{Affiliate links are included in this post. Click here to read my full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy. All opinions are my own.}

This patio is a good size and the other side of it is still being set up, as we are unpacking boxes right now, but I wanted to make this little corner for my teens to hang out. I didn’t really understand the necessity for sun rooms here until we moved in. One word….mosquitoes…ha! So the screens are so lovely and helpful and we can still be outside and relax and eat and enjoy being in nature. I wanted really comfy chairs for my kids and I knew they loved these egg pod chairs so I was thrilled to see Walmart had them for such a great price. I might want a couple more but for now, it’s great for both my teens to each have or for one of them and a friend to come out and relax on.

To create this space I started with this great, neutral outdoor rug. It’s smooth, not hard and scratchy like some, was very affordable, and looks like it washes off easily.

These egg pod chairs are not only super duper comfortable but their price was better than others I’d found. I grabbed some darling yellow-striped pillows to add a fun pop of color.

I needed some greenery and found the cutest faux lemon tree, also a fraction of the price of other ones I’ve compared online, and it fit perfectly into one of my existing pots. It also went my little lemon theme I had planned.

 

Walmart has so many fun items for this summer! Not only for outside but for decorating the interior of your home and also tabletop items. I had to have this lovely aqua dinnerware set. I sliced some lemons and sparkling water, although most Southerners here would probably choose sweet tea. It’s a staple here.

Since I’m still unpacking boxes galore, grabbing some lemon treats from Walmart’s bakery and adding lemon pieces for garnish was a better alternative to save me from baking from scratch. I love how cute the yellow desserts were on these aqua dishes! This was a fun way to present this area to my kiddos. They loved this whole set-up and would be so cute on your table or patio area while entertaining this summer!

Isn’t this fun?! Even though it’s super hot here, this patio stays cool and now I’ve been able to create the perfect spot for my teens (or for Josh and I) to come escape to and spend time together. Do you have an outdoor summer hangout spot for your family? I can’t wait to see them out here together. I already spotted them out here having lunch together and it made my mama heart so happy. You can check out all the cute Walmart summer items HERE and put together your very own space or order some items to add a fun splash of summer to your home!

 

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I’m so glad you could stop by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

 xoxo,

 

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The post Outdoor Summer Hangout Spot appeared first on Summer Adams.

We are experiencing a heat wave here in the Pacific Northwest and next week is officially Summertime! So this is the perfect time to welcome all of you readers to my first summer tour of the season, the “Season Simplicity Summer Series”, hosted by my friend Krista from The Happy Housie. A special warm welcome to those of you here for the first time today! I hope you sign up at the top of the page for my emails so that you don’t miss out on all the fun. I have some really exciting events and things up my sleeve for all of you so make sure to stick around! But first….let’s go straight to my back patio and yard for a little summer tour!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy. All opinions are my own.
Items from the post will be linked in the “Shop The Post” section at the end!

Last year was our first summer in our new home that we built here after moving from Texas here to Vancouver, Washington. Back in Texas, we were already familiar with the people we needed to contact when in need of any immediate services, like the much needed AC repairs from JAK Services (https://jakservices.com/fort-worth-air-conditioning-repair-service/) or others in our neighborhood. Whether we were preparing the home for the summer heat wave or getting it cozied up for the winter, we knew whom to approach. In Vancouver, everything was new to us and it was slightly overwhelming at first, to be honest. Nevertheless, we were able to design everything from scratch and really make it our own, I was so happy about this. The community is lovely here so we all helped each other over winter, and a couple of neighbors came round to help me out as well. Quite a few houses around here have some flags up which makes me feel all proud to be living here! They looked a bit like the residential flagpoles at Flagpoles Etc that I’ve seen before. I was wondering if we should do it too, it gives off a vibe of patriotism, so many people are proud to be American after all! Anyway, that’s by the by! We had so much more to sort as well. Making our house look incredible, and our garden too, because this was super important to me. Our few flowers and shrubs were newly planted and small and not much had been done. Now that we’ve been through a winter with them, we’ve been able to see what’s survived and what hasn’t. Most everything did.

I’m not a fan of annuals. I usually only have 2 of them and keep it pretty low maintenance with those, other than the annuals in my hanging basket. I plant perennials and like to find things that will bloom spring to fall and keep color all summer long. I also like to add other plants that will bloom at different times.

I have 1 type of rose that blooms in March and April and then that’s it. I also have my yellow lilies, daffodils and tulips, hyacinth Then my peonies in May and June. These are my peony bushes (now empty) that just all bloomed and finished and then I have 2 rose bushes on the end.

I picked the last of my peonies (left arrangement) last week and they all look beautiful inside my home! Imagine those empty peony bushes on the previous outdoor picture filled with peony blooms. It was gorgeous! I’m so sad I didn’t get it photographed but I was so ill with health problems and just didn’t catch it. Next year for sure!

