Hello!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  We shared a lot of food and great wine with a huge gathering of friends and family over the long holiday, it was so relaxing and such a great party!  We also had the opportunity to show off our new stone patio, wanna see?

Here’s a glimpse of a few weeks ago:

And now

Pretty fancy, right?   This has been a project we’ve been meaning to finish for many many moons.  This patio has been sitting empty since we regraded the yard and built the retaining walls over five years ago.  I mentioned it as one of my Home Goals for 2011, and I’m soooo proud to be checking this one off my list! 

Two weeks ago, I spied a natural stone at Home Depot that I thought would be just perfect for this space.  I redeemed some American Express Rewards points for a gift card at Home Depot, and we got to work!

Before we could bring in the new accessories for the adjacent patio (beyond), we had to address this longtime problem of our unfinished circular patio.  The first thing we had to do was fill in the small walkway that connects our two patios.  That was accomplished with some concrete as a base filled to one inch below where we intended to lay the stone. 

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Greetings all, happy holiday weekend.  Amanda and I rounded up a few fun links for you this weekend for the ‘Best of the Blogosphere’ series, we hope you enjoy!

Don’t miss the ‘jungle greenhouse’ over at Meadowbrook Farm, filled with geraniums, petunias, zinnias, and daisies.  It’s pure gardener heaven.   

Make a DIY wood pennant with Man Made DIY, a definite upgrade from ordinary felt, Chris shows you how.   

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Happy Friday friends, what’s cookin’ this long weekend?  Are you off on a little vacay or grilling at home?  We’re having a little shindig with some close friends here at our casa.  We can’t wait to show off the new stone patio we installed, you’ll get to see it next week! 

Summer has me dreaming of a few days off, so I’ve scheduled some family time over the next few months.  A few road trips and a mini vacation are going to interrupt those Fair Weather Forums I planned earlier this year, so I’m announcing a new schedule.  I’ve moved a few topics around, so sorry for any inconvenience!  Also, in honor of Memorial Day, there will be no link party on Monday May 30th. 

Here are the new Summer Link Party dates:

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I was visiting a local antique shop the other day and saw an oil on canvas with an ocean scene that I loved so much, I had to bring it home and hang it in my living room.  I’d been working on an abstract for that spot for awhile, but it never seemed quite right so I chose this oil painting instead.  Do you see it?  Look to the left!

It’s not by anybody famous and only cost me $120, but it’s a nice original oil painting that fits the space over the loveseat perfectly. 

It reminds me so much of our Northern California coastline.  This is Bodega Head, and it’s breathtaking on a perfect day.  We love to go here to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

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Yep.  I gone and done it.  Two weeks ago, I clicked the ‘Buy It Now’ button and ordered some of Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint.   I had read such rave reviews, I just couldn’t take it anymore, I had to try it for myself.  So I did. 

Two days ago, my shipment arrived.

If the French distressed look is what you’re going for . .  this paint will do the trick.

This is ‘Paris Grey’.  It’s quite lovely. 

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