My Creative Blog [Search results for Patio] 

If you're new around here, let me catch you up a bit… We're partnering with Stone Depot and EP Henry and building a patio DIY style-we're crazy and we know it…(sing to the tune of LMFAO). You can catch up on the progress posts here, here, and here.

So, here's where we were when we left off last week…

We had finished the base wall and we could finally move onto the patio pavers and the sitting wall. Speaking of the sitting wall…Take a look at that beauty! We're waiting on a few more wall blocks to be in stock and then it will be finished.

Okay, so after the base wall was done it was time to get moving on the patio itself. This post is going to be chock full of DIY Patio tips, because we learned a lot along the way! We laid down the geofabric and then we needed to fill the entire patio with stone.

See all that stone? Well, multiply it times four! We needed over 35 TONS of stone and yes, we carried it one wheelbarrow at a time.

I had thought Eric dropped a pile of stone on the grass and the wall, until he explained this little trick. Worked like a charm!

When you need to work on a patio for 5 weeks and you have to move 35 tons of stone, it's important to have help…

This picture gives you an idea of what the stone was used for. We needed to apply it two inches at a time, run the tamp, and repeat until we raised it up the 20ish inches that we needed.

This is more than a tip, it's a must. There's no way a patio of this size can be done by hand. Time for the heavy equipment!

The stone needed to be 3" below the height of the wall caps. That's tricky to do everywhere, but there's a trick that works really well… although it is tedious!
(**Please ignore the spelling error below! I do know how to spell achieve. Thanks!**)

I also should mention that we had to be creative with ways to entertain the kids while we spent so many hours working… The"tractor"-waterfall-rides were a huge hit. Let me just tell you that never in my life did I imagine I'd own anything made by John Deere and I especially didn't foresee having kids that love driving it around the yard! lol

Alright, back to business. I thought this was a great idea and it helped keep all the leveled stone in place while we moved to the sand.

Leveling the sand it a two person job, but it was quick and easy using this pro method. You lay down 1 inch pipes, fill the area with sand, drag a leveled board across the pipes, and it smoothly levels the area between the pipes.

Look at that smooth sand! Nice work boys! (and yes, I still refer to my hubs as a boy even after 10yrs of marriage)

After the sand, it was the moment we'd all been waiting for and I was ready with camera in hand!

I'll be back next week with our final update before the grand reveal, but until then, I need some help in the lighting department. I plan to have two lights flanking the door and then I need four pillar lights as well. I definitely want an industrial feel. So, can you help a sister out and leave any recommendations in the comments? THANKS!

Wondering about the flowers on the steps? They're wildflowers that my kiddos had picked for me as a surprise when I got home from the Haven Conference. I'm a lucky gal.

The patio is so close to being finished, I can almost taste it (or perhaps that's just the black lung from all the stone and dust!) Can't wait to show you the finished product!

P.S. If you missed our Haven Conference Recap you can check it out HERE- it was awesome!

If you would have told me how long it would take to put in our outdoor dining patio, I wouldn't have believed you. I simply had no idea of the time involved in completing such a project. Like the fence, it took many, many hours (and many, many weekends) of meticulous consideration and hard work.
Hubby did most of this work. He did all the math, the measuring, leveling and planning. See Exhibit A.

Exhibit A. As for myself, I was good at pointing around and saying, "like this, and there!" Which hubby was able to translate into a beautiful patio and stairs.
Although it was our intention to have this completed before summer officially began, it has now been completed before summer is officially over!
So the following photos are what it took to create this new space of ours...

This is what we started with after the dining room addition was built.

Retaining wall was built first. See urns? I'm already starting to decorate.

After a significant amount of gravel was added and leveled, Hubby built a frame for the patio stairs. We decided that the easiest way to build the stairs was to adhere pavers to a strong foundation of concrete.

This was the night before the concrete truck came to pour the concrete into the stair frame.

The concrete pourer was able to help with leveling the concrete as it was being poured.

After concrete cured, pavers were adhered.

Next step was to lay the patio floor pavers.

To make sure that the pavers looked right (as much like real stone as possible), Hubby worked out a pattern on paper first. The pavers were the same width but came in four different lengths so there was a system in place to ensure that all seams were staggered.
There are a lot more photos. Most of them are of hubby up to his ears in gravel, dirt and pavers. And a few with him giving me the stink eye when I interrupted him with, "stop, let me take your picture!" This request was usually met with deaf ears.

Here's hubby ignoring me after such a request.

This photo shows the completed patio before we planted the boxwood hedge and limelight hydrangea.

This photo shows the beginning stages of planting a hedge of boxwood around patio to create a living wall. We wanted the patio to be as green as possible so we opted for a living wall rather than concrete/stone.
Later on, we decided to add stairs down the center.
AFTER

PHOTO UPDATES: New patio table and chairs. Full post here.

