yes, it's true! it's crazy to see how much progress we made from just a few months back when our yard was a dirt pile covered in snow. i can't take much credit for the sweaty physical labor (okay, pretty much none at all), so a big thanks to jason and his dad! :)
once the patio itself was complete, our biggest challenge was finding a patio set that didn't break the bank. $800 for the standard matchy-matchy table and chairs that everyone else has? no, thanks! we spent several days visiting lots of different big box stores, home stores, and department stores looking for the perfect addition to our yard. there was one day where we actually visited 2 different targets a total of 4 times just to pick out our chairs! (they were on clearance, too!) we found the chairs first, which actually made it a little easier to find a table. the table came from meijer, of all places! (also on clearance, hooray!) the umbrella was half-off at at home. (the store!)
finding flowers was the easy part, and i must say, i know nothing about flowers. at all. did you know annual flowers don't come back every year? well, i didn't. luckily, it's that time of year when flowers are on sale because they've already been in bloom for several months and can no longer stand the hot weather. we picked up a few different species (is it okay to call them that? i don't want to get overly scientific) at menards and goeberrt's farm, and decided we'll leave the more creative gardening for next spring!
all we have left is to create a step or slope connecting our back gate to the patio, as well as adding some grass to the (unpictured) right of it! jason also has plans to build a bench out of cinder blocks and wood that will sit next to the back steps leading in and out of the house.
for now, we will finally enjoy sitting on our new patio with a drink in hand! yay!
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| our patio before we bought the umbrella! |
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| showing off our pretty seat cushions from target! |
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| pretty flowers from menards and goebbert's farm. |
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| more flowers! |
