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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?

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?

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!

Ladies-and the approximately 1% of readers who are dudes-, we have awesome sponsors. They are the ones who make the rest of our posts and projects possible. Not only do they support us, but they have some pretty cool stuff in their stores. We've rounded up some of favorite items for a cozy Fall season. Make sure you don't miss the discount codes and special promotions!

1. We are digging on this Antique Thread Display Drawer from Nachokitty. It could serve so many different purposes: jewelry organizer, craft supply organizer, or pretty display for your tiny treasures. Don't stop there, though. You should definitely take a look at their Etsy shop- I could browse their finds for hours!

2. I love this Industrial Table Lamp from Lucent Lampworks! I can see it snuggled up to some pretty Fall decor on a mantel or side table. Love. it. To get 10% off your purchase use the code EC2TENOFF.

3. We're heading into the holiday season, and it's always good to have small gifts on hand for teachers, neighbors etc. Stock up on these Premium Soy Candles from CJS Eco Chic in the mini 4 oz. and you won't ever have to worry! And oh man, the holiday scents are to die for!

4. We love using non-traditional materials for headboards! How about this fireplace mantel headboard? Not bad, right? Architectural Antiques is hands-down our favorite place for incredible salvaged materials to repurpose.

5. Did you see Mandi's Epic Room Makeover. She used the Nova Trellis, from Royal Design Studio in the bathroom and well, it is fabulous. As a thank you to their 10,000 FB fans, RDS is offering 25% of all orders through Sunday with the code WELOVEU.

6. You've all been waiting for Monica's big patio reveal, and tomorrow, the wait is over! They couldn't have done it without Stone Depot, and their super helpful staff. Now's the time to build an outdoor fireplace or firepit, and they guys at Stone Depot have everything you need to make that happen!

7. We can't seem to control our love for photo canvases from Canvas People! Right now you can buy a 11 x 14 Canvas for only $15 from Canvas People and $1 of every order will be donated to help fight Breast Cancer! If you need some inspiration for what to put on a canvas, check out this post! 8. Not gonna lie, once the holiday season starts (right after Halloween, in my opinion), I often need a reminder to stop and be thankful for all that I have. This 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Print from Red Letter Words makes a perfect visual reminder of that very thing…and it looks cool, too. Check out the fun new turquoise color, too! They also have a really fun, very sweet Print of the Month focused on the value we women have, and you will receive 20% off this entire section through the end of this month. 9. We love Moo & Puppy digital paper so much, we even wrote a post about all of it's many uses! I'm really liking the fall-ish colors of the Retro Digital Scrapbook Paper. Use the discount code EC2blog20 for 20% off your order!

10. We all know that Thirty-One Gifts has cute and affordable bags, but the one item I've had my eye for over a year is this small Magazine Basket. I love it's shape and versatility! Plus, you can personalize all baskets for only a few dollars more. Right now, mention EC2Blog when you order any basket and get any second item in the catalog 31% off. To place your order, click here and shoot an email to Amanda with your order.

11.Liberty Thrift Store is hands-down our go-to thrift store. Did you know that we found the chair we reupholstered for the Nate Show there? You never know what you'll find thrifting, but it's always fun! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wait, one more thing! We're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a great day, and be sure to stop over and say hi to our wonderful sponsors!

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?

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!

It's time for a round-up of all our favorite summer finds from the best sponsors in the world! You know those ads on our sidebar? They are all amazing shops and services that you need to know about. Just take a look at the fun things we found for you!

1. It's wedding season, folks! This gorgeous typographical"Beloved & Friend" print from Red Letter Words would be the perfect gift. Plus it's on sale for 20% off right now!

2. Want to make a modern and graphic statement in your home? Go for the new Honeycomb Allover Wall Stencil from Royal Design Studio. Fab.U.Lous. Get 10% OFF when you use the code RHBC10.
3. Love this vintage Golden Yellow Serving Bowl from Nachokitty- has lots of character with a sunny yellow color! You could get lost in this Etsy shop for hours- she has amazing stuff!

4. Lucent Lampworks is our newest sponsor (as seen on Extreme Home Makeover!).They offer some of the coolest light fixtures we've ever seen, like this Hanging Pendant Light with Glass Globe. I'm eyeing up a few of these beauties for my dining room!

5. Have you been over to My Best Friend's Hair Blog? They offer tons of tips on the newest products and trends for your hair. Plus, you can find a stylist near you, and give reviews on your stylist, too! I have to admit- I'm digging this rainbow-hued style done with hair chalk. Who knew?!

6. Going on a trip? Need a graduation or teacher gift? These 4 oz. Candle Travel Tins from CJS Eco Chic come in a variety of scents and can be taken anywhere!

7. I just got a Large Utility Tote from Thirty-One Gifts to use as my beach bag. It's the perfect size for a couple of towels, swimmies for my kids and all the other things you need for the beach or pool! With all the patterns and monogramming options, you can come up with a custom bag to fit all your summer needs!

8. With Charlie's 2nd birthday coming in just a few weeks, I've begun searching for some gift ideas for him. I LOVE this custom toy chest created with Belvedere Design vinyls. Wouldn't this be great to corral all the toy cars and trucks little boys seem to collect?

9. We're going with an All-American boy theme for Charlie's birthday party, and you better believe I'm going to be using this Star Spangled Digital Paper pack from Moo & Puppy to make his invitations and decorations! Use the code RHBC15 to receive 15% off your order!

10. You already know we make a weekly trip to Architectural Antiques (I just got a transom window for my kitchen) because we adore it so much. Put stopping at AA on your list of things you need to do this summer- you will not believe the unbelieveable amount of awesome finds there!

11. Some things are better left to the professionals, and quality upholstering is one of them. Jet Upholstery does amazing work and they can get their hands on any fabric your heart desires. Mention our blog to receive 25% off your next fabric order!

12. Stone Depot is THE place to go for a huge selection for all of your hardscaping projects. They're the ones who have helped make Monica's patio project go so smoothly! Jim is super helpful and full of information, so make sure you ask for him.: )

So, there you have it! Our top finds from some of our favorite people! Have a great weekend and spread the East Coast Creative love to our sponsors while you're at it.: 0

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?