Good Morning, Patio

Winter is still in full swing, but here in Dallas the past week has been sunny and spring-like. My yellow Jasmine is blooming, the Wisteria is covered with buds and the little lemon tree I recently added to the yard is in bloom. My vegetable garden has chard and baby onions and its warm enough for me to set out my seedling trays for a little sun tan. I know the cool weather will strike again, but until then, I'm soaking up the rays.

Styling Selena's Painted Porch

Last year for Houzz.com, I featured a Dallas bungalow belonging to Selena and Alun Urquhart. One of my favorite things Selena had done to her back patio was to paint a blue and white Moroccan style stencil directly onto her wood deck. It looked like an area rug. I liked it so much that I returned to her home a few months later for a commissioned magazine cover shoot. This was my first crack at styling and photographing for a magazine cover. Here are the results!

Tile Floors for the Outdoor Room

Tile floors on the patio! Be still my heart. Here in Texas, I see a lot of Mexican style outdoor tile. I love the look of it. While I certainly can't afford to do a full patio as in the photos below, I sometimes dream about creating a small tile accent on the steps to my front door or a little detail work around my patio breezeway. It might be a good solution for keeping costs down but still enjoying the flavor and color that only tile can create.

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Textiles for a Cozy Outdoor Retreat

Now that spring is arriving in the southern states, it's time to get outside and enjoy a little fresh air. Sweep off your patios, bring out the lawn chairs and grab something soft to sit on. The best way to make a cozy outdoor retreat is with textiles. Your throw pillows, tapestries and area rugs will fare just fine outside for a day. Don't worry, the little dusty pebbles and dead leaves won't harm your Suzani. Enjoy the sunshine while lounging on your favorite blanket!

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March Garden Report

More adventures in radical homemaking! I spent this weekend in the garden. I cleaned up the flower beds, trimmed back gangly tree limbs and turned the compost pile. Now that our fence has been replaced (can I get a Hell Yeah!). I can tackle some of my bigger projects. This weekend I created a stone path to my new bench swing, dismantled my son's old sandpile and installed a bark mulch border.

I also had a chance to taste the first offerings from my raised veggie bed! There is nothing like eating crisp and flavorful organic spring greens from your own back yard. I've been thrilled with the results of my seed project. Here is a look at my March garden.

The flat stones came from my front yard. They were scattered all over the place, covered by brush - signs of landscaping from the previous owners. I brought them all together to create a stepping stone path to the bench swing.

My big splurge was an established 4-foot Wisteria vine from our local nursery. These babies do very well here in Texas. I was unable to put it in the ground as I had wished due to a spectacularly stubborn root system left by deceased Sycamore. My attempts to dig in this particular corner were thwarted.

When my mother was here over winter break, she created a stone border around the corner beds by the gate. Previously, the grassy ground cover was spilling out all over the walkway, which makes it tough for my son's wheelchair and walker to pass by. Thank you mom - it looks so nice and clean!

Mixed lettuces...

Kale...

I put this succulent in a painted pot that my son made when he was three.

And a view of my aqua blue potting hutch.
This piece has been a fantastic addition to my patio. 

It doubles as a bar or buffet when we have friends over!

And lastly, I wanted to thank the anonymous comment yesterday about my new blog banner. I so appreciate reader input! As per the commenter's suggestion, I have added a little color to the header with a taste of my own artwork.

Anonymous said... 
I love your blog and the way you look at the world so much! Soulful, yes! I miss the colour in the new banner, its nice but too serious for me. I think it doesn't reflect the spirit of the blog which is more playful.

What do you think?

Do I need more color?

Does it reflect the tone of the blog?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Outdoor Tour of my Home in Watercolor

Happy Friday! I'm having some fun with the Waterlogue app today. I'm sure you've seen it - Waterlogue takes your photos and transforms them into little watercolor style paintings. Here are a few shots of my patio and garden.