The weather is finally warming up and I feel like summer is right around the corner! I thought I'd invite you over to my awesome yard and beautiful patio furniture! Doesn't it look welcoming and just scream, let's drink some lemonade?

Oh, and how rude of me, I need to offer you a comfy seat!

No… you don't want to come? You don't want to get rust all over your clothes? Hmm…
Okay, so clearly I had two choices… buy a new set or figure out an update on a budget. You may or may not know that I have a BIG project up my sleeve (a new paver patio coming soon!) so I didn't want to spend much $$$ on the table and chairs. I turned to my go-to solution… Spray Paint! Looking a wee bit more inviting wouldn't you say?

Here's how the transformation happened… First, I removed the legs of the table. Not sure it was ever meant to come off, but after removing some screws and jiggling it a bit we had it off. This would allow me to paint the base and not the underside of the glass.

Next, I needed to cover the glass top, so it didn't turn red. I turned to Scotch Blue painter's tape. If I have a job where I need the tape to really stick well, but NOT pull off paint, I use Scotch Blue. I had to use little pieces to get around the curves, but it was worth it to get a nice, crisp edge.

Then, I needed to cover up the glass in the middle, so I took trash bags, cut them along the seams so I could flatten them out.

Then, I tape it down on the table. I had some weird open areas, so I patched holes with scrap paper. It looks pretty fancy doesn't it?

I painted it on a sheet, so I didn't make my grass red (not that I haven't done that 100 times before)

Since I knew this furniture was going to take a beating, I opted for Valspar's Outdoor spray paint.

The improvement was instant! I was so excited as soon as the base was started!

Next, came the chairs, and again it was instant improvement! I used a little steel wool on really rusty spots, but other than that didn't do any other prep. It was really quick and simple!

I originally thought I'd go with solid grey cushions, but these striped ones from Target's spring line caught my eye ($12 each). They're a perfect match!

This Before and After makes me happy (and apparently my chairs too!)

All ready for a fun get together! Now let's play I SPY… what's missing in this picture? Yup, 5 more cushions. They're still"In Transit" from Target.

The total cost for this project was $30. I used 2 cans of red and 5 cans of blue. I know it won't last for five years or anything, but I'll definitely get another year or two out of them.
I've learned something from this experience… if you own nice outdoor furniture, cover it up in really bad weather. So that you don't have to learn the hard way, like I did, we're giving away a $75 Gift Certificate to Empire Patio Covers They sell covers to fit everything from tables and chairs, to grills, fire pits, etc. My fire pit always got rusty without a cover.

To Enter: Comment on this post with the words"Empire Patio" Bonus Entry: Like us on Facebook leave a comment letting us know Bonus Entry: Visit Empire Patio and tell us in another comment what product you need the most on their site Giveaway Closes: Friday, May 18th at 11:59pm. Winner will be announced on Saturday. Details: One winner. Prize ships to the US and Canada. One entry per email address. Winner is selected through random.org

So there you have it. A patio update on a tiny budget. For $30, I couldn't be happier with the results.
So, now do you want to come over?

I'm so excited to introduce you to one of our biggest DIY Projects ever! Over the next weeks we're going to be taking you step-by-step through our DIY Patio Project. I was thrilled when Stone Depot and EP Henry decided to partner with us on this crazy adventure.

So, here's the plan, each week I'll be giving you an update with info and tips on what we've completed. You're going to be amazed at how do-able this DIY really is (just LOTS and LOTS of work- husbands, please don't send me hate mail!) and don't worry, for those of you that definitely don't want to tackle this as a DIY, I'll hook you up with the pros at Stone Depot and they can help you out.
I'm way impulsive, so for a Big-Mama DIY, I needed a plan to keep me focused and doing things in the right order (or I would drive my hubs nuts!)

Step #1- Plan Patio Layout This was honestly very, very tricky. I learned a few things… As I planned, my patio mysteriously got BIGGER and BIGGER and planning is not as easy as I thought it would be. I had a few requirements 1- A large space for a BIG Dining Table (I feel another DIY table coming soon!) and 2- An area for a fire pit and sitting. Here was brainstorm number one… Now, remember I'm NOT an artist or a landscape designer. This looked pretty on paper, but having an opening for stairs off the patio only about 3 feet away from the opening for the walkway was weird.

Brainstorm Number Two looked like this… Still had the weird stairs/walkway combo and I also added a bump out area. Why you ask? Well, I love sitting in the sun! The way the sun crosses our house, that little area would have sun 24-7 (Well, not really, but you get the idea). Eventually I talked myself out of that because it was weird and made me seem a tad vain (enter the Carly Simon music).

The Final Plan is different than both of our initial ideas, but it's clean, simple, and big enough for all my requirements!

Now, it looks kind of small in these pictures, but it's about 600sq/ft and will be perfect for parties and lots of outdoor fun.
DIY PATIO TIP: Use leftover spray paint to draw out your design on the grass to make sure it's what you really want. I had about 7 colors going on at one point.

