Front Porch

Our front porch looked really cute last year with the settee painted in turquoise and the assortment of pretty pillows in lovely bright colors I had there...

This year, however, I decided to be less bold and go for a more sophisticated look instead... I wanted colors that blended with the palette of the cottage rather than competing with it.  

With our little cottage being white, the shutters black and the red door the pop of color that blends it all, I decided to kept things relatively simple this time.       

First, I had to paint the old settee in white again.  There was no need to replace the sit cushions this time though, as they were in perfect condition, but green was definitely out of the question.

Instead of buying new cushions, I headed over to our local thrift store to see what I could find there. And indeed!  I found a black king size bed sheet for $1.99, gave it a good wash, and covered the cushions with it....

For the back pad cushions I wanted something soft, comfortable and inexpensive at the same time. Of course! ;).  I found the perfect Mainstays Microfiber Body Pillow Covers at Wal-mart, for only $6.99.  Economical and functional too.  Just how I like it.  This black and white cover it's so pretty.  I stuffed a couple of pillows in it that I already had and came up with an instant charmer!  The old settee looks so pretty now.  I love it!

Someone likes it too!  urrgh! ;)

 Oh dear me, can feral cats spread disease to people?  

He terrifies me

Evidently, the orange peel concoction I was using as cat repellant didn't do a thing to kept him away...  Oh but I'm not giving up on him yet...  

I then collected several of my old flower pots and painted them all in black.  I also retouched the color on tables and plant stands in white and placed a pretty black and white area rug outside the door that match perfectly with the pillows on the settee.

With the furnishings now in white and the flowers pots in black, 

all I needed was to let the flowers in pots and flowerbeds match the red door. 

Oh and remember this chair here?  It looks so pretty and elegant in shiny black!

This chair had gone through quiet a few metamorphosis in her short life... she was just plain wood when I found it, then I painted her white, and white it was for a few years until we moved to our little white cottage.  I then painted her in pink and put her in our guest bedroom.  But she didn't belong there.   She lived outside all through last winter until I brought her in again and painted it in a pretty see green this time (I lost those pics when I got the computer virus - sorry).

She looked really cute in my dinning room for a while, but she really didn't belong there either.  Until... I finally discovered her true self...  So this is her real self.  And this is where she belongs...

Pretty!

I have a climbing Americana rose growing at the feet of one of the columns.  I can only imagine  the glorious view once it starts growing up the column of my sideporch

Both of the hydrangeas I have growing in our front porch are doing marvelous.  The big flower pot I placed by one of them does not only offers support, it also offers some much needed shade... so I know this beauty it's definitely going to thrive nicely this time...  The other bush it's planted by the front door, where it gets all the sun and shade required.  Thus, it is growing nicely and healthy and I can hardly wait to see it bloom.

A neighbor walked by our little white cottage the other day and came over to thank me... for all the beauty I brought to the neighborhood.  Isn't that nice!  People here in the South are so friendly, they tell you what's in their heart with the best of intentions and true sincerity.  And I like that.

I have met many of our neighbors already; all good, hard working people.  It amazes me how they seem to know who I am, even before I get the chance to mention I'm the owner of the little white cottage up the hill. 

Even furs seem to like it here... Ruby practically lives here. Only problem is she loves to swim in the pond... oh poor fishes...  I'm so determine to have them survive this time!

I hope you liked our front porch as much as I do.  My next project there consist on painting-staining the cement floors and paths.  What color should I use?

Be happy!

Be thankful!