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?

Was I the last to know about solar powered watches?

I am the accidental collector. I don't collect anything on purpose, but after years of accumulating, I end up with collections of things. One of said collections is of watches. Without the intention of saving them (and many I didn't), somehow I've ended up with at least 20 or more.

My first was a Cinderella watch that came with a similar figurine as the one shown below. I remember loving that watch so much that I wouldn't wear it for fear of scratching it.

One of my most valued is an antique wind-up my mother gave me from her childhood in Vietnam. I don't know the whole story behind it, but it must be at least 65+ years old.

I've had Swatch Watches in clear and solid black (at the time, it had to be the all black one with no numbers). Do you remember the Swatch Guards and wearing multiples?! It's hard for me to admit that these are considered vintage now. We're only talking the '80s!

I also have dress watches, cheap watches, and fake name watches. Around Christmas, the last of my battery operated watches died. I was going to gather up the bunch and schlep out to our local mall's watch shop to buy new batteries for all of them. Of course, procrastination got the best of me and by the 25th I was still watchless. Luckily, hubby surprised me with this great Citizen's Eco-Drive solar powered watch. Yup! I'll never have to wind it, replace batteries, or whine about the aforementioned again. How cool and who knew?!

So, if you are in the market for a new watch, consider going green! Oh, and apparently, the people who wear it are unstoppable, just like the watch: