Sunday, June 7, 2009

afternoon project

I was a little discouraged.

I really love to spend time out on my patio in nice weather, journaling and reflecting, doing Bible study, etc. I like to water green growing things. I like to feel the breeze blowing around me. Until a few hours ago my patio basically looked like the above.

The lovely herb garden my sister-in-law gave us for Christmas died a mysterious death after coming along nicely for weeks and weeks.

I could go right out to a nursery or Wal-mart and buy a supply of plants but for various reasons, this summer isn't lining up to be a good summer for us to try to grow things. Green, living sorts of things. And keep them alive. So, what's a girl to do?

Step one: gather up some "stuff"

can of old hardware bought at an estate sale a few weekends ago for 50 cents I think,
a trowel, a rock my brother brought back to me from the top of a
Colorado mountain many years ago and some colorful pots

and some sheet moss bought at Joann's

search the house for some cute "little" things

pluck them out of their present places and stick them in a moss covered pot!

Very pretty!

But then the wind starts picking up and something rolls over the edge of the balcony
and breaks and you decide to take that pink glass eiffel tower
right back inside before it too becomes a casualty



and you look for some more stuff

like this adorable little red phone booth that has lived on my fridge for
as long as I can remember and reminded me my mama was only a phone call away.
It used to make a phone ringing sound when you pressed the button but now it doesn't
and the door is now held on my gloppy glue gun glue and it had found it's way
to the seldom seen side of the fridge so . . . out it goes to a new home!


And even though it's plastic, you still prefer that it and your sheet moss don't blow away at the slightest provocation, so you do what any "gardener" would do and you break out your . . .





GLUE GUN!

And your husband wakes up from his nap and comments "I've never seen anyone glueing anything to dirt before. Awesome!"

And you add these fun garden clippers for weight that you also got at the same estate sale as the hardware, again for 50 cents or a quarter because you liked the way they look


And after various tweaking and arranging and gathering and tying and glueing,
you end up with this:








chair bought at a garage sale a couple weeks ago for $3.50!!

Re-painted white and number added inspired by Wendy

but that's only one comfy chair to sit in and there are two of us now and this weekend I found this!!!!

I was sooo excited to spy it at a garage sale that I stopped at on the way home from mailing the baby gift. It was marked $15 and I got it for $8!!! Yippee! Yippee!

and it will go up here alongside the number 3 chair
(hee hee, I noticed you can see the rust on the bottom in this photo! oh well)

So here's my question for you. I want to paint the wicker chair. I think I want to paint it black.
But the number chair is white. Or I could paint it a color. What do you think and why?
I'd love to know!

Oh and I want to credit seesawfaith and kelli whose little container gardens with miniatures I saw a few weeks ago that were percolating in the back of my mind and inspired my afternoon project! Hope everyone is having a good Sunday afternoon. Adrian and I are about to go out and enjoy our 8 month anniversary present to ourselves. More to come on that later. Kelly

p.s. does anyone know anything about "outdoor friendly pillows"? Thanks! Kelly

I added this post to Rhoda's Monday party of sharing things you've found at estate sales, garage sales, etc.

17 comments:

Vanessa {Bloom Right Here!} said...

I love your little "garden." How cute! The light blue chair is wonderful also. I think your wicker chair would look fine in black. You could put a white pillow on it (with a number, of course) to tie it in with the metal chair.

Miss G said...

Vanessa! Brilliance about the number on a white pillow for a black chair! Thanks! Kelly

p.s. does anyone know anything about "outdoor friendly pillows"? Thanks! Kelly

Karen said...

I agree on the black chair. Why don't you "google" outdoor fabric?

Miss G said...

Great idea, Mom! Kelly

seesawfaith said...

black is good and always a cool choice, but if you painted the chair a color it would make the whole area "pop". Maybe a brick red or burnt orange or even a fun lime green. Then take the white pillow with the number and add too it.

You may be able to find a pillow or cushion for a reasonable price if you check home and garden clearance areas. Sometimes they have bits and pieces of patio sets that no longer have a "family" and will sell them off on clearance for really cheap.

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

Nice work, Kelly! Gluing to dirt -- I laughed out loud.

Both chairs are great. I think black would be great for the wicker chair, or perhaps a bright yellow or true red. I would, however, stay away from painting it white... white wicker always looks kind of dated to me.

I love the idea of a pillow with a number painted on it. I noticed some weather-proof pillows and cushions at Home Depot this afternoon, I'm sure Lowe's carries them as well, and possibly Target and/or Pier One. With fabric paint you could easily add a number.

Miss G said...

You guys are giving me SUCH great ideas! Thank you! Kelly

Wendy said...

Love your chair! Thanks for linking!

WhisperWood Cottage said...

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog! That's my kind of garden!! Love those chairs!

Amy

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Love the little chair!

grannyann said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. come again soon. I had just finished looking at your blog and gone back to mine when I saw you had been there. Your ideas of putting the little items in the pots is a darling idea. I need to pass that on to my daughter. I also see you got a beautiful wicker chair. I just love wicker, don't you?

Anna said...

I love the chairs. Wal-mart has some outdoor pillows in the garden section - they are the Better Homes and Garden brand.

Cindy said...

White wicker with a turquoise pillow. And that white metal chair, paint the underside of that with turquoise. Whatever you do, if you like it...it's right.

jennyc said...

You are too creative! I love the pots.. I hope you have many peaceful moments on your pretty new porch!

Stephanie said...

You have a red flower, a red trimmed flower pot, & a red eiffel tower - I say paint the chair red. It will be so yummy and it will look great with the white chair.

Carrie said...

What a fun, cute and practical solution to decorating the balcony for pleasant viewing.

joyh82 said...

very creative on your cute little garden. Love the chair and how clever to add the "3" to it ..