Patio Loves

Since we finally had some nice weather this weekend, we spent Sunday cleaning up the yard and pretty-ing up the front porch.  Since we don't really have any greenery to speak of yet - the grass, tree and shrubs all still look a little DEAD....  I knew I'd have to bring in some accents to make things look more Welcoming.

 

 

 

  Our exterior is very beige and after a long winter (and all the dirt and dust that brings), things were pretty bleak looking, so first thing we did was pressure wash (someone was too lazy for that) hose off the front of the house. Which may not have looked that different, but I definitely took note of how much dirty water was coming down.... ewwww!

 

The only piece of furniture we had out there was the LINDVED side table in cream.   It's super handy when your hands are full, plus it adds some space and different height for creating a little display.  For example, last year's Halloween display

 

 

But, I really like having a chair out there and have been looking for a suitable option for the last 2 years but hadn't been able to find something nice looking that wasn't too expensive.  However, a quick peruse around the Ikea site, I found this lovely little option.

 

 

At $45, the LACKO was more than I wanted to spend on a chair that really never got sat in and only sat out there for a few months of the year, but I figured it ticked off every mark on my wish list (black, plastic-rattan, have arms, comfortable, under $50) and I was hot and tired, so home it came!

 

Of course, with the main pieces taken care of (and neutral in color), it was time to add a little bit of fun and color to the space! 
A month ago, I picked up some fun outdoor toss cushions for the yet-to-be-furnished lower patio and figured that one wouldn't mind hanging out on the front porch until either:
a.) I get something completely new and different for the front porch OR
b.) I just admit that I am addicted to this print and get another one of the exact same

I mean, who doesn't love turquoise trellis??

I kept the black lantern on the table and just added a simple little bird garden figurine I snagged from the Dollarama  a couple weeks ago! 

I didn't really do any plant buying until the long weekend, but I wanted to brighten the space up so I popped over to Costco and grabbed 2 hanging baskets and a small pot to add a little color.

(I'm excited for these to bloom and really get full)

 

 

 

Obviously, it's just a start, but I think it's much improved.  However, I'm not mentioning the fact that yes, our Christmas lights are still up.  No, it's not on purpose - we don't keep them up year round.  Unfortunately, we don't currently have a ladder that reaches above the porch so we'll be borrowing one the next weekend Cory  has off.

 

I think it's the pretty little perch for when I need a break from weeding the front beds, don't you?

 

I just noticed I failed to get a shot from the street. 

That just means I'll need to get some shots once the flowers have really started to bloom!

 

Did you get any yard work done this weekend?