Step #2- Choose EP Henry Stone from Stone Depot Once we had our plan, we headed off to Stone Depot in Perkasie. They have a HUGE selection and their guys know their stuff! We were able to walk around outside and see actual patios and samples of each of the different paver options and colors.

Here's what we picked! Bristol Stone in Blue Spruce. I think the color will go really well with our house.

Here's a better picture, but in a different color. We're going to have sitting wall, like this, along the back and we're going to add fun lighting too!

I love how the stone sizes are varied and I like that they're larger than traditional pavers. At our old house we had Old Town Cobble, which is nice, but the Bristol Stone has a more contemporary feel to me.
The next step is measuring and planning outside the house. Here's a picture to give you a general idea. Next week I'll give you all of our tips for the measuring, trust me we learned a thing or two along the way! DIYing with my hubby is a tad different than DIYing with Jess! HA!

So be honest, are we CRAZY for taking on this DIY? Any tips or advice?

Last week I introduced you to the huge DIY patio project we're in the midst of. (If you missed the intro post, you can check it out HERE.) Well, the past week has been full of lots of and lots of hard work, but we've made some awesome progress!

Although my mind is completely preoccupied with planning our first patio party, and all the fun accessorizing DIYs I can't wait to get started on, I had to stick to the Patio Plan and stay focused! Our last post ended with us beginning to measure and plan. Here's what we've accomplished since then!

Step # 3- Measure & Plan Now, we already had our plan on paper and even roughly spray painted on the grass, but now it was time for the dreaded exact numbers. Now, I'll admit, my hubs is one smart guy (remember, Chemist by day, DIYer by night?) but we called in the big guns for this one. Meet Mark & Connie (you might remember their guest room??)

Well these two love math and nerdy stuff, so we said hey come over for dinner and help us do patio math. They couldn't resist the offer. I'm not going to give you all the exact equations etc (because I don't understand them) but I'll just emphasize that the math does matter.
We used string tied on to rebar to get straight lines.

We marked, measured, did little intersection things etc.

Then it was time to DIG! I helped with this part (some of it at least). Eric used the pickaxe and I'll shovel in the wheelbarrow and dump. Fun Times, let me tell ya.

We've had a TON of rain lately and we live in ROCKhill Township, so it took a while to get the entire thing dug. I loved seeing the outline begin to take shape!

While we were digging, look what arrived from Stone Depot and EP Henry?

We didn't have time to waste, so we were on to Step #4- Remove the Patio Grass Nothing fancy to this part, just dig away at the grass and haul it into the woods. By this point Eric was still okay with me saying,"Wait! Pose! Let me take a picture!" Not so much anymore! I knew it would ware off eventually!

Another Delivery! This is the 3/4 Modified stone that goes down first.

Step # 5- Build Boarder Wall The first part to building the wall was filling in the trench we just dug! WHAT??!! I was totally not cool with this at first. It seemed like a waste, but the wall needs a solid foundation. We filled the trench with stone, raked it, and tamped. What Eric is using is a tamp. You just bang it really hard over and over and over. Again, fun times!

My job was to bring load after load after load of stone. It was a good upper body workout!

Oops! Step # 4.5- Run Electrical Wires We almost forgot about this step. We're adding lights on the sitting wall, and four pillar lights. Eric did all the electrical himself because he's experienced in this area, but if you're a rookie, call in a pro to help.

Finally we were ready to lay some pavers! These were the first ones and I can't tell you how excited I was when they went in!

There are some definite DIY tips and tricks we've learned about building a wall, so we'll be back next week with a post chock-full of helpful tips! So, how are we doing so far? Any guesses on how long this DIY is going to take us?

Early in the summer we started what will go down as our biggest DIY project of the year … We decided to build our own brick paver patio! (Check out the process posts 1,2,3,4) With my creative ideas and my amazing husband that has an un-human work ethic we knew would could handle it! We teamed up with two amazing companies to make it happen, and we loved working with Stone Depot and EP Henry throughout the process.

Drum-roll Please…
Presenting My DIY Patio…

Let's take a closer look at this bad boy
Here's a quick peek back to where we started…

And now, for where we are now!

I couldn't be happier with the results and none of it would have happened without this fella. I won't get all sappy, but he's the hardest worker I've ever met. Our friends have affectionately coined the phrase"Mangin to the Max" when he's in his crazy hardworking mode. So, thanks for all your tireless hours, love- you're the best! View from the door before…

And After…

I love the sitting area and have spent tons of hours working from there the last few months. I can't get enough of all the fall foliage this year- almost makes me feel like I'm back in New England.

We made a last minute decision to add this little area off of the main patio. We wanted a place to be able to grill and where we could put a kids' table when we have a crowd, although I think the fire pit looks pretty cute there too!

Eric and I built a huge farmhouse table using Ana White plans after we were inspired by the Shanty 2 Chic sisters (Full table post coming soon!) For now we're using the chairs I painted back in the spring, but we plan to build long benches this weekend!

