Deck improvements

This is the final look of our new little piece of heaven. I know a lot of people turn their nose up when it comes to shopping furniture at the big blue and yellow stores but "Yay for the Swedes!" The reclining chair are brilliant. They fold flat, can be used as dining chairs and perfect for lounging.

This outdoor graphic rug had been stowed away in a closet for a couple of years, forgotten. I'm glad I remembered about it. We decided to get the matching foot stools this past weekend and it was just the missing element to make for a perfect place to relax this summer and into the fall. 

Last but not least I took the time to add some ties to the cushions. Call it OCD but I prefer when seat cushions stay put. 

And I also added a loop to hang the cushions when they are not in used. OK I may have a little OCD side, so did the hubby who installed hooks to hangs the cushions.

Vast improvement over the previous situation
right ?

What I have been up to - Week 24

Not the best week I have to confess. At work, our interim manager has now become permanent. I'm not sure how things are going to work out. This will be a complete change from my previous boss for sure. And I've been stressing out about Bug and her school. The meeting in on Wednesday and I'm not sure we have all the information we need in our hands. 

To complicate things, my health problem are interfering a lot, at work and at home. I've been in a lot of pain most days which is not very conducive to rational thinking. Thankfully my doctor gave me a new prescription that will help me function until the second surgery, next month. It's been working so far. While yesterday afternoon was quite miserable, after 1 pill, the evening was much better and today I've been so far pain free. 

On the plus side of my week, my hubby has been awesome at helping out around so the house is very presentable, all the household chores have been taken care of so I can enjoy a really quiet Sunday. We were going to go to HonFest (a local even in Baltimore, half an hour away) with some friends but they decided to take it easy today and after my rough week, I'm glad to do the same.

 I've actually started on this by enjoying my morning coffee on the back deck. The reclining chairs we bought last weekend are so comfy, especially now that we added footstools!! 

We went to the local farmer's market, got some fresh fruit, veggies and bread and I showed off my fancy market tote - even my hubby said it looks very cool.

Then it was time to retreat inside: It is  hot and humid today with a good chance of thunderstorms in the evening. 

I've only completed very small projects this week : a couple of outfits for Princess Fiona and adding ties on the new chair's seat cushions. Oh and some fabric flowers... but that's always on the menu.

Last but not least, I think the best of my week actually happened late yesterday evening. My blog bestie and I spent over an hour on the phone exchanging ideas and just chatting away. It was like catching up with a long lost friend and it was AWESOME. I just know it's the first of many chats. Love it!! Looking forward to more.

What have you been up to? 

Denim upcycled - A tote for the farmer's market

I found some fun fabric at Joan's a couple of weeks ago: apples and oranges. The minute I saw them I knew just that I wanted to make a tote to go to the farmer's market that is held 2 blocks from our house on Sundays from May to October. I needed something sturdy to resist the weight but instead of canvas, used more denim reclaimed from Old jeans. 

It's roomy but low profile with a wide base to tuck in the groceries without piling them too much. I added a big pocket in the front for my cell phone and sunglasses,

 

a strap for closure with a really big button, a padded strap for comfort.

Inside I added a pocket with a snap to tuck in my wallet.

I'm out of Jeans for now but no matter: more upcycling to come