Outdoor Space: our covered back deck

As promised today we're sharing photos of our favorite outdoor space. Our deck. We spend time out here Spring-Fall. We sacrificed larger windows in the great room to have the back deck covered. Although sometimes we do wish we had a few of those huge windows, we also appreciate being able to sit out here during a rain, or when it's hot a sunny with the fan on to cool us.

We even pop out here during snow storms in the winter. It's especially beautiful when we turn on the flood lights.

Adam installed a TV on the wall so we can sit outside and watch HGTV the game.

We do use the TV all 3 seasons. It's not a special outdoor TV or anything, we just used an old one we've had for years. It does pretty okay so far in the outdoors. We purchased a TV cover on Amazon and just unplug and cover it when it's not in use. In the winter we do take it off the wall and store the tv in the basement.

The ceiling fan is a must for Illinois summers. However, we didn't really have much of a summer this year...I'm not mad, I'm not a fan of muggy weather.

The patio set is from Menards last year. The rug was purchased from RugsUSA during one of their 70% off sales. It adds a little more warmth to the space in the Fall.

Adam made this DIY simple outdoor table for under 60 bucks last year. It's really sturdy and it's nice to have for outdoor dinners, Cards Against Humanity when friends visit, or even if I'm blogging outside.

The chairs around the table are also from Menards.We snagged them for a great deal, 20 bucks a piece with a $10 mail-in-rebate for each chair, plus 11% rebate on top of it. Less than 10 dollars a chair in the end! And they stack nicely when we store them away in the winter.

Adam just has to have his Beale Street party sign up. I let him decorate a little sometimes.

We have a great view of the creek behind our house.

Another view of the sitting area and TV. Perfect spot to relax with an seasonal beer or for me---a bottle of orange cream soda...lately.

We stained the deck this summer (I say we, but Adam did 95% of the work.)  We love the color Thompson's Water Seal provided us. We used Thompson's Desert Brown. It really goes great with our home and style. And we know it will protect our deck from weather and use. Thanks again to HomeRight for providing us with the tools to get the job done quick too!

Who wants to come over and enjoy an orange cream soda with me on the back deck? 

It's rainy and chilly this week so bring an extra sweater!

{{GIVEAWAY}} Teak Closeouts Furniture!

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

I know I’m not the only one thinking Spring. With Daylight Savings Time beginning this past weekend I know it’s right around the corner. Not to mention the 70 degree weather we had yesterday!

Teak Closeouts was kind enough to send us one of their 48 inch teak benches. It was delivered one day in February, but then the box sat for over two weeks until Adam had time to help me put it together. (aka put it together himself, while I take photos...)

Then, Adam had to travel to Georgia for a week for work. So the big box sat some more in the living room. Until I had cleaned the entire house and watched all my reality television on the DVR…then I wanted to do something else. So I hauled the box down the basement, opened the sucker up and said to myself:

“How hard can it be? You can do this Trina!” And I did. By the way, Scout was no help.

It took about 30 minutes to put together, and 10 of those minutes was spent rooting around the garage for the rubber mallet. So, technically 20 minutes to put together. I used the allen wrench that came with bench and the screws were provided too. The only tools of my own I used were a box cutter and the rubber mallet.

The directions were super simple. Just a small diagram with some arrows.

After I put it together I hauled it outside to the back patio. That’s it. You don’t have to “finish” the wood. Sure, there is teak oil if you want a darker wood look, but I like it plain and simple.

The bench is heavy and sturdy, but not too heavy. I moved it outside by myself.

We're using the bench on our downstairs back patio. We have a fire pit and enjoy evening cocktails with friends right here. 

We're working on landscaping this year, and I’m going to have a perfect spot for it under a shade tree in the yard. Knowing me, I will be rearranging the outside furniture as much as I do the inside.
Thanks so much for the great teak bench Teak Closeouts! 

Teak Closeouts offers Teak outdoor garden furniture at discounted, sale, and closeout prices. They have the best price on teak benches, teak tables, teak chairs, and all teak furniture. 
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How would you like to win a teak bench just like mine? Teak Closeouts SO generously is offering up a teak bench just like mine to a reader from Let's Just Build a House blog! How great is that? Just in time for Spring! I bet it would be a perfect Mother's Day gift too for your mom! Enter below in the rafflecopter widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own! There are NO affiliate links in this post.

Decking the Halls! (for 4 bucks) Yep.

Have you had enough Holiday home tours yet in blogger-land? I hope not. Don’t worry mine is short and sweet. With a treat at the end.
I was in bed sick alllll weekend long so I didn't get to finish taking all of my photos. 
So this will be more like the nickel tour today!

Hurry in...it's snowing!

Here is a better shot of our front door wreath. I rescued it from an estate sale in a big box of wreaths and garland for 50 cents. Watch and see how far this box of greenery takes us this Christmas..

I took off all the ugly bows and ribbons, spritzed the wreath with some gold spray paint for some pizzaz. Then I hot glued some ornaments from the dollar store, and smack a big sparkly gold "N" on it to finish it off. I love it.

When you come in the front door you will immediately see another rescued wreath from the same estate sale box-o-greenery.

 This one got spritzed of white spray paint and real pinecones hot glued on there. I needed a little something else, so I made some rosettes out of scraps of lace. I like this one so much I think I will use it for my front door wreath after Christmas.

DIY wreath.

After you walk in the entry you see our beautiful tree. She is new this year. Last year we had a real tree. Which we LOVED. We would have gotten another real tree this year....

But this one came unexpected to us in July. My Aunt and my parents got it for me at a moving sale, get this...for: $3.

That is not a typo. $3, 10-foot tree. Pre-lit. With the stand and everything. We are lucky ducks. It fits the spot next to our fireplace perfect.

And next, our mantel.

I used garland from the same estate sale box as the wreaths. Luckily this was still in the original packaging.  I didn't need to rip anything off.
I took it outside and gave this a spritz of white to match the snowy look on our tree. It took about 5 minutes of random spritzing.

The white doesn't show up in the photos as much as in person...

The Noel sign was a craft night project. I just cut the boxes and stenciled right onto the burlap. The hard part was stringing the twine through the burlap. The trick was tweezers!

you don't see our dirty fireplace doors...amiright?

Our dining room is festive too.

On top of my china cabinet sits my lantern collection. They are now surrounded by few mini trees. Also from…you guessed it, the box of estate sale greenery. They too got some white spray paint spritzes to freshen them up and match the other greenery in the house.

The believe banner was made at craft night too. So easy!

These trees will hold our holiday cards as we get them through the next few weeks. It's an easy way to display them. I didn't even put hooks in them, just perched them in the tree branches.

Thank you for visiting!

Linking up today for the Dare to DIY: Deck the Halls....with NewlyWoodwards, Primitive and Proper, Decor and the Dog, and Maybe Matilda.

If you haven't entered our giveaway from  PorterDesignCo to with a set of 3 vintage postcard ornaments enter below! Today is the last day! More info in this post.

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Countryfolk

Yep, this is a rusty old bed spring tied to the back of the 4-wheeler. Let's say it together, ready? Hillbilly!

We are country folk now. This is how we country folk down here in southern Illinois grade the dirt and get it ready for the next step that is grass! Woohoo!

We picked up the bed springs for 1 whole dollar at an auction this past weekend. If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw some of the pretties at the auction. This bed spring was a sweet surprise... Let me tell you. Best dollar we ever spent..at an auction. Also you should have seen us strapping it to the top of the car!!

Under this strategically spread out bale of straw, lies (hopefully) little bits of plush light green grass. This is our test spot out front. 

Since our dirt is more claylike than dirt like, we spread lime first. Lime from like, the garden department, not lime from the fruit and veggie aisle! 

If the grass doesn't grow nice and thick we will have to try something else...like maybe stinky fertilizer. We will see.

Any grass growing tips? 

Any readers #countryfolk like us?

Don't worry, later this week I will share the real goodies from Sunday's auction. Really good stuff!