refreshing the porch...

Hi There

Remember me?

I've not been posting like I'd like...

I've been busy attending weddings, agonizing over hardwood floors...graduations...work...out of town company for 3 days...1st birthday parties, running out for samples of hardwood floors... painting my shutters... work...visits with grand babies, meeting up with good Michigan friends in Illinois...pulling my hair out over hardwood floors...painting...giving the front of my porch a facelift...working my day job...a couple of plays...work...father's day activities...loosing sleep over hardwood floors and then again...work!

lots to blog about...but no time to blog...and NO pictures to post even if I had the time. I lost All the pictures that I had taken through that entire list!

I was sick...the memory card said empty!!!

don't know why...

don't know how...

fine one minute...

gone the next...

However as of Saturday, I have them back!!!

It's nice to have a son-in-law who is an IT guy!!

He was able to recover all of the pictures!!!

so you may be getting a lot of "old news" posts here in the next week or so...

then again...

maybe not...just depends on the mood.

Anyway...thanks to all of you for the comments and opinions on the hardwood floor project!

ding ding ding....we have a winner!!

We've decided to go with the oak.

It's wasn't my original choice...but with our house, lighting, cabinets...etc...I think it's the best choice...PLUS...all of you that have it, love it, and are not sorry...so Oak it is! Plus my handsome assistant really wanted that one!

Now that I have hem-hawed around for so long...looks like it will be about a month or so before the installer will be able to get them laid...so pictures won't be coming anytime real soon, but I will be posting pictures eventually.

On to a new subject...
porches
I love big porches, wrap around porches, with rockers, swings, and just that whole 
feeling they evoke.
Memories of hot summer nights...
visiting with the neighbors...
sipping ice tea or lemonade...
 catching fireflies in a fruit jar...

Do I have one of these porches?
yes..
 and
 no...
I have a porch...
I have a wrap around porch...
but I have it better yet! 

My porch is special...

My porch has a dual function...

What's so special about my porch you might ask??


Well my porch can be used as a bowling alley!


awesome right???

take a look for yourself

 yes...about 2000 feet long

and barely wide enough for a chair

and yes it's a wrap around...

woo hoo!

It's hard to use or decorate a dual purpose, 
bowling alley/porch! 
It's not really successful at either of these functions! Bowling is a bit rough, as the ball hits the slats on the porch and just won't go straight, so you can't ever get a strike... plus the siding gets all dented from the ball, because for some reason they put the gutters near the ceiling instead of along the edges of the alley. Go Figure...

All corny joking aside...this porch has been neglected lately, and was sporting chippy wicker with faded red cushions and a blotchy floor

faded barn red shutters, 

(dirty faded barn red shutters!) 

dog scratched/dirty front door,

pillars in need of some repair (from our previous railing we had replaced last fall) and a fresh coat of paint

 and old...to small for the house...tarnished gold porch lights and coach lights...

I think it's deserving of a fresh new look...

don't you?

First...my handsome assistant sprayed it all down

for me...

next, the shutters were given a fresh coat of black paint...

The floor, the pillars, and the front door will have to wait until next week at least...but I wanted to post the changes thus far.

this little table...

I had picked up at a garage sale for 5.00, but had not done anything with it...so I spay painted it black...

I put a fresh coat of white on all of the wicker...
which can only help so much...this wicker was purchased several years ago at a garage sale for 30.00...and probably should have been replaced by now. I'm keeping my eye out for some rockers. We had rockers out there when we first moved in...we purchased them at Cracker Barrel, but the cat we had at the time, completely destroyed them...
this time I'm looking for some thrift-ed rockers...

and that will rock my world! 


the flower pots got a coat of black paint
(they've been white, bronze and now black...
gotta love spray paint!)


I picked up that little rocker at a yard sale last year for just 2.00. The only thing it needed, was one screw...which held the arm to the back of the chair... and my handsome assistant was able to 
produce the perfect screw. 

 He's handy like that!


(don't take that out of context, he! he!)

Now this little rocker is adorable...and sits awaiting a cute little Tattor Tot to come rock awhile

Some of the outdoor lights still need to be changed out, this is the style I chose...from Menards

I was going to paint the old tarnished brass ones...but decided they were a bit to small for the house...but I still have plans to paint them and then use them to replace the ones at my back doors, which are even more pitiful!


So here is a taste of the progress so far...

I have just discovered Garden Ridge...I was shopping in a town about 45 min. from here...and saw that they had replaced the old Flower Factory with the Garden Ridge...I was excited to check it out...since I've heard bloggers talk about it...and glad I did! I could spend a few hours in there, no problem! That is where I found the black and white  cushions for the wicker...
Thank goodness I knew what I wanted when I went in...because their selection was huge, and the prices very good...
I would have had a hard time choosing I'm sure!

The birdcage came from Garden Ridge as well. I saw it...and had to have it...that's it!

The rocks, are space rocks...a memento  from   Sweet Tator's 1st (outer space) birthday party
we painted rocks with silver spray paint
they were part of the table decor

The lantern's were purchased at walmart...
I love them...and they came with the 
battery operated candles...on clearance!!

The table under the window, was purchased a couple of years ago from a yard sale. It fits perfectly under the window, and since it has a nice big drop down side, it would be a great place to eat, play some play dough...or blog. 

Yes, it's still about 2000 feet long...
 still barely wide enough for a chair...
Still has several steps to reach completion...
But at least it has been beautified a bit...
with more to come...
I'll post as I go...


Plus, I have ideas cookin for the side porch...I'll keep you posted.


So...tell me...what is your porch like...is it big or small...do you use it? Does it have a dual purpose too? Is it difficult to decorate? I would love love love to hear from you!

Sorry this has been such a long post!

Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon



linking to:
savvy southern style


the shabby creek cottage transformation-thursday



french country cottage/feathered-nest-friday

thrifty decorating/thrifty-thursday

stacey embracing change /creative-inspirations

fingerprints on the fridge /feature-yourself-friday 

farmhouse porch-cowgirl-up
ivy and elephants
2805/potpourri-friday
redoux interiors
commonground-inspiration-95-porches