Here are my Sources!

I was enormously pleased with all of the lovely comments that I received from you both on the blog, and personally, about how much you liked the lanai. This means a lot because this project was huge for me. This was the first, big, solo thing that I did since Jim passed away. It's kind of scary making big decisions like this on your own, but it's also quite liberating. I feel very fortunate to have found Joe Rogers, the master carpenter who did such wonderful work, and from there I was filled with so much confidence that I thought nothing could stop me.

A number of you have asked me for sources of various items, so I'm going to give you a chronology of the things that I bought, how I bought them, and give resources at the same time.

The fan came first, believe it or not. I spotted one with palm leaf blades and bought it. I stored it in the garage for about seven months before it was put to use. You can find a similar one here.

 Next was this green pouf. I struggled trying to decide on color. It was between the orange one and the green, and I eventually decided upon green. My granddaughter and grandson both love sitting on various small chairs, poufs, floor pillows, and the like, that I have scattered around the house. I knew that I was going to have to find some seats that would suit them out on the lanai as well. So, I did a Google search for “outdoor pouf.” That search led me to this page on Amazon.

After making the purchase, I realized, that the rug shown in the picture underneath the pouf was exactly what I wanted for this space, and these were the colors that I wanted to use, so both problems was easily solved. While the pouf was available through Amazon, it was drop-shipped from Plow and Hearth. I headed to the P&H website and searched for the rug. I felt very fortunate that I found it, so I ordered that next. Once I decided that I wanted a tropical/Mexican theme (and considering the rug's name was Talavera), I decided that I needed a Talavera piece in the colors I was going to be using, so searched on eBay, and found this wonderful frog.

After that, I decided that I was going to need an orange tray, so I grabbed one that I had around the house and spray-painted it orange. The glasses on top of the tray came from Pier One, and I'd used those before, and you can see them here, here, here, here, and here. Can you tell that I love them?

The napkins that someone asked about I made myself. They are made out of fabric that was called “Hawaiian quilting fabric,” and I found it on eBay. 

The table in the corner was one that I had gotten from Pier 1. The top is a beautiful mosaic, but in colors that I didn't plan to use in this room. So, I knew I was going to have to cover it up. My hope, of course, was that I would be able to match the colors in the rug. So, yet again, sight unseen, I did a search for a long tablecloth in a deep turquoise for the base, and then searched good old reliable eBay for a Hawaiian smaller tablecloth to go on top. I couldn't believe how fabulously it worked out. The turquoise tablecloth underneath comes in a variety of colors, and you can find it on Amazon here. (This is a wonderful tablecloth at an astoundingly low price. I have two others, one in brown that I use for Thanksgiving, and another in forest green that I use at Christmas.) The floral tablecloth on top is Tommy Bahama. The lantern is from Pottery Barn.

The furniture took me a long time to find. I knew I wanted something study and nice, but shopping for an entire set of furniture online is daunting! This set came with striped throw pillows in soft, rather neutral tones, and I knew they would not do. I have saved them though, because they perfectly match a beautiful coastal picture that I have, and it would be very easy to change this room entirely, by putting the original pillows with it, pulling up the rug, and putting down one in sisal. So, I may have a little fun as the season progresses, or do something different in spring with the lighter colors, and then pull out the orange, green, and blue for summer.

 This furniture came from Joss & Main, as did the orange pillows and the leafy tropical pillows. How everything managed to match, I'll never know.

This post contain affiliate links.

All Decked Out (Part Two!)

As I promised last week, here is an update on the deck. It’s all framed out, and I get more and more excited with every pound of the hammer. I’m not going to lie to you though, these early hours are about to do this nocturnal girl in, but I’m trying to keep my bleary eyes on the prize!

 It was exciting to see the roof go on, not only because it is actually starting to look like something, but also because it was pretty fascinating to see how it was done.

 I opted for a tray ceiling, and I am loving the look already.

 Scroll to the bottom for the eye candy of the week!

I found this rug quite by accident (an entire blog post is coming about how I stumbled upon the color scheme and furnishings), but I love the color combination, Talavera pattern, and vibrancy. Doesn’t this just scream summer? (Or maybe it’s screaming Margaritas, not sure which.)

Photos by Joe Rogers of Advanced Carpentry and Remodeling, LLC, and Plow & Hearth.

All decked out! (Coming soon!)

When people ask me about my blog, I refer to it as a "food and lifestyle blog." That was my intention when I first started it back 2010. But, as we all know, it's more food than anything else. Yes, there are table settings, and occasionally a little about what's going on in my life, but I don't devote a lot of space to lifestyle. That's about to change, because I'm in the midst of what will end up being a huge change in my lifestyle.

I decided, because living alone I am now the Queen of Everything, that after three very difficult, exhausting years of care giving, and the painful loss of my husband of 21 years, that I deserved a treat. When I moved into this house five years ago, it was a spec home. So, it was new, but not one that I’d designed on my own. It had a small cedar deck on the back, accessible from the dining area. Why a cedar deck was built onto this house in a neighborhood full of composite decks, I'll never know. But I do know that I had to paint this rascal every single summer. Having moved here from a 120-year-old Victorian farmhouse with lots of gingerbread, that I needed to paint every year, I decided that I am just too old to paint. It’s not the way that I want to spend my time any longer.

After consulting neighbors, I got in touch with a contractor, and, last September, we came up with a plan for a covered deck with an open area to the side to use for grilling (Grilling recipes, people!). My contractor is excellent and, as a consequence, a very busy guy, so he wasn't able to start working on it until the middle of last month.

Every Monday, until its completion (and then brace yourself for posts about dining al fresco!), I'm going to give you updates on this project. It’s the most exciting thing I've been involved in in a long time. Not just the excitement of seeing one guy -- that's right one man doing this on his own -- build a wonderful addition to the house, but also planning what I'm going to do with it by way of decoration.

Today's post is merely an introduction to the project.

Here is the back of the house with the deck that was original. It was entirely cedar, but I wanted to paint it to blend in with the decks in the rest of the neighborhood, so painted it white with a stained floor. The neighbors appreciated that, because I didn't stick out like such a sore thumb, but it ended up being a heck of a lot of work, not only because I had to paint it every year no matter what type or brand of paint I used, but I also had to stain the floor.

The old deck is gone, and I couldn't be happier.

The framework is going up for the base of the deck. It looks massive. In fact, as I look at it, I can only wonder what the neighbors are thinking. It's a monster! I have one of the smaller homes in the neighborhood, but, clearly, the biggest deck. Let me tell you, it's caused quite a stir.

Next Monday I'll show you what it looks like it framed out.

Oh, here is a bit of eye candy. The colors I’ve chosen to use in decorating my new space are those shown in this piece of fabric that I’m using to make napkins. I can hardly wait!

All photos by Joe Rogers of Advanced Carpentry and Remodeling, LLC