Patio Progress: Using Our Feet

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Since it's Monday, I figure I can distract you from work with an update on the front of the casa.  We've been really getting into the fix-up-the-outdoors spirit lately, and one of our biggest pet peeves about the front of the house was this outhouse style covered patio (original whiny post here):

I imagine the last owner wanted more privacy or something, but we are not like that last owner at ALL - so this thing had to go.  It started innocently, we went outside to do some basic yardwork, and as it always tends to go, we got majorly distracted.  Before you know it, we were kicking (yes, KICKING) the semi-rotten patio walls down.  It. Felt. AMAZING.

***UPDATE: See the finished patio here***

Our original plan (seen here if you are just joining us) was to maybe cut the wall in half, make a decent banister and a semi-enclosed patio.  Nope.  We just through it all out the window and decided to make a pergola-like structure, which completely by accident, now looks as if we have a front door!  Please folks, if anything, let this post inspire you to tackle these seemingly intimidating projects around your home.  This was WAY easier than we thought, and I wonder why we didn't do it first!

OK, let me show you the progress pictures of this rewarding endeavor - lighting was hit or miss that day, so please forgive my photos!

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Mirror Makeover

Good day! Today I'm going to share a quick mirror make-over, this was a fast & fun little number.   I've done mirror projects before, (remember the teal mirror from way back when? or the Jade standing mirror/chalkboard?) but this one was hands down the easiest. Everything just went well, don't you love when that happens?

So fresh & so clean....  this project took, oh, a few hours? Majority of time was waiting for paint to dry.  Green is one of the major players in our living room, and I've always wanted to incorporate this one - it's "Meadow Green" by Rustoleum.  Yep - spray paint, you know I love it!

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9 Space Saving Herb Gardens

Hello! Been by your local nursery lately? Yep - the baby plants are arriving by the truckload and I want every last one of them to come home with me.  Every year since the dawn of time I've had a vegetable garden, and since we're in a new place this year, it's time to start fresh.  I'm not exactly sure what part of the yard gets the most sun, but I DO know that our front deck gets blasted for about 4 hours a day - which to me means it's begging for an herb garden.  Which, being right off the kitchen, will be extremely handy! So I've got a blank slate, and took a minute (OK, two hours...) to trudge through the internet and find some pretty neat planter ideas.  All of which either have DIY instructions (yay!) or could easily be figured out how to make. Here are my 9 favorites.

For me, vertical really gets my attention. I want maximize my planting space without sacrificing the whole deck, take a look at this beautiful planter wall that's been incorporated into a pergola:

Source: Susan Cohan Gardens

Or  how about something hanging? This example is for indoor plants, but I can see adapting this for the outdoors fairly easily. Longer pieces of wood to hold maybe 2-3 pots per shelf, and perhaps a way to anchor the bottom to the ground so they don't fly all over in the wind...

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How To: Reverse Tie Dye

Have you ever done tie-dye before? Most likely, but I bet you haven't done reverse tie dye..... OK maybe you have, but if so - then you know just how fun (and easy!) it is.  This is much much faster than tie-dye, and the results are just as cool.  Today, in the on-going (and almost finished!) guest room saga, I'm going to add a fun detail to the bed-scape, which I thought was a word I just made up to mean something like, "landscape of the bed" - until Google told me someone already thought of it and it means the exact. same. thing.  That's the catch 22 of the internet I guess.... oh well!

 

This is such an easy project, the part that takes the longest is waiting for it to dry.  Here's the finished product, in the practically finished room!

 So you want to make it? Simple! You'll need:

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Foodies: Asian Marinated Cucumbers

Friendly reminder: It's Friday....This, is a very easy, very simple recipe.  No cooking required, just ingredients, and they are done in under an hour.  You know - I buy cucumbers with the best of intentions, I love them - I swear. But it's a race with those things! You think you have time to enjoy them, then you go to grab one and it's gone mush... and, not to toot my own horn here or anything, but I eat a lot of vegetables, and these things still escape me.  The cucumber has been one of those vegetables (fruits?) I have to hurry & eat for fear of losing it - until now! I give you, Asian Marinated Cucumbers:

Japanese quick pickles, sesame oil pickles, I've heard a few names.  You've most likely had this as an appetizer in a Japanese restaurant or Sushi house, while you order.  They are delicious, and they are friggin' easy. 

I wish I had the time & dedication to pickle, really I do.  One of these Saturdays I'm going to set aside the whole day to pickling a million wonderful different recipes that we can all be amazed by, but until then, this is my stand-by.   As soon as I see my cucumbers threatening the end is near, I whip up a batch of these.  I've brought these to parties, and they've been a big hit.  Plus, you can add other vegetables: Bell peppers, shredded carrots, go wild.

Head over to Reckless Abandon for the full recipe, one of the great things about these is that they only get better as they stay in the fridge.

Enjoy!

     -Jesse

Up Next: We're gonna tie-dye, only....backwards....     

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Foodie Related Posts:

•  Easy Appetizers
• Gnocchi with Butternut Squash & Sage
• Pizza Rolls? Just do it!
• Avocado & Tomato Salad, with Jicama - surprise!
• Ciabatta Bread - this is easier to make than pronounce.

 Lovies!

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