SMOKIN POT

We've officially lived in New York state for two years (as of May 1st) and oh what a ride it has been! Thank God I love the area or the piles of bullsh#t we've gone through in the last few years would have sent me running for the Hollywood hills! The other night we sat by the fire and sipped martinis, reflecting on our time here and felt cautiously optimistic that we'll have a bright future ahead of us. It was a long, cold winter and we're looking forward to the warm days of summer where we can spend time outside where the sun can roast us and Joe can cook up a delicious meal on our smoker! Because we don't have a lot of money to spend on outdoor furniture, I'm forced to get creative with seating and dining pieces. I've talked about potting tables before and have actually used one in a home in Los Angeles as a center island in a kitchen. Potting tables are available everywhere...from Target and Walmart to Lowes and Home Depot. While my thumbs are far from green and the day I use a potting table for its real purpose will be a cold day somewhere, I love finding multiple uses for these cool pieces. Because they have a basin for washing plants I thought it would be cool to fill it with ice and use the table as an outdoor bar. To ensure it will last for years to come, slap a coat of boat varnish on it and no doubt your party will weather any storm!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: One hour to stain potting table with boat varnish

COST: $135 for potting table at Target or $69 at Christmas Tree Stores. Boat or other varnish starts at $5.99 at your local home improvement store.

STRESS LEVEL: Chilling out: LOW