Weeknight Sunset...

{...With The Boys}

Railroad Tie Garden

We had this great idea to use railroad ties to build a retaining wall in the backyard to house our veggie garden. To say we were ill-prepared for the project was an understatement. Let's just say we completely underestimated their weight ~ on average railway ties can weigh anywhere between 100-200lbs each ~ allowing this project to span over a month.

In Phase One we purchased 9 railway ties from Lowes for $11 a piece. We thought this was a bargain, but the cost of our own manual labor quickly increased the sweat equity of this project. We first leveled the slope and set our first 'lincoln logs' if you will. Brian drilled holes then hammered in rebar to reinforce the foundation.

{DIY Railroad Tie Garden}
In Phase Two we stacked additional railroad ties one by one ~ this took a month! Once they were all cut and stacked the easy part was reinforcing the structure. Brian used additional rebar and galvanized metal tape to secure the frame from the inside. Once this was complete it was simply fill 'er in time. This isn't a project we plan to do again, but we can now fully appreciate all the heavy lifting.

Pottery Barn Basic Sofa

After much swatch deliberation, we decided on the
PB Basic in Natural Brushed Canvas.
To our excitement it arrived earlier than expected!

Camillias In Bloom

{First Signs Of Spring}

Dining Al Fresco

{Table ~ Party of Three}
After our back porch painting makeover ~ shown here and here ~ we sat down to a cozy dinner to enjoy the fruits of our labor!

Patio Herb Garden

{Herb Garden}
We finally planted our recently purchased herbs, seen here.
Clockwise from top:
Patio Herb Garden, German Thyme, Cilantro, Lemon Thyme, Mint.

Toasted Almond

After staining our deck we thought it was the perfect time to experiment with some exterior paint colors. We had Lowes mix up a gallon of Toasted Almond and to our delight were quite pleased with the outcome.

{Before}

{After}