A Tropical Update

Are you ready for some palm trees?!



It all started with the two palms behind the waterfall. I just wanted to soften the rocks a bit and loved the way it looked so much that I went back for more a few more palms, and then a few more. Throw a few hibiscus in and I now have a vacation in my backyard. I also had enough dirt in the back of my suv to sprout a garden. That's the price of DIY!

I'm so eating my words now. When we put in our pool I told my husband I didn't want any tropical plants since it didn't fit with our landscape or our home. We planted crepe myrtles and knockout roses instead. They are pretty, but I just wasn't getting that vacation vibe when I walked outside and saw this.



Blah

And now...



Much better! I finally bought a couple of pool loungers, too. I decided against the teak loungers that match our outdoor dining table since it hasn't held up that well. You just can't beat the durability of plastic. And they were extremely cheap so if they get damaged I won't feel sick over them.



The large tree is a queen palm. I was hesitant to plant something that gets up to 20ft tall so close to the pool, but the roots are very small and won't damage the foundation. The sago palm is the smaller one and it gets to be a max of 6ft tall. They are nice in flowerbeds, which is why I put one in the bed near the fence.



I love the knockout roses, but I really want to cover the eyesore of a fence. They will probably be transplanted to the front yard later this summer.



As you can see, there is quite a bit of fence to cover up. Once the plants get marked down to 70% off in August at our local garden center I will load up on more palms, banana trees, and elephant ears.



If you're wondering why we have gaps in between the hibiscus, it's because we needed to leave the area behind the fire pits open.

We had a patio area of flagstone put in for chairs when using the fire pits.




The second fire pit and patio on the other side of the palms.



And, a Mario photo bomb.



Isn't this so much better? I'm finding any excuse to go outside and enjoy it. There's still a lot of work to be done out here, but it's come such a long way. Have a great weekend!

My Two Favorite and Inexpensive House Plants

How was your weekend? We had great weather here and then it turned windy, cold and rainy yesterday. Before the temperature dropped 35 degrees we took full advantage of the weather and bought enough plants to turn our backyard into a rainforest. At least that's what my 8 year old called it. I love my kids perspective on our projects. I'll have pictures later in the week of the backyard (or rainforest) once the sun comes out again. I also picked up two of my favorite house plants while out shopping. I love them because they go in any room.  Most of the stores have their orchids out, but only the grocery store has them for $10. That store is HEB for fellow Texans! I picked one up to replace the one I killed in the living room.

I've been moving it around the house to see where else it could go-the mantel, the coffee table, the end table, the bedroom, the bathroom vanity and tub (it's called a garden tub after all :), and the entry table. It looks good everywhere!  I also bought a couple of regency palms since Wal-Mart had them on sale for $10. You probably noticed them on my upstairs balcony in a recent post.  
I have two of these on the balcony. One is behind the camera in the corner. They are great for privacy when I want to wear my pjs out here, which I did yesterday. Not to mention there's something about palms that put me in an instant vacation mood. As with the orchid, I've been moving them around the house and they look good everywhere. One ended up in the entryway.  

And the other is in the living room.



I also like the way they look on the front porch, the office, the bedroom and the dining room. It's a great and inexpensive way to fill an empty corner. Doesn't every room have one of those? Now, I'm off to find a couple of new planters!

Easter in the Kitchen

So, I've never decorated any part of my home for Easter. Before I had kids I always imagined that I would have a family of ceramic bunnies in my kitchen and giant faux Easter eggs in my front yard. Then, I had kids and realized my former self was insane. I can barely keep up with the necessary parts of Easter, like stuffing tons of plastic eggs with candy the night before my kids' school egg hunts. This year I finally shopped early and spent the extra money for pre-filled eggs. Why didn't I do that before? I also found a few Easter décor items for the house while out shopping this week. I can't tell you how together I feel right now.

Breakfast Room Centerpiece




The coffee bar got bunnified, too.



The eggs are from Pottery Barn, which are already on sale. Both of the bunnies were found at World Market for just a few dollars each. These touches of Easter may be small, but they made a big impact with the little guys in this house. Plus, smaller décor is easier to store!

Outdoor Spaces

It's the most wonderful time of the year! For enjoying outdoor spaces, that is. Alfresco meals, doors and windows thrown open to let the breeze in, heated pool for the kids, and margaritas on the patio at local restaurants were the highlights of my weekend. We are beginning the best season for weather in Houston and I'm planning on taking full advantage of it before summer hits. One of the things I love most about my house is the number of outdoor spaces I have to enjoy this great weather.

