Twins Take On Home Improvement: Yard revamp!

Ryan here!  For the last few years, I have attempted a garden on the side of my house.  I generally get super excited the first week or so of nice weather, plant my garden and am psyched to eat tons and tons of fresh veggies all summer long.  And then... I get busy, it gets hot, and this happens.  This is an actual picture from last summer, guys.  Yikes.

So, this year, I started  I wasn't sure if I wanted to give the garden one last try or if there was something else I could do to make this part of my yard more enjoyable.  I started thinking, what do I NOT like doing outside?  That would be weeding, mulching and lots of manual labor.  What DO I like doing outside?  Relaxing, visiting with friends and having a frose or two.  I started poking around on Pinterest (what did people do before Pinterest?  Seriously) and quickly found an inexpensive and easy way to transform this spot into a space I will actually use and LOVE.

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures along the way, but I used this tutorial from City Farmhouse to transform my former garden into a pea gravel patio.  The steps are straight-forward and even by myself, it really only took about a day to complete.  (Pro tip:  if you can swing it, ask your local store to deliver the pea gravel to you- this will save a few back and forths to your local Lowe's to pick up additional bags of gravel).  I happened to have some wood leftover from when we built my deck, but if you don't and want to use it for borders, you can also have them deliver a few pieces along with the gravel.

With the gravel down and the hard work behind me, then came the fun stuff.  First, I picked a color scheme- my house is a light grey/blue, so I decided to stick with shades of blue with some purple and red accents in both decor and plants.  Feel free to get creative here!

Next, I picked up some various plants at our local nursery.  I already had a couple of butterfly bushes planted nearby, but also got some taller grass and hanging plants (perfect for the plant hook that Jess and her fam gave me for a housewarming gift years ago).  I also got a variety of herbs- they are easy to grow in a container and perfect to throw into a variety of summer dishes, including cocktails.  Since I have a chain link fence, the plants serve as a bit of a screen as well as some visual interest for the space.  I followed out very own tutorial to paint some existing pots both navy and a robin's egg blue to tie the planters together and continue with the color scheme.

I picked up some great lounge furniture at Target as pictured here.

1. I love the idea of a loveseat for this space- it can be a great spot to relax solo (I'm laying on it as I type!) and also a comfy spot for more than one guest to relax on together.
2. How great is This table the top opens up so you can use it for storage (just beware because some water can seep through when/if it rains).
3. Throw pillows like this one and these are a great way to make your space look more lived in and comfy.
4. Even though this space is in the sun most of the day, I got some lighting to make evenings more enjoyable, including this little lantern and also these hanging lights.  (Keep in mind, even if you don't have outdoor outlets, they make lots of lights that run on solar power- just make sure to read the label to ensure you have lights that will work in your yard.)
5. Finally, I got this fire pit- who doesn't like an easy way to make some s'mores?

Check out these photos of the finished product!

So much better, right? 

Who's ready for a bonfire?

Just add margaritas!

Here's the cost breakdown:
- Patio supplies:  $100
- Furniture/decorations $200 (If you're shopping outdoor furniture at Target, keep an eye out for sales- they have had some great deals lately!)

I can't wait to enjoy it all summer long!  Do you have any summer yard projects in th works? Let us know in the comments!