Setting the Stage for Graduation Day

So much preparation went into the big day. Thank God for such wonderful family. They all worked their tails off to make the day as special as it was. The following pictures were taken the day after graduation, so the settings lack the personality that they oozed when they were filled with people, food and love. But still wanted to share.

Moved the potting table from the garage to the back patio to use as a bar. Mom cleaned it up real good and then Fred, my workhorse of a stepdad, was my designated bartender on the big day. Potting table put to perfect use! And my outdoor rugs dressed up the venue nicely.
Found this darling metal table painted blue and perfectly "chippy" at a thrift store a few days before for $10. Loved that it had the double holes to hold an umbrella. Umbrella found at Garden Ridge for $9.99.

Harleigh saw an old swing set at a neighbor's curb with a big "Take Me: Free" sign. She loved the swing part of the set and luckily we were able to remove it. Fred hung it from the treehouse, warmed it up with a quilt, and it became a favorite spot for the kids who came to the graduation festivities.

The steps off of my back patio had become a mud patch and so Fred laid these pavers for me (in the drizzle the day before graduation; thank you thank you thank you!). I can't believe how much they help with dirt being tracked into the house.