Thursday, June 24, 2010

happy place

About a month ago we started with a table full of
treasures (actually, this table was filled about three different times)
and we planned, potted and planted
to create our cozy patio and porch.

I really love our house. It's small, cozy, quiet and just us.
There's still a lot we need and want to do inside but our favorite
place is outside so we decided the indoors can wait for the cold weather
and we started working on our outdoor rooms.

This porch area is my favorite part of my house/yard.
You can find me there first thing in the morning reading the paper,
in the afternoon with Lucy reading books or browsing magazines,
and late into the evening chatting with Blake or just
sitting alone with quiet.
Truly a happy place.

I'm still working on the details/accessories of this
piece. The magazine basket is a must-have and on the middle
shelf is a potted succulent masterpiece created by Blake.
It's so much cooler in person - the details of the plants he picked
are so unique and it's doing really well in this location.
The basket on the side holds a throw for some late nights
or early mornings with a chill.
I really want to find some fun unique flea market type
items for this shelf. Everything has to be able to withstand
some of the outside elements. The porch is covered but our goal
is if there is a windy downpour (which we've had some of those) that
we don't have to run outside and bring everything in.
If it gets wet...oh well!

mini bird bath - the dogs are using this more than the birds


Probably hard to see but a little birdie is always on our gate
chirping away. Every time I'm on the phone with my mom
she asks if I'm on the porch because she can hear him singing.

Speaking of birds...I'm embarrassed to admit how much money I'm
spending on feeding these friends...so I won't!

Lucy loves the birds too. She checks our feeders and
can spot the tiniest hummingbird way up high.
She and I should probably start using the birdwatching books
so we can identify who we're feeding.

I can look at Sunset magazine and other outdoor decorating
magazines forever. I know that there are such amazing outdoor
rooms and cozy nooks that far surpass our place -
but this is our little happy place and along with our home we've
made it our own. I love that at the end of the day we have a spot
all to ourselves to unwind, talk or just sit.
I'm sure with time we'll add and do even more but
for our first summer here - I couldn't be happier.

p.s.
a Dutch door is something that I really hope is
in our future. Every house on Balboa Island in CA
has a Dutch door and it just makes the house. It may not be practical
for Utah winters it would be the perfect addition to
our outdoors.
We'll see.

courtesy of Country Living

2 comments:

kennan said...

can you teach me to be more like you?

oh, and blake i think someone from Yard Crashers wants to know how to do that planter.

caitlin and brinton said...

<3 it.