Bringing Zest to my Nest: Patio Edition

 

Hey All!

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a project with you, way too long! So today I’m sharing how I put some zest into my nest.

Inspiration can be hard to come by when living in a small space, but thanks to nature’s bouquet, you can tackle a drab area and make it zesty.

Our apartment is on the first floor, so we have a patio rather than a balcony. Other than our two folding chairs, the space is bare. Hubs and I sit out there and read sometimes but it’s not a super inviting lounge area since we don’t have the space for a nice patio set. Our direct view is of a pond where you’ll find geese and their babies swimming on the regular and the occasional muskrat paddling from one end of the pond to the other. It’s a peaceful scene, but I’m usually not too eager to sit out there. Here’s what it looked like before.

That’s the problem. I have this great view, one that I take advantage of usually behind a window. Because it’s a cold concrete floor, a drab brick wall on one side and a weather beaten storage unit door on the other, and there is no color or cozy invitation, I usually stay inside the glass. It needs zest.

Hello weekend project! My husband and I spent the afternoon (two days) at Gee Farms picking out hanging baskets. I LOVE flowers. I don’t know much about names or types (although I’m learning), but a faraway dream of mine is to open a flower shop, so as you can imagine I was shopping in a dream. Think of me spinning with the my arms stretched out (which I actually did).

With two baskets in tow and two Geranium singles we walked out of there wanting more plants. That’ll come another day.

I had a vision in my mind of what I wanted this area to look like. I’d like it to replicate a relaxation space, a place that after sitting down I could imagine lounging in an oasis. Hard to imagine in my current location, but I wanted to duplicate that atmosphere.

Thanks to the friendly neighbors who let me see how they anchored their hooks, and Zach for making it a reality. We simply mounted them using these… 

Last year my Mom, Sister and I were perusing garage sales and stumbled upon a swanky estate sale. I left with two white planters for something to the tune of $15. I had all the right intentions of utilizing them on our patio but never actually did. Our poor patio was boring and drab all last year. So I dusted off those planters that I tucked away planning to use when we get a house and filled them with potting soil and these baby Geraniums.

      
Lastly, I felt compelled to have a hanging light fixture to punch an exclamation point on this project. I found this guy at Joann Fabrics on sale for $12 and some change. We took advantage of a big time sale as it was regular $39.99.

A special shoutout thanks to Zach for the inspiration and motivation to make this happen. And for walking around the greenhouse forever.

Here it is.

I honestly had a teachable moment while dreaming this up. As most people are, I am eager to move into a home of my own with more than one bedroom and a little more of a backyard. Isn’t it true that contentment is a virtue? But get this, I haven’t heard of anyone’s life being completely derailed by waiting it out in a smaller home. Looking forward to what life has in store is exciting, but so is living in the present and appreciating where life has brought you. If you don’t like your current surroundings, you can make little changes that can change your perception. For me, I really do like this little apartment and am appreciative for the opportunity to live here, but adding my own spin and personal touch was what I needed to calm my house fever.

If you remember, I pulled out those two white planters from our garage where they waited to be showcased at our own home eventually. It hit me hard, why am I keeping these on deck for something down the road when I can be utilizing them right now?

What are you holding in queue in your own life that you could be making the most of today? Are you holding out on applying for that job because you don’t think you are qualified now? Are you waiting for tomorrow to work on getting in shape, or have you put off talking to your estranged relative to sometime not today? Some things require patience and thrive on a detailed timeline, but for those that do not, do what you can now and you might be surprised how happy you are that you did. Be content with where you’re at, look forward to what’s to come, and work with what you can to enjoy your current phase.

So go create something new or add a touch only you could make to something pre-existing in your life.

Cheers!