Inspiration and purchases for new outdoor courtyard

I haven't found/unpacked my camera battery recharger so I've not been able to take great photos of the house, yet.  I know some of you are eager to see and I'm working on it.  Until then, I have to rely on my trusty iPhone camera (which isn't too bad) and show you snippets of what's going on in our new mid century modern home.

Besides unpacking, cleaning, and organizing endlessly, we've been able to purchase a few pieces of new furniture.  I've particularly focused on our outdoor courtyard since we tend to spend a lot of time in it.  Reno's weather is amenable to outdoor living and I've always dreamed of having an outdoor dining/living area.  Our "courtyard" is nestled between our bedrooms and main living (kitchen/family) area with the main hallway running along the back.

While there is much to do in the future, such as revamping the inner garden and flower beds, for now I'm happy to make easy/affordable changes.  A visit to my local Home Goods store kicked off my purchases with this yellow side table.

From there, we purchased the following:

 1.  Sun shade (on sale), Overstock.com
2.  Solar powered water fountain pump, Amazon.com
3.  Bardolino rectangular dining table (on sale), dwr.com
4.  Surf charcoal dining chair (on sale), crateanbarrel.com
5.  Soji solar lanterns, allsop.com

I may be most excited about the solar powered water fountain pump.  It was the easiest and least expensive way to make a small, stagnant pond interesting.  Since Reno has an abundance of sun, solar power was a no brainer.  The lanterns are great, too.  I love looking out the windows at night to see them glowing.

We haven't received the table yet but once we do, and when I recharge my camera battery, I'll take a photo of the area in completion.

 

 Summer is my favorite time of year for fresh decorating.  Did you make any summer time purchases for your garden, deck, or patio this summer?