I know it sounds cheesy, but I sort of think the patio reminds me of the big family dinners they always have on Parenthood. Do you see it too? (Man, I love that show!)

Here's a peek at some of the fun details I love… Remember this upcycle?

We have fun cattails in our pond (it's more of a swamp, but come on, pond sounds so much nicer!) and they look so cool!

Eric was pretty proud of the stairs… the EP Henry stone was too nice to just do plain, basic steps. I love the tiered look he built!

I plan on having tons and tons of awesome meals out here with family and friends!

It's the perfect place to sit down and browse through one of my favorite magazines… I suggest checking out page 92… Did you know we were featured this month? It pretty much rocked our world!

We got all of our EP Henry stone from Stone Depot in Perkaise, PA and it's top quality for sure. I love the look of the pillars with the huge caps (which are crazy heavy btw- I spent so many hours just carrying brick from the driveway to the backyard.)

The guys at Stone Depot recommended slate for the sitting wall and I'm so glad they knew what would look best- the slate is one of my favorite parts of the whole project.

I had to share this picture with you because you've got to check out the pumpkin on the left… doesn't it look like he's eating the green goose gourd? We grew tons of gourds this year and my kids love the goose ones!

Pennlyn loves that she can go out the sliding door now- it's so nice to be able to easily let her in and out.

We only have two things left on the Patio-To-Do-List… 1- Finish the landscaping (we need mulch and plants)

2- We need outdoor pillar lighting. I ordered 4 lights that I really liked, but they ended up being discontinued. Boo! Our blog sponsor Brad from Lucent Lampworks is going to help me come up with some cool ideas, so I'm excited to get that final detail taken care of!

So, there you have it! Our Big Old DIY project is done!

What do you think of my new outdoor oasis? Do you have any awesome lighting suggestions or just any ideas to make the space even better?

While Jess has been working on some indoor projects, I've been focused on our patio, and today's tutorial actually had me fist pumping quite a bit while I was doing it. Now, you're getting a sneak peak of the patio, but I'm not doing a real reveal until it's 100% finished (We're waiting on the lights we ordered and we've already started on a little addition!) So, don't focus on the patio, just the DIY project okay?

I knew that spray painting my outdoor rug, rather than hand painting it, would save me time, but I
had no idea just how simple it would be and how much I was going to love it! I wanted an awesome outdoor rug for the sitting area, but man alive, are they pricey! Jess actually found this insanely cheap outdoor rug at Home Depot for a project at her house, so I jumped on the cheap rug bandwagon and got one too! Check out that price… $17.88!!

I did a project on one of our Nate Show episodes last Christmas, and it got me thinking… I really didn't want to spend a long time painting a rug, perhaps I could try something a little easier (I'm all about the lazy-man's DIY).

To make those canvases, I just laid a reindeer template on the canvas and spray painted over it. When I peeled the template off, I was left with pure awesomeness! I decided to give that method a whirl with the rug.

Materials:
Plain outdoor rug Stencil Spray Adhesive Spray Paint (6x8 required 3 cans) Scrap or Newspaper

1- Spray the back of your high quality stencil with spray adhesive (I only sprayed it 2x for the whole rug). I had this Chez Sheik Moroccan Stencil already from Royal Design Studios (they're our favorite!). Then, choose one corner of the rug to place your stencil in. I honestly only leveled and squared by eye and it worked out perfectly.
2- Use scrap or newspaper to cover the area around the stencil.
3- Spray the stencil with your paint. I used Valspar's Outdoor White so that it will hold up against all kinds of weather (including the million degree heat we're having right now!)
When you're spraying, you'll want to spray directly down onto the rug, to prevent any bleeding, and hold your can a lot closer than you normally would. I found about 4 inches gave me quick, solid coverage.

As soon as I was done with one section, I moved onto the next. I didn't have to wait for any drying time etc.

Here's some evidence of how fast and easy this project is… Each star represents something (from bottom left) 1- I didn't bother with a drop cloth. 2- I just moved the sticks from the thunder storm to the side. 3- Child #3's scooter 4- Child #2's skateboard (I knew I'd be out of their way fast!) 5- Plywood from another DIY 6- Recycling bins I was supposed to take to the street, but hey they can wait 20 minutes for this project right?
Here's the patio sitting area before…

And after…

If you're anything like me, you're wondering, But how crisp are the lines? Does it really look good or does it look like a sloppy 20 minute project?? I'll let you be the judge. I'm crazy picky and this meets the Monica standard.

After hauling 40 tons of stone and working for weeks on this patio, I needed a quick and simple DIY. This outdoor stenciled rug cost me under $30 and completely helps bring the space together. I can't wait for cool, crisp fall evenings, when I plan on spending a lot of time outside in my new space!
What do you think of it?

Holy Cannoli Batman… could Spring have taken any longer to come this year? Finally, we're getting some warmth up in here!

