Drum roll please...

BEFORE

I had a birthday. I turned 29 again, and my present this year was inspired by a Sunset Magazine article I flipped to while waiting in the Pediatricians office a couple of months ago. We have a small backyard and this article inspired me to re-do it more as a courtyard living area then an actual yard. I am very happy with the outcome and look forward to using it daily this summer.

I collected frames from yard sales and painted them fun colors.

A big thank you to my father-in-law who built me this perfect fire pit for roasting marshmallows.

Thank you to Erica for donating me her old couch pillows. I recovered them in heavy weight outdoor fabric. (no, you can't have them back)

In our old backyard we had a sandbox. We were able to salvage the wood and Ben and his dad built two 6' benches.

Thank you to Beth and Shae for finding me this monster of a table. Nice and big, and second hand so it's OK if it gets a little ruffed up from the outdoor weather. Plus a thank you to my dear friend Trish for finding me some old chairs with character.

These are the toys for a little outdoor fun. We also have a water table that my mom bought Luther. Thank you mom. AND thank you mom& dad for the pea gravel (you know you're old when you ask for something like 'pea gravel' for your birthday!)

Thank you Shelby for the pretty detail I get to add to my table. What a nice surprise!

I felt so loved this birthday because so many of my friends and family came together to make this project work. Thanks to all that helped!!