The metamorhposis of a porch~

*WARNING~this post totally lacks enthusiasm*
I wanted to participate in the Porch Party but my PC is acting up as usual and I am SO tired sitting here waiting for things to load. I didn't want anyone to click on a party-less post tho.... so here's whatcha get, lol!

Welcome to Rhondi's Porch Party, 2009!

If you'd like to view last year's post, click here. We are just getting our hanging baskets and such on the porch now, so I'd love it if you come back in a month or so and visit again!

But since you're here....I'll show you the furniture I painted on Saturday. Just like the white wicker I had, these were all found in the trash over the years.

This is our house back in 1972. I was fortunate to find some previous owners and they shared these photos with us! This was before the *cough* siding was put on.

Here's a photo from a few years ago before we painted the house, showing the white furniture. I kept the chair on the right, but the rest went to the curb and has already been picked up, yay! Oh, I kept that table too.

This shows the new paint job from last year~I wish the floor would've stayed glossy and fresh forever. First up, Brentwood rocker. Yep. It's filthy and nasty, but I have a thing for them. I can't even remember where I picked it up, hmm...
This table was in the dumpster behind my work~

My friend Kim picked up this curb side beauty for me and I have used it in my office for years. Time to refresh it tho. (Thanks again Kim!)

So here's the *new* furniture!

The mandevillas are just getting started as well~

I'm looking for new cusions; something french country or Mary Engelbeit inspired.

Wish me luck!

There's plenty of left over swirled orange and pink cheesecake cupcakes I made for my sister's bridal luncheon this past Saturday.... help yourself!


Note the missing cupcake...*snort*
I cut a rose that was past it's prime, but couldn't bare to just toss it so I scattered the petels here. This is a rose that we transplanted from my late Grandmother's garden this spring. I had no idea what color they were, so it's very exciting!

Enjoy the rest of your tour, I'm going to bed, lol! I shall visit y'all tomorrow~

Happy Birthday Rhondi! Thank you for being such a gracious host.

I did it!!

I sewed on my new machine!! I even tried some of the "fancy" stiches! As some of you may recall, I was terrified to use it!

I tackled it a few weeks ago, then finished my first little project last Saturday. Woohooo! I feel so ALIVE! Bwah-ha-ha...



So here's my first victim~ A black wicker(?) rocker that my friend got out of the trash for me! (Thanks KIM!) I don't know what it's made of. It's not wicker, or rattan. It's a rope-like material. Seems to be pretty old. Naturally it has issues. Coming apart from the top and has no seat. I don't care, it's shabby and free and I love it!


Click to see the large version~ if anyone knows what this is made of, let me know!

(don't let my toes distract you, lol)

I asked Kevin to cut a new seat. The chair had once been green and then painted black and I love the patina. I don't want to paint over it. I knew if I painted the new seat black that it would be a "fresh" black and I wouldn't like it. So, I dug in my fabric pile and found some old yellow duck cloth. Perfect! Put some batting over the seat and covered it.

Now for a cushion! I had an extra hydgrangea pad from the front porch set.

Below is my fabric for the new cover~ I've had this for over 10 years! I bought it as a remnant for probably $2, with no idea what to do with it, I just loved it. It's a strong brushed cotton. And what do you know, *JUST* enough for this project! *Squeeeeee!*

Click to see the detail~ The black teapot fabric you see is actually curtains that I made about 10 years ago too... they were for my back porch on my other house. I just loved my porch then, (wish I had pics) and am glad I can do it all over again. It's a rather Mary Engelbreit"y" I think.

Now I won't tell you it all went smoothly. I jammed the machine two or three times. Hmm... probably because I was using upholstry thread on top and regular thread in the bobbin. It's all I had and I wasn't going to the store, ya know?

I did't use a pattern and I'm quite proud of my corners, even tho my stripes don't *quite* match up in front. I had to alter the pic because the flash was so bright on it!

Wanna see the finished look? I can't wait to put it in it's place on my "new" back porch!

The back porch~

While we've been working on our bathroom, we've also been working on other things such as the back porch.

Kevin painted it the same color as our exterior, Sherwin Williams Jersey Cream. The ceiling is Heavenly Skies from Walmart. The floor will be REPAINTED. I HATE it. It should've been more red like this font color, not ORANGE like this!

In this slide show you will see before and afters, (but not finished). The porch was not always enclosed. The door you see with the lock leads to another little room almost the size of the porch area, with a trap door in the floor that leads to the dungeon basement.

The clapboard siding is what is underneath our ugly steel siding on the entire home. I wish we had the money to pull the steel all off. Oh well, I like it much better since we painted the exterior of the house.

We are not finished of course. Need to repaint the burnt orange floor. I ordered shades from Penney's that are the red I want, so will have floor paint colormatched. Need to add a peice of beadboard under that one window. Finish fixing windows. Hang a new light fixture.

But anyhoo, here it is!

A teasing glimpse of our new house color, and.............

The front porch floor paint! I cannot tell you how much I ADORE this color. It's called Storm Shadow from Walmart. We had used it on the porch of our last home as well. I love how it looks blue or green depending on the light.

I hope we get these blue doors stripped soon!

I chose oil based high gloss this time and I'm just so happy with how it turned out! We were trying to get the last of it finished up last night when a jogger went by. She asked how much I had the house listed for!! I said it's not listed! (We have a sign in our yard advertising the painting company that did our house.) She stopped and did a double take~

Wow, MY house being stalked for once, woohoo! That's a switch! She said how nice it was looking and I was quite flattered.

Just wait till we get the shutters up, that'll really knock the jogger's socks off!

I got another coat on most of it tonight. I can't wait to put the furniture, hanging baskets, and planters back up. I wish everything would've been done for the porch party!

Here's one of this year's mandevillas. It's really starting to climb now! Ignore all the weeds, we've been a little busy with other things! You can see the old porch floor color (and primed patches) here, Nostalgia Green from Behr.

BTW, this trellis is actually one of those cheap corner shelves. I had Kevin take the shelves off and I love how I can "mold" it around the pot. I bought a second one for my other mandevilla this year at Dollar General. Unfortunately it's not exactly the same... oh well~ once they're vined up you won't be able to tell!

Porch Party!

Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses is hosting a Porch Party today! This will be so much fun~ Be sure to check her blog for a list of other participants, there are over 60!

Welcome to our front porch! Would you like a piece of cake? It's red velvet..... C'mon, just a little slice?

Come on up... watch your step!
Here are pictures of my porch from last year. Our porch should look quite different soon, so please check back in a few weeks. All of our wicker shown here are dumpster diving finds. I found them about 4 years ago, painted them up and they've served us well. It's time for a new set tho. I will keep the chair on the right however. It was found just down the road~ a rocking chair with one rocker missing. So we just took off the other one! I think this one is actually vintage and it's still in great shape. There was one more chair to the set on the left, but it bit the dust a while back.
Here is a before and after of the wicker~

There was a bird's nest in that hanging basket! You can see another nest here.

The Angel Wing Begonia was Kevin's Grandmother's. We have had many starts from this plant and it just keeps going and going~

Here is a Mandevilla~ pink and viney, what more could you ask for?

Are you sure you don't want a peice? No one is looking! Take two!!Our little "grounds keeper"~

Ok, a few more mandevilla shots, I just love these things!

We hope you've enjoyed your visit, come back any time!

You can learn more about our porch here! Thank you so much for stopping by!