Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Entertaining on the Deck - Finally!

Wasn't it just the most glorious weekend? 

I'm sure you can understand why I wasn't attached to my laptop this weekend. 

As a matter of fact, I spent the entire weekend outside in the fresh mountain air - and nothing could have made me happier!

Some very wonderful things happened in my little world this weekend, in addition to the incredible weather. 



1. I got the new garden bed planted. I feel every bit of my age and more today in every bone and joint in my body....but it's done - whew!

2. My herb boxes are finished and up on the deck and I absolutely adore them - thanks, Sweetie!

3. I finally got to try out my new wireless outdoor speaker from Homdox and it's fantastic!

4. Last, but certainly not least, I had an amazing visit from a wonderful new friend!

I'll be sharing more on the garden updates and herb boxes during the week, but I wanted to tell you about #3 and #4 today. 

Via
First of all, my visit. My sweet new friend Doreen drove all the way from Fox Den Rd, a 2 hour drive, to my little mountain top home. 

I first 'met' Doreen when we were both writing At The Women's Room, a project that is currently on hiatus as we are all flat-out-crazy-busy these days. Life gets in the way sometimes, you know?

I instantly connected with Doreen's sharp wit and her humorous look at life - she made me seriously laugh out loud - I nearly spit my coffee out all over my computer!

Well, fast forward a number of months and Doreen mentioned we should meet up - heck, yeah!! We finally made it happen this Sunday and it was a fabulous day. 

Doreen couldn't have asked for better weather for a drive in the country....and I couldn't have asked for a better day to be able to visit with my new friend out on the deck in the sunshine. 

Doreen arrived bearing gifts....and what lovely and thoughtful gifts they were!


I received gifts for my pantry, my garden, and my linen closet - and I'm in love with all of them!

Sorry if the photo is a little blurry - I can't tell if it's the photo or my contacts, which are not being agreeable today!


I can't wait to try out those olive oils......that dishtowel couldn't possibly be more perfect for me....and I absolutely love Oriental Lilies, especially when they come in a super cute bright coral watering can!

Thanks a million, Doreen - so thoughtful of you -  It's like you read my mind!

We kicked off the alfresco-dining season with brunch on the deck. What could be better? 


I prepared my favorite quiche along with a baby spinach and Gorgonzola salad, and we sipped iced tea in the sunshine. 

It was so peaceful, sitting there chatting about this and that, enjoying the birds at the feeders and the sun on our backs. 

My older daughter joined us for brunch when she returned from teaching her Sunday morning yoga class....too bad my younger daughter wasn't around, also - that would have made it the ultimate perfect day!


While we were sitting on the deck enjoying the sunshine, I decided it was the ideal time to try out the new wireless outdoor speaker I received courtesy of Homdox. What better time for a product review than when sharing brunch with two other bloggers? 

I had received the speaker a couple of weeks ago, but the weather was not cooperating for me to properly test it out on the deck, where I would be using it. 


I'm so fortunate to have this wonderful entertaining space. I have seating for 16 currently on my deck, when I combine the various seating areas I have scattered about. I could easily add seating for a few more if the occasion required it - let's party!


The firepit seating area is generally the most popular....followed by the deck swing. Once people sit in either space they rarely give up their seat!


I spend a lot of time right here on this chair in the warmer months. And, although I am usually content to simply enjoy the sounds of nature all around me, when I'm entertaining I like to play some music for additional ambiance. 

So, when Homdox asked me to select a product to review on my blog, I was delighted to see they had a selection of speakers available. 

Of course I had to choose the red one!

The speaker was not charged when I took it out of the box, but it was a simple fix to use my iPhone charger and plug it right in. 


The setup was insanely easy - the unit paired almost immediately with my iPad - honestly, it could not have been simpler. 

We were listening to the summer sounds of Jack Johnson on Pandora within 5 minutes or less of taking the speaker out of the box. What more could you ask for?

Easy Peasy - my favorite!


You know what else? This speaker is heavy and very well made. A real solid piece of equipment. 

And look at how tidy and small it is - I love it the way it looks. 

But the most amazing thing about this little speaker was the sound - holy smokes, this baby really rocks!!  The sound was deep and rich and not at all 'tinny' - fantastic!

I'm super excited to bring this out the next time we are entertaining outdoors. I think it's time to edit my Pandora playlist to get ready for a great summer season on the deck. 