I really love spring (once it gets here)… it means flowers, outdoor projects, and flip-flops (do you remember those days in college, when you'd have a warm-ish spring day, so you'd put on flip-flops, a tank, shorts, and act like it was 100 degrees out? Yup, that was me!)
This Spring, I have a ton of projects I want to work on in our yard. Last summer we finished up our huge patio project, but we didn't have much time or budget left to tackle the landscaping and some other fun projects to make the space complete!

Landscaping around the patio and building a shed are our first two orders of business! I've successfully taken over 3/4s of our huge garage with all my DIY projects and materials, so the hubs has decided it's time for a shed for our mower, yard tools, etc.

Since these are two pretty hefty sized projects, I need all the help and advice I can get. I visited the Garden Club on The Home Depot's website to get some expert advice, inspiration, and I got an awesome coupon just for signing up as part of the community. SCORE!

Check out who else is part of the Garden Club Community…

I mean if Martha is doing it… I'm so there!

I was browsing the site looking for landscaping ideas, but got completely distracted by all the awesome project inspiration ideas! Have you heard of Envirotile? If I had an old, cement slab patio, I would do this in an instant… I found an awesome step-by-step guide that seemed so simple!

One of the other things I loved once I became a member of the Garden Club community, was their Monthly to-do lists! Once I click on where I live on the map, it provides me with a list of what I should be doing when, based on my zone!

Especially with how cool this spring has been, it's easy to forget about some of the outdoor things I need to be taking care of now! I printed out my list for March and it's right on the fridge for the hubs and me to tackle! (Actually, he's outside working in the yard, as I'm writing this!)

We love the Home Depot (and not just because they're one of our CWTS sponsors!!), and I'm so glad I checked out their site and became a member of the Garden Club

To join yourself & get your coupon (c'mon, all the cool kids are doing it)- click HERE

Happy Spring and Happy Gardening!!

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It's home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need for spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, The Home Depot has you covered and can help you #DigIn to spring.

Spring is the perfect time for all your outdoor home renovations. Shop The Home Depot for terrific values on new patio furniture, landscape supplies such as fertilizer and potting soil and outdoor grills. Keep your lawn and garden looking great, too, with the huge selection of lawn mowers, edgers and trimmers, and garden tools.

Visit The Home Depot Garden Club for product ideas from kick-starting your Spring with seed starter kits to building a window birdfeeder.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

This past weekend we did some serious work on the patio! My hard working husband put in 13 hours Saturday and about 10 on Sunday. We're so incredibly lucky to have awesome friends and family that were willing to lend a hand. (Look at what was left of our crew. 90 degree heat is pretty rough!)

Before we could have our big work party, we needed to finish the wall. We'll be adding a sitting wall, but for now, we just needed the base completed.
We're not going to give you exact directions on how to install a wall but, EP Henry has great resources and directions on their website and the guys at Stone Depot can hook you up with help as well.
We will share a few tips that will make a big difference between a patio that looks good and lasts, and one that looks good and is a sinking mess in a few years.

The longest part of the entire patio process is the wall, and having it done feels so good!

Now that the wall is done, it's time to fill it in with stone, sand, and to get those pavers laid! Can't wait to show you the"almost finished" project next week!
What do you think so far? We're really loving it!

T he Limelight hydrangea that we planted on the dining patio this past spring are in full bloom.

After having worked all last summer on building the dining patio ( go here and here ), it was truly wonderful to begin this summer with the sole task of setting up the table and chairs.

The vigorous growth of the Limelight over the past few months has really added a nice texture to the dining patio.

Aren't the Limelight blossoms sweet?

We are still working on finishing the dining room. Between enjoying our recent company, Hubby's work obligations, and the sheer lack of hours in the day, there's still some painting to do and a few odds and ends to pull together.
As a result, we've been enjoying the dining patio more than ever. We never tire of eating outdoors on these beautiful warm summer days.
Mmmm....don't you just love summer.
UPDATE: new table and chairs here.

This post brought to you by VTechKids. All opinions are 100% mine. Our life can be summed up by one word lately… Patio! Morning, noon and night we've been working on it. Our kids have been awesome helpers and playing on their own, but it was time to reward the little ones with a treat!

Vtech asked us to try out their new Switch & Go Dinos and the timing was perfect! They kept my little man entertained all afternoon! I was impressed that even at 3 yrs old he could change them from cars to dinos without a problem.

