pergola inspiration

My husband found this woman's blog post on her pergola project. I was super amused with the name of her site (DIYdiva) and her sassy attitude. Plus, I am totally in love with her finished product. They even did a stone patio underneath, which is what we are going to do.

What does everyone think of the outdoor curtains? I am inclined to liking them.

PS She did this project and posted on it back in 2007. Kudos to Google!

imagine a pergola

A lovely outdoor room with flowering vines growing up a craftsman style lattice and climbing over the rooftop created a shaded backyard oasis. Ahhh...

Step it up!

Some stair ideas from our stack of library books. The last two are more modern than suits the style of our home but they are so unique and lovely I wanted to include them for your viewing pleasure.

imagine a rounded set of steps

Not half a wedding cake. Please, no one forward this sketch onto my drawing teacher!

My vision is for the steps to be the width of the sliders, even though we'd actually only need stairs where they open. But making them wider would be visually "right." I am not 100% sure that the stone will be the same as that used on the patio but I fully intend they will be created in a similar color palette. I am excited that my husband thinks he can do the rounded design. That curve will mimic the curves we already have around the backyard garden and the curved edge we envision for the patio.

Another option we have discussed, one that is still on the table depending on what we discover when we're stone shopping, is using a large, thick rectangular stone to be an instant step.

Also, I am not necessarily sure we'll need two steps. It may just end up being one. In that case, I will probably arrange the stepping stones in some sort of curved, entrance area right in front of the step.

stepping stones yet again

Ok, so the dear husband and I have agreed on doing simple stepping stones for now with the option to add gravel in the future. So our stones will be flush with the ground and have grass growing around them. Like this photo except I am planning on using irregularly shaped flagstones.

 We're also doing a stepping stone path alongside the edge of the house, leading from front yard to back. I figured we might as well buy all the stone at once!