House Tour :: Deck

So a friend of mine tagged me on a Pinterest/Etsy find that is both hilarious and disturbing...

It is a nice reminder that though I am interested in all my blogging, not everyone is.  That's why I am not going to start this part of the house tour with some stupid sentence like "It's the part of the house tour you've been waiting for!"  Because, most likely, you've not been waiting for anything on my blog.  Ha!  I should write more about why I blog and why it's important to me.... but another time.

So, here it is, the post you've all not been waiting for.  [Hmmm, I don't think Jess would approve that sentence.  But, it's kind of funny, if not grammatically awesome.]

It's the new deck!  [Most photos shot by Sarah Cook, though these photos were edited by me (a complete novice), so check out her blog for her real work... she is a very talented photog, designer, and Photoshopper (is that a word?).]

The deck was an addition that we hired out this spring.  It has been complete for some time now, though we have been using it even before the screens were put  in.  It is sort of camp or cabin-like and there seems to be an irresistable pull to come out here and sit.

We eat out here regularly...almost every dinner during the week, and most meals on the weekends.  Summer in Birmingham isn't exactly outside eating weather, but the contractor installed super powerful ceiling fans and that makes all the difference.  The high chair stays on the deck, while a smaller booster lives in the kitchen for Calvin's indoors meals.  Makes it nice to not drag that clunker back and forth all the time.  [Random note to first time parents.... don't get a stand alone high chair, unless you absolutely have to.  A small portable high chair saves a ton of floor space, and is easier to clean that a big wooden chair with lots of slats.]

Turning clockwise from the table is Dave's "zero gravity" chair from Overstock.  He loves it.  The garden stool was a TJ Maxx purchase a year ago.  It was $35 and I saw it that same day at Target for $90.

Can you make out the door behind the chair above?  That leads to the uncovered are of the deck, where we have a grill, a potted basil and a potted dead spearmint.  I love the view of the willow tree from this area, though the poor thing is covered in leaf spot, along with some of my hydrangeas, butterfly bushes and some other random plants.

In the background of that photo, you can see my pathetic garden boxes, a wheelbarrow and a bit of the fire pit area.

Over the rail of the uncovered area are the zinnias... some of my favorite flowers.  So much so, that I really, really want these.  Sometimes I cut zinnias from the yard and bring them into the kitchen, which is why I planted them in the first place.

Continuing to turn clockwise, we come to a kids' table that was mine as a child.  Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you... it is wonky.  I think the movers didn't put the legs on properly and we haven't bothered to fix it.  Dad... when you're here this weekend...???

The Canada Dry box was just a flea market find, and it holds blocks, which also belonged to me and my siblings when we were little.

Above the table is the landscape plan, kept there for easy reference for working on the back yard over time.

A little metal table from Ikea is a nice queue for stuff that makes it way in and out of the house, as well as fertilizer for my crap garden.  [The fertizlier seems to be helping... my lone volunteer tomato plant just sprouted two little 'maters. Yeah, its late August.  Whatever, we'll nurture the heck out of 'em and eat the heck out of 'em.]

See the pineapple under the table top? That was a score at a road side antique store in Vermont.  Every now and then I light a small candle and it gives off such a pretty glow.

Directly across from the Ikea table is the door to the kitchen.  It's funny what different people notice in others' homes and Sarah noticed my fly swatter and pruning clippers.  They hang there because they are out of the kids'  reach and attention, and Dave and I always know where they are.

Continuing to move clockwise past the green kitchen door... the screen door to the yard is on the left of the following photo.  Beyond the deck in the background, you can see the ladder that goes up to the kids' playset.

Future plans for the deck  ::

• An outdoor rug to go under the table... should break up and lighten all the brown wood and black furniture.  I ordered the rug on Home Decorators over the weekend!
• A white-painted day bed will take the place of the zero gravity chair... the chair might make its way out to the uncovered area of the deck, once the weather gets nicer. It might be awhile on the daybed because I am building it with the help of a seasoned woodworker.  It is difficult to carve (heh...) out time to get together to build.  For example, I was supposed  to go last Saturday, but had to cancel last minute due to illness. 

That's about it for future plans.  I don't want to cram a bunch more stuff out there.  It is spacious and very functional and I want to keep it that way.  

One last shot.... a wider view taken from the fire pit.  We have a home-made sandbox, a kiddie pool that has major duct tape patches on the bottom and loads of plastic toys stored under the playset.  See... decent order, not perfect order.  [Oh and also, note the dry creek.... it is there for water control during torrential Alabama downpours that happen a few times a year... some day when I am further along in the landscaping, the dry creek won't look as lonely and bare out there.)

So, who's coming over to sit on the deck with a nice cold iced coffee?  Anyone?  Anyone?