I let her have this one.  Happy Spring everyone.

Love Your Home,
Sue

Adorable photo by kidtrip

We’ve had a particularly cool summer here in Pittsburgh.  Not many trips to the pool and it’s already almost the end of July.  However, the cooler evenings have given us a chance to enjoy two at-home summer activities for the kids: (1) lightning bugs catching contests (the chillier weather seems to have brought them out in droves;) and (2) backyard campfires.

A campfire in our own backyard is an all-evening affair. We start by having the kids collect kindling as well as a few prime marshmallow-roasting sticks from the woods.  Then my husband throws a few logs in the portable, metal fire pit, which we found at Home Depot, and gets a nice big fire a-blazin’. The kids are delighted and surprisingly quiet.  Something about sitting around that fire seems to mesmerize them, transforming them into content and peaceful creatures.  And finally, we complete the fun with some good old-fashioned S’mores.

If it’s been a while since you’ve made one, here’s the “recipe” for a S’more:

• marshmallows
• Hershey’s chocolate bars
• Graham crackers
• Damp paper towels (or a box of hand wipes)
• Bug spray

Directions:  Place a square of chocolate on a Graham cracker.  Roast the marshmallow to your “desired doneness.” (I like mine burnt to an unrecognizable crisp.) Then, with a second cracker, squeeze the roasted marshmallow between the crackers and chocolate. YUM!! You’ll figure out what to do with the damp paper towels and the bug spray.

S’mores in your own backyard.  Life doesn’t get much better than that.

For other fun ideas for enjoying and exploring the outdoors, check out this terrific website: Green Hour.

Love Your Home,
Sue

A few weeks back, while we were enjoying some cold India Pale Ale on the patio, Peter remarked that our landscaping (i.e., the way-too-expansive beds of plants and mulch) could use some river rock (a.k.a. “#4 Gravel” for you landscape junkies.)  I agreed. (Every once in a while we agree on things.) The rock would add some interest and reduce the amount of mulch we needed to spread each year.

Peter, the ultimate do-it-yourselfer, said if I figured out where the rock should go and how much we needed, he’d take off the Thursday before the long July 4th weekend and would gladly spend that day installing the rock. Sounded like a plan.  

So the designer in me got to work: I bought a can of landscape marking spray paint and marked out where I thought the rock should go. Fun and surprisingly empowering. Next, I measured my markings.  Finally, I took my measurements to our local landscape supply yard where the conversation went something like this:

supply yard employee:  ”Looks like you’ll need 4 tons of #4 Gravel.

me:  ”What’s the price per ton?” 

supply yard employee:  ”$25 a ton plus a $20 delivery fee.”

me (thinking to myself):  ”Wow, that’s much cheaper than I thought. Hmmm.  I bet that’s not enough rock for our landscape.”

me:  ”I’ll take 6 tons just to be safe.”

me: (again assuring myself):  ”Peter will be able to handle this job in one day.  I mean, how much rock can 6 tons really be at only $25 a ton?”

NEWS FLASH:  6 tons is  A LOT of rock!

First thing Thursday morning a scarily HUGE truck dumped the 6 tons of rock at our house and Sunday evening Peter finished hauling the final rock to its resting place in our landscape.  

MORAL of the STORY:  Let the person who will be hauling the rock be responsible for ordering the rock.  There will be much less under-the-breath swearing.

This blog entry serves as an official shout-out to my husband.  Thanks for hauling rock for 4 days.  Our landscape looks great!   

Love Your Home,
Sue

Furniture by Hannamint and Target.com

Have I mentioned I love being at home?  I especially love the summertime version of my home.  I love when my wicker furniture is cushioned, my fountain is trickling and the fan in my patio room is spinning. That outdoor space is my sanctuary. I can drink coffee (or wine), read magazines and relax while I watch my kids run barefoot in the backyard, ride their bikes a gazillion times around our property then tire themselves out on the trampoline. 

Inside our homes we love fireplaces, hardwood floors, granite stone counters, and big, bright windows.  That’s because of our innate desire to bring the outside in.  So, doesn’t it make sense to take full advantage of our outdoor space, be it small or spacious, whenever possible?

As a Home-Aholic, I’m saddened when patios, decks, balconies sit vacant on beautiful summer days and evenings or worse, are used simply for… storage .   Ignoring your outdoor space can mean losing out on valuable (and often fabulous) extra square footage for your home. 

I think the trick is to apply indoor design concepts to your outdoors area:

• Create separate functional spaces (for larger outdoor areas) including a conversation area where a few comfy chairs are gathered around a small (coffee) table; an eating area with a table and chairs, a cooking area, a lounging area, and don’t forget a play area for the kids with a storage container for their toys/gear.

• Fire is good and adds romance to outdoor spaces.  If a fireplace or fire pit is not practical, candles are a terrific way to add glimmer to an evening under the stars.  

• Just add water to your space.  Large or small (table-top) fountains are an easy way to create Zen-ness (and can drown out road noise, buzzing AC units, etc.)

• Mix and match furniture.  ”Patio sets” with matching chairs, tables etc. are functional but don’t forget to spice them up with a variety of interesting and useful accent pieces.  Mix a wicker set with a tile-top table and a wrought-iron beverage stand.

• Add fabulous fabric.  Rarely can you go wrong when you toss some brightly colored throw pillows around your space.  Fun outdoor textiles are abundant at most home stores (and Target.)  

• Privatise. If too-close neighbors are an issue, install a simple lattice panel (available at home stores) or a privacy screen using outdoor fabric.

• Cozy it up. If you have only small space like a balcony, pamper yourself with a comfy club chair (and an ottoman) and a few potted plants.  

Step outside the box, take a deep breath (and your favorite beverage) and enjoy that part of your home on the other side of the door.

Love Your Home,
Sue