All my roses and hydrangeas are next through the summer. I just LOVE roses so I have some on each end of my yard and some in the middle.

Our backyard is not very deep, it’s shallow. But the sides are large. I won’t be showing you those today as I had hoped because we didn’t get them done in May, due to some health problems I’ve had. I’m bummed! We have had some fun things mapped out but hopefully we’ll get them done by the end of the summer. I’ll let you know.

That being said….with the space from our back door to the fence being more shallow, I really wanted a lot of greenery and to not just look out back and see “Fence!” every time I looked out the back windows. My solution was to buy a lot of beautiful honeysuckle plants, white flowered chocolate vine plants, clematis (planted one last year and it came back after I thought it wouldn’t) and then I just planted a couple of climbing rose bushes. I think it’ll be just beautiful. It already is.

Tip: The great thing about the honeysuckle and white flowering chocolate vines is that they are evergreen! That will be the most aesthetically-pleasing. Plus, they smell sooooo good and the honeysuckle attract the humming birds so it’s just wonderful!

I love a variety of color in my garden but I also love aroma! Dianthus are very aromatic and have such various delicious smells. Some smell like raspberries dipped in chocolate to me….some like vanilla and cherries…they are just yummy smelling and so easy to care for.

I love roses! I have quite the rose garden but I’m embarrassed to post these as I haven’t even had a moment to trim these all back yet before taking pics. Like I said, I’ve been suffering from some health issues that are new and taking getting used to.

My mom is here for a bit helping and she and I are tackling that next. It’s crazy how they’ve all toppled over in just the last couple of weeks! They are growing soooo fast! How cute is that cement tufted-style garden stool?!! I found it at HomeGoods and knew it would be just darling in my rose garden.

At the end of the lawn where the stone path starts, we are going to be putting a little trellis over it with climbing roses. It’ll be so cute. This leads to our DIY stone bench. I purchased the stone at a supplier here locally and added cement ($3) in between. The stone cost about $90. It leads to our little fairy garden and sits next to my first apple tree. I’ll be planting a row of fruit trees. Can’t wait! I have petunias around the bottom of my tree for fun.

My kids helped me create this small fairy garden in the corner, behind my rose garden. I know they’re too old for it, but we really did it for my nieces and nephews that come to visit and the smaller children who come over to play. It’s a fun little area. I bought everything at Michael’s last year on sale at the end of the summer so the prices were awesome.

One of my favorite additions this year has been to our patio…our retractable awning. It’s manual but it was just a few hundred dollars and it is quick and easy to roll in and out. We paid a local company to come out and install it for a few hundred dollars because we wanted it done really well. I suggest doing that unless your husband is super handy. Mine is great at closing business deals and sports but he will tell you that he’d feel more confident hiring someone for this task and I’d agree that’s best when the wind whips this thing around. You want it really anchored and sturdy!

I like keeping to wreath hangers in between my windows during the summer entertaining months so that I can switch out my wreaths with tablescapes.

Bringing your bar cart outside for summer entertaining is a MUST!

Lemons are so fresh and summery so I thought this was the best way to kick of the summer, with an easy lemon floral centerpiece. I added a cup inside the vase for the flowers to sit in. I added the thin slices of lemons in between and that was it. These were very inexpensive flowers from the grocery store, $10 total. And $2 for the lemons.

We could sit out here every night for dinner and watch the sunset and look at the view of the Wetlands and those gorgeous trees! Love it out here!!!

My other favorite addition this summer to our backyard has been our new grey umbrella with white fringe. (Everything is linked below.) It’s fun to take out our dining set for more of a “garden party” feel with the umbrella and set it up on the grass. It’s the cutest umbrella and I’d been wanting it for a while. We’ll be using it in another spot that we are designing that we hope to have finished.

I like to have towels ready for water balloons fights and water fun in the backyard at all times!

I’ll finally be getting around to the tutorial on the putting green I made for my hubby on the side of the house as a surprise gift so stay tuned! (Beckham was trying it out. He approved.)

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Nearly 40 bloggers are sharing their summer home tours this week! Sharing with me today are…

Thursday

Kim Power Style // Maison de Pax // Jenna Kate at Home // Two Twenty One // Just a Girl and Her Blog

Summer Adams // tatertots and jello // The Tattered Pew // Aratari at Home // Crisp Collective

And sharing the rest of the week…

Monday

The Happy Housie // Rooms FOR Rent // Shabbyfufu // Maison de Cinq // My 100 Year Old Home

Southern State of Mind // All Things with Purpose // Grace in My Space // Love Create Celebrate

Tuesday

Town and Country Living // Taryn Whiteaker Designs // Designthusiasm
// This is Our Bliss // My Sweet Savannah

Rambling Renovators // The Turquoise Home // Clean and Scentsible
// She Gave it a Go //Lemon Thistle

Wednesday

Modern Glam // Craftberry Bush // Setting for Four // Inspiration for Moms // Zevy Joy

Life is a Party // Tauni Everett // Finding Silver Pennies // Sincerely, Marie Designs // Amber Tysl

I’m so glad you could stop by today! I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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The post Back Patio & Yard Summer Tour appeared first on Summer Adams.

