photo: Rodney SmithI am in the process of stretching my yard to the max. As I have mentioned before, we live on a 60 x 100 lot, which in these parts, constitutes 3/4 of a regular building lot...at least in suburbia. We have already erected a large deck which surrounds our pool area, and it allows for plenty of outdoor lounging.
That said, there is very little room left in our back yard to do much else. Or so it would seem... I am in the process of testing that theory. In fact, I have decided that since my yard is too small to use for much of anything, I am going to cram as much "living" into the space as I possibly can. As I have hinted at, my hard-working husband has committed to building my daughter/me a sweet, little playhouse. Now, it won't be large by any stretch, but we are rational people: no little girl needs this:
In fact, we are quite content with whatever my husband decides to create and will be thrilled down to our toes just to have such a fun place to play. I say we because I am honest; and I am as excited as she is to have another pretty place to create memories. We have big plans for the inside of it, and Sophie even has her daddy excited to see just how much "living" he can cram into the rather tiny space. We are already planning a "sleepover" in it, tea parties, and craft sessions. I have been picking up furnishings and accessories for it for awhile now, and Sophie herself has drawn up the "design" of it along with her colour choices. We'll see about those colours... 
photo: Baby Goes Vintage
photo: Baby Goes Vintage
I also finally have a clothesline of my own to assuage the guilt of using my dryer for almost two years now. We finally decided that although we didn't have the perfect spot to put it, it was going up anyway. I love a good clothesline, and it just feels wrong to use my dryer when I really don't have to. I love the whole process of hanging laundry out on a line, and nothing beats the fresh scent of the clothes as you fold them afterwards. Hanging clothes out has other benefits besides saving on electricity: your clothes are actually sanitized by the sun, and the sun works to bleach out stains naturally.
My last project to impose on our tiny backyard is a vegetable garden. Now THAT will be small indeed, but I am determined to have some semblance of one. I plan to grow potatoes like this:
...and I will grow other veggies like tomatoes, lettuces, and cucumbers in pots on my deck. Strawberries are also in order, and I will also poke around for the perfect spot to grow some yellow beans - favourites amongst our family.
photo: Decorative Country Living
So that's it...in a nutshell. If I manage to achieve all of this, I will share the photographic evidence. I will not, however, be showing any photos of me making a fool of myself, perched on a too small for me child's chair, sipping warm lemonade out of dusty, plastic teapots. Some things have to stay in the vault!!
...and the day naturally ends with the requisite campfire and sugary s'mores (and maybe a slug of cold beer or wine for the adults). Conversation seems freer by the glow of the campfire, and even the kids seem more involved in the pockets of conversations that go on amongst the ranks. My hubby usually gets prodded to tell a scary story or two...which he is actually too good at (to the chagrin of the little ones) and even the occasional wafts of campfire smoke in the eyes doesn't deter us from this nightly ritual. I especially enjoy the good sleep I get which is enhanced by the fresh air washing over us as we sleep with the screens open. Sure, that sleep is disrupted at times by other campers talking too loud at their own late-night fires, but it is all part of the experience. After all, that's what it is all about...the great outdoors: where life is unstructured, catnaps are to be had, and schedules are unimportant. 
