Patio Project - Phase 1

 
     At the Falkner house, we've decided to undertake the huge project of extending our back patio. When we initially built our house we only built on a small back porch, thinking we'd eventually get to doing this. Our back is in full, hot sun in the late afternoon, so it's hard to use the back porch when we actually want to use it. Our idea is to extend the part attached to the house straight out about sixteen feet, then from there turn left and go out to meet the corner of our house with a pergola, with the entire extended part dropped about a foot and a half below our slab to follow the slope of the hill down and perhaps partially decked out. We're planning to have a firepit, a table and chairs for eating outside, a daybed swing, a place to hang the hammock we've had for years and never put up, and of course plenty of space for sitting around in our swings and chairs.

     Phase One of the patio project was to extend the already concreted pad out a little bit, about two by five feet, with some of the bricks left over from building the house in this little alcove area between our patio and my bedroom's box window. We needed the extra room to be able to scoot the grill out and not have it crowding the area we have our patio furniture in. So on the Fourth of July while we were all off work, even though it was hot as bajeesus, we started to work.

Molly 'working'...haha

After scraping the place flat and laying a bed of Quick-crete, we start laying brick.

Mike working hard doing the manly parts of the job

Almost finished

Done! One smooth brick patio extension. I'm hoping to maybe help it look a little less new with some DIY moss or something, but it'll have to be less than 110 outside for that to happen. 

We didn't all fit in the camera frame because we're so hot and sweaty we didn't want to be ANY closer to each other.

Ah, who cares if we're nasty and sweaty? Kisses all around!

Some of our inspiration pictures:

I'm already excited about the daybed swing. Just imagine all the quality napping that'll happen on this thing!

I'm really excited about these wine bottle planters. I've been saving bottles for AGES, and I've got a dremel bit perfect for poking holes in glass. I just need the weather to cooperate!

Hey yall, if you happen to drink lots of drinks with metal tops, save them for me! I'm making one of these! Lol I've been paying real close attention to the asphalt in parking lots lately looking for these. It's better than hunting for change :)