Oh those summer nights!

This is where you'll find me if a night at home has gone as planned...

And, actually, it doesn't even really look like that anymore.  It's a work-in-progress, which you are almost guaranteed to see in a future post.  Why?  Because it's a favorite spot right now.  That's why!

For now, I can fill you in on how we got to where we are and where we're going with it.  And then, why I love it so much.

As soon as we moved in, Jeremy went to Cracker Barrel and added three large rockers to our "collection" of one child's rocker.  That makes perfect sense, right?  RIGHT?

At the time, the inspiration was the porch at Sandy Creek Bible Camp and Horton Haven Christian Camp,  where rockers are lined up, facing an open area of the campgrounds.  It's a fantastic spot to sit, rock and shoot the breeze.  The back of our house feels "a little bit country" (complete with screen door), so the concept was perfection.

However.

What we ended up with was a hodge podge of chairs and our little cafe set that has been hauled to every place I've lived in the last 9-or-so years.  There was no flow to the space, since it was an L-shape and the concept was perfect for a rectangle.  So we started with a little space planning.  (Oh, hey, why didn't I think of this earlier?  Seriously, it's not like I do that for a job or anything.  Sheesh.)

So, we defined the space into two seating areas.  This conversation group of rockers...

And the cafe table set.

But back to the coffee table/bench.  How did I NOT tell you about this?!?

I told Jeremy I wanted a bench, like these from {Pottery Barn}.

He flinches a little when the Pottery Barn catalogue arrives.  It's a little like Pavlov's Dogs because of the number of times I've requested him to "just build me a..." piece of furniture out of there.  Seriously, though.  The guy is amazing.  And I'm lucky, cause he's so talented and cause he does it because he loves me.

Back to the story.

So, he suggested we meet the the {ReStore} to find a piece of wood to reclaim.  It was blazin' hot and we scoured the bins of wood, only to come up with nothing.  Until he spotted this gem.

It was a saw bench under an old shed nearby.  They obviously weren't using it anymore and it had been there when the location was a lumber yard before.  So, he asked if he could buy it.  Jeremy always says, "'What's the worst they could say?'  'No, dummy.'"  At first they said it was attached.  He was willing to do the work to get it out of there... and they ended up being willing to let him.  So, for $3, we went home with a beautiful weathered former saw table.  And Jeremy turned it into this beauty in less than 45 minutes.

I think that's a record.  It also smashed my theories about having to multiply by three on the time he says a project will take to find the actually time elapsed.  I.was.proud.

While Jeremy was in Honduras, I purchased this bad boy.

(Thanks, Kelly, for the birthday gift card that went towards it!)

Can you call a "church window" a bad boy?

I just did.

 I think it's amazing.  It's awaiting a companion drop leaf table to go underneath it and to be decorated with some fun accessories.  When said table is discovered and hauled home, bad boy church window will be hung!

Here is a different perspective.  In my mind, there are string lights, some colorful throw pillows, and a few more plants.  Maybe even an herb garden in a window box down to your left right there.  Can you see it?  Can ya?

So, like I said, work-in-progress, but well on it's way to where I want it to be.  AND it's such a great place to be as it is.  What do we like to do out there?

You might find me honing my newly-discovered grilling skills...

(that's what hubby spending 12 days in Honduras will getcha!)

Or indulging in a classy beverage.  For some reason, you have to sip things when you sit on patios...

 like Pioneer Woman's {perfect iced coffee}

or Dish and Dine's {frozen hot chocolate}

...which we thouroughly enjoyed on Saturday night.

Some of us enjoyed it a little more than others!

We have some sidewalk chalks nearby and there are generally all kinds of creations all over the concrete.  Part of me wishes they could stay there forever!

We watch the kids bounce and flip.

and sometimes we put our classy beverages down and join them. :-D

There are games of catch and bubble blowing...

There's always a breeze blowing across our patio and it feels amazing after a hot Houston day.  We like to chill out there when we have friends over, too.

Truly, the best part of our patio is the people I enjoy it with!

If you're in the neighborhood, let us know so we can pour you a classy beverage and we can {sit a spell}!