Sunday, June 7, 2009

C'est la finis!

Here's the close up photo for those of you wanting to participate in the contest mentioned near the end of this post. Make sure you leave your name. The first one to identify them all just might get a little kitsch from me after all. (Click on the picture to make it larger.)

So we've literally had rain every single day for a week. That's played major havoc with my painting schedule. I managed to get the rest of the painting on the inside of the porch done, but all the furniture and accessories that I still needed to paint had to be done in the backyard with no shelter from the rain. So I painted when I could and hoped the paint would dry before the next storm. *sigh*

But my persistence paid off, I finally got everything painted, put back on the porch, hung, planted, etc. I can't tell you how much joy I feel every time I step out onto my newly redone porch. I feel this operatic note come bursting forth from my chest, like "LAAAAAAAA," then the joy rushes forward. I know, I'm weird. So in this picture, the table is obviously missing from between the four chairs. I have a picture of it complete, but the sun was setting by the time the table dried and I could put it back on the porch and I wanted you to get a good idea of the colors on the porch, so I included this shot that was taken earlier in the morning. Note the window hanging on the left. I always meant to do an individual post on that, but it's taken me 3 years to finish that little project so I never got around to doing the post on it. It was my first attempt at a stained glass window effect. It's okay. I'll keep practicing. For those of you who click on the picture to enlarge it to see what those objects are at the top of the porch. Each time we travel somewhere, M and I pick up a kitsch souvenir to decorate our porch. I could tell you what each one is and where it came from, but I have a better idea. Let's make this a contest. Let's see who can name each object and where it came from. I'd offer to send you a prize of some other piece of kitsch I have around the house, but one woman's kitsch is another person's clutter.

So note the mint green ceiling, the gorgeous blue floor, and the pistachio green Adirondack chair and foot rest. I also have various shade plants in pots scattered around the porch. After four years of investing in gorgeous hanging pots of draping flowers to decorate the porch and watching as they died out rather quickly due to lack of sunshine, I finally realized I should put shade loving house plants out there instead. Oh, I'm not giving up on flowers on the front porch. A neighbor told me last night about a particular type of flower that loves shade and the local nursery that carries hanging pots of those flowers. I'll go in search of them tomorrow.

So this chair, it has a story of its own you know. I originally purchased this and a large number of matching chairs in New Hampshire back in 2000. A few got broken when too many teenagers tried piling on top of each other in them, but the four that survived traveled with us to Maryland when we moved. In their original incarnation they were a dark, hunter green - very conservative and functional. For the past few years, each time we drive to the beach, I see Adirondack chairs in all sorts of beachy bright colors and pastels. Of course they want a small fortune for them. I've been lusting after those bright colors for years. Lust no more. I discovered the spray paint isle at my local store and have given my dark green chairs new life. It began with this chair. I was so pleased with the color, so were the neighbors, that I went really crazy with the other chairs on the back deck. Pictures of them are coming up.

I decided "color" was the name of the game for the front porch. So each potted plant that I put out there also got a new coat of paint on the pot. I turned my terra cotta, black, and white pots to bright colors. Two of the big ones are purple and on the front porch.





Here's a shot of both of the big purple pots. There are Day Lillies in the farthest one and I can't remember the name of the plant in the first one. I'm horrible with names of plants.





I didn't paint these little pots yet, but I did do a blast of fire engine red on the plant holder.




Speaking of red, my tarnished, copper/gold sorta mailbox got a fresh coating of red as well. Somebody a few blocks away has a red Swedish mailbox that I'd seen in a mail order catalog. I can't afford to buy one of those, but I can afford a couple bucks for a can of red spray paint. I think it turned out nicely. *giggle*

Here's a shot of the finished table back on the porch, but it was sunset and not conducive to good picture taking, but note the rug under the table.


I got an area sized rug to go under the table and chairs and I got a wide runner to span the distance between the front door and the screen door. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these rugs. The pattern and the colors are of course very appealing to me, but the cool thing about these rugs are that they are outdoor rugs made from recycled plastic bottles. So I just hose them off and they're clean. The colors are also supposed to be fairly fade proof because they're not stamped a color on top, each fiber strand of plastic is like yarn and that particular color all the way through. Cool huh?

Here's a shelf I already had and above that is a welcome sign that was all faded from it's original sage green, brown, orange and yellow. What do you think of its color make-over?










On each end of the porch I have these candle holders. They're a little Morroccan I suppose, but I like them. They have little tea candles in their glass cups in the center.

Now as promised, here are the other chairs on the back deck that I also re-painted. Here's a lovely little lavender number sitting by the back door.









Here's a seating arrangement with another pistachio green and bright yellow. I also painted a number of pots on the back deck as well. So with all that painting, house cleaning and repairs, plus lots of work, I've been very busy. I'm also beginning to realize I'm either getting too old for all this activity or I'm just out of shape, okay, maybe a little of both.

Note to Marvia: Here's the link to the bathroom post you asked about: New Bathroom

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very nice, looks like a happy place. Friendly & inviting, place to sit and enjoy. Espically if served with a side of Mel's home made crab cakes:)

Anonymous said...

oK, Statue of Libery came from NY of course, when you and Mel, went for millionare tryouts? And the Crab, either comes from nearby, Ocean City or the Island, where the ponies are? or possibily from Maine when you when on Vacation, last year. The other items, can not enlarge enough to see what they actually are.

tshsmom said...

