A Spot for Outdoor Dining

A couple of years ago I spruced up our outdoor dining set.

I painted our wooden chairs and bench black and I loved how it looked.

Sadly, the chairs and bench were about 12-13 years old and they just started to fall apart, especially moving them back and forth for sitting at the table.

Well, when my mom downsized a couple of summers ago, I scooped up (or I should say hauled home) her picnic table.  I loved it's chippy look!

And, as I mentioned, we needed to replace the wood chairs and bench....

so.......

still lovin' the chippiness

we replaced the metal table with the picnic table and I found some very comfortable stacking chairs at Home Depot.  Those chairs will definitely stand up to movement.

Found these little votive cups at Dollar Tree a few summers ago. 

We need a few pops of color!  

I think a few potted plants here would be an excellent way to do that.  

Oh no!  Our umbrella broke in a windstorm the other day.  

 It might be time to make this little dining area a bit more permanent.  

 I am thinking about a pea gravel patio area.  

(Not sure if Worker Bee is thinking about it yet, or even at all, but I'm the dreamer so hopefully I can convince him.)

Have any of you ever made one?  Was it easy?

Sam approves of all our changes!

And here is the rusty old wheelbarrow I planted with geraniums last year.  Don't they look great?  I tried planting this before and everything died so I'm thrilled to see them thriving.

Thanks for buzzing in and for visiting!  

So nice to see you've stopped by!

I'll keep you posted on any changes for this cozy spot.

Target Is My BEEloved!

What is it about Target?  How does it seduce me every time I enter its red doors?  Why do things just hop into its fun red carts?

Well, you would be proud of me this time.  I resisted.....for now.

You see, although it's gray and foggy and dreary here at Sweet Bee Cottage today, I found some things that will make you start dreaming of spring and summer (like you aren't doing that already) and how much fun we're going to have in our yards this year!

First, I found all these colorful lanterns!  Turquoise and white and lime green (my personal fav these days) and red and black.....aren't they fabulous?  I know exactly where I would put them.  But, as I mentioned before, I didn't buy any of them.  I know.  You're shocked.

And then in the same area were these gorgeous plates and bowls - made out of plastic.  (Are they still called melamine?  Am I showing that I grew up in the 70s and that's what we called that plastic stuff?)

Don't you love the colors?  The quality seemed quite nice on these beauties.  They have a little rope edging and a wavy texture.  Oh my...I really do like these.  Dinner plates were $3 each and salad plates were $2.  Can't remember the cost of the bowl now.  And you know what?  These didn't hop in that red cart either.

 Next I found these beautiful green glasses!  They were plastic/acrylic too!  Aren't they pretty?  But do you think drinks would look funny in them?  Like green milk?  Something to think about.  

 And then.....hidden away on an end cap (can you tell I worked retail in college?) were these adorable birdhouses, planters, and pitchers.....

 with garden gloves and tools to match!  Love them!  Maybe it's that bright green backdrop that grabbed my attention, but I think I better tell Worker Bee where he can go shopping for me for Valentine's Day!  

Although Worker Bee?  If you are going to shop from my blog for me I better get specific.  I really, really, really, really, really, really like the dishes. 

Really.

I should mention all these pictures were taken with my new tool/toy!  I'll have to show you that soon.

Thanks for buzzing by!  I'm making Manhattan Clam Chowder for dinner tonight and I better get it started.  Worker Bee's been asking for it for ages now.  It will be a fun treat!

Oh and don't forget to enter both of my giveaways!  #1 ends tonight!  

Oh and P.S.  I DO love Target, but I love Worker Bee more.  (And that's probably why none of those ended up in my cart.)

P.P.S.  Have I mentioned my nephew works for Target?  He's one of their designers.  He had some fabulous things for Christmas.  Did I blog about any of them?  No!  I should have!  Sorry nephew - or should I call you Target Bee?

A Rednesday Jaunt Outside....

Gorgeous weather today!  A bit chilly, but you could see the foothills so clearly!

Thought I'd take you outside and show you some reds around the front yard.

I know, I know.  This little sign is a rerun.  But I just love the scallops, the little punched edge, the black and white gingham ribbon.......sigh..........it cheers me so. 

Cute little Mary Engelbreit garden flag out by the corner of our Picket Fence Garden.  I used to have this hanging outside my classroom door, but when I had to move classrooms a few years ago, I couldn't hang them anymore, and so it came home to live with me full time.

(Note to self - Kitchen Garden bench needs to be repainted.)  Got this long pillow from Pottery Barn a few summers ago.  I leave it out year round (yeah, don't look too close - haven't done the annual spring spruce up yet) and we usually have some plant hanging from the shepherd's hook, but not yet this year.

This is my amazing stump that I turned into a mosaic side table.  I still love it, but it could also use a nice refresher.  You can read all about when I originally made it here.  I think it's done pretty well for being outside full time.  

Look!  A Valentine's Day decoration I forgot to put away!  This is over by our kitchen door which we hardly ever use!  I promised myself this year I would not forget to check out there before putting decorations away, but apparently I break promises to myself.  Just ask my treadmill.

And, last but not least, is Sam and his bell.  (Would he pose for his picture for you?  Does a cat EVER pose for its human?)

Well, Happy Rednesday to you!  Hope you're enjoying a bit of springy weather and if you're not, I hope you get to enjoy it soon.

