21 September 2009

Outdoor Fireplaces

This is my outdoor fireplace. Not much to speak of, but this piece of scorched ground has seen it's fair share of roasted hot dogs, marshmallows and mountain pies.

Something in the fall air makes me long for the sharp smell of burning wood and the sweet taste of a perfectly roasted marshmallow (golden brown and melty, please).

But I long for a beautiful outdoor fireplace like this one. The dog can stay.

Remodeling Center

I can picture myself curled up on that couch with a wool blanket a cup of hot apple cider. Care to join me?

Remodeling Center

Or sitting here with my dearest friends while we solve the world's problems and enjoy a slightly charred hot dog. Would you be allowed to roast a hot dog in something this beautiful? Well, it's my fantasy, so yes!

This Old House

On a slightly more realistic note, I could be perfectly happy with a beautiful fire pit like this one. Adirondack chair and a glass of red, optional.

So, what about you? Do you have a bit of the country girl in you? Do you like to burn stuff too? How about a little more inspiration...

This Old House ~ How to Build a Fire Pit
DIY Network ~ Build a Backyard Stone Firepit VIDEO
Young House Love ~ Build a Stone Firepit for $28
Explorer's Backpack ~ What is a Mountain Pie?
Field and Stream ~ How to Roast a Marshmallow

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In other news, I keep forgetting to announce the winner of our giveaway from Sarah at A Beach Cottage. (This is becoming a pattern with me, isn't it?)

Wendy from The Shabby Nest has won a beautiful set of place mats and napkins direct from Down Under. Congratulations, Wendy!

And if you haven't visited A Beach Cottage yet, stop by and say g'day to Sarah! You may never want to leave.



44 comments {Click here to leave a comment}:

Melanie@TheOldWhiteCottage said...

There is nothing like a fire outside. We don't use ours much because of the little ones but we did enjoy it to celebrate our anniversary back in May.

http://www.theoldwhitecottageblog.com/2009/05/tomorrow-is-my-anniversary.html

southerninspiration said...

kimba, that is no hill for a stepper.....put your mind to it and make that firepit a beautiful thing. You can do it if anyone can!!!

Suzanne

Christi said...

I want an outdoor fireplace, too. Don't know how I'm gonna work that in yet. ;-)

Emily@remodeling this life said...

we just camped out the other night in our yard and had a fire and cooked hot dogs on sticks and made smores. I like the simple little $7 firepit thingy we have but oh one of those big fireplaces with an outdoor living room would be okay too.

Lisa @ Simply Things Family said...

I have been begging my husband for us to design and build an outdoor living area. They are so beautiful and inviting.
Maybe someday! For now, we have nothing but a 45 year old patio.

Janet Metzger, Artist said...

My husband and I have a chiminea that we placed in a lovely spot down under our huge walnut trees. In the fall we like to feast on roasted hot dogs, beans and of course a bottle of our favorite Sauvignon Blanc! So very cozy and romantic. I recommend it to every couple.

Georgia Girl said...

Oh I love all of these! However, I think just the plain ole simple one like you have the best...it seems more natural...this is what we do and we have some lounge chairs and enjoy the peace and quiet living in the country.

Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top said...

I like the simple fire pit the best. We live in the city but I'd love to get one of those patio fire pits. I was hoping to find one on clearance. I love roasted marshmallows too. Yum!

Queen B. said...

oooooo how cool.
My kids love to roast marshmallows !

Wendy said...

Oh Kimba!! Hip Hip Hooray! I'm very excited that I won!!

Deidra said...

My husband bought me a fire pit two years ago for Mother's Day. I think it's my favorite present of all time!

Unknown said...

We have a beautiful rock fireplace at my parent's ranch. Some of my best relaxing has taken place curled up in front of it. The beautiful examples you have here make me homesick for it!

Pam said...

I have a LOT of country girl in me. I love a good campfire around our fire pit (no fancy fireplaces here) with roasted weiners, marshmallows and smores. I've never heard of mountain pies.

duchess said...

I'd love to have an outdoor fireplace. I keep telling my husband that we'll put one in while they're building the pool - HA!
Right now, we just have a black metal fire pit - I can't wait to start using it on these cool fall nights.

Brittany@Superwoman said...

I love having my firepit. I bought one from Menards a while back, but I'm finding it's too small. So I may end up building my own.
And since I'm in the upper penninsula (yooper) of Michigan, I use it quite often!

Trac~ said...

WOW - now this is my cup of tea for a nice relaxing evening at home especially if you include the roasted hot dogs and marshmellows and wool blanket and cup of cider! OMG - just heavenly! Hmmm... wonder if I can convince my husband to convert our back yard to ONE of these ideas! HA! Thanks for sharing! :o)

Anonymous said...

My Sister in law has the "this old house" fire pit but I just have that scorched piece of ground. What's a mountain pie?

Sunny said...

My BFF has a nice outdoor fire pit that we roast marshmallows over and make smores. This was such a nice memory maker with her and her children. My hubby is a pyro so any fire, no matter, is a good fire by him!

