Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The Deck: My Happy Place


What is your favorite time of day to be outdoors on the patio or backyard?

For me, it is most definitely morning. Coffee on the deck is one my favorite simple pleasures. 



When I was working full time, this ritual was definitely a weekend thing. There was no time for relaxing while I was rushing out the door to catch a train. 

But sometimes on a weekday morning, even if there was no time for drinking a cup of coffee, I'd try to find a minute to stand on the deck and drink in "home." 

Then, I'd take a sip of that vision whenever I needed it to help get me through a stressful day. 

No more of that, thankfully!

Nevertheless, I am so ready for summer, and now my deck is, too.

If you've been following along, you know I've been "deck-orating." 

I bought new pillows, and this rug in sage green. 

We finally got rid of our ugly doggy gate, and put up new deck railings

Here's what my deck looked like before we got new furniture...



And here's what it looks like now…














It's my new "happy place."

It has always been a place for good times…


Birthday celebrations
 Barbeques
Bird-watching
Taking naps
Reading the Sunday papers
Morning coffee
Summer night talks
Cocktails 
Dinners with friends





The flower pots are done.

I've got my tiny herb garden, too... 

                                              Basil for ensalada caprese
Mint for mojitos
Rosemary for grilled chicken 
and Lavender just because...



We're growing some grape tomatoes, too. There are no better tomatoes than New Jersey tomatoes!



I was just about to go outside with a cup of joe and enjoy the peace and quiet…but the gardeners are delivering the trees to finish our backyard landscaping. 



So much for quiet, but at least it's for a good reason. I can't wait to get some of our privacy back!

                                                        Linking To:
Debbiedoo's Pinterest Blitz 
A Little CLAIRification Best of the Weekend Saturday
Love Grows Wild Time To Sparkle Tuesday

Till next time,

Ms. Toody

25 comments:

  1. How beautiful!!! I love your new furniture and gorgeous yellow cushions. It all looks so fresh and cheerful now. You must just love spending time out there now. I love how private and wooded your lot is too. Wish my deck looked that nice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kelly…I know you have that heavenly front porch, which is what attracted me to your blog! As for private, we used to be completely wooded, but last year, a house was put up behind us :( At least part of our deck view is still private.

      Delete
  2. In your usual tasteful decorating manner, the deck looks awesome. The beauty of it looks so relaxing. Great job to you and the Mr. Look forward to seeing it in person. Kudos!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would love it if my deck looked so Better Homes and Gardenish - lol. You did a great job decorating yours! Right now you'll find a rickety plastic hand me down table and chairs on mine. I've been putting off the inevitable - spending a few bucks for a nice set of patio furniture and all the fixings. We love to sit on our deck and watch the deer in field behind our house and sip some coffee or a glass of wine. We've even spruced it up a couple times for summer bbq's and had friends over. I would say it's one of my happy places too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think as long as you're outdoors, on a nice summer night with family or friends, some food or drink…it's a good place to be. Furniture is secondary to that. I think I'll need to bake some of your peanut butter oatmeal cookies to snack on while I sit on my deck!

      Delete
  4. What a pretty setting you have Amy! I finally made my way over to your blog. I actually tried clicking on your name a few times from my site, but the url was wonky and did not take me here. I manually typed it in and gotcha! Thanks for your sweet comments.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks, Debbie! And thanks for going through the trouble to manually find me! I went back and checked my site name on your blog and fixed it. Glad you pointed it out to me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love your happy place! I wish my deck looked that good. New furniture or at least new pillows are on my wish list, for sure. Have a great weekend! ~ Angie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Angie! It took me 11 years to finally get it all together! And thanks so much for "Following" -- it means a lot to a new blogger like me!

      Delete
  7. Your deck is lovely! Morning coffee on the deck is one of my favorites too! A nice way to start the day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Danielle! I wish I was out there right now, but everything is soaked from yesterday's downpour courtesey of Tropical Storm Andrea.

      Delete
  8. Love, love, love it! The colors are great, you make such great use of your space and the setting, among all the trees, is dreamy! I'm coming over!
    ps- The placemats are really neat! Where did you find them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kim! Come on, over! I got the placemats about a year or two, ago, at Pier One. I'm pretty sure that still have them.

      Delete
  9. I dont even know you but I already like you! I like the way you write - the way you did the porch, the importance of relaxing! New follower for sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I really appreciate the vote of confidence!

      Delete
  10. Absolutely beautiful! Such a stunning makeover.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks, Brandi! Glad you stopped by to check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks so much! I'm really happy with the colors!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi AMy...fyi you are going to be one of my features this week however, I can't copy a picture from your site. Can you send me a picture of your patio:) Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you SO much for linking up at my Best Of The Weekend party!! You will be FEATURED when the party goes live tonight at 8PM EST.
    And here’s another secret… starting tonight we'll have THREE hosts at the party so triple exposure and EVERYONE gets pinned! Yay!! :)
    We can’t wait to see you there and please spread the word on social media too if you are able!!
    xoxo
    {PS: As your images are not "right clickable" I took a screen shot. If you do not want to be featured please let us know ASAP!!} :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Claire, for the feature! I really appreciate it!

      Delete
  15. Oh, wow! The pictures suggest that you really know how to make a gorgeous back deck! I saw how it looked like before you purchase the house, and now, it's more beautiful than ever! You have great furniture and embellishments. It's no wonder the area looks so refreshing. It's perfect for social gatherings too! Everyone will surely love the place. :)

    Barrett Elmore @ Nehemiah ReConstruction

    ReplyDelete
  16. Amazing! This is one of the most beautiful decks that I've ever seen. You have the perfect combination of color, furniture, and accessories. I'll share this to my sister. She's also looking for inspirations for her "deck-oration" and I'm sure she can use your ideas.

    PS: After a hard day at work, I spend some time either on the deck or covered patio, just to relieve some stress before dinner. :)

    Ryann@YanceyCompany.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. With a little cleaning and few touch-ups, you were able to make your deck look new! It's also a good idea to surround it with flowers and plants to add beauty to your entire outdoor space. I hope you'll spend a lot of activities in this space.

    ReplyDelete

PRIVACY POLICY: I will never share your email information with others. I use your email to respond to your comments on my blog, or to interact socially with you.