Deck Over {photo dump}

A couple of weeks ago, our amazing family, friends and neighbors helped us rebuild our deck.  We still have some details and stairs to finish but I wanted to post our progress to date...

Our deck was in terrible shape, painting or refinishing was not an option.

We changed the footprint to give us more elevated square footage, changing it from an L-shaped deck to a big ol' rectangle.  Cleaning out the debris and trash that had accumulated over the years.

Removing landscaping plants and rock and moving the sprinkler heads.  This deck was quite unsafe, with literally no support.  This didn't make it into the home inspection report when we purchased the home in 2009...

It was a huge undertaking and the guys got it done in 1-day, including replacing an exterior door and frame that was rotting.  The previous homeowner was a painter by trade, he should have stuck to painting....

An incredible amount of work on a hot day in May, while the wives and kids sat by the pool playing and supervising!

Feeding the guys food, beer and ice pops.

It looks and feels incredible.  Like I said we are still having to put some final touches on it and I am flirting with the idea of asking the hubby to build me a grill balcony to free up more floor space.

I've purchased a few accessories and hopefully will have the furniture placement perfected by the 4th of July.  Stay tuned for final photos!

Thanks for visiting!

Secret Garden Archway {garden}

This is our side entrance, that is in need of some love.  Weeds, vines and those blasted Rose of Sharon's have created an unruly archway, and while not ideal, I kind of like it.  Hurricane Sandy tilted all of these trees/bushes literally to the point that I bungee corded them to the chain link fence to get them upright again.  

I flirt with the idea of taking it all down, and starting from scratch.

The walkway flows into our back yard where you will currently be met with a power washer on the fritz and toddler beach chairs.

I painted the door and replaced the fixture a while back, but this area is so sad...

I need to > trim it up, replace the pine straw mulch, plant a ground cover, powerwash asphalt, add prettier paving stones, add some color with flowers and perhaps plant  shade-friendly, flowering vines?  

All photos courtesy of Pinterest

I need some inspiration....

Thank you Pinterest.

Thanks for visiting!

Thinking Spring Thoughts {garden}

All photos courtesy of Pinterest

We are currently having one of our infamous Nor'easters that the Mid-Atlantic is known for.  Snow, sleet, wind and coastal flooding. Being stuck in the house, what better time for a dreaming of spring post.

I'm ready for large, flowing pots of green, and red geraniums in terra cotta, and starting a garden, ferns in urns and doing some fun treatments around the yard. My husband will be building us a new, larger and open deck as soon as the ground thaws. I can't wait to start my projects. 

How about you? This winter been something else...Mother Nature, bless your heart.

Thanks for visiting!

Autumn on the Outside {2013}

Temps are in the 80's here on the Jersey Shore, making it slightly difficult to say goodbye to summer...

and hello to Autumn. But yard work is a lot easier in shorts, tanks and flip-flops!

We will be making a craft this weekend from this printable.

Target dollar spot items and skewers liven up a pot of mums.

I spray painted our house number on an Adirondack chair outside of our side entrance.

Suburban graveyard

  
Boo!

If there is one thing you must indulge in this season, it's this candle. Burns forever + free shipping.

Linking my outdoor decor with Rhoda from Southern Hospitality!

Thanks for visiting!

First Impressions

My husband was hospitalized for a stomach ailment over the past weekend, so I felt the need to stay busy, to avoid thinking about his absence (he's home and will be fine, thank goodness).  So I bribed the kid with the iPad, candy and sidewalk chalk and finally started to tackle our side entrance door.

I love the color.  I used Valspar Duramax satin from Lowe's in Claret from the Eddie Bauer Palette.  I'm a huge fan of the Eddie Bauer color line (especially the Bungalow Gold), I have it in almost every room I've painted in our new house.

Before pic with our new light fixture.  Shortly, I will change out the impatiens for pansies & mums and add some chunkier trim around the door.  Perhaps a wreath or a fun doorknocker.  New siding is not an option....until we {when we} win the lottery.

This is one of my inspiration photos.

This is an inspiration photo of what will hopefully be our new front door.  This is where I switch to Home Depot. This is a

6-Lite Craftsman Chestnut Mahogany Fiberglass Entry Door.  Our current front door is a hot mess, I will only share pics after it's GONE.

That's next on the list.

It's amazing how a coat of paint and a simple, low-cost project can lift your spirits.

By the way...look for me on Instagram

Thanks for visiting!

Montauk Daisies {semi} Wordless Wednesday

I've been obsessed with Montauk Daisies this week and I'd never even heard of/or noticed them before. I'm a wanna-be gardener. I try my hand at lots of plantings, but really have only ever excelled at Morning Glories (which will be part of my 1st ever give-away next week!)

On Monday, I was house-hunting with my Mom and noticed a planting at one of the homes...Montauk Daisies. I was attracted not only by the blooms, but the thick woody stems and the fact that they are a Fall bloomer.

I picked one up at my local nursery and I am obsessing over where to put it in the ground before the first frost. I'm so (strangely) excited!

It was late by the time I got home, so you get an after dark shot.

Then I tried one without flash.....How freaky is the moon "trail"?!

Tomorrow I will be graciously accepting a Versatile Blogger Award and singing the praises of one of my faves that bestowed it upon me...stay tuned!

Thanks for visiting! xoxo Traci

Glimpse of our Weekend

It was an at home, workin' weekend. Just about a month ago, we had no grass at all, just topsoil. After a lot of hard work and tons of seed & fertilizer, it's coming along beautifully. After adding some rocks and the zebra grass, all I need to do is to add some annuals to this bed and I'm done with this display.
I made a shephards pie...Bills all-time fave (as you can see, he didn't wait for me to take a pic...)

I baked a ham for Sunday dinner with friends. I used the glaze recipe from the current issue of SL (shocker) and substituted Jack Daniels for Bourbon...pretty tasty if I do say so myself (recipe to follow)

My Morning Glories :) These seeds I used to plant were cultivated from my beloved bachelorette pad in 2008. They have been in an envelope waiting to bloom again....

This was a month prior (see the nasty old grass, told ya). We installed some slate as well, between the street and the sidewalk. Looking forward to updating you all later in the season with pics of beautiful blooms :)

I've been sidelined with a sinus infection and I am trying to pack us for a weekend in the mountains, so there probably won't be any tantalizing posts from me. Although you never know...blogging always sucks me back in!

xoxo Traci