IT’S HERE!!!  Serena And Lily, one of my favorite stores, is having their Memorial Day Sale and it starts NOW!  I’m sharing some new things from them that I received and also sharing my favorites with you!  Find your 20% off coupon code here in this post below and get ready to shop away…YAY!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy.  This post is sponsored by Serena And Lily but all opinions are my own.

 

Serena and Lily believes living well begins at home.
I couldn’t agree more!  I love being at home and bringing people we love to our home.

They are known for their fresh take on casual dining, their luxurious linens, and their inspired, weather-proof collections that make the outdoors a true extension of your home. From plush beach towels to stylish outdoor sectionals, crisp percale sheets, and coastal counter stools, Serena & Lily has everything you need for Summer, making their Memorial Day Sale one not to miss!

Whether you’re looking to refresh your outdoor space or bring some summer vibes into your home, the Memorial Day Sale is one the the biggest events of the year over at Serena & Lily.

You can save 20% on everything (some exclusions apply like PUBLIC Bike, art, gift certificates and final sale items) using the code “SUMMERPREP”. The Memorial Day Sale runs from 5/22-5/28.

My New Serena And Lily Items For Our Backyard

Serena And Lily recently sent me some fun new things, first of which was this gorgeous new Fringed Umbrella in granite/white that I’d been eyeing for a while.  Isn’t it perfect for a garden party?!  We do a lot of those here in the Pacific Northwest.  I’ve been hard at work out back in my garden.  This umbrella is perfect for a coastal look but it looks gorgeous too in my backyard with the wetlands as a backdrop.  I love how they coordinate with the look of an oval table and gray and white bistro chairs!

Ideally, the Galvanized Umbrella Stand is probably the best (which I need) but you can also use the Crosby Table Umbrella Stand.

Serena And Lily Beach Towels

The must-have accessory of the summer season are the Serena And Lily beach towels!  Aren’t they the cutest?!

I have the Sydney Beach towelin Smoke with the yellow tassels and I couldn’t love them more!  For next to the pool, at the beach, or water balloon fights….we can’t live without them.  Our summer will be that much more stylish and they are so so soft.  They have so many different styles of their gorgeous towels so I’ll link them below.  Now is the time to stock up on them with that great discount!

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Serena And Lily Outdoor Favorites

I mean, where do I start…I have so many!  But I really love their outdoor collections right now since I have outdoor living on my mind.  This particular group below is my favorite.  It’s what I want for our patio addition that I’m designing right now.

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Serena And Lily Lighting Favorites

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Other Serena And Lily Favorites

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The post Serena And Lily Favorites + Memorial Day Sale appeared first on Summer Adams.

The Seasonal Simplicity Summer series is back today; and this time we’re all about simple summer decor in our outdoor spaces! Patios, decks, backyards… bring them on! I can’t wait to take in all the gorgeous outdoor inspiration being shared today. Welcome! And thanks for joining me and my other friends today!

Thanks so much to our friend, Krista from The Happy Housie, who is hosting this tour and getting us all together. I’m sharing a fun pink lemonade themed outdoor table with you that I created for a Girls Night In. It’s perfect for the summer!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that we’ve lived here 7 1/2 months and built this home. All the landscaping is simple and new. My flowers and plants are just babies and newly-planted so I don’t have the mature garden that I dream of…not yet. I just received my back patio furniture last month. You can read all about it HERE and find all the sources.

I’ve been loving eating on our back patio most spring and summer nights so far.  Weather and insects did not permit that in Texas so we are really loving the Pacific Northwest for that alone.

I thought it would be the perfect time to invite just a few girlfriends over for an intimate dinner on my patio instead of going out.

Y’all know I love to set a table and I also love pink. I’ve been obsessed with lemons, this season especially, so a “pink lemonade” theme sounded fun and summery.

A simple lemon cake from Trader Joe’s with some flowers and lemon garnish was easy and delicious.

Last year I made a fruit and floral arrangement with limes that I loved so much so I thought it would be fun to try something similar with lemons for a quick and easy centerpiece.  See the tutorial I used HERE.

Pink roses and carnations were inexpensive and the only pink flowers at Trader Joe’s (ha!) so I did a fun little mix of those in the center and then sliced lemons around the inside of the hurricane and vase.