The front porch




The pool







And the balcony off the master bedroom

That's a lot of outdoor spaces for a fairly small home. How small? I'm not sure if I've ever revealed this before, but my home is just under 2300 square feet. When you have three boys, an escape room is important. Outdoor areas are perfect since the yelling from inside is muted.

Besides the plants I killed, the front porch and balcony are in pretty good shape. I never really got to finish the pool area last year since most of the décor was sold out by the time our pool was finished. Here are a few things I have my eye on to finish it off.




I really wanted this black and white striped umbrella last year from Ballard Designs, but considering I needed two of them I could not justify the cost and went with plain red ones. I'll be watching these at the end of summer for a good sale and a coupon. I have to at least get two seasons out of my red ones. Isn't the black and white so chic?

Pool loungers are at the top of my list!





I've also decided to put in palm trees behind our waterfall. I feel like the rocks need a bit of softening. Have you ever priced palms? They can be insanely expensive and it's so hard to decide which ones to buy since there are so many varieties. I'm leaning towards the Mediterranean Palm because they're pretty. We'll see what my yard guy says tomorrow about these. I hope he doesn't burst my bubble by telling me they shed or won't grow well in this climate. He'll be planting the trees for me because I don't trust my planting skills. Painting, yes. Planting, no.


This is probably my first project that doesn't require woodwork, paint or any elbow grease at all on my part. I could get used to this!

My Big Fat Greek Vacation

Here is the pretty post I promised last week! I'm getting ready for an almost two week trip to Europe and I can't wait to show you pictures of the places I'm going. If you follow me on Pinterest you probably knew something was up with my pins of Europe. My husband's boss and wife took us out for dinner and a play right before Christmas. As a gift they surprised us with a trip to Europe! The funny thing is my husband surprised him with a fly fishing trip. I think these guys know each other very well! It took a little while to figure out where to go on our trip to Europe, but we finally nailed down a plan.

The guys have a business meeting in Chicago right before we start our trip. We will only be here one night, but we have exciting plans. We will leave early from Houston and have a full day of sightseeing. That night we will have dinner at Alinea. It's supposedly the best restaurant in Chicago. I'm not a foodie, but the pictures are very cool.






I present...the scallop. Dun, dun, dun.

I'm excited to shop on the Miracle Mile, but it will be in vain since I can't fit anything else in my suitcase. If you follow me on Instagram and saw my pared down shoe wardrobe you know what I mean. ;)

We leave the next day for Munich. We will have a few days to explore the area and I can't wait to visit some of the amazing castles.





It's just like the movie "Frozen." I will be hearing, "Let it go! Let it go!" the entire time I'm here.



Then we'll be heading to Berlin. The guys have another meeting there, but we have a few days to explore.


The Potsdam area looks so pretty.

Now, this is where the Greek part of the big fat Greek vacation comes in. We'll be leaving Berlin for Athens! I'm very excited about this because it is a place I have always wanted to visit since my mom and her entire side of the family was born there. On this part of the trip it will just be my husband and I, but we hope to meet up with my extended relatives. We will be staying in the Plaka area of Athens. It's known for great shopping and cafes.




We will leave Athens for a night in Santorini. I think this is one of the most photographed areas of Greece.

I'm especially excited to see the lighthouse on the island.



Why? My great grandfather was responsible for this light house when he was a captain in the Greek Navy. My grandmother used to tell me stories of living on Santorini. I think some of them were a bit embellished. I swear she loved scaring the bejesus out of us grandkids with her spooky stories!

From here we will fly back to Athens and catch a flight to Istanbul. We will catch up with our friends here for two days.

The family history does not stop here. My grandmother's family is originally from Istanbul when it was Constantinople. It wasn't a pleasant time when they had to leave this city, but there is one thing that hasn't changed. This cathedral was originally a Greek Orthodox church. A family member of ours was a Bishop here at one time.


Isn't it beautiful?!

I have always been proud of my rich family history and I can't wait to see it come to life. Of course, I will be updating you with pictures of my trip on Instagram and Facebook. I will also do a recap of our trip when we get back. I know it will be a whirlwind since we will visit three countries in 12 days!

I am thankful for my family that will be able to watch our boys (including Mario). They will be staying at our home part-time so the boys will feel comfortable and able to play with their friends. I am so grateful to have family close by so we can travel to these amazing places. Each city and country we visit enriches our lives in some way. I have a feeling this will be a particularly special trip as I see the places my family has once lived. I can't wait to share it with you!