The Great Outdoors Part 1

I have a sweet little patio outside my condo. Up until now it has been a total under achiever in the charming department. I had it repaved last year, and the charm level definitely went up. But it's still been rather a bleak corner of my home.

Bleak.
Furniture in need of paint.
But nice new pavers and lovely windchimes = potential.








So, armed with lots of potential and not a lot of pesos I challenged myself to create a charming, warm and welcoming back yard space with as little money spent as possible. Time for a trip to Target.

It doesn't look like much yet, but here's a pile of even more potential.

A tablecloth for next to nothing.

Kitchen towels to cut up and sew back together as colorful pillows and cushions.

Working on the arrangement of the furniture.

The grill ended up way more to the right.

The table cloth ready to be trimmed down to the right size with the left overs planned for a big cushion on my red adirondack chair.

One pillow is sewn. Several more in line.

You are seeing 2 dish towels cut up to make one pillow.

Look at these cute chair pads that go with the table cloth. $5.99.

I don't know whether to spray paint the patio furniture black or white.

The table cloth is trimmed down to size. The chairs are padded and pillowed.

The 60% off lantern is hanging over the table with a flameless candle inside.

This photo is sort of a "mini reveal" of things to come. I hesitate even posting this, as there's much more to be done.

Still in the wings:
Lots more cushions and textiles.
Plants- lots of plants.
Maybe a small water fountain.
Little "B" white lights for the ceiling over the patio.
The wrought iron window frame thing hanging on the wall is going to lean artfully against the fence behind some pots of plants.
I'd like a piece of waterproof art on stretched canvas to bring some color to that wall. I may have to paint it myself as stretched canvas paintings for the outdoors run about $250.

I'm looking forward to using my patio this year. Reading, writing and resting will take place. Maybe a bit a knitting and a glass or two of wine with my neighbor Mimi.

The more I look at the table cloth the more I think I had a bed spread like that when I was in college in teh late 60's. What's old is new again.