I clipped lemons from a faux lemon branch and hot glued them to some leaves to make a cute little decor piece for the middle of each plate.  You could even tie their name, written on a strip of paper, on the lemons as a place card.

All sources are linked below in the “Shop The Post” section except for the trays and hurricane.  Those were fun items I found at HomeGoods and couldn’t find the same ones online for you but linked similar items.

Speaking of HomeGoods….I was in there last month and found the cutest scallop planter pot.  I knew it would be perfect for my lemon tree so I brought it home.  I can’t wait for lemons to grow off those little branches!  I have fond memories of going to my grandparents’ home and always picking fresh lemons for homemade lemonade and for lemon water and lemon recipes.  I found a matching smaller pot last week so I’m going to grow blueberries in there. And check out my hydrangeas!  They are blooming and growing….Woohoo!!

We purchased a gray and white striped bistro awning to cover the rest of the patio BUT the guys are still swamped and haven’t gotten to it, ugh. Can’t wait to show that to you when it’s been hung.

We still have a LOT to add to our back and side yards.  Play area for the kids, a garden, fruit trees, a lounge area, fire pit, fairy garden and more.  But I did manage to get my husband a really fun Fathers’ Day gift….

I designed it and made it with the help of my mom, who happened to be in town, and a couple of young men to bring some muscle to the project.  I’m hoping to get the tutorial done this week and on the blog so stay tuned!  My husband was soooo surprised and loved it so much.  Here is my son, Beckham, testing it out.

Please visit all of my fabulous friends joining in the tour today!

The Happy Housie / Inspiration for Moms / Rooms for Rent / Bless’er House

Shabbyfufu / Summer Adams / Making it in the Moutains / TIDBITS

Confessions of a Serial DIYer / Clean and Scentsible / Just a Girl and Her Blog / Stacy Risenmay

Zevy Joy / Finding Silver Pennies / Deeply Southern Home / A Pretty Life

Southern State of Mind / Amber Tysl / Newly Woodwards

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Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Pink Lemonade Outdoor Dining Table For Girls Night appeared first on Summer Adams.

It’s our first spring and summer in our new home and I’ve partnered with my friends at Birch Lane to create a beautiful dining experience for our outdoor meals as a family! We have barely started on our landscaping but we’ve planted a bunch of flowers and plants while we commence the landscaping design. However, here in the Pacific Northwest we have the most beautiful spring and summers and we are so looking forward to eating dinners out on our back porch instead of indoors. Our outdoor dining was the first to-do on our backyard list. I’m so excited to share it with you today! Also joining to share their outdoor spaces are some fabulous bloggers. Welcome to all who are here today and come with me as I invite you to my French-inspired back patio dining!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy. All opinions are my own.

As we were moving here to the West Coast from Texas last summer and designing this semi-custom home with our builder, I knew I wanted the overall feel and style of this house to be “French Coastal Glam“. I wanted all 3 styles blended into my own style and the back patio was no exception. My friends at Birch Lane asked to help me create this back patio dining space and I loved looking through all of their gorgeous outdoor furniture to see if they had the pieces that I had envisioned for this patio. Oh, yes they did!

I love that french bistro chairs are so on trend right now and was even more excited when I found these Lucia Bistro Stacking Chairs in gray and white, to coordinate with my home. I also chose the Mahler dining table because I wanted that coastal look, something expandable with a hole in the center for an umbrella, and something white so that it stood out against our gray siding on the home.

Putting the chairs and table together was perfect and exactly what I had in mind! I’m so glad Birch Lane had these items!

Also…

I chose this gorgeous 3-tiered Lauren Bar Cart to add some glam outside and then bring it back inside at the end of summer. That cute Twist Rope Tray is part of a set that I also chose and I absolutely love them, indoors and outdoors, to serve food or even just hold candles or vases.

Here is the other larger tray from that set. It was perfect for serving an array of whole fruit for this luncheon. But before we move on to what I served, please take notice of that lovely planter in the background!

The Lexington Tall Planter had that coastal style that I wanted and matches the {shorter version} planters by my front door that I purchased months ago and compliment our Cape Cod house exterior design perfectly. I’ll share those another day.

I planted some white Icecap Roses and some blue Amsonia around the bottom. It’s only been a week and they are all blossoming and growing so quickly. I love the way this planter looks on the outer corner of our patio. I think it really completes the look and helps to keep the patio looking summery all year round. I also try to keep the patio as clean as I possibly can, and companies like Renew Crew of Northwest Wisconsin and many more are useful when it comes to having a perfectly clean patio.

Ok, let’s get to the place settings and food!

I love the new AERIN Collection at Williams-Sonoma! I bought them when they came out and couldn’t wait to put them on this outdoor dining table!

I chose the Scalloped Rim Dinner Plates in blue, the Sea Blue Floral Salad Plates, and the Fairfield Napkins. I purchased the jute braided chargers HERE, the gold flatware HERE (similar here), and found these stunning gold-rimmed blue goblets HERE.

