Catching Up...Pirogi Assembly

Ryan and I have this great slab behind our garage...that used to be the foundation for a greenhouse my grandpa had. He loved to grow roses in it, but when he got older and unable to work in the yard like he once had, they tore down the greenhouse and left the slab. It's perfect for a little outdoor living space...except...one side is open to the neighbor's yard.

In the last 13 years that I've lived in this house, I've never really used it, because I didn't want the neighbors staring at me, and I didn't want to stare at them. But Ryan and I so love eating outside, so earlier this spring, I suggested we somehow create privacy back there so we could use the slab.

We toyed with putting a couple sections of privacy fence along the open side...or just fencing off that whole part of the yard...but then we found the idea of a pergola, and we loved it.

Until we saw how much it was going to cost. To buy all the materials...and for Ryan to assemble it...and to make our buy curtains for privacy...was going to be a lot of money.

Then one evening, while killing some time at Lowe's, we found a metal frame gazebo that came with mosquito netting and solid curtains to surround the whole thing...and we decided THIS was for us.

By the way, when we were in the pergola planning days, Ryan told me one day that he'd been looking at pirogi plans online. I said, "Pirogi? Like the food?" We got a good laugh out of that one and have now renamed all pergolas...pirogis. So when you see that referenced on the ole blog, you'll know what we're talking about.

So without further ado....here was our poor little slab...before.

 That's our hammock underneath the tarp. We didn't want it to turn into a bird outhouse. :)

Ryan and our pirogi-in-a-box:

 This weekend, we moved the construction outside...which only took two ladders and two step stools.

 Ryan, bless his heart, took a token photo of my attempt to help. {Ladders and I are not friends.}

 The ladders and Ryan - adding the roof frame.

 I would have passed right out if I'd had to be up this high. He was putting the finial on the top.

 Adding the nets...

 The first phase of the finished product.

We brought our little patio table out there...and put the hammock in...but we have some more dreaming to do with the place. I'd love to get a rug and some more plants - and we MUST have a fan. {We're hot blooded people.}

Works great! We took our nap out there on Sunday, and we ate dinner and had our dessert and coffee out there as well. It's just lovely. LOVELY.