Five Things for Friday
1. We finished our brick patio! Isn’t it so pretty?! I love looking out our window and seeing all that pretty red brick instead of a dirt lot. I love it so much, I can barely remember how much I hated digging up the backyard in 102 degree heat that one weekend so there would be room for the bricks. We had a rare free weekend with no wedding, so it was the perfect time to lay the brick. My family came over to help, and we had a big assembly line going passing bricks from the truck to the dirt where my sister and Shawn laid them in place. It was actually really fun! So listen to this steal of a deal. My dad’s friend has a demolition company, and had a ton of used brick we could have…for free! If we were to buy the bricks from Home Depot, they would have been $0.50 each. I did the math, and the bricks alone should have cost us over $1500! Instead, this whole project cost us a measly $40 to buy the sand to pour over the top and sweep in between the cracks to fill it up and make them tight. Now that’s a bargain!
2. Last night, we got together with my Aunt Susan and Nana and had a progressive dinner party. So fun! We got to go to everyone’s house, and each of us were in charge of a different part of the menu. We started out at my sisters for wine and appetizers, then we headed to my house for moscow mules and dinner of peach & burrata arugula salad with grilled bread (outside on our new brick patio!), and then headed to my mom’s house for dessert and coffee. We had the best time!
3. There’s nothing like hosting a dinner party to really motivate you to get some decorations for your house! Ever since we moved in, our house has been very…bare. As in, not 1 thing hanging on the walls. We didn’t have any art that would work in our little rustic house on the ranch, and wasn’t too masculine or too feminine. I have been keeping my eye out for stuff, but never really saw anything I thought would work. But this week I headed to HomeGoods, and found 2 amazing canvas paintings, and some decorative throw pillows to go with them. I texted this picture to Shawn, and he said he liked them too. Win! I later found 2 plain light blue throw pillows to pair with the decorative pillows. It really ties everything together. Our living room is looking mighty cute! Feels much more like a home.
4. After getting all this new decorative stuff, I had Shawn hang everything up on the walls for me. Apparently Shawn is the hulk, and breaks hammers when hanging cute things I find at antique stores. I heard some banging in the kitchen, then Shawn say, “Dammit! (pause) Nat…come here.” I walk in and see him holding the hammer in 2 pieces, and just staring at the nail he had been hammering in. How does that even happen?! I haven’t laughed that hard in a while!
5. We’re filming AND photographing a wedding this Saturday, and it is my first wedding where I am the sole photographer. I have been mighty nervous, but I think I am very prepared. I have been practicing, researching and preparing like a pro. (Sorry to all my blogging friends, I’m quite behind on commenting on blogs since all my free time has gone to preparing for this wedding! But I’ll be back soon!) I am very excited that I will be in constant contact with Shawn now that we got these life changing in-ear walkie talkies! There’s a little button I press, and I’m talking right in to Shawn’s ear. This is a much better method than me trying to mouth things to him from across the venue. The fact that we look like Secret Service agents is just a nice bonus, *wink*.
Have a great 3 day weekend friends!
26 Comments on “Five Things for Friday”
Natalie the patio looks GORGEOUS. Its so cozy and beautiful. I’m sure you’ll be enjoying a few glasses of wine back there. :)
You always get the best deals :)
Congrats on finishing the patio! It looks so great! Having a nice outdoor space makes such a difference! I also love that you guys had a progressive dinner party, I’ve always wanted to do one of those, so cool!
Love love love the patio! So fun! And only $40?! That is amazing!
I love watching your cute little home come together! You have a Home Goods I see..I am a junkie! I recently had a party for 60 at our house and it sure does motivate you to spruce things up!
Best to you!
Kathi
So so gorgeous Natalie! Love your patio, you guys did an amazing job! I love the idea of a progressive dinner party, sounds like so much fun! Have a great time filming the wedding and hope you guys enjoy the rest of the long weekend girl :)
That brick looks fantastic! And those lights. Totally magazine-worthy! Those ear walkie-talkies are so cool. Very spy-esque ;) Have a great long weekend, girl!
Girl, you and your bargains! That brick patio looks fantastic! Such a score on getting the bricks for free. I have always wanted to do a progressive dinner party. I’m not surprised you made the salad…I’m telling you, that stuff is gold. So good! Good luck today on the photography. You’ll be great!
I’m so in love with your patio, Natalie! The brick look so gorgeous!
The picture of Shawn is hilarious, I could definitely see Josh doing something like that. Can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone break a hammer in half though :)
Nat, I LOOOOVE you progressive dinner party. I’ve never heard about this before, but it sounds so fun! What a great way to use your new brick patio!!! It is gorgeous! You guys did a very good job!! Good luck photographing the wedding!! I am sure you are gonna do great!! Have a great long weekend ;-)
i know you’re gonna invite me to that next progressive dinner. ;)
but seriously! we have got to find a time for me to see you guys!
I love your patio and that you got all those brick free. All that hard work paid off and now you have one amazing space to enjoy. Hope you have a great weekend!
Before i read about the brick, i was thinking how cool it looked being so rustic. And for free! Thats way too cool. I want your backyard! Good luck this weekend (even though you dont need it!)
Can I please come over and sip Moscow mules on your beautiful patio? It looks amazing, Natalie! Good luck with the wedding!
Your new patio is gorgeous, Natalie! I sure wish I could have been there for that progressive dinner. Some of my favorite people were there! Love ya!
Hi Natalie, love the way the brick looks on your patio, great job!! Happy week-end!
Gorgeous patio, Natalie! You guys did a great job, it looks so relaxing and fun. I love the idea of a progressive dinner party. I’ve never done one like that but it sounds like so much fun! Have a wonderful long weekend!
Stop. That patio is ridiculously awesome, even before you say how much you paid for it!! The combination of bricks is sweet!! So nice serif your cute house come together :) that dinner party, sounds BOMB! Love the idea of going to different places. In college while I was studying abroad we would do “corridor crawls” where we would drink different drinks from room to room lol. A bit different! But this reminded me of that. Need to try this dinner party!! Good luck this weekend, you will do wonderful Nat!!
Natalie, your dinner party sounds like SO much fun! I love the idea of going to each of your family members houses for the different courses. :)
Good luck photographing the wedding this weekend. You’re gonna do great, girl! Have an awesome weekend.
Love the patio! Looks awesome. You find some great bargains girl! Isn’t that the best part about projects, when they are over and you can enjoy the results? We just did over our deck (or should I say (y hubby). But it’s so nice to enjoy it now.
Have a great weekend Natalie!
Your patio is gorgeous, Natalie! I saw your picture on instagram and was so impressed! And it sounds like you had a great time at your progressive dinner. I did that once in college and it was so fun! Good luck with your wedding tomorrow, I’m sure your pictures will turn out great! Have a wonderful weekend, Natalie!