Backyard Delulu Glow-Up: Why We Finally Started
There comes a point where you either accept your backyard chaos… or you lean fully into the delusion that you can transform it into a cozy little oasis with enough plants, Home Depot runs, & blind optimism.
We chose delusion.
Honestly? This project started because we were tired of staring at a backlog of “eventually” projects around our house. Our Lazy Daisy bungalow turns five this Fall, & instead of waiting for some perfect renovation moment, we decided to start making the space work for us now.
Not perfectly.
Not all at once.
But slowly.
So welcome to the Backyard Delulu Glow-Up — a very real-time attempt at turning our slightly chaotic yard into a space for projector nights, BBQ hangs, Rosé yapping sessions, & dogs pretending to supervise construction.
⚠️ Transparency moment: This blog series contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using these links — at no extra cost to you! Thanks for supporting my chaotic dog-parent life & tiny home upgrades.
🪴 The Vision (Delusion)
The original plan sounded simple enough:
• build a projector wall
• make the backyard feel cozier
• create a space we’d actually use
• somehow stay on budget (lol)
But like most home projects, one tiny idea quickly snowballed into:
“Wait… what if we added seating?”
“Wait… should we add a couch?”
“Wait… are we hosting World Cup nights now??”
Suddenly, the yard became less about aesthetics & more about building a space where people could gather comfortably.
… & honestly? That part matters more.
🌧 Real Life Delays (AKA Rain & Chaos)
Of course, Atlanta weather immediately humbled us.
The second we started making progress, it rained for what felt like seven business years straight. Tools got shuffled around. Plans changed. The dogs remained deeply unhelpful.
But weirdly… the slow pace became part of the project too.
This wasn’t a one-weekend HGTV makeover.
It was:
• testing things
• thrifted finds
• moving furniture around six times
• realizing home really does take time
I’m learning to appreciate that part.
🍷 What We’re Actually Building
At its core, this isn’t really about a backyard. It’s about creating a softer place to land.
A place for:
• movie nights
• friends hanging out too late
• dogs zooming through the yard
• grilling something chaotic
• quiet mornings with coffee outside at the bistro set
• accidentally staying out past sunset
🍃 To Be Continued…
The older I get, the more I realize home isn’t built all at once. It’s layered slowly through tiny moments like these.
This backyard is still very much a work in progress — & honestly, I hope it stays that way for a while.
Next up: we’re tackling the outdoor movie setup, sharing the products we’re actually using, & slowly bringing this little backyard vision to life.
Explore Part 2 → 🎥 How We Built an Outdoor Movie Theater (On a Normal Person Budget)