Come Tour The 2013 HGTV Smart Home With Me!

HGTV Smart Home 2013 - home exterior

Yesterday, I just happened upon the HGTV website, and I saw all of these mentions about a 2013 HGTV Smart Home.  I was like "whaaaaat?"  How long have they been doing this?  I knew about the annual Dream Home, and the annual Green Home (which I completely missed this year!!), but I don't think I've ever heard of the Smart Home.  How long have they been doing this?! Y'all know I don't have cable, right?  You're supposed to keep me informed … [Read more...]

Patio Furniture Chaise Lounge Makeover

from Top This Top That
inspiration files - chaise lounge makeover from top this top that - after

Is your patio furniture looking a little tired and worn? Is the fabric torn? There may not be a need to replace the furniture! Laura at Top This Top That had a couple of chaise lounges that had definitely seen better days, but rather than replace the chairs, she simply replaced the fabric on the chaise lounges. Now they look like new! Don't those look amazing! I love the fabric she chose. Before their makeover, the chairs were definitely … [Read more...]

A Beautifully Decorated Screened In Porch

from It All Started With Paint
inspiration files--screened in porch from it all started with paint -- after

Linda at It All Started With Paint has done an amazing job at transforming her screened in porch into a beautiful and relaxing area, perfect for outdoor dining and gathering with family and friends. Before she worked her magic, the space looked like this... What a beautiful transformation! Can't you just imagine spending a lazy summer afternoon there, reading and enjoying some iced tea? I sure can! To see more of this porch … [Read more...]

Enclosed Balcony Turned Zen Garden

from Meeha Meeha
inspiration files--enclosed balcony turned zen garden from meeha meeha--after

If you live in an apartment or condo, and only have a tiny outdoor space to call your own (or a tiny enclosed porch), you can still have a beautiful garden! This enclosed balcony turned into a beautiful garden from Meeha Meeha is the perfect example of maximizing a small space to create a relaxing outdoor area (or an area that feels like outdoors). She started off with an enclosed balcony that was being used mostly for … [Read more...]

Painted Outdoor Rug Tragedy

lesson learned--check the weather forecast before doing this project
outdoor rug tragedy 1

Lesson learned...before painting an outdoor rug and leaving it outside overnight to dry, check the weather forecast!! I finished painting my outdoor rug Monday night.  The last stripes I painted were the small red and white stripes.  Because they were thin stripes, I didn't have much room for "massaging" the paint into the fibers with the scrubby brush, so instead I had to just load up my paint brush with extra paint to get it down into the … [Read more...]

Outdoor Rug With Painted Stripes

it's plastic and it's cheap, but it looks pretty darn good!
painted outdoor rug 6

I've got more patio progress to show you today, and this time it's my painted outdoor rug! I'm absolutely thrilled with how it turned out!  Yes, I did stripes...again. I really like stripes, in case you haven't noticed. :)  But mostly I just like the fact that stripes are easy, while also being a high-impact design. This project wasn't difficult by any means, but it was so incredibly time-consuming that I almost decided to quit … [Read more...]

How To Make A Weather-Resistant Outdoor Pillow

with a zipper closure
Step-by-step instructions for making a weather-resistant outdoor pillow with zipper enclosure

Good morning, all!  I hope you had a fabulous weekend!  I spent some time working on my little patio area, and my first weekend project was making weather-resistant outdoor pillows for my Adirondack chairs.  I love the color they add to the dark stained chairs!  And now my little green side table makes a whole lot more sense.  It's almost like I planned it that way!  :-D I decided to make my own outdoor pillows because I'm never pleased … [Read more...]

Decorative Ladder Made From Tree Branches

from Ashbee Design
inspiration files--ladder made from branches from ashbee design

If you have a corner on your porch, deck, or patio that needs a decorative touch, then this diy ladder made from tree branches from Ashbee Design might be just what you need! Marji used the ladder to hang small containers of colorful flowers. It's the perfect touch for her front porch! To get the details on this project, head over to Ashbee Design. **Have a project you’d like to share? Come join the link party every Friday at 9:00am … [Read more...]

Creative DIY Herb Garden Ideas

perfect for small outdoor spaces
diy hanging herb garden from small garden love

One of the things I want to include in my patio makeover is an herb garden, but I'm having a bit of difficulty deciding what kind of herb garden I want to make.  Right now, all of my herbs are planted in my raised garden beds, but I want to eventually transplant them to an area dedicated to herbs. There are so many creative ideas out there for DIY herb gardens!  Here are a few of my favorites:     This hanging herb garden is … [Read more...]

Patio Progress:: My $36 Adirondack Chairs

it's a start, but I have a long way to go...
cheap adirondack chairs 4

Good morning, and happy Monday to you! I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I spent my weekend working on some things for "my" patio. Now for those of you who are new around here, let me explain that I live in a condo. And as the owner of a condo, that means that I don't actually own any outside space. However, just outside our front door is a patio area that hasn't been used in the almost-six years that we've lived here. So this year, Matt and … [Read more...]