After choosing the perfect driver on the cool LCD screen he had to get fancy, and give them a ride down the slide…

After using them as cars for a while, Cal morphed them back into dinos and we got an awesome surprise… They don't just give you a generic"Roar" they actually give dinosaur facts! How cool is that?!? And I loved that it wasn't just one or two phrases, there were like 30 different facts and phrases each dinosaur said. Callen loved it and was sure he's going to be the next paleontologist AKA"Dinosaur Guy"! The unexpected thing was how much my almost 5yr old daughter loved them. She couldn't wait for her brother to finish so she could get her hands on them! Not one, but two entertained children- Woohoo! So, you might not have a massive patio project going on, but I would give them my vote as a great summer birthday party present or just to make your kiddos happy. You can Buy today on Amazon for $15.99 and if your kids love it you can tell them we gave you the idea!: )

Happy Friday! Isn't this week completely WEIRD?? What's up with 4th of July on a Wednesday?!? Thursday morning my hubs came down stairs wearing a polo and jeans and I was like,"are we going on a date or something?"… he was like,"Hello… I work for a living and it's the middle of the week." Boo! Anyhow, I'm glad that it's finally the real weekend (and we're excited to celebrate Jess' son's birthday on Saturday!).
I was supposed to write a final Patio post before the big reveal, but all my pictures give too much away, so you're just going to have to wait until the grand reveal. I'm not 100% sure when it will be because I want to show it with with table, outdoor rug, etc… Stay Tuned!
Instead, I'm going totally rando on ya (a gal pal of mine said"rando" the other day and I laughed at her and then said it about 15 minutes later. I'm a nerd like that)… Here are some fab finds and things I've recently Pinned … 1- Some words of wisdom.

Source: thatonerule.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
2- Pallet Bench. Now that my real patio furniture is on my patio, my front porch is bare! I am thinking of building a few of these. Super Cute!

Source: funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
3- I printed these out this week. I have NOT been listening to any skinny rules for a long while now. Time to change that.

Source: hepburnandhoundstooth.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
4- Here's why I need the skinny list… The hubs and I are planning a trip to Europe in the fall. We're planning London, Paris, and probably one other destination. I can't wait to nail down all the details.

Source: Uploaded by user via Franniee on Pinterest

5- This is how I want to dress on our trip.

Source: fashionworship.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
6- Found this blog this week. This gal is crazy talented. For 365 days she upcycled a thrift store outfit into something fabulous. You have to check it out! (Jess and I also love the faces she makes in all the"before" pics)
Source: dollarstorecrafts.com via East Coast Creative on Pinterest

Source: refashionista.net via East Coast Creative on Pinterest
Source: a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net via East Coast Creative on Pinterest

7- I love this chair and I want to try something similar. I don't have a chair though… I'm tucking this idea away for another time, because I love it.

8- And just in case this isn't a random enough post for you… This totally is my sense of humor. I'm actually laughing while I type this.

Well, that's all for now! Do you follow is on Pinterest? If not, I think you should (just sayin') http://pinterest.com/real_housewives/
Have a great weekend! We have some awesome projects to share next week! 9- ONE more… This is what I'm reading right now. Jess read the first two books last week and loved them. Have you read it? Did you like it? What are you reading right now? Did you know we're both total book worms? (Sorry for the 20 questions!)

Source: 11993.genderweb.in via Melisa on Pinterest

I will be the first to admit that my husband and I are absolutely clueless when it comes to landscaping of any kind. Our home came with well-established flower beds that we we had no idea (and still don't!) how to care for. Up until this year, I really didn't care that much, but this year, enough was enough. We plan on making small (as in, very small) updates to our yard and outside of our home this summer and of course, I'll share them with you! The first job we tackled was rather big and ugly:

Isn't that awful? We've been living with it like that for almost five years. Blech. Our poor neighbors. That out-of-control tree/bush/thingy is hiding a corner of our house, a small stone-filled flower bed, some decorative grasses and who knows what else.

The worst part is that our deck directly overlooks this area, so whenever we eat outside this crazinesss stares back at us. And I'm not joking when I say that that tree/bush/thingy actually blocked sunlight from coming in the dining room window. Can you see my hubs hiding in the jungle below? He got to work cutting it down, which was no easy feat.

Once the tree was down, I had the pleasure of clearing out the remaining weeds, which, unfortunately for me, included both poison ivy and poison sumac. As a result, I ended up with a mean case of both and had to go on steroids. It was fun, let me tell you.

But it was worth it! There are lots of things that still need to be addressed in this area, but the difference already is unbelievable!

I literally couldn't believe it when, early the next morning, I went into my dining room (which is the window overlooking this area) and the sun shining through was almost blinding. Ha!

Next on my agenda is adding some decorative grasses, repainting the bench a fun color, edging the whole area, and deciding whether or not to fill the area with more stone, or wait and go for a paver patio later. Ideally, I'd like to remove our deck and put in a paver patio, which would encompass this area, but that's just a dream, at this point. And oh yeah, we definitely need to powerwash the side of our house. But for now, I'm just enjoying the open space and extra sunlight. Let's take a look at the before and after side by side, shall we?

Ahhh…so much better.
So, are you a landscaping idiot, like me? Throw your ideas at me for finishing this area off- I need all the help I can get!