I wanted our first official meal as a family out here to be French-inspired too. I’ve lived in Europe (Portugal) so I know that, although I haven’t been to France yet, they all have a similar way of life when it comes to food. You often see cheese and wine, fresh bread being sold on many corners, pastries and biscuits, meats and salads and lot of fruits. Oh, and sparkling water.

I purchased the cake stand last year at HomeGoods and also the blue floral melamine salad bowl there too. Salad tongs can be found HERE and you can find the bread board HERE.

Don’t you just LOVE peony season?! I found these pink peonies at Trader Joe’s and they all bloomed in like 2 days. So fun! I put them in one of my favorite vases and brought them out for our lunch.

Our family loves this French Lemonade and it’s perfect for this occasion. Ice bucket can be found HERE.

Ice Tongs can be found HERE and agate bottle opener can be found HERE.

THE BACKYARD PLAN:

So we’ve planted hydrangeas and peonies, roses, pansies, snapdragons, clamentis, snowballs, azaleas, lilies, daffodils and more. Trees are next and adding more grass. We have deep side yards. I promised the kids a fairy garden, a new trampoline and play area for them and all the cousins, a fire pit, sitting benches, and a covered seating/lounge area. We’ll also add a storage shed that we’ll be ordering soon (matches our home) and a garden and a bunch of fruit trees on that side as well.

Oh! And notice how the patio is only partially covered! There is reason for that. I want a gray and white striped retractable awning to extend over the patio. I’ve always wanted one. So that’s coming soon.

Fun, right?! I can see it all in my mind but the joy comes from working together as a family and creating this little backyard dream step by step. And it will take time for all of my plants to grow and crawl over the fence. My own little Secret Garden!

I found the cutest apron to wear (I love aprons and have a fun collection) that coordinated with my tablescape and wore it while setting the table and serving my family. Lemon-herb chicken was in the oven and served over rice.

Apron / Shoes / Jeans / Top / Earrings / Ring / Lipstick

Kitchen sources can be found in THIS POST.

I’ve had this garden chandelier for a few years and I thought it would be perfect here. I just need to find some battery-operated tapered candles for it and I think I’ll add more chain and lower it.

I love being able to see our neighbors’ barn from my backyard. When I’m upstairs, I get to watch their horses during the day. It’s the prettiest view!

CONFESSION:

This “family luncheon” I’d been planning for actually turned into a family dinner. Josh and the kids and I were working in the yard, had a soccer game, did some other chores, and then decided to wait and stick the chicken in the oven closer to dinner.

It was perfect because we got to shower and relax and enjoy the sunset!

We have the prettiest view of the Wetlands behind us, which is why we chose this lot, and the sun sets right behind those trees.

So we lit a couple of citronella candles (found at HomeGoods), turned on some music, and enjoyed the perfect temperatures, food, and sunset.

Make Sure to Visit These Other Great Blog Posts!

Martha | Simple Cozy Charm

Kim and Lacey | Styled with Lace

Amie | Meme Hill

Ashley | Modern Glam

Summer | Summer Adams

Judy | Life is Better at Home

Yuni | Love Your Abode

Joan | 2 Ladies and a Chair

Amy | Crazy Chic Design

Bethany | The Posh Home

Janine | Happy Happy Nester

Jackie | Finding Lovely

Rhonda | Hallstrom Home

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Thank you so much for stopping by today and a huge THANK YOU to my friends at Birch Lane for sponsoring this post and helping us create a beautiful French-inspired back patio dining space! Please make sure to stop by their website and browse their outdoor furniture selection to help you create that perfect dining space of your own to enjoy this season!

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post French Inspired Back Patio Dining appeared first on Summer Adams.

One of my favorite things to do during the summer is to invite friends and family over and entertain outdoors. I usually do that when I’m at my parents’ home in California because, as we’ve been moving frequently over the past several years with my husband’s company, we haven’t taken the time to invest in our own outdoor furniture. We have all these plans for creating an outdoor oasis for our new home that we’re currently building on “Tall Trees Lane”, our nickname for our build. As I look through several friends’ blogs, I thought you’d want to see the inspiration I’m pinning as well so I’m sharing tips for entertaining outdoors this summer in today’s blog post. Hopefully, some of these ideas will be perfect for your next summer event with your friends and family. When entertaining outdoors in the summer though, you do have to be cautious of the weather. If it becomes too hot, it could be dangerous for people to be outside for that long. Too much sun exposure could result in heat-related issues, so make sure that people can have access to your home, especially if you have an air conditioner in there. Normally, air conditioning units are a must for summer to keep the house cool. If your unit isn’t working as well as it once did, it might be worth visiting https://mrquikhomeservices.com/indianapolis/hvac/ac-repair/ to see if they could repair it for you. Hopefully, that will help you to keep everyone safe throughout the summer. The sun can be lovely, but also dangerous at times, so be cautious.

