Outdoor living (teenage survival plan part 1)

I might have a few years before I have to worry about teenagers hanging out at our house, but since we don't have a basement to shoo them down into, I'm already making a plan.

Part 1 is a totally awesome, inviting backyard. Here in Utah we can use the backyard pretty much 9 months of the year. We've created a really fun outdoor living space on our back deck and are working on our firepit area, too.

We have liked loved adored our more comfortable, functional deck this summer. I fell in love with the idea of a pergola earlier in the spring, but then I realized that what I really wanted was lights strung up on the deck. 

2 10-ft copper pipes, cut to 8-ft lengths (the guy at Home Depot just opened up a pipe cutting tool and cut them for me free of charge)

2 small hooks

2 copper pipe caps

4 copper brackets that fit your pipe and 8 screws

Couldn't be easier! Drill a small hole about 6 inches from the top of your pipe and screw in the hook. Slide the cap onto the end of your pipe. Drill holes through the brackets and screw into place (yes, there are now holes in my vinyl deck railing. I don't care. I will not be taking these lights down!) String lights and enjoy!

I bought some plastic globe lights from Target.com (Glass ones break so easily and we get wicked east winds on our street). The string of lights + all the copper hardware only cost $30 total.

The lights are strung over just half of the deck, over our seating area. We've had all this furniture for years, but I moved some pillows from our inside couch to our swing bench. I put the pillow forms into plastic garbage bags and then zipped them back up in the pillow covers. The swing bench folds flat into a futon and Jason and I have been known to pile pillows and blankets on it and bring the computer out to watch movies under the stars. I found the outdoor mat for just $5 and I love how it helps define this space!

On the other side of the deck is our table and chairs. We've never had an outdoor dining set, but I found this one on a Facebook yard sale group. It was such a great deal! The umbrella is huge and covers half the deck. It's the perfect place to sit and enjoy a nice cold glass of fresh lemonade together.

These doors used to be white, but I noticed the wood along the bottom under the jamb was in danger of rotting, so I decided to paint the doors. First I tried black, but it was terrible, then I tried a gray that was even worse, and I finally settled on this gray (Intellectual by Behr). Funny story, I spent so much energy painting and repainting that I never got around to sanding or painting the wood that is actually rotting. Great!!!!

And I love my boxwood wreath and A!

So, until my girls start inviting their friends over on the weekends, Jason and I have been enjoying the deck pretty much every evening. How are you enjoying summer?

SOS

I have deemed this the summer of the backyard and I'm finally tackling all the little projects in the backyard that never get done because no one sees it. 

Yay!

Most of them are fun!

Here's one that is not!

I desperately needed to paint the back doors leading from the kitchen to the deck because the wood was starting to rot in places. They were white, but I saw a picture on Pinterest of a house with tan siding and black exterior french doors. I loved the look, so I decided to do that!

But after two coats of glossy black paint, I decided I was wrong wrong wrong. It was like looking into a pit of despair. Or like the Nothing from Never Ending Story.

So then I decided gray would be better. But THIS IS WORSE THAN THE BLACK!! I chose a very blue gray (gray is hard). This is definitely not working. I have one more darker, more grayer gray to try (close to charcoal). If that doesn't work, I need your help--

Should I go back to white? Or should I try to find a good red for the doors? If it makes a difference, everything on the deck is very warm tones.