I am starting something new. I am going to do a throwback Thursday. I am going to share a few things from my old blog, mostly pictures and some of the things we did when the girls were younger.

Last spring when getting ready for Joleen’s graduation I wanted to do the party here at the house but my backyard was a disaster so I figured I had better get to work.

This was my inspiration picture, It was from the Faerie Magazine. I know mine looks nothing like this but I do have the lights and eventually, I want to have the lights hanging down more with some  beads and flowers also hanging,(maybe a fairy or two hidden in all of it.)

Every year we put back a little money to do remodel and repairs on the house. Last year I was going to do the laundry room but after looking at the back yard and wanting to do the party there, plus I want to have to have Katie’s graduation party next year also. I  decided that this year we would put the money into the yard. So glad we did I just love it.

Here are a few before pictures. On this bottom level I had planted grass a few years ago, the slopping area, I had planted mint but we have so may noxious weeds I couldn’t keep up with them and they over ran everything.

The thing that looks like a big brown bush is a silverlace vine covering a tank that I run the washer water in to in the summer, to use to water some of the plants in the yard.

We put in 9 cedar post that we already had, we did have to buy the 2×4’s to put on the top. Andy made the braces to hold them up and we had some long screws to put in them.

I put down two layers of plastic then covered it with sawdust we have an unlimited supply so I figured that would work just as good as anything and it didn’t cost anything. I had already used rocks to outline the slope, so I just rearranged them. I had some pots that trees came in so I dug a hole and put them in then filled with potting soil and planted lavender in them. Figured that would be a good place to stick the teki torches. I did have to but some mulch.

For the  railing I had some 4×4’s that we used, then used some pig wire that we had a bunch of. I took all our house Christmas lights and strung through the roof. Then I went and cut a bunch of willows at a friends house to put on the bottoms and on the roof.

This was the old sandbox the sand was packed down hard and full of weeds so I pulled all the weeds and dug a fire pit we had an old tractor tire rim that we used for a fire ring. Put two hooks on one side to hang lanterns and put a row of solar lights on the other side.

On the other side, I put some wood panels up alongside the dog kennel and hung a wreath and some flower boxes

Then I strung some lights on the arches down the sidewalk.

The empty spot on the right is where the faerie garden is going to go. It rained so much this last spring and summer that I never got to get it set up. I have most of the stuff for it and can’t wait to put it out.

I hung some shears and we bought new patio furniture I found some stuff at Wal-Mart for fairly cheap that looked really nice and fit with the decor. It’s hard to see but the silver lace bloomed out and is all green, looks great on the side.

I didn’t get pictures of the front and the front side of the things I did there, maybe this spring.

I love it even though I don’t get to spend much time out there.