Julie G. said...

We just finished having a fireplace built in our backyard, it still needs painted, (we had to wait until the stucco cured), but we have used it a times, and I love it! http://julie-glass.blogspot.com/2009/08/fire-in-hole.html

Love the Decor! said...

We have a fire pit in our backyard that we built in the ground (would love the one in the 1st pix too) It has been a great addition to our family time. The girls often have friends over hanging out around the fire making s'mores and laughing a ton.

Kathy C. said...

Oh Kimba, I would SO VERY MUCH love to sit and sip cider with you there. I would love to have an outdoor fireplace like the first one, oh my! We have a "chimenea", that sits on an uncovred patio in the corner, not quite so cozy, but it works. :) I don't think our 2 weeks of cold a year will quite justify (for hubby) the cost of building that fireplace, so I'll be quite happy to snuggle by what we have. :)

Ashlee said...

All those pictures look nice and cozy!!! I might have to add this to Our DIY LIST!!! Stop by my blog some time!! I love your DIY DAY!!!

Gwen said...

We have a huge fire pit that we have never even used. It is big and there is plenty of wood around, so I am not sure why....

Gussy Sews said...

I love the smell of a fire burning, especially in the fall. I LOVE IT! I love marshmellows and burnt hotdogs. My husband and I celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary at my parents cottage this summer. I made rootbeer floats and we slurped them over a late fire. It was awesome :) -- not the usual fire food, but great nonetheless :)

GUSSY

Jennifer Juniper said...

We have a big ol' fire pit and it's one of the favorite places at our home :) So, yeah, got some country girl in me!

Joanna said...

We have a small fire pit that came from Target a couple of years ago. It has gotten so much use out of it. We always do smores, marshmallows and hotdogs when the weather cools off. It's also a nice end to a long day.

Gina said...

We love our fire pit! It's something my husband put together and I'm really looking forward to using it through the fall! I love a good s'more every now and then! It's also a great excuse to have the neighbors over-s'mores are always better with company.

Our fire pit.

Dawn said...

Those firepits are gorgeous! I may just be adding that to our weekend project list!

Sherri said...

I would LOVE the really 'fancy' one, but would be happy with the fire pit and chair. I have a portable metal fire pit now. Of course, we are experiencing the rain of 40 days and 40 nights here in GA. Not much Fall time to use it YET!

Farmgirl Paints said...

Real ones are EXPENSIVE. But oh what a lovely addition it would make to any backyard:)

Gena said...

We love to burn stuff outside. My son and I wanted a fire pit last winter and couldn't find an affordable one. So, we bought a BIG galvanized tub, cleared a space for it and voila! Fire pit. We love it and have used it all year for fires and roasting marshmallows. Where's there's a will, there's a way.

a woman who is said...

I had a firepit...that was borrowed by my daughter and son-in law lol!

I loved the burning of the leaf piles when I was a child in New England. That is the fall smell I miss and love.

jules said...

Love fires in the firepit. Ours looks like yours, but I sure would love one of the other ones. There's just something about a fire in the fall crisp air.

the treat girl said...

My husband built us terrific fire pit out of flagstone, and even added a gas starter so it's quick and easy to get going....and how 'bout I made those same tie dye t-shirts with my kids last year! Saw them in the family fun magazine :)

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

I'll admit that I can't smell (ever!!), but I do like the feel of sitting around the fire and the taste of S'Mores. :) This is a project I could definitely get my husband to jump on board with. :)

grannyann said...

my daughter and her family love to cook marshmellows over her fire pit so after I found out what a Mountain pie is I emailed it to her (around the block).

Katy said...

I love outdoor fire pits/ fireplaces so much! Very fun! Thanks for the little bit of dreaming, that was fun.

Cara said...

It is dream of mine to have an outdoor fireplace. I am so in love with the way they look and I can just imagine sitting outside next to a crackling fire on a cool autumn night. A fire pit is definitely a more realistic goal. Thanks for posting the links to DIY instructions...may have to try this! Great post, as usual!

Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

oh we burn all the time, and built ourselves our own little fire pit..well, actually really big but we can do that in the country. :)

diane said...

Hey, your outdoor fireplace looks just like our outdoor fireplace...three kids and everything.
Although we do have some fancy looking cinder blocks for sitting on if we get tired.

Angie of That Funky Boutique said...

mmmm, makes me wish the rain would stop so we can enjoy our makeshift fire pit tonight. Like you, I"m dreaming of a real one!

Ruth said...

We have a fire pit and I love to use it. It is so much fun. Those outdoor spaces are splendid.

Ruth

Cazra said...

I love to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over a fire. We had an outdoor fire pit at our old house, but we left it there when we moved into our new house 3 months ago. When I just read your blog, I showed my husband the one from This Old House. I hope it builds it soon! Thanks for the idea!

Terry said...

Greetings,
I just came across your blog here and it was a fun read. I have a website on fire pits and I was wondering if we could exchange some links.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

links[at]myfirepitonline[dot]com

Fire Pit Online