Thursday, August 12, 2010

 Friday August 13, 2010
I painted my teeny back porch!
That's right folks! I shabbied up my humble little back porch with a coat of white paint and some tag sale furniture and 
OH MY!
it came out soooooo cute....
Right outside my backdoor is a tiny little porch that has stood lonely without any Shabby love...well, yesterday in 105 degree heat I changed all that! At one point I really wondered what I was thinking, but it was all worth it when the kids and I had dinner under the pretty white canopy...
I am soooo excited to have a new "Shabby Outdoor Space"!
I used a pretty ruffled edge curtain to create the canopy...now I am racking my brain as to how in the world I will sneak a chandelier right underneath the canopy in the center of the table, TRUST ME, I will find a way! 
I plopped a few pillows in the old 50's chair and I have a perfect spot to dream...
and of course I had to add a little pink in the mix with some pretty pink flowers in a Shabby Pink Enamel container...
I cannot believe how tickled I was over this project. Honestly, I just whipped out a can of outdoor white paint and put a coat on this porch, I am still going to probably put another coat on it...but whooeee it is really HOT
so, I will see how this wears and then go from there!
I have had a vision of this...just waiting to find the perfect table so last weekend when I spied this round table for $2 I knew it would be perfect! Of course I had some pretty lacy linens just waiting to take up residence outdoors...
 
The darling little bench my husband built out of a free headboard we picked up. As much as I would love to have big perfect matching Shabby Chic pillows, they are not in my teeny budget, so I pick up little pillows at tag sales and resale shops here and there super cheap and then mix them all together. 
 
The stand holding the canopy up is an odd metal piece that I painted white and the little stool was a steal for $2. The old 50's chair was a forest green that I found at the thrift store for $5 and I shabbied it up with my favorite white paint and mixed in more off beat pillows.
 
I have more that I would like to add to this darling outdoor space, can't you just imagine a pretty trellis with vines, pretty flowers planted in front of the porch and a dangling crystal chandelier somewhere in the center. Oh yes, there is  that cute old wicker rocker I am going to do something fabulous with sooooo
STAY TUNED!
YOU CAN DO SHABBY CHIC FOR CHEAP!
I am partying with Cindy at Romantic Homes for Show and Tell Friday
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
and Beverly's Pink Saturday at
http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Have a lovely weekend!
Hugs,
Olivia





29 comments:

  1. It looks so nice, Olivia!! I just love the bench! You do so much for so little!

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  2. Olivia....you are amazing...I love this. I would sit out there every day and have my coffee if I had a wee space like this!

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  3. Hi Olivia,
    WOW your porch makeover is shabby fantastic. You did an amazing job and it looks so inviting.

    I love all your touches that make it so romantic. The bench is gorgeous.

    Just beautiful!
    Hugs, Celestina Marie

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  4. That's DARLING, honey!!! I especially love the "draping" over the spot. How did you achieve that effect? I'm wanting an back yard umbrella to froufrou up but can't find one at a decent price. Maybe the Labor Day sale will help me. Just adorable, chickee!
    xoxo,
    Connie

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  5. You are on a roll girl! Looks great, and appeals to the pocket book too. Sandi

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  6. Well that turned out beautiful. Amazing change. You did a wonderful job in the heat and made a very cool looking retreat. ~~Sherry~~

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  7. Oh my gosh how pretty! I love the ruffle canopy - I want it!!!! What a great place to sit back and relax in!

    Jeanine

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  8. Wow that is a beautiful shabby chic transformation. Very nice!!
    Jeanette

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  9. You did a great job. All your hard work sure payed off. It is a beautiful space now. You make me want to redo my porch.

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  10. HELLO OLIVIA,

    WOWEE IT TURNED OUT BEAUTIFUL :) AND SOOOO VERY ROMANTIC AND RELAXING :) ENJOY YOUR PRETTY NEW SPACE, I KNOW I WOULD :)

    XOX~MARI

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  11. Looks very sweet, Olivia. You did a lovely job. It looks so nice and peaceful to sit outdoors. Love the ruffled canopy and a chandelier will be gorgeous! You'll figure a way to hang it. Have fun!

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  12. Hi Olivia ~ save me a seat!! You did a wonderful job! More fun for you on the way finding the perfect chandelier!!

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  13. Olivia, this is so awesome!!! It's the perfect place....I understand why you were outside in the heat!!! It was well worth it! Very inspiring!

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  14. beautiful + thrifty! love when one can cruise the house & find stuff for new projects!

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  15. love everything you did!
    It's amazing how a few beautiful linens and a coat of paint can instantly transform a space.
    adventuresininnkeeping.blogspot.com

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  16. Hi Olivia!
    Your porch looks gorgeous, great job, bravo:))
    Hugs, Biljana

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  17. It looks so cute!! What a sweet place!!

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  18. Ok...it's official...I'm hiring you to come over my house!!! I seriously think you should write a book Olivia. You could make yourself a small fortune showing others how to do shabby chic cheap. Your before and after pics would have the book literally flying off the shelves. Your ideas are awesome. And if you decide to do this...I want the first copy autographed. LOL
    Blessings and hugs,
    Karen

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  19. Hi Olivia! Yes...I'm quite serious. You have a wonderful knack for inspiring creativity without breaking the bank, and there just aren't enough books on that subject as far as I'm concerned! True, there are many books out there on decorating! Although the rooms and decor can be breathtaking, most of them look like their owners were born into money, if you know what I mean. There isn't much out there for the regular folks who want a beautiful home on a budget. Your ideas and talents give the rest of us hope! YOU dear girl have a gift, and you should run, not walk to wherever you need to go to get that dream moving forward! Life is full of exciting possiblites...dream big and run with it. God gave you those passions and gifts for a reason.
    Blessings & Hugs,
    Karen

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  20. Hi Olivia, You've really transformed your porch into a romantic get-away! Love it!

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  21. How beautiful!! You did an amazing job! Darn it.. now I want to go do something with my patio!! Ha! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  22. Beautiful job.....and a girl with vision and the ability to enforce it. I know you will so enjoy YOUR space...and sounds like you already are. Thanks for stopping by to visit me today....hope you will come back as a regular as I see we love the same things!
    xojana

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  23. You did so great on your little porch. So soft and romantic and inviting! Happy PS!

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  24. Oh wow....I am in awe. Esp. since you did that in the heat! It is just stunning!
    Happy PS. Thanks for visiting my blog :)
    Roselle

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  25. Hello sweet Olivia,

    I love the transformation! Great job! So pretty and romantic looking! I love how the bench came out. Very cute. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  26. Olivia, thanks for stopping by! I just want to say that I love your blog! I love what you did with your deck. I am on such a limited budget also. I enjoyed watching the transformation. You captured it all so well!
    Have a great weekend- put your feet up and watch the lightening bugs- you earned it!

    Tete

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  27. Olivia I bet I know where you have been spending most of your time now since that porch is complete!! It is just precious- you did a wonderful job of turning it into a comfy soothing oasis!

    bee blessed
    mary

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  28. Your porch is truly lovely and adding a chandelier would be gorgeous...Have you thought about using a birdcage stand to hang it on...Painted white of course. :)

    Kelsie..

    Can't wait to visit again.

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Hello Friend! Thank you so much for stopping by! I love to hear your thoughts! Hugs, Olivia