My Patio - on a budget

After doing so much yard work these past few weekends, I decided it was time to spruce up my patio a little.   We were spending so much time outside that we really had no where to sit. 

I had planned on re-purposing our old patio furniture but never got around to painting and replacing the cushions so we picked these chairs up for a song and with some pillows I had purchased months ago (on sale for $5 at Burlington Coat Factory), I put together a nice little seating area.

I used an old table we got years ago (and was going to be in our next garage sale) and put a placemat on it. 

The yellow pitcher was a frugal buy from Big Lots for $2 and the smaller garden pitchers, from Ross for $2.  Don't 'ya just love bargains!

Everything is coming up roses on my patio:

This - thing (sorry, but I have no idea how to spell it) belonged to Mr. Bam's mother and had been sitting neglected in her yard.  After some bright yellow paint, it has become a nice place for flowers and an herb garden.

A little paint on some old pots to really bring in spring.  I don't normally do so much color, preferring to stay to neutrals, but the warm spring days were beckoning and I've been inspired by so many bloggers who are unafraid of color that I just couldn't resist. 







Beauty

Yesterday, I went to Barnes and Noble at lunch to look for the latest decorating magazines.  As I walked over to the interior design section, I saw Barbra Streisand's book,  My Passion for Design.  I had heard about the book and had seen a picture or two but didn't think about it beyond that.

Now, I may be a little late with this but I tell you, if you have the chance, pick up this book!  Her house is breathtakingly beautiful.  I gasped at every picture.  Of course, it was decorated with a million dollar budget but I was more in awe of her taste in art, color and form.  Her attention to detail is impeccable and her creativity show through in every room.

Here is a sampling....

Upholstery Fabric

JoAnn's is having a 50% off sale on home decorating fabrics this week so I took the opportunity to pick up some of the accent fabric I've been planning for my living room.

The red fabric is going for these stools

The mulit-colored fabric is going to be my drapes

The green will be used for pillows and I'm hoping to have enough for a window seat cushion.

We have to finish the backyard before it gets too hot to work out there so for the next few weekends, the backyard will take priority.  After that, I'm moving inside to begin work on the house but I'm not sure if I can wait that long.  I have something planned for each room and I'm so excited to begin - I just don't know which room to start in! Decisions, decisions.

It's been a long time.

Hi Everyone!

I've been horribly absent the past few months.  Spring has certainly sprung here in the desert and I've been busy working in the yard, getting my vegetable garden up to snuff now that the frosts have gone.  Spring break vacations, family visiting from out of town, my own vacation, etc., etc.  Not a very good start for blogging.

Here are some pictures of our small vegetable plot. 

We have a huge yard that I just hate to see go to waste.  I've gotten into organic eating and urban gardening of late so my husband and I decided to begin our own urban vegetable garden. 

The birds however, had other ideas and decided that our vegetable garden was their buffet.

One idea I read about online to scare the birds was to put fake snakes in the garden.  It didn't work and we found many peaches on the ground with holes in them.  Next, I read that hanging old CDs in the trees scared the birds away.

Success!!!

We will be making a CD sculpture for our veggie plot.  Keeping our fingers crossed on that one.

I've joined the jeans sew-a-long at Male Pattern Boldness here.  Peter is wonderful!

I've also joined Debbie Doos chalk paint giveaway here.  I hear this paint is the best!

In addition, I've joined the Bella Inspirations giveaway here. at No Minimalist Here blog.