Let's take it outside

First of all, I have a confession to make. I am now addicted to Pinterest. Like others that have gone before me, I have become sucked in to all of the wonderful ideas on Pinterest that will surely turn my home into a perfect oasis overnight. I'm also in major denial.

So, if you follow me on Facebook or Pinterest, you're already aware of my obsession. I'm using Pinterest as a jumping-off point for our house. It's a great tool because it has beautiful, lofty ideas but it also has DIYs for pretty much any task.

One thing that drew me towards our house was the amazing lot. Mark had said before that he wanted mature trees, but I brushed that wish off because I knew that if we needed, we could always plant trees. Luckily for us, this cute little home happens to have three trees that, I'm guessing, are over 50 years old. They provide GREAT shade and really give dimension to the lot.

These two photos were taken during the inspection back in June. It was about 103 degrees that day but standing under this tree in the backyard was slightly pleasant! 

We really love the backyard. It's a great size: not too small, not too big. There is a chain link fence on 2/3 of the yard, but it is completely covered in ivy. I love that the ivy makes the unsightly chain link more private. The saint Augustine grass is flawless and still alive, so far! Hopefully the trees will help keep the grass alive through these hot summer months.

Luckily, we don't have a long list of things to do in the backyard to make it livable.

First, we are going to get a stock tank for Motley to drink from and swim in. We plan for her to stay outside while we are away and at work, but we want to make sure she can cool down when it's hot. The dog LOVES to swim.

Second, we have future plans to take out the odd triangle-shaped concrete patio. I'm thinking we will either do a brick patio or square concrete pavers with grass peeking through. Here are a few inspiration photos from Pinterest: 

Third, i would love to build a pergola off the back doors. We have two French doors that open onto the back patio and I think a pergola would be great! My dad has experience building outdoor structures so I hope he could lend a hand!

I'll admit that I don't have much of a green thumb, but I will try my hand at gardening. But even without my failed attempts, we will have a great starting point with our yard as it is now. I just can't wait to see what it turns into!