Summer and Flowers and a Deck

  I am so happy to finally have Spring weather and finally able to plant some flowers and get our backyard done.

This was our hot mess in the backyard before they poured the new driveway and built the garage.

After we had the new drive way poured and the new garage built we still had a mud pit in the backyard after winter.  We were literally walking the planks every time we had to go to the garage.  The little bit of grass that was left after construction was not good.

We had new grass put in and some stone put down where the new deck was going to be built by Terry.

Terry decided to build our deck himself.  We got bids from different places to have a new deck or cement patio put in but the bids were in the high thousands to put in a simple deck or patio!!! Yep projects like this in Illinois and the area we live are soooo expensive.

So Terry said he would figure out a new deck area and build it himself.  So he began to frame it out.  He framed it over the stone and weed protection.

We wanted to use composite decking for the no maintenance it gives.  We have had decks in the past made of wood and every year it would need to be sanded and painted or re stained.  With our harsh winters and all the watering I did with plants on the deck it was a pain to maintain a wood deck.  So composite looks like wood but there is absolutely no maintenance.

Here is our new deck that Terry designed and built.   I love this man and his tools.  Now we have a sweet spot to eat El Fresco and I have my lounge chair space to soak up sunshine and read.  The new rails and posts leading to the down stairs entrance is made of composite too.  We literally have nothing to do to maintain this look.   I am so happy with how this turned out.

It is so nice to have space for my flowers too.

The composite railing system is a nice touch and maintenance free too.  This sweet chippy vintage planter was given to me for my birthday from a couple of good friends.  I love it out on my new deck.  It was fun to plant these flowers in this new planter.  Thank you Pat and Sandy for this sweet gift.

I found these cute little green and white polka dot boots on clearance at Target.  I thought they were so cute to put out on the deck.

Terry also built these arbor trellis's at each corner of the back of the deck so I could have a couple of hanging baskets.

He built two of these.  One on each corner of the deck.

Back view of the trellis.

I also planted rose bushes at each side of the arbors.  Out along the fence I planted several hydrangea plants along the fence.  

I have always wanted to have hydrangea's and now I have them.  I hope as time goes on they will grow to be big and beautiful.

I am so excited to have an area for my sweet lounge chair.  

I love to soak up sunshine and read.  This lounger is such a relaxing retreat for me.

I am looking for a water fall decor piece for the patio.  I love to listen to the sound of water.  Soooo relaxing.

I love my small sanctuary out here.

I brought a few of my angels out to the patio for  the summer.

We also purchased a new outdoor table to eat El Fresco this summer.

Nice and comfy to sit and enjoy dinner or sit later in the evening to just relax and have a glass of wine.  I want to find some fun lights to string out here. 

I am on the hunt for a really sweet and unique patio umbrella.  I want something pretty with a pattern.  So if any of you have seen any pretty umbrella's let me know. 

I saw a cute buffalo check umbrella at Target but it has been sold out in stores and on line.  Hoping they might get more of those back in.

So there you have it.  A simple deck sanctuary made by Terry and his handy tools.  I have a place for a few flowers, my lounge chair and we have a nice little area to eat dinner outdoors.

My tiny cottage home now has an outdoor space for our use this summer.

We have come a long way from this hot mess.

One more thing to share before I close this post.  Remember my chippy cute chair.   I found a sweet chippy table to compliment this cute chippy chair.

I got this sweet table from Jeanine at Chippy Shabby's  sale at her home a while back.  Just the most unique and cutest little table ever!

I am off to Orlando and the "Happiest Place on Earth"  Hoping the tropical storm that is moving through the state this past week will weaken and move out.  We are looking at possible rain all next week while we are there.  Ugh!!!

We usually go this time of year to Florida because the weather is so beautiful.  Not a lot of rain and it is not hot and humid yet.  So I guess it is crazy weather every where this year.  We will make the best of it.

Terry's grandmother always said to hang a rosary in the window if it looks rainy and you want sunshine.  So I have her special rosary she gifted me before she passed. 

I am taking it with us and most certainly will be hanging it in the window!

Prayers please for some good weather.

Have a great week.  I will have the front yard flowers to share with you when I get back from our vacation.

Hugs,
Kris

Parties:
Create Bake and Grow

Mother's Day and Mickey and Minnie

We are off next week to the happiest place on earth.  We take a family vacation each year together.  We will be headed to Florida.

These two will be our hosts.

This is the house we rented for the week.  It is 5 minutes outside of Disney.  We like to rent a house so we have some privacy at the end of the day of the busy park scene.  There will be my oldest daughter and son in law and our two grand daughters and my youngest daughter and Terry and I.  So this house is perfect for all of us and everyone will have their own space.

I wanted to show you some of the rooms in this house.  This is the Frozen room that Abby our 8 year old granddaughter will have for her stay.  There is a little castle area off this room with a play castle full of all the princess costumes for the girls to play dress up.

Our daughter Kim is a big Harry Potter fan so she will be staying in this fun room.

Jen and Tim will have the first floor Master with this smaller room off the Master with a crib for our 20 month old grand daughter Charlotte.

This will be the room Terry and I stay in.  It is the romantic safari themed room.  Love the romantic netting.

This is one of the game rooms.  It has all kinds of great electronic gaming equipment.  My son in law will love hanging out in this room.

This is another guest room that is very calm and serene.

There is a nice size kitchen for us to prepare breakfast or dinners at home.

A nice big living room area and dining room.  This house also has a large ManCave with pool tables, 74 inch TV., Fusbal, hockey and slot machines etc.  They did not have a good pic of this room.  I know the guys will love that room.

This is an outside play house off the pool area.

This is the inside of the play house.  I know the girls will have fun with this little space.

A nice large pool and spa to come home too at the end of a long day in the Disney Parks .  It is great to have our own private pool to lounge in and not have to share with anyone else!

We have stayed in Disney in the past but have found we prefer to rent a home like this one that is outside the park.  After long days in the busy parks with lots and lots of peeps all around us it is nice to come back to a quiet home all to ourselves.
This house rents for less than $250 a night.  It is a 7 bedroom home in a gated area.  It is only 5 minutes to the Parks.  We could not have stayed on Disney property for this price.   We would have needed to get 2 to 3 rooms for all of us. 

We would not have had the room to spread out either when you stay in the Disney hotels and we would not have the kitchen and grill area to eat in when we want too.

I cannot wait to get on the plane Saturday and begin our family vacation.  We only do the Disney Parks for 2 days and Universal for 1 day and evening. 

That is plenty for us and then we have the rest of the days to visit the beach and use the pool to chill and relax. 

We also do Downtown Disney for great restaurants and the fun activities there.

Happy Mother's Day 

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I wish all of you a wonderful Mother's Day today. 
I cannot think of anything better in my life than being blessed with my two daughters.  They are such a gift to me and now I also have my two grand daughters.

I feel beyond happy and blessed with them in my life.

There is no greater gift than the love you have with your children and their children.
Have a wonderful day.
xoxo
Kris