Category — outdoor decor

After many small successes and a few major disappointments, I have decided to take on the container garden once again. The weather is beautiful and cool and I’d love to spend some time curled up on a hammock with a good book, but the ratty looking remnants of the container garden were totally ruining the ambiance.  So yesterday I uprooted the stragglers (sorry Swiss chard!), and re-potted some of my healthier plants and added a few new herb seedlings.  Even though the garden is much smaller and doesn’t currently have any fruit or vegetable plants, it looks much better.

I am a little disappointed that the experiment in growing edible plants didn’t go better, but hopefully this latest incarnation of the container garden will be a bit easier to manage and enjoy.  I will keep you posted!

Yes, I am still on my outdoor entertaining kick.  But I keep finding a lot of cool outdoor furniture and it’s really inspiring me to get creative!  Now if i could only find some money to fund this creativity…

At any rate, here are some great pieces for a Wine Country-inspired patio:

• Recycled Wine Barrel Tables: Looks like the perfect place to set a glass of wine and plate of cheese when relaxing on the patio.

• Split Barrel Planter: Another great twist on the standard container garden.

• Recycled Wine Barrel Chair: This great looking folding chair is the perfect solutions for larger-than-planned get-togethers.

(Source: Green Vaccine)

As much as I have been complaining about the recent heatwave, I really love the fact that Southern California weather makes it easy to eat and entertain outside pretty much year round.  I have kind of become obsessed with browsing through the patio designs at HGTV and finding new ideas to spruce up my little patio for some fall relaxation. I am currently drooling over this Moroccan-themed patio:

Sadly this entertaining area is a little too elaborate for my space, but I feel like some other features could be easily incorporated.  For example, I love this “Chef/Pass-Through Table” and could totally see using it as a bar table:

Also, this Chef’s Garden is totally inspiring me to take another stab at the container garden.

For the time being, though, I think I’ll start with mint for some great Moroccan tea!

Check out the awesome Jack O’Lanterns and carved pumpkins at Pumpkin Way!  Lots of great inspiration for my favorite Halloween decoration: the Jack O’Lantern.  Enjoy!

I am *lucky* enough to be in a daily battle with a giant spider over placement of its crazy big web on my front porch, so all I have to do is let the spider win the war for a few weeks and my house will be all set for Halloween.  If you aren’t so lucky with your Halloween decor preparation, here are some great spiderwebs to help create spooky ambiance at your home:

• This 10 foot spider web from Grandin Road come with two spiders and is made of sisal, so it can be used again and again.

• The Giant Chenille spiderweb is large enough to trap small children. Consider yourself warned.

• This 6 foot spiderweb would be even cooler if it actually came with that orange spider.  It’s still pretty cool though.

One of my favorite activities this time of year is carving Jack O’Lanterns for Halloween.  Jack O’Lanterns are a great addition to Halloween decor because they are relatively inexpensive, completely biodegradable, and the seeds are delicious when roasted.  There are some great sites that have amazing, creative pumpkin designs that I am really anxious to try out this year, so hopefully my carving skills are up to the challenge!  I will definitely be practicing on the Pumpkin Simulator a few times beforehand just in case. 

Check out these great links for Jack O’Lantern carving ideas:

• Extreme Pumpkins
• The Pumpkin Wizard
• Pumpkin Lady
• Instructables: Neat and Easy Pumpkin Carving Step by Step Instruction

Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I am so excited about decorating the house and carving jack-o-lanterns.  Last year, I kept the Halloween decorations pretty simple, with just a few pumpkins and gourds on the porch and a few cling stickers on the windows.  This year, I’d like to do something a little more dramatic.  Here’s what I have in mind so far:

Judging by the video of this animated flying witch, my neighbors would fully hate me about 2 minutes after Witchy-poo starts her spiel.  Still, I wonder if the amusement this witch gives me is enough to endure my neighbors’ contempt.  And I think trick-or-treating kids would love it as well.

I am really fascinated by the WOWindow Poster.  Apparently, you can put a light behind them and create spooky Halloween windows.  I really want to see this Mummy window poster in action.

This Zombie fountain is just too ridiculous not to love.  Imagine the soothing sounds of water dripping out of the bullet hole in his head–too creepy!

Here’s a great way to integrate the outdoors into your in home decor: Aeroponic Architecture.

I think this is an awesome idea and I can’t wait to see what aeroponic architects dream up next…maybe homes inspired by Winnie the Pooh and Swiss Family Robinson?

Partner-in-Climb got walloped by a nasty flu so this weekend was spent close to home. While he was recuperating in bed, I spent a lot of time online trying to get some ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts for my mom AND his mom.

I am pretty sure I am going to get my mom this awesome herb garden kit from Mountain Valley Growers. I like the idea of getting her live plants for Mother’s Day because she loves to garden, and it is the perfect time to plant in her zone. I also like the idea of getting her plants because the last time I bought her clothes for Mother’s Day, I ended up going to the Gap no less than 4 times to exchange the jeans she insisted would fit her for different sizes.

Anyway, I think I am going to get my mom the Kitchen Herb Garden because I know she loves the 6 herbs it features. I am still debating whether or not to get her a pyramid or hexagonal planter as well. She has a big garden, but I am sure she already has most of the space planted or designated for planting. If I get her a planter, at least she has the option of putting the plants on the deck or something. As long as it doesn’t mess with the overall theme of her outdoor decor, I think she will really like it.

I have been re-thinking the outdoor fireplace idea. It has been cool for the past few days, but last weekend was scorching, so now I am thinking I’d get a lot more enjoyment from something that at least reminds me of coolness, like fountains.

I tried to build one myself a few years ago, but the project didn’t go so well. I found several already constructed fountains that I really like, though, so now it’s just a matter of making a choice between them. If anybody has input or experience with any of these, please let me know!

• Water Bell Fountain
  

I like the idea of “peaceful chiming sounds”, but I wonder if that will get annoying. Otherwise I really like this fountain.

• Solar Fish Water Fountain

Normally I am not into animal themed decor, but I really like everything about this fish fountain, from the blue glazed terra cotta to the solar powered pump.

• Tri-Basin Fountain

I have been thinking that one corner of our yard would be the perfect fountain location, and this fountain seems like it would be great in a corner.