Here we are on the 2nd to last week of the 8 week of One Room Challenge. I kind of can’t believe it honestly. I am surprised on a lot of levels, but mostly that I’ve been able to stay focused on ONE room this whole time and I might actually have a complete space when it’s all said and done next week! FINGERS CROSSED! But with that being said, it does feel like we are running out of time and this week 7 recap… well, I’m not sure what all I’m recapping but here goes!
THIS IS WEEK 7
The biggest update is that over the weekend, I was able to complete the landscaping beds! WOO HOO! Thank goodness that part of all this is done! Other than needing just a bit more mulch I think they are doing pretty well too. I do have a lambs ear plant that doesn’t seem to be loving it’s new spot and I’m wondering if it’s getting enough sun… but I’ll figure that out! Once all this is over, I’ll be going back and sharing about each and every (well most of them) projects more in depth, but right now it feels like there has barely been enough time to sit and write these weekly updates let alone multiple blog posts!
Digging out the landscape beds was a beast and not for the faint of heart. I did it in 3 sections and over 3 weeks and I don’t know if I’ll ever do that again… LOL. Who’s got a good gardener?! Thank goodness I got it done by this week 7 recap because if I hadn’t that would mean I’d still be working on it! The dirt here in Indiana is basically like hard clay. And if you haven’t had rain in a few days it’s basically like trying to dig into a ROCK. Not to mention that the builders don’t really help by clearing the debris when they prep for the sod, so you might find coke cans, glass, and large rocks which can make for some fun challenges.
I even added some solar lights for a little added ambiance. I’ll see if I can’t get a photo for the final reveal at night. These were $1 each and so I’m sure they won’t last forever, but since I couldn’t find any that I truly loved, I figured jumping in for $5-$10 wouldn’t be a painful mistake if I didn’t like them in the end. Once I got them in, I do like their simplicity – so much that I barely even see them.
My favorite part about the beds is that I might actually get to enjoy a couple blooms from my one peony plant! I think the others are going to take some time to mature and grow in. Actually, I planted one from just the root and I’m honestly not sure if that’ll survive. But the plan all along with these beds was to get the basics in and hopefully we’ll add a little bit here and there throughout the summer and into the next couple years.
With regards to the table, I ended up sticking with my Target chairs. Mostly because I was able to find a set of six and I was too tired to keep looking at dining chairs. I figured, if I want to upgrade some time in the next season or two, that’ll be just fine. While I did want everything to be as close to perfect and final as it could be, I’m finding that patios are just plain hard. Finding furniture that’s affordable and durable is a task – especially within 8 weeks.
And we did enjoy a couple family dinners out here which made my entire summer really.
Even my husband didn’t complain about sitting outside to eat — which he hates!
Most days this week I’ve spent my days scrolling Facebook marketplace and getting carpal tunnel and tendinitis while trying to find some finishing touches for this space. At the end of a project you are just beginning to have buyers remorse of all the money you’ve spent on all of it and wondering do we really need that?! Well, at least that’s what my husband says to me! haha.
I was able to snag a cantilever umbrella yesterday {YEA!!!} but it’s been raining day so no real life photos of that and it was a little dirty so I’m currently trying to figure out how to clean umbrellas! LOL. Here’s a photo of it in it’s previous owners yard hahah. That’ll just have to be a part of the final reveal next week! Remember, I needed something for shade since the pergola will be coming after the One Room Challenge is complete.
And I did have a day off where I had a very fruitful day of thrifting — I found baskets for collecting flowers/garden goodies for both me and the girls, some awesome brass bookends (along with a great collection of beautiful vintage children’s books not for outdoor use hahah), a brass watering can, and I’m sure there was more! I haven’t thrifted a cartful like that in a while…
Now that we are in the home stretch, it’s actually time to get down to some details. I was actually able to find some coordinating outdoor pillows at Wal-Mart. I still think I need a few more, but these look great!
This photo is taken at night because sometimes during this process we were working at night, through the night, and into the night. Or, I needed a picture and it was late LOL. That was probably what happened here hahaha.
And we were also able to create a little fairy garden this weekend too… with it raining, we pulled out the paint and our doors from Adopt A Fairy and had at it! The girls wanted their own too so those are coming… yes, this is mine LOL.
And while that’s really all the updates I have for this week 7 recap, before I go, I just want to jump back really quick…
I mean we have come A LONG WAY even if the progress at this point feels minimal.
Remember this?! 
Getting A Patio
Yea, we’ve done well.
One week left and we still need to do the following:
Firepit — May or may not end up being the one we grabbed on marketplace for $100 with a slight makeover. We had high hopes to create a diy natural gas firepit, but all signs are pointing to “you don’t have enough time.” The hubs thinks he can knock this out this weekend… my confidence is not very high.
Grill Area — This has been something we’ve talked about waiting on since the beginning but this whole area just feels empty and unfinished, no matter how I arrange things. So…. we might do something here… or we might run to IKEA for the Grillskar shelves & cabinet… Jury is still out on how this will all go down!
HERE’S WHAT’S LEFT TO DO:
*MORE DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES
*LIGHTING
REMAINING DIYS:
*DIY HOSE HOLDER
*PRIVACY SCREENS
*FIRE PIT
*GRILL STATION
Here’s a tentative schedule as to what you might see on any given week’s update:
Week 1 – Before & Design Plans
Week 2 – Patio Pour
Week 3 – Furniture Layout
Week 4 – A Semi- Useable Space
Week 5 – Landscaping & Builds
Week 6 – The Table Reveal
Week 7 – Running Out of Time
Week 8 – Final Reveal