Chinese Garden Stool

Last year about this time, I wrote about camouflaging our geriatric hammock with a quilt. With the addition of a pillow, a side table, and a cold drink, it was a comfy spot to hang out on a hot summer afternoon.

This year, I made a few changes.

I added a bigger pillow and flipped the quilt over for an all-white look:

And I swapped out the charming-but-rickety side table from last year (below).

See that leash? Pao Pao is just about to see a squirrel,
wrap that leash around the table legs, and pull the whole thing over. Argh!

I've found this makes a much better little side table/stool in a yard with dogs:

It's a Chinese ceramic garden stool. I found mine for $99 at Pier One Imports. Endless variations on this stool are pretty easy to find, both in brick-and-mortar stores and online. If you are looking for one in a store, try garden shops, import stores, and the garden centers of big-box stores like Target and Home Depot.

If you live in the middle of Nowheresville, you can find lots of these stools online, too. Here's one from Overstock.com for $129:

It's a little fussy for my tastes, but so what.

A place called chinafurnitureonline.com has them at all prices, from a very reasonable $85 for this cheerful blue/white/yellow one:
...to almost $500 for this gorgeous version. Yowza!

This one is selling on Amazon.com for $119, and the website says it's the last one in stock. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. This is a classic color and pattern, and I'm sure you could find its twin elsewhere without looking too much.

Anyhow, back to my Pier One garden stool. It's heavy enough that a racing pug can't knock it over easily. Yet it's light enough to pick up and move around the garden. It's broad enough on top to be a seat, but small enough to be a small side table.

Pao Pao approves of it.

Well, I think he does.

Sometimes, with pugs, it's hard to tell.