Back to the Patio...

Back to the patio project...there is so much work to be done, I don't think we will be able to get it all done in one summer.



Sprayed down the walls, waiting for them to dry

But, small steps. That is the only way I know to get a project done.

I sprayed down the walls yesterday to prepare them for painting.

I actually didn't really have it in my plans to paint the walls. For me, I thought that the rustic cement walls sort of added to the "patio look." But people kept asking if we ever planned on painting the walls and I began to look at it through different eyes...

I began to see the knicks and marks and scars of the walls from years of neglect.

And I began to finally understand that no matter what sort of decoration I put in the patio, would never really "perk it up" with these bleak looking walls.

Good thing paint is a cheap fix!

I couldn't believe how much brighter it was just adding a fresh coat of white paint.

The walls are painted, but hold on, it's not done yet. These blank walls need some personality.

This wall is going to be our accent wall. When my brother visited us a few weeks ago, he had a great idea of buying trellis and using it as a backdrop. Wouldn't that look awesome??? I would paint or stain the trellis a dark brown color so that the white wall would show through real nice.

And then imagine a white wicker couch right in front of the trellis with some colorful throw pillows. And two potted plants on both sides.

This broken walkway is going to be completely uprooted.

I'm thinking a stone pathway would look real nice. But I have no idea what that would cost, so that's still up in the air.

This little step is overgrow with weeds. And even though you can't see it, there is a small tree stump that is growing right between the stones. The kids have learned to step around it but it's always a painful surprise to people who aren't expecting it. And a tripping hazard.

So I asked Dennis to remove it.

And he did!

It took some doing though, and we had the kids help as much as they could. The bricks were encased in cement.

Finally out! Look at all those weeds! I would pull them every so often but it was useless, because they were growing through cement.

Dennis even got the tree out! Now when we remake the step, it won't be there.

So there you have it. A lot of work done and yet, so far to go.