We just found out it's THIS WEEKEND!! If you're even remotely local you'll want to make time to check it out. We got SO MANY awesome things last year. My dining room buffet, my Chalkboard Mirror… Check out this post to see it all. BEST BARN SALE EVER! Sat, Sun, Mon 8-5 3045 York Road, Furlong PA

The back part of the barn is crazy, but HOLY COW amazing furniture finds!!

And now I'm re-posting our reminders from yesterday! Well, we're a bit behind the eight ball on this one, but we finally got around to choosing a winner for our Empire Patio Giveaway. (just so you know we use random.org to make our pick!)
Empire Patio Covers Giveaway Winner

And the winner is:

Congratulations! Email us at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com to claim your prize! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YARD SALE We're having a BIG yard sale Saturday (5/26) from 8:00-1:00 PM. Please come on by and say hi…and then buy something.; ) It's at my house, so send me an email if you need the address. Monica will stop by in the morning also and we'd love to meet all of you local readers. There will be lots of kids items, home decor, appliances, furniture, lighting and more!
Here's just a small sampling of what's for sale:

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Need some last minute Memorial Day recipe ideas? We've got you covered.

Three awesome Memorial Day Drinks

Mozzarella & Basil Tomato Pockets

Easy Pulled BBQ Pork
Have a happy holiday weekend! Hope to see you tomorrow.: )

T his time of year, I'm reminded of the other part of our farmhouse renovation....the yard. The above picture shows what the side of the house looks like today...

....this is what it looked like after the contractors left. Due to new electrical, plumbing and water lines, and grading new elevations around the entire house, we were left with a sea of dirt and gravel.
So we had to start from scratch. The yard landscaping was a project we hadn't anticipated when we set forth on our farmhouse renovation and is one that is taking time to complete.
Last summer, we put in a picket fence, front walk and stairs, and dining patio....these tasks alone took the entire summer to complete!

Here's the what the front of the house looks like today. The picket fence offers a coziness to the area around our house. We also wanted to define the area of our property that would be for gardens (inside the fence), from the part that would be more natural and simple (outside the fence).

This is what the front of the house looked like when the contractors left.

This is what the outdoor dining patio looks like today.

This is what it looked like after the contractors left. Once again, Mr. Engineer (Hubby) used all his know-how to design and build a retaining wall, level floor and two sets of stairs.

This is what our 'backyard' looked like just before we went through the renovation. The edge of the 'lawn' previously dropped off a couple of feet past the old deck (which was torn down during the remodel due to rot). The fill we had excavated from the front of the house was hauled out back to extend the lawn area.

This is what it looks like today. We planted over sixty (back breaking work!) White Simplicity hedge roses along the entire perimeter of the lawn. We have yet to rebuild the deck/balcony (this comes off from the french door in the living room)....as we're trying to enjoy summer this time around instead of always working on the house. Also, we're still deciding on some of the design elements of the balcony. I'll do a separate post on that soon.
So that's what we've done so far.
Landscape design is something I love but is not something I know. I've always loved gardens, especially old country gardens, and I love old houses with hedges and a sense of outdoor coziness. But exactly how to create that with a blank canvas completely stifled me.
Then last fall I came across Tara Dillard's beautiful blog and was overjoyed to discover that she did long distance consults! After sending her dozens of photographs of the yard, and discussing ideas over a few phone calls, she created a beautiful landscape design plan for our property.
It was just what I needed....professional vision. The plans will evolve over time, as money and time permit, but it feels really, really wonderful to have a plan. Tara's amazing gift for creating beautiful landscapes is something I truly admire. I feel quite honored and very happy that her vision will be expressed here on our property.
As we progress with our landscape projects, I'll be sure to keep you updated!

This I want on my patio. Pretty pretty.: )

Via Brocante

Well, we're a bit behind the eight ball on this one, but we finally got around to choosing a winner for our Empire Patio Giveaway. (just so you know we use random.org to make our pick!)
Empire Patio Covers Giveaway Winner

And the winner is:

Congratulations! Email us at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com to claim your prize! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YARD SALE We're having a BIG yard sale tomorrow from 8:00-1:00 PM. Please come on by and say hi…and then buy something.; ) It's at my house, so send me an email if you need the address. Monica will be here for a bit in the morning also and we'd love to meet all of you local readers. There will be lots of kids items, home decor, appliances, furniture, lighting and more!
Here's just a small sampling of what's for sale:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Need some last minute Memorial Day recipe ideas? We've got you covered.

Three awesome Memorial Day Drinks

Mozzarella & Basil Tomato Pockets

Easy Pulled BBQ Pork
Have a happy holiday weekend! Hope to see you tomorrow.: )

T he dining patio is beginning to stir after months of wintry stillness.

Thanks to the few hours of sunshine we're getting between the spring rains, the Limelight Hydrangea are budding.

It's hard to believe that those little buds will grow into such large fluffy blossoms.

The dining patio becomes a Limelight oasis by mid-summer.

