the backyard and pool reveal!

the two readers of my blog have called... they want photos of the backyard since the pool has been completed. and who am i not to oblige my in-laws. so i headed outside (covered with bug spray and long sleeves to ward off any west-nile-virus carrying mosquitoes...yes, i'm paranoid) this evening and took a few shots.

but before i show you all the photos of the finished pool and patio, let's remember back a few months ago to what the backyard looked like when the pool was first dug.

 DURING

as you can see the pool fit perfectly in a little niche up close to the house, surrounded by an L-shaped patio.

and drumroll please.... somebody, anybody......pixel?

THE AFTER

hang on to your hats..... there's a lot of photos coming up. but remember, you (and you know who you are) asked for it.

the pool as seen from the patio

a closeup of the waterline tile

the spillway. it makes a soothing, bubbling sound that doesn't drown out conversation.

and now for the patio. we searched high and low for outdoor furniture. everything that was comfortable was out of our budget (i had issues with paying more for an outdoor sofa than my indoor restoration hardware sofa.... call me crazy). and if it was in our budget, it was, well, ugly.

we finally found a gorgeous set in a local store  but discovered that we were only looking at the price tag for one section of the set. the price tripled when we added up all the sections. we left with the maker of the set and model/style. we found it online for about half the price with free shipping and no tax. they quoted me a 4-6 week delivery time (a little disappointing). i was ecstatic when it showed up in 2 weeks! i loved also that i could pick out the fabric color. this is sunbrella's canvas palm. it was just what i wanted. i found the black and white pillows at joss and main.

the sofas and ottomans can be moved around in a multitude of ways. and if we get a storm i lift up the ottoman cushion and store the pillows in the base.

 we had the sheers from last year's end-of-summer sale at restoration hardware. i bought black outdoor curtains to pair with them.

we got creative with our hardware. we went to home depot and found plumbing pipes. steve anchored them to the ceiling as our rods. i love them. and they were about 1/10 of the price of outdoor curtain rods... another bonus.

we weren't sure how we were going to hold back the curtains given that our posts are brick. again, we got a little creative. we found rope at home depot. steve knotted it using his boyscout skills from 35 years ago. way to go, honey. and we used metal clips to hold the curtain tiebacks.

i found these two green garden stools at ross (for $29 apiece!) when steve and i were out one night running errands.i knew they'd be perfect for the patio.

one day my neighbor rang my doorbell to let me know that another neighbor had these blue adirondacks out by her curb with a FREE sign on them. she said, i don't have room for them, but you do! SCORE! i plan on spray painting them when it cools off. still a blue, but maybe a little darker.

pretty blue lantern.

purslane.... my new favorite, mainly because it hasn't died yet... it actually thrives in the texas heat. it blooms pretty dark pink flowers all day long and then they go to sleep every night.

 

we found this tapioca tree at a local nursery. i love it.  the leaf stems are pink.

 

and there you have it.... the backyard reveal! we're gearing up for our first holiday weekend with the new backyard. we've got friends comng over saturday to swim and cook out. should be fun. have a great long weekend!

the big guns were here yesterday

yesterday was a happy day here at the house. our pool was dug. it's been a long wait. things were delayed by 2 weeks because of rain. yes, it rains in texas. even though i was beyond excited for the start of the pool build, i almost hyperventilated when this large creature showed up in the backyard.

the first swipe.

and another...

it was a little scary watching the huge backhoe so close to the back of our house. thankfully the operator had steady hands.

then they brought in the dumptruck.

our supervisor was on hand to survey their work.

and in about 4 hours time, they left us with this.

which will soon turn into this.

but in the meantime, it's become the neighborhood trash dump as trash from neighboring construction sites have swirled into our backyard and found the bottom of the pool.

after much discussion,

analysis, research, thought, planning, and more discussion.... we have decided to move forward with building a swimming pool in the backyard! woohoo.

***

here's a mockup of the finished pool from our pool builder. the nearest side has steps going into the pool. and the far side has a modern waterfall with a bench underneath. very simple, which is what we wanted. we didn't want a lot of concrete that would only bake in the dallas heat and be uncomfortable to walk on barefoot.

it'll fit in a nook up by the house and will be surrounded by an "L" shape patio. and... it leaves plenty of area for pixel to run in the back of the yard. lord knows she needs to run. poor little thing is still on dogbed rest from her recent injury.

i envision her doing a lot of this when the pool's installed.

***

and, speaking of backyards... i just listed these in the shop.

super cute invites for a pretty backyard party.

have a great weekend!

the last few days...

pixel has been on dogbed rest. she has partially torn her acl. we are supposed to keep her still to encourage healing and hopefully prevent a full tear which would mean surgery. we're trying, trying really hard at keeping her still. actually she's doing very well with it.... as long as no one rings the doorbell.
this was installed over the weekend. i'm in love. it really makes the white trim and doors "pop". and the texture is gorgeous. this utility hallway from the garage to kitchen has 3 doors... panty, laundry, and garage, and a recessed niche/mudroom area. we almost always enter the house thru the garage door. this hallway is now a welcoming site. i have yet to rehang my artwork.
i was at target the other day and found these melamine dishes. i love the handdrawn damask -like pattern. plus the color. it appears that aqua has become my favorite color. (hmmm, maybe i need to make stationery like this?)

they also have these patterns and styles.
i'm not a huge fan of reds and cranberries, but i love this pattern.
i think i need this one to round out my set.these would be perfect for summertime entertaining around this.

new art

we've got some new art around the house. a few weeks ago, i was ordering some stuff from paper source, one of my favorite stores. and i added this sheet paper/gift wrap , for $2.50, to my cart. i loved the colors and it went with the "theme" i've got going on in a hallway. i know what you're thinking.....and i don't like "themed" spaces either. don't worry, it's a very loose theme revolving around my husband's past water activites. and the colors lined up with my kitchen colors. the kitchen is at the end of that hallway.
i went to michael's and found this weathered wooden frame which is just perfect for the sheet wrap.
across the hall is this map. my mother-in-law brought it to me when she visited recently. i sometimes get a little worried when she says she's bringing something to us. she'll often call and say she found some of steve's old stuff in a closet while cleaning out her house and ask if i want it. this one she brought without asking. she knows that i like maps. she hit the nail on the head with this one. i love it! it's an aged map from steve's boy scout days.
the black line steve drew in. it was their canoeing path.she and i went to michael's and had it framed. we chose the frame together. and it's perfect.the last piece of artwork, which i didn't photograph, is some photos from steve's coast guard days. see, everything revolves around water, the theme.

this hall will soon be covered with this grasscloth. it'll be the perfect backdrop for all the art.