Dining Al Fresco {aka in our backyard!}

Now that the weather is warming up and the sun is staying out later, we love having dinner out on the deck.  Simple is usually best...

Chicken tacos...a bonus is cooking the meat in the slow cooker!

And a nice glass of chard goes a long way!  

Of course no outdoor experience is complete without a tiny diner to enjoy it with!  ;)

Are you eating outdoors more now that the weather has warmed up?

xo natasha

PS...don't forget to enter to win $50 towards Arbonne!

I'm Getting Attacked!

By mosquitoes that is!!  

Tahoe is not normally known for these annoying little pests, but with all the water {or snow rather} we've gotten this past year, they are out in full force!  We live near a river, so they are especially bad by us right now!  It definitely makes me think of all the ways we could keep them away...all the pretty ways in particular!

And for some repellent ideas:

Eucalyptus, lemongrass, and mint leaf mosquito-repellent candles.

Homemade repellent, recipe found {here}.

Basil is a natural mosquito repellent...why not incorporate it into a centerpiece?

All images via Pinterest

How are the mosquitoes in your neck of the woods?  Hopefully not as bad!


PS...I ordered calling cards and they just came in!

Aren't they cute??  Pixel Impress made them for me and I am defintiely in love!  :)

P.P.S. Jenna Lee of a la mode is featuring my lake wedding today!  Check it out here!

xo natasha

O is for {finally} being Outdoors!

Happy Monday everyone!

As you know, this past weekend was full of sun, relaxation, and not much else!  It's nice to wake up on a Monday and feel well-rested and refreshed.  A couple things to re-cap the weekend...

Our deck is FULLY built, but we've still got to stain it and add some finishing touches.  Hubs and I had our very first breakfast on the deck Saturday morning and it was so nice!

Wilson enjoyed it too!

In anticipation of the deck being finished, we went online and ordered our deck furniture!

It's Martha Stewart from Home Depot and on a crazy sale, plus we got $100 off by using a gift card...so all in all...only $300 PLUS free shipping!  Not bad, huh?  Hopefully it comes in time for the 4th of July weekend...we're pretty excited about it.

We also got to go out on the boat...it was Wilson's maiden voyage...I think he did pretty well:

We also got to visit the nursery again and buy some plants for our front yard

A woodpecker's nest!

Our lilac tree...

Makes for some pretty blooms...and fragrant too!  :)

Mr. Whiskers keeping an eye on the progress!

How was your weekend...did you get outdoors?

xo natasha

Summer Living

Happy Hump Day Readers!

Since Memorial Day is this weekend and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather is going to cooperate from now on...I thought it would be fun to share a post that I did from Kim over at Keller Creative a couple weeks ago.

We're planing on building a back deck this summer, so I've got my mind on all things outdoor living!  Here are some great images to get me, and hopefully all of you, inspired!

 Loving the painted yellow fence...great idea!

 The light blue stripes and mirror are a great touch.  I'm a firm believer that just because it's outdoor doesn't mean it can't feel "homey".

An outdoor fireplace is such a nice luxury...I would love to have one for those chilly Tahoe nights.

How relaxing would a hammock be in your backyard?  I just want to read a book out there all day long.

A nice outdoor kitchen is a "must" when it comes to outdoor living...loving the hood over the BBQ here.

A huge reason for having an outdoor living space is for the entertaining!  This navy blue looks crisp and inviting for a backyard get-together.

Last, you don't have to have a huge backyard for a great outdoor living space...I can just imagine having a glass of wine and some great finger foods in this space...perfection!

All images via Pinterest

And...if I had ALL the money in the world, I would definitely buy the following to accessorize my backyard space:

Double chaise?  Yes please!

This dining set and umbrella...and the ocean view would be nice too!  :)

I have a crush on this potting bench...I could see it also being used for a buffet for a party too!

A girl can dream right?  I'm looking forward to getting to work this summer and "beautifying" our backyard...I'm defintiely inspired now!

Do you have an outdoor space that you love?  Do share!

I'm also talking more "summer" over at a la mode...do stop by and say "hello!"  Here's a sneak peek:

See it here.

xo natasha