You're not weird(OK, maybe we're both weird)! I get those same "LAAAA" moments whenever we complete a project too. Hell, I have those moments when the entire yard is mowed and trimmed at the same time.;)

I love all your color choices, except for the pistachio green. Sorry but I've always had an aversion to that color. My daughter and goddaughter actually bought shirts in that color just to gross me out.

VV said...

Anon and Anon, are you the same person, Pat perhaps, Larena? Leave your name. I put a better picture up for you to do your guessing. The crab was not part of it, although it did come from Ocean City.

Tshsmom, you're never weird if there's more than one of you. At least that's what I tell myself. :-) So FINALLY there's something we don't have in common. I LOVE that Pistachio Green! I'm sorry it makes you sick. Go to the bottom and gaze at the Lavender one instead. That's my second favorite one. Oh, and I also get excited when we can manage first, to get the entire property mowed in the same day and second, the almost unheard of occasions when we trim as well.

tweetey30 said...

Ok cheese comes from WI, golden gate Bridge i am guessing San Fransico, Statue of Liberty coming from New York, and the 1800 bombing thing LOL.. I am only guessing with the last one is from some where down south.. I dont have a specific state for you.

Thanks for the advice and you are 100% right about work and where I will be in ten years compared to those idiots.

I love all the colors you chose for your new front and back porch.

tweetey30 said...

Ps Forgot to leave name on guessing.. LOL.. Nicole.

VV said...

Nicole, you didn't say what the red object on the far right was and where it came from and you need to figure out the "bombing thing." Hint - I did a post on it after we went there.

tweetey30 said...

I have to say the red one looks like a telephone booth but I have no idea where from and I am still stumped on the bombing machine. I remember you posting about it. I just dont remember exactly where it was.. I will sleep on it.. LOL..

CyberKitten said...

Looking *Good*......

Anonymous said...

K, sorry its me, figured that the crab cake reference, would tell you who I was. The whole thing is very pretty together, although I would never have thought to put all those colors together and end up having it look nice in the end. And I agree to get whole yard mowed in one day is an ahh moment, now if only the house could happen that way also.. Need a cleaning lady, and means to pay a cleaning lady. :)p

Anonymous said...

oK, CAN SEE BETTER, THE RED THING IN CORNER, STILL CAN NOT MAKE OUT, LOOKS LIKE A LANTURN OF SOME SORT? WISCONSON, CHEESE, OR VERMONT WOULD BE MY NEXT GUESS, CANNON REPLICA, FROM GETTYSBURG BATTLE FIELD. REPLICA OF GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE OR GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE IN NYC.

VV said...

Okay, Tweets identified 4 out of the 5 objects correctly, and named 3 out of 5 correctly where we got them.

Pat identified 3 out of 5 objects correctly and named 2 out of 5 places where we got them.

Between the two of you, you could have them all correct.

tweetey30 said...

Ok its a cannon that is what my bomb thing is.. LOL... I couldnt think of the right word.. LOL.. I cant figure out what i am missing. .LOL.. Silly me. I have to go to work here in a few minutes.

VV said...

Pat and Nicole, look at each other's answers....

Larena said...

telephone booth from London,
statue of Liberty from NYC
cannon from Gettysburg, Pa.
GoldenGate Bridge from SanFran...
the big cheese from a wisconson football???
Love the porch and all it's decoration...
are we going to get together this year ??
Love to all L.

VV said...

Larena sweeps in and steals the win from Pat and Nicole! Unfortunately I won't be able to make it up to NY while you're there. Both our cars (it always happens at once, doesn't it?) have to go in the shop this week. We're taking M's car tomorrow and will have to take mine after we figure out how much M's repairs will be. This is timed nicely because what little extra money I would have had in my budget has to go toward a $200 co-pay for my son's oral surgery next week. His father is supposed to pay half but that hasn't happened since 2003 and the court is sitting on the case and not issuing an opinion on all this crap for going on 10 months now. Complaining hasn't done a thing. Well, let me turn back to topic because I feel a lot of anger and stress working its way to the forefront and I can't deal with that crap right now. So, Larena, what kind of kitsch would you like for your house? Congrats on swooping in for the win.

tweetey30 said...

I had no idea you went to London that is why I was having a hard time with the phone booth.. Hope your sons surgery goes well. I dont use my gmail for everyday use so how do I block my nuisance on our sbcglobal e-mail?? Thanks N..

VV said...

Nicole, I would send an e-mail to your provider and ask them how to block an address.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I cannot see what anything is in that first picture---it is too dark for these old eyes...
BUT.....I LOVE all the use of Color everywhere...It is truly delightful...And your choice of colors for EVERYTHING is imspired! BRAVA to you, my dear....You did a spectacular job on EVERRYTHING!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Larena, I completly had forgotten they had gone to europe, but would not have guessed that the red thingy was a telephone booth, Keep thinking is was a lanturn of some sort.
Pat
PS, if you get to Owego when home, my husband grows on rt 38 just past, were Oliverie's once was just before Gatskill on the left going towards Newark Valley- stop and say hi if you get time. Purdy is the last name, our number is no longer in book, as we have time warner. Will get it to you if you think you might get a chance to stop.

maeve said...

I love the porch and the chairs out back! So beachY and fun!! I should have tuned in earlier though, I got all the "trinkets" without ever a blink of the eye! *smile* My blogging life has been in a bit of a hole latly with such turmoil in my present life. Hope to be back in swing soon! LOVE THE PORCH!

Larena said...

P not sure when but will be driving right by so hope to swing in and take a picture or two !!! L

For CK the book lover