In our nearly 11 years of marriage, we’ve had a little experience with outdoor furniture, primarily in the form of miscellaneous umbrellas, dining tables and chairs.  And sadly, it almost always sits neglected, baking out in the hot Oklahoma summer. I’ve decided that this is primarily due to the fact that we are much more prone to be lounging outdoors than sitting around the dining table (bugs around food = Jude’s kryptonite. Srsly – he loses his mind over flies and food).

But being at Carlton Landing exposed us to an all-new level of appreciation for outdoor living. We spend so much time on the front porch lounging, reading, playing, etc. (I’ve put in my order for a custom daybed swing and I’m already planning out how I’m going to zhush it up on the porch. Whee!)

Now that Archer is mobile and enjoys exploring the backyard, I’ve been longing for a better patio furniture setup at our OKC house as we’ve been spending a lot more time outdoors, but don’t necessarily have the $$$ to throw towards a major project. And let’s be honest – outdoor furniture is obscenely pricey.

Over the weekend, I was surfing Craigslist and stumbled on a set of white CB2 chairs and an outdoor table for a steal. I sent the link to Simon, who thought they were a bargain and cute to boot, and he hopped on over to pick them up. So for $150, we got a whole lot of bang for our buck! And now I’m breathing a whole lot easier because Archer can climb all over them to his heart’s content without me fearing for his life.

We had an existing bench from a Pottery Barn wood dining table set (which sadly I would not recommend because the table is literally falling apart). I pulled the bench in front of the window and fluffed it with pillows to hide its decrepit look. The dining table went over to the side, which is good because I’d frequently find Archer standing on top of it (OMG CHILD). Our striped Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rug was brought outside (these things are so crazy indestructible – they are AMAZING).  And I also picked up a few little tasseled toss pillows from Target to add some color.

I’m already so pleased! It’s made such a happy difference to the backyard and I anticipate plenty of hours logged here over the summer. And it was such a bargain which makes me all the happier. They were originally on a patio of a restaurant here in town so they’ve got some wear and tear, but frankly I’m thrilled they’ve already been broken in and look pretty good to have already sat outside for so long!  (You can still purchase the originals at CB2: Casbah Coffee Table and a similar chair –> Triumph Chalk Lounge Chair.)

I’d like to grab an outdoor umbrella at some point to offer us some more shade as it’s pretty wide open as the afternoon wanes on. We picked up a pair of topiaries before the home tour and for a few days, I’d always startle when I’d walk through the living room. IS THAT A MAN IN THE BACKYARD OMG NO IT’S A TREE. Carry on, crazy.

Archer approves (clapping his sweet little baby hands).

Oh, and in the front yard (also for the home tour) I zhushed up the front porch with some Marimekko pillows on the Ikea bench. Our landscaping got a much-needed makeover thanks to some of the home tour sponsors – the most beautiful pink hibiscus I’ve ever seen are happily in our pots out front. And my hydrangeas are starting to bloom too finally.

Now the biggest challenge is keeping all the landscaping alive for a few more weeks until we complete a photoshoot at the end of May! #blackthumb #waterwaterwater