Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Getting The Deck Ready For Summer


 After a week or so of summer weather, I got the deck set with a new tablecloth and a few new potted plants.

We can't find the cover for the gazebo, so I haven't really been using the deck, but luckily for me, the rest of this week is going to be in the low to mid 70's.  I'll be sitting out on the deck reading, for sure!

I do need to repaint the deck chairs.  The paint I put on them last year just hasn't stayed on well.  It has chipped very badly, even though it said that it was formulated to cover plastic. So I'll be researching my options.

My friend Amy owns a sweet vintage store in Strasburg, Pennsylvania called Fresh Vintage by Amy.  This is my go to store for items for my home, gifts, chalk paint or milk paint.  I also go in just to say Hi and chat!  She's such a sweet friend and I get a lot of inspiration from her creativity!  This summer I have been inspired by her flower urns outside the store!  White geraniums, sweet potato vines...so I gathered everything I needed, flowers, vines, potting soil and put two pots together for my deck.







I've got an Americana theme going on this year with my summer decor, so this cute, inexpensive table cloth is part of that.  I mostly use a vinyl table cloth out here because it helps protect the plastic and metal folding table. 

I'd love to have a real gazebo, white something like this one we saw the other day

This would be dreamy!  

However, that is not in the budget, so I beautify what I can here at the cottage with what it is the budget!  I would much rather be debt free (other than our mortgage) than I would owning a beautiful gazebo that I would come to hate because of the stress it would cause trying to pay for it!  We've been very happy without one and will continue to be.  Our family, friends, and other guests have never said, "We'd enjoy ourselves more, at your house if ONLY you had a gazebo."

But I will say this, if I ever have the chance to have Tim build one that is within our budget, I'd say, "Let's do it!" faster than anything!

The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, I have a book to read, and a quiet day ahead.  I think I'll head out to the deck.

Joining Bernideen for BTTCG and Sandi for No Place Like Home!

6 comments:

Cheryl said...

If your weather was anything like our weather today, you had a great day to enjoy your charming, colorful deck!! I love your perspective on the gazebo! :)

Lisa said...

Your deck looks lovely and I know you are enjoying the warm weather. We have had so much rain in Texas even the 90 degree days are a welcome change! Keep dreaming about your gazebo. One day the timing will be just right.;-)

podso said...

LOL--I think I have a photo of a similar gazebo on a flatbed from up in your area when we were there a few years back ! It is a wide load. Your deck looks pretty and fresh with its new blooms. The weather here has been fantastic! But triple digits arrive this weekend.

lorraines resources and rewards said...

love the deck so beautiful thanks for sharing have a great week

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

A gazebo is something I have always wanted too. My hubby is not at all handy so we always have to rely on others to build things and fix things for us. My father was always building things but he passed away before we bought this place. Had he been with us a little longer he would have loved to have built me one. I love flowers sitting about and yours look lovely. It's still very cold here and I still don't have my flowers. Hopefully on the weekend it will warm up a bit and then perhaps I can get into the green houses. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your day.

Blessings,
Sandi

Bernideen said...

Gazebo's are lovely Deanna. I won't be getting one either. The estimate for a lawn patio in our yard was over $10,000 so we will be trying to figure that one out ourselves! Thanks for linking and sharing your dream.

Happy Christmas Adam!

  We had a lovely Christmas service yesterday at church. Then we took the girls home, we came home and I made Monte Christo sandwiches for l...