Thanks, Homdox - I'm really and truly impressed!

~~~~

After a while, Doreen and I headed off into the neighboring village to wander around the antique shops....and indulge in the most amazing donuts in the history of donuts!

Seriously....scary stuff, right there. There's a good reason I stay far away from that donut shop!

All in all, it was the most wonderful day....and such a fabulous weekend. 

I finished out the day in one of my most favorite ways:


Right here by the fire with my sweet old girl, Lily, watching the sunset reflecting off the mountains. 

I missed you all and I'm sorry I wasn't around to check in on all of you...but you know what? It was worth it...and I'm back now to catch up in all of your lives.  

So.....what's new?

34 comments:

  1. I'm happy I was there to meet your fwiend and see the speaker unveiling. I'm glad you make such a great home for us, and yes- let's party. Got to use that deck space!! Also, I know your readers can't taste your quiche, however, I did, and it is truly divine. We were fortunate to have such a lovely, sunshiney Sunday.

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    1. Why thank you for your sweet comment, my lovely daughter!! :) xoxo

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  2. Sounded like the perfect weekend. Love those gifts! looking at them, I thought "How perfect for you". She seems like a really nice friend.
    Lisa

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    1. Truly perfect for me, Lisa - and she is a very, very nice new friend!

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  3. Rain, rain and more rain here. I haven't been able to go out on the patio in days. I'm so glad you and Doreen met and had so much fun! I just love that deck.
    Brenda

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    1. I hope your rain goes away soon so you can enjoy time on your lovely patio, Brenda - but I'm sure the plants are super happy!!

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  4. Sounds like a perfect weekend! It's always fun to have a blogger meetup! Your deck is gorgeous and the speaker sounds great!

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    1. My very first blogger meetup!! It was so exciting and can't wait to meet more blogger friends!

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  5. Fun weekend! I was out on my veranda too, and did a lot of planting pots and in the garden.

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  6. Sounds like you got so much accomplished this weekend! I can't wait to see your garden bed and herb boxes. You are so lucky that you have so much outdoor room for entertaining! We just have a small, long, narrow patio on the side of the house. May I ask, where did you get that lovely firepit? I haven't been able to find one I truly like. I love yours! Hmm, I think I'm going to have to get one of those outdoor Bluetooth speakers, too, lol. Does it work with an Android phone?
    How wonderful that you got to meet a blogger friend! What a wonderful woman for driving two hours to meet you. I bet you two had a wonderful time. I wish I lived close to you so that I could meet you in person, too! :-)

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    1. Hi Melanie!! I am lucky, for sure. It was a priority for me when looking for my house. I'll email you a link to the firepit...as for the speaker, I'm guessing it would work, it works with anything that has bluetooth! I wish we lived closer as well - it would be amazing to meet you!

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  7. Relaxing outdoors, nothing to compare. Your deck is beautiful. As for our weekend, well, you know how that went. Just grateful we're high and dry.

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    1. I am also grateful you are high and dry, Dayle - hope things look up for you soon.

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  8. Sounds like you had a fantastic weekend, life is good! And that view....PRICELESS!!

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  9. I couldn't wait to read about your visit - I knew Doreen was going to visit you! I'm glad you had such great weather to enjoy each others' company! I met Doreen last September, and I ADORE her! Your deck looks like the perfect spot to sit and chat for hours!

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    1. We were so lucky, Amy, for sure!! Perhaps some day you and I will meet up - that would be such fun!!

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  10. I'm so glad you and your friend Doreen finally got to meet in person. How thoughtful of her to bring you such wonderful gifts. :) It sounds like you both had a wonderful time and your deck looks amazing!

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    1. Thanks, Debbie - it will look more amazing soon, after the deck boards are power washed and re-painted - you can't see it in the photos but it sure needs it!

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  11. Such a nice outdoor space! Love it!
    You're ahead of me. I haven't had time to get the deck scrubbed before putting out the furniture. The pollen is very high right now so it is probably just as well I didn't. Everything would be yellow!

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    1. I don't put away my furniture, Debbie, so that's one less thing to do. I did spend a couple of hours scrubbing on Saturday, and ran all the throw pillows through the washing machine to freshen them up.

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  12. Looks to me like the perfect place to be! I love a little music on the deck!

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    1. I love the music of the birds when I'm alone but when I have company there's nothing like a little background music to set the stage!

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  13. You had a very busy weekend. I am hoping to get our front and back porch fixed up soon too.

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    1. I look forward to seeing your photos when you have it all done, Betty!

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  14. What a wonderful and busy week end. Lots of fun. So happy you got to meet up with Doreen. Love her wit and crazy sense of humor too. Ahhh to have sweet music on the deck while you rest and relax sounds fabulous. Happy New Week.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. It was so much fun to meet up with her and we had a great time chatting about all sorts of things! There are so many bloggers out there I'd love to meet some day....who knows?

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  15. Wow! Your deck is so nice Debbie! The furnishings blend so well with the mountains that surround your lovely home. So glad you were able to spend some time with Doreen too. Enjoy the rest of your week :)

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    1. Thanks, Karen! The deck needs some TLC but it's got great space for sure!

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  16. Perfect day! Love your deck and all the comfortable seating...

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    1. Thanks, Donna - I don't think the weather will be too good for sitting out there this weekend, which is a shame, but there will be lots of days to come!

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  17. Thank you so much for the sweet words Deb! It was a wonderful day! You're even more beautiful in person, and your home is a true reflection of your giving spirit.

    You're right about those speakers! Great sound, and easy to set up (that's important for a technophobe like moi). lol

    I've been pretty busy and haven't had time to blog much less catch up, but I'm pinning that Quiche recipe. It was unbelievable!!

    XXX

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    1. Thanks, Doreen!! You are such a sweetie and it was amazing to finally meet you!! xo

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