310...pottery cabana progress (part three)

After a brief winter hiatus, Tyler has been busy working on our backyard pottery cabana.

He built some decking off the front of it, that extends over the old waterfall of our pool, and wraps around the exterior of the cabana.

He also added the above step lights and some accent lighting on the outside of the structure.

He has also gotten several things done on the interior. A few months ago we salvaged some 100 year old paneling called shiplap from a bungalow in our neighborhood that was being renovated. Tyler wanted to use the old wood as the interior ceiling in the cabana.

I sanded all of the wood lightly with an orbital sander, to clean it of old debris, and treated it with this citrus wax paste

Here is the wood after it was treated.

Tyler and my Dad insulated the interior

and then they started putting up the salvaged wood ceiling

and also began putting up the brushed aluminum slat wall

and that is where we are at with it!

#309...fiddle leaf fig

I bought a fiddle leaf fig tree at Home Depot for $10, and planted it in my vintage ceramic swan planter.

A lot of designers use fiddle leaf fig trees in their interiors, as the large leaves make a big green impact in a room. Remember when Emily used one in her winning Design Star room?

Here are the care instructions that came with my fig.

It seems pretty easy to care for, but I've realized with house plants, that they can be fickle about their placement.....so here's hoping mine likes its new window. Here are more examples of fiddle leaf figs in designer interiors.

#308...azalea trail

This weekend, I went on this local annual Home Tour. It's named the Azalea Trail; however, my favorite house on the tour was very modern, and did not have any azaleas in their landscaping. Photos are not allowed of the home interiors, but I took some yard shots of this particular house, as Tyler and I are trying to figure out some landscaping ideas for our own backyard.

I liked their horizontal wood fencing

...and this plant, whatever it is?

There was a unique trough style waterfall and shallow pebble pond

Tyler liked this two tone stone pathway

A giant carved wood yard sculpture

more horizontal fencing and a potted garden grouping

I heart this metal and wood staircase

#307...focusing on lunch

For lunch during jury duty, our bailiff walks the twelve of us down the street to this old monestary that houses a famous Houston restaurant in it's social hall. It feels like a school cafeteria experience, since we all have to sit together, but are restricted as to what we can talk about. After we eat, we get a few minutes outdoors in the courtyard before heading back to court. It is spring here in Houston, and their Japanese Maple is blooming. It, and the great lunch food have been the highlight of my week.

We are allowed to have our phones during lunch, and that is what I took these pictures with.

#306...mac and cheese

I've been selected to serve on a jury for a capital murder trial for the next two weeks. We are only two days in, and I am worn. I needed some comfort food to help soothe the sad reality of how terrible we as humans can be to one another. I saw an advertisement in Sunset magazine for Bacon, Ranch and Chicken Mac and Cheese and knew it was just what I needed to make me feel happier this week. You can find the recipe here.

We doubled the recipe to yield the below 9x13 baking dish of goodness.

#305...pop of polka-dot

I sewed these polka-dot button tufted pillows for a client. They turned out really fun for spring, and it got me in the mood for more polka-dot decor.

design*sponge

hgtv

desire to inspire

house beautiful

elements of style

decor pad

little green notebook

homes & garden

design*sponge

desire to inspire

#304...southwest state of mind

I can get lost looking at other people's travel photos on Flickr. I love the color palette of this Grand Canyon shot, with the purples, pinks, corals, orange and grays.     
I want to try to bring some of this color scheme into my family room for spring. I bought a couple of kilim pillow covers on ebay to replace my plaid pillow covers.

Out thrifting, I found a few more things to work into my Southwest theme.