite side of the yard from the pergola.
You can also see our veggie garden in the corner.

 

I moved the bird bath, that I made, from behind the veggie garden to the new flower bed. Hopefully, I can sip my drinks in the pergola as I watch the birdies splish and splash. I've only seen one bird in the bird bath and I was so estatic that I screamed and scared it away LOL.

 

The bird bath is made from small dowels and and ikea candle plate (it's big). I love that I have a modern bird bath.

 

 

So, what's next for the backyard oasis? Hubby is dead set on installing a fireplace in front the pergola. I think its a good idea. It wouldn't get used much in Houston, but this time of year it would be great to cuddle by the fire and most importantly, still get to enjoy our pergola in the fall/winter months.

Here are various ones that I have seen at home depot and lowes. These were taken during the summer. So, knowing my luck, they probably have gone up in price.

Which one of those fireplaces do you like?

Lastly, we want to get new patio furniture for the pergola. Something modern, of course, this is what we have our eyes on, but we will have to wait until it is in our budget.

But, as you can see, we are enjoying our pergola and backyard as it is now and so are some of our friends that drop by!!!

 

Please comment with the fireplace that you like. Also, would love to here your ideas of some other items that would contribute to our backyard oasis.

Loving Fall. Weather and Decor.

I love when fall rolls around in Houston. Not only is it a very welcomed changed] from the hot summer, but to me, it gets me excited about the holidays, family gatherings, and of course house decor. I like changing the decor as the seasons change. It keeps the home looking fresh and exciting. I was anxiously wanting to decorate our home for fall/Halloween for some time. Hubby thought that I was crazy when I wanted to decorate in September and suggested that I wait until the beginning of October.

Once October rolled around, there was no stopping me! I pulled some items out of the attic that I used last year to decorate the mantel. I also pulled out our scarecrow. After checking out my items and installing what I had, I decided that I wanted a little bit more this year.

I visited Home Goods, Garden Ridge, Kirklands, and Michaels. I decided that I wanted more of a fall theme as opposed to a halloween theme. This way, I could leave to decor out thru Thanksgiving, if I wanted to. So, I bypassed the aisles and aisles of ghosts and goblins at Garden Ridge. I ended up leaving garden ridge with just three things, a fall candle and two white pots/planters.

I found a simple bale of hay that was 50% off at Michaels. I decided this would look great in our front yard. I also got the scarecrow from Michaels last year when it was 40% off. To go with the bale of hay and to give the yard a "pumpkin patch" appeal, I decided to put a pumpkin outside. I was a little bit leary because I am always afraid of rodents and such. But, I thought putting the pumpkin on the hay would hopefully avoid this.

Next, I wanted a wreath. Back in September when I was looking at fall items at Home Goods, they had TONS of wreaths at decent prices, but now there were hardly any left. I searched Garden Ridge and the least expensive wreath there was about 19.99 and was very small and not very cute, in my opinion. Michaels had small wreaths around $19.99 as well and some larger wreaths for $30 and up. I refused to pay this much for a wreath. So, while in Michaels, I got the idea just to make one. I found some garlad for about $6 and a wreath wire form for $2. So, my wreath cost me a total of $8. Take that, you stores!

My last stop of the day was to HEB to pick up pumpkins. I love white, cinderella pumpkins. I get one every year for the mantel. They look so modern and different and maybe a little "spooky".  I picked up two so I could put one in the front yard. I also picked up two orange colored mums. Since they are considered the fall flower.

Here's the wreath that I made. I just wrapped the garland strands around the wire form. easy, peasy. I used two strands.

Below is the finished product. I loved that the garland had white pumpkins attached.

 

Here's the front of the house with the mums. I got tons of compliments in HEB about how beautiful the mums were. The pots from garden ridge were $19.99 each. The front door mat is from Target. I bought it a while back. I LOVE it. It's so modern and is very thick. I lusted after the door mat for sometime waiting for it go on sale (I'm so frugal) and just gave up and broke down and got it.  It went on sale some weeks later...blah lol

 

 

Here's the front yard/flower bed where I put the scarecrows and hay.

 And here's a little bit farther away.

 

 

 

Last, here's our fireplace mantel. I still think it looks a little bit off or needs more or needs something else. I saw some blocks last year that spelled out f-a-l-l. I wish I would have gotten them back then. :-( Hmm, guess I could make my own.

Today, in Houston the weather feels great and feels just like fall...for the next two days. So, I am blogging to you from the couch with the gas fireplace lit for ambiance lol.

How are you enjoying the fall weather? Have you decorated your home? Do you prefer a Halloween/spooky decor or more a fall/Thanksgiving type or both? Please feel free to comment below. I love comments! And, love to know that I'm not talking to myself LOL.