Turn your porch into a cozy oasis!

Welcome to my friend Kelley Nan’s porch makeover. Her pops of blue are so soothing and summery. She created the sweetest relaxing date here for her darling husband. Hop on over to her post and see the view of this porch at night when all the twinkling lights are on. You can read all about how Kelley transformed this space and see what she served for their special night at home. How adorable is she?! So many of us have porches that we are not utilizing but Kelley will inspire you to work on yours so that it’s a fun space to lounge and entertain at this Summer and not just wasted space or a place to store things. Kelley did such a lovely job!

Create an outdoor drink station for your guests!

Next, we visit my friend Rebekah from A Blissful Nest. Rebekah is so fun to be around so I just know she is a really fun hostess. Anytime you are entertaining outdoors, your guests will want to know where to find a cold beverage. While many of us have brought out a cooler with ice and drinks for our guests, this outdoor drink station that Rebekah made is so much cuter! Your guests will just love it!

Provide fun for everyone outdoors!

Unfortunately, I live in a part of California that experiences drought very often so we can’t have grass in our backyard. Instead, we used artificial grass but if you’re in an area where you can water and maintain your grass better than I can, you should definitely go to someone like Green Valley Turf Co. to give your grass a new lease of life.

There’s nothing like a great backyard makeover and my friend Marta McCue recently finished hers down in Florida. Not only did Marta include a table for eating and a sitting area to lounge in, she also created fun for her friends and family by adding an outdoor movie screen. It’s so easy to do and after the sun goes down, you can project movies from DVD’s, cable, etc. Read more here to see how Martha did that. It’s funny how kids would rather grab all their friends and watch a movie outdoors in the summer.

Outdoor Entertaining For Two

Often, we think of throwing BBQ’s and outdoor parties for friends and family or even saving it for a special occasion. However, my dear friend Tamara from Citrine Living knows that the most important kind of outdoor meals are the ones for just you and your other half. Sometimes you just don’t feel like getting dressed up and going out to an expensive restaurant or fighting city traffic. Why not create a special and romantic space in your very own backyard? With your favorite beverage and appetizers to your most-loved dishes and desserts, a night at home in the backyard might just be the best time ever spent together! Isn’t this set-up that Tamara created just dreamy?! Anyone can do it. Read more about it in her blog post and grab some inspiration to surprise your significant other this Summer! I just love this.

Host an unforgettable pool party!

There’s nothing better than inviting your friends over for a pool party in the summer. Whether it’s for a birthday or graduation or just because it’s Summertime…a pool party is always a good idea! I used to throw one at the end of the school year to celebrate. Rebekah from A Blissful Nest shared her outdoor drink station above, and now check out this party! I can hardly believe it! Wait until you see all the details! Her decor, her printables, her food and drink served….it’s the perfect pool party bash that I know you’ll want to recreate. Read here for every detail and more pictures. It’s so hot while I’m writing this blog post that I want nothing more than to jump into that blue pool!

Serve something absolutely delicious!

My mouth is already watering just looking at this Raspberry Gourmet S’More Recipe that Kendra from Simply Darrling shared. Making s’mores are a must-do every summer but we’ve enjoyed trying new s’more recipes each year. I love chocolate and fruit together. But adding the marshmallow and graham cracker makes it a little bit of Heaven in your mouth! Yummy! How cute would these be to make?! I bet your guests will love them!

And how about this drink to wash them down…..

I had to share Rebekah’s summer drink recipe that is totally delicious! This Cucumber Berry Spritzer is so absolutely refreshing and since it’s non-alcoholic, it is perfect for all ages! I sure do love berries in anything during the spring and summer!

Al Fresco dining on the porch!

I love eating outdoors! I’ve shared in many posts that I love to set a nice table for my family each week and that includes when we are eating out on the patio as well. My friend Rhoda from Southern Hospitality shows how to do this perfectly. Ditch the paper plates and cups and bring out some of your fun colored dishes and serve ware! I like what Rhoda said, “Having a porch with a table is one of those small pleasures in life for me…”. Isn’t that how we should treat those spaces?! Create a change of scenery and do something nice for your friends and family by setting a beautiful table like Rhoda’s and serve them your favorite summer salads and dishes! Read more about Rhoda’s gorgeous outdoor table here and make plans to do the same!

Try something new by making your outdoor entertaining unforgettable with all of these fun tips that I’ve shared from my friends today. Make sure to pin all of these fabulous ideas to Pinterest and follow along with their blogs as well! You’ll find inspiration for days! Thanks to each one of my friends for allowing me to share today!

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xoxo,

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The post Tips For Entertaining Outdoors This Summer appeared first on Summer Adams.

