June Monthly Challenge: The Great Outdoors!

The amount of projects we have on our wish list at any given time is quite lengthy and crazy to think about.  But this month, I decided that we need to put some of our interior projects on hold, and switch gears to the great outdoors.

The last couple of years we have been so busy getting the interior ready for things like our HGTV story and BHG photo shoot, that we haven't given any attention to the exterior.  And by any, I mean, it's so bad that I shut the curtains when we have visitors....

But I will open those curtains to you, hang my head in shame, and show you that what once was this...

Is now this...

Seriously, makes my gag reflexes work really hard to look at these photos.  And I even stained the deck again last year, can't you tell?  And that table, we built and painted it two years ago after a major storm came through and shattered the glass in the smaller table we had previously.  The paint didn't adhere and is shredding and chipping and looks oh so classy against the shredding and chipping deck.  I am trying to start a new trend, you in?  And the grass.... we have planted grass twice, even professionally and it won't take since it's in a drainage area and the dogs think it's fun to play there.  Can I start a patchy grass fad too?  Or how about a gray on gray on gray equals super drab trend? 

Yikes.

Moving on.

Our backyard is a problem.  A huge giant problem.  The font is nothing magical either.  You may recall that last year I had it on our list of top ten projects...

 
Well... we checked most of the goals off of our list last year, but not the exterior one... sigh.

So, I am taking a break from all of my interior organizing and cleaning and heading outside this month.  Fingers crossed that the later Wisconsin snow and rain will finally be tapering and summer will swoop in with hot flying colors.  We want a place to eat with the kids, to grill with glee, to relax with a glass of wine, to listen to endless giggles and neighborhood squirt gun fights, to roast marshmallows and hot dogs, to play catch with the kids, to kick back with a book and to bask in the sun.  Sounds like a tall order, but I am feeling oh so motivated!  Summer is my favorite time of the year and I refuse to watch it fly by and not take advantage of the heat, the sun and the sounds that come with it!

So, here is what I am hoping to accomplish this month:

I would love to paint our front door a fun color to break up all the white and gray we have going on.  But what color I will pick is a mystery even to me, here are some of my favorites:

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I would also love to add some pretty flowers in our planters, spruce up the plants in front of our porch and maybe even spray paint our white bistro set to make it more colorful as well.

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Both our front and back doors are in need of a new entry mat.  There are so many fun and colorful DIY options floating around blog land!

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One of the areas not pictured in our yard photos above is a small garden behind our garage.  I would love to hang some pretty potted plants and herbs above the garden to add color and visual interest.

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And maybe some pretty hanging lanterns too.

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Perhaps take advantage of the dipped trend and give some love to some table top planters... so stinkin' cute!

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Speaking of table top... I would be giddy excited to be able to use ours for fantastic family dinners and entertaining.  This one has me over the moon inspired!  Everything from the magical lights to the table top decor and even the small side table for serving.  i. love. it. all.

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Of course, I will need lots of pillow too!  I plan on relaxing.  Now... to schedule that in....

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One way I have seen people make their exterior living spaces feel more like interior spaces, is by adding decorative items and mirrors!  My little wheels are a spinnin'!

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Here is an inexpensive but fun table top decor idea, I have had this one pinned foreva!

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A new outdoor rug or two, is sure to be a HUGE expense when piled onto all of my other ideas and projects.  I am really contemplating painting/stenciling something, but it has me a bit nervous.  Anyone out there tried this with success?

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And I couldn't chat about endless outdoor inspiration without posting one of my most favorite patio makeovers in all of blog history....

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My pals over at The Handmade Home really did a phenomenal job making a magical place to spend time together, and I am drawing oodles of ideas and inspiration from them as we take on our currently craptastic but has loads of potential outdoor space.

A few other things I hope to do:

• Spruce up my planters, and even plant some plants!
• Spray paint some outdoor pieces we already have to save on replacing them {an outdoor storage bench and some outdoor plastic chairs}
• Organize the outdoor storage bench
• Disguise the in-yo-face air conditioning unit
• Create a small serving table/grilling station
• Sand and re-paint the outdoor table
• Patch grass {again}

Oh, and we are replacing our deck!   This is the biggest most exciting update to the entire project.  We have spent 9 years sanding and staining our deck year after year only to find it looking terrible within months.  It just can't keep up with the dogs, kids, traffic and harsh Wisconsin weather.  Now, with all the rotted boards, we decided to replace them with maintenance free decking.  Because our deck isn't all that large, we decided it was worth the cost when compared to new deck boards and purchasing expensive stain and materials year after year.  Plus, we have had maintenance free railing for those same nine years and couldn't be happier with it.  We have been slowly working on removing the old deck boards and replacing the new ones.  And when I say slowly, thanks to all the rain, two weeks later we have six boards in!

Of course I will share the entire before and after install process this month, along with a bajillion other super fun outdoor projects I have up my sleeve!

Crazy ambitious right?  I tend to have really good intentions but I find blogging about it keeps me accountable to get things done.  And with baseball four nights per week and tourney weekends ahead, it will be a miracle if we can make it happen, but gosh darn it, we need a place to unwind in-between all the madness so I know it will be worth the hard work we put into it.

Who's with me?  Do you have an outdoor space that needs some lovin'?  Maybe some planters that could use some sprucing or even a front porch that could use a little TLC?  Or do you have HUGE backyard plans too?  I would love to know what plans you have this month/summer and if you are excited to play along with me!