Patio Progress: What Day Are We On??

Well...I can't say I wasn't warned. Everyone told me that our landscaping guy's "guarantee" to be finished in a week or less wouldn't hold up, but I assured them they were wrong about our guy. Our guy was different. Our guy would finish on time. We had used him before, and everything had gone so smoothly, so there was no way our guy would be like the rest. Definitely eating those words now.

Here are a few recent pictures:

We are currently on day EIGHT of the project. Yes..day eight (day nine if you count last Sunday when they didn't work, but actually only day six-and-a-half if you count the last three days they haven't shown up until noon). But who's counting, right? Oh right, I AM! Because every extra day tacked on means:

1. An extra day of having to wrestle Trent (and myself) into the BabyBjorn, wrestle Bevo into his harness and actually walk around the block five times since the backyard is off limits. Picking up dog poop is REAL fun with a baby strapped to you...especially a baby that is in the "grab everything within reach" phase. Awesome.

2. An extra day of being that annoying neighbor that wakes everyone up at the crack of dawn  probably doesn't actually disrupt anyone's day since her workers don't show up until noon...but has to listen to the ear-piercing sawing of flagstone for hours on end.

3. An extra day of not being able to USE the patio and enjoy the awesome weather we have been having lately. Today Lupe told us he would be done tomorrow afternoon. Weather forecast for tomorrow evening: a 30 degree drop. Figures.

BUT in spite of everything we are still making the best of it. We have been sitting outside every evening to eat dinner and in the mornings for coffee. The giant mound of wet cement/grout/whatever right in the middle really adds to the ambiance, as does the face full of dust you get with every breeze. Seriously though...even with the back yard an absolute WRECK, we have still enjoyed being out there. I can't even imagine how much better it is going to be all cleaned up and decked out!

Speaking of....we spent the better part of Sunday shopping for all the patio fixin's (and of course ended up getting pretty much everything back at the first place we had been). It is incredible how expensive outdoor furniture can be, and it seems like the quality of the pricier stuff isn't any higher than the cheaper stuff. We looked for bargains, used coupons and even negotiated with the manager at World Market to get a 15% off discount on our ENTIRE purchase (even after coupons and sale pricing). All in all, we are happy with our picks and now have a little extra room for plants and other finishing touches (booze and Sun Chips). Here is some of what we came home with:


This dining table and chairs..with striped cushions. It was on major sale, plus we talked the guy into a 15% discount..so it was a steal for sure.

This love seat and chair with rust/orange slip covers and coordinating chevron back cushions/pillows. This is the only part of what we got that I am not totally sold on. I really wanted the more modular/sectional style outdoor couches (like at Crate & Barrel, for example), but we didn't really feel like taking out a second mortgage on the house. Plus it was Sunday, and the banks were closed. So hopefully this set works out okay..

I will have to wait and share the rest, including all the fun little accessories and outdoor dining/drinkware next time! It has been a few hours since I last looked out the window, and I don't know how much longer I can wait. Also...my bag of Sun Chips is empty. Also..it is 4:30pm. Too early for a drink? Trent is battling his first little virus, and I think we could all use a nap, or a drink, or both. Can't wait to update you with the finished patio shortly..tomorrow...or the next day..or...who knows? Sigh.