If you follow me on Instagram, you are probably familiar with a hashtag design challenge called “BrightWhiteWednesday” or #BrightWhiteWednesday, that a group of us used last year in 2016 to encourage our friends of the home decor community to share their bright white spaces at home.  These are the most popular spaces on social media because they catch your eye and stop your thumb when scrolling on your phone. They are beautiful and timeless and no matter what style your home is, you can achieve a bright and beautiful home.  It’s been a common theme when helping my clients re-decorate and style their homes.  It brings a sort of “magic” to a home and totally transforms the look and feel, making it look bigger and causing you to want to linger longer. Did you know it actually lightens your mood and increase serotonin?  Ok, it’s not a proven medical fact haha, but it’s exactly how I feel in a bright white space. This has inspired me to start this “Bright White Home Series” here on the blog and feature a lovely home each month or more often.  Today I’m so excited to feature my friend Sonja of JS Home Design and her bright white home.

I first met Sonja on Instagram last year in 2016.  As soon as I saw her feed, I was drawn in by her lovely home and found my self wanting to go to each little square to see more and more.  She and her family reside in Canada. The outside of her home is actually my favorite style….that Nantucket/Cape Cod style.  (I chose the same style for the home we are currently building.)

She has such a good eye and such a talent for creating such a serene and gorgeous home.  It’s bright and happy and totally dreamy!  You want to jump right in each picture and see it all in person.

Don’t you love the way you feel when you walk in that front door? What a darling bench in the entry!  With all the lovely white, Sonja is able to change this space as often as she wants with just a different pillow or switching out her wall art.  It’s that easy.  She doesn’t have to completely re-do a space.  Keep that in mind as you see the rest of her home and especially if you are contemplating creating your own bright, white home.

Countertop is Bianco Carrera Marble.

Sonja chose the Restoration Hardware Victorian Hotel Pendants (Small Polished Nickel finish).  I fell in love with these when I first saw them in Monika Hibbs’ home.  Aren’t they so pretty?!

The cabinet hardware is by Jeffrey Alexander (Tiffany Collection in Polished nickel). Fridge & Freezer by Sub Zero.

To brighten up her home and give it this lovely glow, Sonja used Benjamin Moore OC-117 Simply White to paint her walls.

Wicker barstools also from Restoration Hardware.

Whether it’s early morning eating breakfast, at noon eating lunch, or a late supper in the evening….this kitchen always looks bright and pleasant because of this gorgeous paint color and other design choices.

I love this Kohler farmhouse sink she chose.  Farmhouse sinks always look so pretty with fresh flowers resting in them and these lovely white hydrangeas are no exception and continue to brighten her home.

I just adore her butler’s pantry.  I’m definitely going to include one in our next home.  It’s so helpful when entertaining and I am a girl who just LOVES to entertain!

Sonja used one of my favorite sparkling lemonade’s to double as decor, along with this cute lemon print, in her butler’s pantry.  It says “Spring is here!” to me and creates such a happy atmosphere.

She also created this sweet vignette in the corner of her kitchen countertop.

Sofas are from Restoration Hardware (Belgian linen – sand).

I love her light linen sofas that Sonja chose. She just switched these pillows out for spring and I love the versatility that a white home and soft neutrals give you.  You can always add a pop of bold color or muted colors.

The pillows (above) are the ones she had out at fall that I also loved.

She chose lovely muted blue tones at fall and simple fall decor.  It was such a refreshing alternative to orange and brown that you and darker colors, as you often see that time of year.

This space remains bright and inviting and yet festive and welcoming the changes that autumn brings.

Restoration Hardware balustrade coffee table in natural.

Sonja finds it easy to make changes with her decor for each season.  Besides pillows, she can change the items on her coffee table.

She can even change something as simple as candle holders and flowers to welcome a new season.

Did you notice her exquisite limestone fireplace and elegant?

Sonja also furnished this room with these gorgeous Lyon chairs (in Belgian Linen) from Restoration Hardware.  These are on my wish list.  They are as comfortable as they look too.

Beaded chandelier from Ro-sham-beaux

Can we talk about this gorgeous dining table?  This gorgeous oversized beaded chandelier is a show-stopper.  And nothing welcomes Spring better than gorgeous cherry blossom stems in that beautiful white temple jar.

If you’ve followed me for a while, I bet you can only guess how much I love all this pink that Sonja is using this Spring.

Dining table is from Restoration Hardware Salvaged wood trestle table- 108” in Natural.

I’m a fan of this gorgeous space any time of year!

Sonja chose the “Dayna Chairs” in Rubbed Cream from Ballard Designs.

Yes, it’s pretty in the Fall…

Wingback chairs from Restoration Hardware in Belgian linen – white.