As the late summer nights begin to cool, the Limelight blossoms fade to a soft pink.
Happy hydrangea dreams to you!

So you already know we love pallets! You've seen our pallet wall, our other pallet wall pallet shelves, and actually right now we're using pallets in an episode of Knock It Off!

Funny story, after we first posted Callen's bedroom and the pallet wall, we got an email from someone asking for tips and directions on how they could build an entire home from pallets- haha! We have to draw the line somewhere people!
Anyhow, this past spring I was wrapping up my projects for the Trend Trio from P&G and I decided I'd try my hand at a super simple Pallet Planter. I know this isn't super original nor complicated, but our P&G audience is way different than hard core DIY blog readers like you! (wink) So, if you want a quick and easy project for summer- this is just for you!

And since this was originally done for P&G, it's actually a video! You'll get to see how I made my pallet garden and you'll have to deal with hearing me talk about some P&G products that I actually love. Ha!

See, it was super easy and looks pretty cute too! Since the early spring, (you can tell it was like March beacuse I was white as a ghost in that video) I've moved the planter out back on the patio, swapped out the plants and now it's colorful and fun! Here's a peek at some of the other living stuff going on, on my patio!

Monday, I'm super excited to share one more gardening project with you- We're growing potatoes and it's so fun!! Make sure you check back because it's a project the kids will LOVE too!!

As you all know, my hubs and I have been DIYing a 600 square foot patio. It's been a huge job, but it's 99% done and we're loving it! (We've even put on an addition, but our lights were back ordered so I can't give the full reveal yet-boo!)

600 square feet is a lot of space to fill and I wasn't about to go out and buy all new furniture for the space. I've had this old record player hutch (if that's even such a thing) in my basement for about 7 years now- It was just waiting to be upcycled.

This baby used to house my in-laws old record player and then eventually a boombox. It's crazy to think that now that all of my music is on a 4 inch iPhone. Anyhow, if you need any convincing that this piece needed some upcycling, I've provided you with some evidence…

One of my favorite things to do, is to look at a piece of furniture and see past the"yuck" and into the potential it has. Remember when we upcycled this dresser into an Anthro Knock off.

They key to a good furniture upcycle is to believe that anything can be changed and set some goals!

To Upcycle this piece, I had a few goals:
#1- Get rid of any and all scrolly things (I sorta loathe them)
#2- Remove the speaker fabric
#3- Paint it with outdoor paint
#4- Add some bold details
#5- Distress it (so I don't get mad when one of my 4 kids"distress" it for me)
#6- Add new hardware

Get Rid of Scrolly Things Sometimes it's easy to think there are things you can't change about a piece, but it's amazing what you can do with a jigsaw! I just taped off a straight line and cut those scrolly babies off!

Remove Speaker Fabric
I ripped off all of the lovely fabric and then had to take out the speakers. There was no magic to this step. I actually gave a hammer to my seven year old son and said,"bang away!"

I love when furniture has an industrial flair, so I cut plywood panels and covered them with chicken wire. It isn't the most fun to work with, but it's not impossible either.

Paint with Outdoor Paint
This piece was originally intended to be used indoors, so I wanted to be sure to paint it with good quality outdoor paint. I really don't love taking tons of time painting furniture, so I used Valspar's Exterior Spray Paint. It took about 3 cans to do two coats on the whole piece.

Add Bold Details
Since this piece was originally so traditional, I wanted to do something graphic and more modern as a detail. I thought a thin herringbone would do the trick.

Herringbone is super-simple!
#1- Mark out your center line. Then, measure the width you want the stripes (I used 1") and make tick marks down both sides of the column. #2- Tape off your lines. The top of the left side slants down to one tick mark below on the right. #3- Paint & Remove your tape. Let it dry and repeat on the opposite side, but shift your painted section down one, so you have the"every other" look.

Distress the Piece
You might notice that my lines weren't completely crisp in the herringbone. I was painting outside in 100 degree heat (blogger foul), but I also knew I was going to distress it anyhow. I'm not always into distressing, but I figured it was going to get banged up outside (and I have 4 kids that are pretty rough on furniture).
To distress, first I went at it with a sander with 220 grit paper.

Have you ever had this problem? I ran out of the right size sanding pads. Oops!
After sanding it down a bit, I gave the entire piece a good glazing. I actually began my glazing love affair by reading Living with Lindsay's blog (check her out it you haven't)!
My favorite glaze is Martha's Black Coffee. As you can see, I slopped it on, rubbed it around, and then wiped it off. I wanted pretty solid coverage, so I used a good bit of glaze.

After adding some hardware she was all finished and ready for the patio!

I think she's much more my style now!

All that's missing now is some cool, outdoor artwork. I'd love to hear any ideas you have in a comment. We have some insanely creative readers! P.S. I have to mention that I'm so glad to have my BFF home from vacation! A week apart feels like such a long time to us! Now that she's home, Jess is working like a mad-woman on some cool projects for her dining room!!