inspiration board: outdoor living

OUTDOOR LIVING INSPIRATION:

1 // Atlanta Coasters - by Neighborwoods on Scoutmob
2 // Black Ikat Outdoor Throw Pillow - Target
3 // Torn Stripe Warm Outdoor Throw Pillow - Target
4 // Espresso Caitlin Storage Basket - World Market
5 // Culinary Herbs Chalkboard Print - Lily & Val on Scoutmob
6 // Blue Glass Yorkshire Dispenser - World Market
7 // Yellow Arabesque Indoor/Outdoor Rug - World Market
8 // Frosted Bulb String Lights - World Market
9 // Mosaic Tiled Coffee Table - West Elm

This weekend, Drew and I were inspired to clean up our porch. Since we've been living in our apartment, we've collected a LOT of stuff ... and conveniently decided to store the stuff we don't use out on the porch where it could not be seen. Most of this stuff was collected from projects and things we were building or crafting. The porch seemed like the best bet since our small apartment doesn't offer much in the way of storage space. However, with the cats living out on the porch during the day, our small-ish porch quickly turned from a convenient storage option to a hoarder's palace. There was wood everywhere, kitty litter scattered all over the ground, boxes and bins, dead plants, tools, paint supplies, tarps, stuff to clean the fish tank, and even our Christmas tree stand. It was a disaster.

Over the past few months, we kept talking about how nice it would be to clean off our porch and turn it into a lovely space to hang out and eat dinner as the beautiful summer nights draw in closer. And FINALLY, my friends, we have completed this massive to do item off our list. First, we had to collect the trash and throw out all the things we were never going to use. Then, we cleaned and organized the remaining things that needed to be stored out there. Finally, after removing the remaining pollen and dirt, we took everything inside. We quickly assessed how much storage compartments we would need and headed out to buy a few things. We found a storage bench at Target that would fit everything we needed to store and - *bonus* - was multi-functional! Drew had built a cat box last fall as the nights got cold for the kitties to sleep in and stay warm. With a little cushion and some pillows, that was easily turned into another seating area. The best part? We were able to hide the kitty litter box inside of another storage bin and added a piece of wood on top to act as a coffee table. Viola! No more stinky litter outside.

I can't wait to show you pictures! I'm hoping to get a few more decor pieces like the ones I've shown above and then it will all be finished. :) Yay for the beautiful outdoors!