…and at Christmas too!  Make sure you follow along with Sonja on her Instagram account to see more of her holiday pictures.  She does such a BEAUTIFUL job decorating for the holidays and you’re going to be so inspired!

I’m doing a very small mud room (or mud corner, I should call it haha) in our new home, so I have a bit of “mud room envy” when I look at this gorgeous one of Sonja’s.  Isn’t it just so fun?!  I love her choice of tile.  It’s not too busy or bold…it’s just the perfect amount of pattern, while keep this room feeling calm and bright.

Who knew a laundry room could be so pretty!  Keeping with white cabinets and white walls, doing laundry in here can’t feel like too much of a chore and definitely doesn’t feel like a dungeon with the natural light from the windows. Her accessories are even white, keeping this room from feeling messy or busy or chaotic (as laundry rooms tend to feel).

Sonja’s design choice of paneled walls and white oak hardwood floors and matching hand railing were genius.  It keeps her home bright and white and consistent, all the way through.  Also, the paneled walls keep one from wanting to hang frames, art or clocks everywhere they turn, as some people tend to do.  This keeps her home looking classic and not cluttered.  You can still hang things on the walls but you don’t NEED to.  They are in no way “naked”.  Especially if they’re surrounding such a pretty pendant light.

Mirror from Layla Grace. Camille Long Sconce from Circa lighting in Polished nickel. Statuario marble counter top.

Wallpaper is back on trend and I love how Sonja selected this neutral print to keep this a bright white space.

Quartz countertop with no specks.

In her daughter’s bathroom, Sonja chose a lovely light pink braided rug and other touches of pink with the fresh roses and bathroom accessories. Bright, white and PINK!  Have I mentioned how much I love pink? haha!

I love how Sonja still gave her daughter a “pink bedroom” by using pretty pink decor a pink rug.  Yet, it’s still bright and white and the pink is not overdone.

If her daughter wanted purple or blue in her room the next year, with a bright white bedroom, the changes she’d need to make would be minimal and wouldn’t have to resort to an entire room makeover.  But with such gorgeous wall mural panels, and perfectly pink touches….I highly doubt she will.  This is such a whimsical and darling girls room!

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  “Calgon, take me away!”
(If you did not grow up in the 70’s or 80’s, you may not get this reference…that’s okay.)
Isn’t this bathroom so bright and beautiful?!

This is the same tub I picked out for our home we just started building so I can’t help but swoon over Sonja’s choice in this gorgeous free-standing tub.

I’m a firm believer in not using the large mirrors that builders traditionally install.  My builder was thrilled when I told him I didn’t want them and that I wanted tall, pretty mirrors with sconces on the sides, just as Sonja did.  She also used Statuario marble on this counter as well.

I’m having a hard time leaving this bath tub.  I’m writing this post at night and it’s been a loooong day.  I see a bath in my {very near) future!

Sonja chose inspiration for this boys room to keep it masculine but not tacky or overdone.  I love the neutral theme she continued with and the muted tones she used.  It’s a room a boy could grow with and not out of.

When you see a gorgeous glass doorknob, you know something fabulous is behind it!

I think every woman wants her room to feel like a peaceful and serene place to retreat to at the end of the day and Sonja has definitely created that kind of a place for her and her husband.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up each morning and open up those lovely drapes and enjoy the sun shining through those large windows?  And to make it even more perfect, she’s adorned the room with such a lovely chandelier (my favorite accessory to a room).

A peek at Sonja’s gorgeous backyard!

Sonja purchased her patio furniture from Restoration Hardware.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of Sonja’s home as much as I did AND I hope you feel inspired and have caught a vision how to brighten up your home and create a place that you truly love and enjoy returning to each day.  When choosing your interior paint for walls and cabinets, when choosing your furniture pieces, your home decor, your linens and textiles, your wall treatments, your flooring….ask yourself if all of these things together are helping you create that “bright white home” that you want.  If not, make some changes.  If you are already established in your home and desire to create a “bright white home” start with baby steps and make some changes that you can afford, one step at a time.  I’ll actually be doing a post on this shortly.  You can also read HERE how I brightened up my home last Spring.

Thanks soooo very much to Sonja for inviting us into her spectacular home and for sharing her passion of interior design with us!  I’m grateful to call Sonja a friend and she is definitely a joy to follow, get to know, and is someone that inspires me.  Please follow her on her Instagram account >> @JSHomeDesign << for more inspiration and to see why I just adore her so!

THANK YOU for stopping by today!!!  Especially for joining me in this FIRST edition of my “Bright White Home Series” here on my blog.  I have other beautiful homes I can’t wait to share with you AND we have just started designing our own bright white home.  So I look forward to sharing that, as well as the entire designing and building process, here on my blog.

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See you soon! xoxo,

The post Bright White Home of JS Home Design appeared first on Summer Adams.