And, yes, I know I promised words of wisdom for my 402nd post (which this is), but you'll have to wait for 403 now.  I'm sure great wisdom will have enveloped me and I will share with you then.

Speaking of 400+ posts...hop on over to this post if you want to enter my little giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you can buzz in again!

Buzzing over to Sue's for Rednesday!

What Are Those On That House?

Did something today I've wanted to do for a looooooong time!

Can you tell from this picture what I did?  

Or this picture?

Bet you can tell now!

Do you think the neighbors will be scandalized?

I know they weren't thrilled when we put up our picket fence! 

(How can you not love and adore picket fences?  I mean, c'mon people!)

But so what?  

Did I hurt anybody by hanging vintage plates on the OUTSIDE of my house?

Will it bring down property values?

Heck, it might even raise them when people see the cuteness going on at Sweet Bee Cottage!

But bottom line, I know I'm going to have a big ol' grin on my face when I pull up and see those hanging on the front of my house and it is so worth it!

Oh, and while I was out there, I replanted my three-tiered planter.

Can you guess what my theme was?

Now can you tell?

Well, just in case my picture doesn't make it clear......

red dianthus on top

white alyssum in the middle

and

blue lobelia on the bottom!

All for the 4th of July!

Well thank you so much for buzzing by today!

I'm so delighted to see you.

Hope you can buzz on by and see the fun over at Cindy's for

I know I'll be seeing all the sweet things all those talented bloggers have to share.

Hope you can come back soon.

I'm working on making some blackberry syrup to add to our lemonade for your next visit.  Doesn't that sound yumptious?

And I found some new to me parties to join today too.

Have you been to

over At the Picket Fence?

Or how about

at Common Ground?

Time for this little bee to buzz on over there!

Wanna' come with?

From Drab to Fab Outdoor Dining Area

About ten years ago (for our tenth wedding anniversary) Worker Bee and I bought a wood outdoor dining set.  It was Martha Stewart from K-Mart and it fit our budget.  I loved how it looked on our patio we built by laying bricks in sand.  (Now building that patio will have to be a story I save for another day.)  But after a few years it began to look a little shabby.  So shabby in fact that the legs broke off the table.  Time for a new table, but we didn't need chairs.  About that same time we went to a Panera Bread for dinner one night and ate out on their patio.  I noticed they had wood chairs with a black mesh table.  "Buzz," I thought.  "Buzz, buzz, buzz.....we could keep our chairs and buy one of those mesh tables."  Worker Bee agreed and we found a great table at Target.   By this time I had also bought four outdoor wicker chairs that we then kept on the patio and there wasn't room for our table and chairs anymore.  So we needed to find a cozy little spot to enjoy lunches and dinners outside.

Whew - long winded introduction to the Drab to Fab!

(Still not FAB in this picture!)

So our chairs were really looking kind of sad now.  The wasps had decided that they loved to get wood to build nests from them and they were really dingy and gray - but not that pretty gray of cedar or teak.  Do you remember when I painted the bench and logs we used for our Kitchen Garden? (If not, check it out here.)  So I got to buzzin'......wouldn't those chairs and bench look great painted black with our black table?

I used the same cheap paint I used on the kitchen garden and watered it down so it was 50% water and 50% paint.  

Well I think they look FABULOUS (if I do say so myself)!

I found some great pillows at Pottery Barn to brighten it up.

The glass lanterns are from my local consignment store.

We just love this little spot under one of our Japanese maples.  Our next door neighbors are always chatting over the fence to us too. (Or better yet - they're handing over pie or homemade candy or other treats - great neighbors!)

Someday I would like to add a little fountain and maybe something on the ground.  We've thought about a pea gravel area or maybe getting one of those huge outdoor "just hose it down" rugs to put under the table but we're still up in the air about it.  What do you think we should do?  (We've even talked about another brick in sand patio, but we are a bit older now and I'm not 100% sure we could do it on our own - not that we're that old but Worker Bee hurt his back this spring and he isn't 100% yet - and frankly I'm not swinging a pick ax to get it done. Aren't run-on sentences fun?)

Today I'll be joining the party at

at Between Naps on the Porch

and

 at House in the Roses.

Well thank you so much for taking the time to pop in!  Your visits are always such a treat.

Tonight we will be enjoying barbecued tri-tip, caesar salad, and some garlic French bread with my mom, Baby Bee's BFF, and our cozy little family.  Hmmm....maybe some coffee ice cream with dark chocolate shavings for dessert.

Maybe one day we can all get together for a delightful lunch in my little dining area - but I'm afraid it can only be 5 of you at a time.   Who wants to come?

P.S.  Wow!  Just found out Cottage Instincts has brought back

so I'll be hanging out over there too!

Hope you can check out all these fabulous parties!

Going Outside for Rednesday

Who wouldn't love to lounge in one of these chairs with the cutest red outdoor pillows ever?

We have four of these chairs on our patio...

with four of these matching pillows.  

Won't you come join me out on the patio for an icy glass of cherry limeade?  

And if you happen to nod off in these comfortable chairs I won't let you get sunburned.

Well if you can't come out here to enjoy my red, be sure to stop by all the other Rednesday participants to see what they are sharing.  Thanks Sue for hosting my favorite Wednesday party at It's a Very Cherry World. 

Happy Rednesday!