Springtime Sprucing...and a Blue Cottage Veranda

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- April 22, 2012 -
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Hello my friends...I hope you're having a fabulous day!

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We are having some gorgeous weather here in Colorful Colorado!

  Spring fever has hit and I am sooo ready to get outside and get things spruced

 up!  Honey and I enjoy spending time out on our little cottage veranda.  It's

 time to get out there and get things cleaned up!

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A couple of years ago, I gave our little veranda a "cottage" makeover.

  I thought I would share that makeover with you today.

  I hope that you enjoy!

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~A Blue Cottage Veranda~

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Our poor little patio/veranda was in such disrepair after this
 last winter. Since we were having out of town guests coming in July,
 I decided it was time for our little veranda to get a facelift! Hehe! I don't
 have any "before" photos. Shoot, I wasn't even thinking about taking "before
 and after" photos to show this sweet metamorphosis...I do apologize!
 However, if you can just imagine...dirty, worn and torn, with
 absolutely no appeal...then you get the picture!
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Where to start...
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A Brand New Table for the Veranda
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This table is what started the entire veranda makeover!

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Honey and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary June 4th.
 We planned a day trip to Denver and honey took me to Home Goods.
  My very first time to go! We found this sweet blue cottagey table
 and a matching end table...for just $69!
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Sooo...the planning, scheming, and decorating began...

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For those of you who follow Happy To Design...you may
 remember a post that I did June 25th. I stated that I was in the
 middle of a summer "mystery" project...shared just a couple
 of photos...and asked if you could figure out what I was doing!
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The photo mosaic above is compiled with the photos from that post.
 If you would like to see that post...you can just click HERE.
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Our Newly Remodeled
~Blue Cottage Veranda~
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Our veranda is fairly small. The covered area is about 10'x10'...
however we have concrete that stretches beyond the covered area so
 it feels a bit larger. It's difficult to see here but our home has a light gray
 siding with a blue metal roof...so a "blue" cottage veranda is perfect!
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I would love to add an outdoor rug...the concrete isn't very pretty,
 however it probably isn't very feasible considering our veranda is open
 on two sides to the weather. Hmmm...maybe I should paint or stain
 the concrete? Yet another project for another day! Hehe!
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- 2012 update -
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Last summer I found the perfect silvery-blue colored rug that
 works perfectly for the veranda!  Now I'll have to update photos.
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*The Swing...
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I just love our "two-seater" swing! Honey and I have spent
 many a day enjoying the outdoors on this little swing!
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A New Quilt

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Believe me...the cushions and covering over the swing had seen
 its better days. Instead of taking the entire swing apart to recover the
 cushions, I decided to make a quilt that would cover the cushions. I liked this
 idea because I can bring the quilt inside when we aren't using the veranda.
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Fabric Needed...

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Ohhh boy...I was going to need quite a bit of fabric to carry out
 my plans! I wanted to sew a quilt, make a new cover for the swing, and
 recover the chairs that we would use with our new table.
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Soooo...I bought sheets!

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Yep, I did! I found the sheets at Walmart! I purchased two sheet
 sets; 1 twin set and 1 full size set. I was immediately drawn to these pretty
 sheets. Walmart has color coordinating sets. The twin set had the prettiest blue
 and sage green paisley pattern and the full set was done in the exact same
 coordinating colors but with a small floral pattern. They would be
 perfect for my veranda makeover!
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I used the paisley fabric on the front side of the quilt and the
 coordinating small floral print on the back side. The quilt is nothing
 fancy...it's just a "tie" quilt but it turned out just as I had planned!
 It covers the swing cushions perfectly!
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Swing Cover...

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Here is a photo of the swing cover. I took off the ratty, old
 exsisting cover and used it for a pattern to sew a new cover out of the
 small floral print. You can see the old swing cover on my dining room table
 in the photo mosaic above. I'm tellin' ya...the fabric from the sheets worked
 sooo well! I forgot to mention that I only paid $15 for the twin set of
 sheets and $22 for the full set! That is alot of fabric for just $37!
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New Pillows...

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Of course I had to have pillows for the swing!  I used the
 two pillowcases from the small floral set to make the pillows! I
 actually have a real pretty embroidered, blue floral trim to add to these
 pillows...that I still need to sew on! I think the pillows turned out nice
 and now I can take a little nap out on the swing! wink!
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Even the chairs got a facelift!
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These little chairs were made in 1955! How do I know...you ask?
 Because the date was stamped underneath the seats. The metal was black
 and the seats had a red vinyl material on them...they also had
 seen their better days!
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Honey spray painted the chairs white! Already such an improvement!
  I used the paisley to cover the seats of the chairs...love it!!!

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Cottagey Chair Slips...

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The backs of the chairs have metal rungs...not very dressy...or
 very cottagey! Sooo...I decided to sew chair slips! I used the paisley
 for the body of the slips and the small floral print for the ruffle!
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 I just love, love, LOVE how these turned out!
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A Cottage Veranda Vignette
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This is the matching end table to our new cottage table set!
 I really do love this beautiful shade of blue!!!

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A Cottage Veranda Vignette...

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A few potted flowers sit atop a couple of old milk cans!
 Honey spray painted the milk cans white while he was doing the
 chairs. You should have seen what they looked like before....picture
 all black with big ol' orange and yellow mushrooms painted on them!
 Honey said that his brother decorated them during the
 1970's! Go figure! Hehe!
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I love the old crock planter/pot with the faded tulips painted on
 the front. We found this old crock planter in the basement of honey's
 Dad's home when we were cleaning. It's no telling how old it may be! We
 also found the old white enamelware coffee pot in that same
 basement. I love the red trim!
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I added a pretty white oval bowl filled with a few
 green apples to the end table.
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I found this pretty retriculated bowl at TJ Maxx for just $9.99.
 I wove a green and blue floral ribbon through the cut-outs....sooo pretty!
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A View from the Veranda....
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And....this is what you see when you're sitting on the swing!

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We live in the country! There is a big open field behind our home!
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Voila...there you have it! A blue cottage veranda!!!*

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I had some fun making this mosaic! I used Photobucket's "color sketch" effect!
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Well my friends...I'm sooo glad that you came by
 today! I hope you enjoyed the little tour around our veranda!

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I am joining in with these lovely parties today...
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Metamorphosis Monday...hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.
Mod Mix Monday party...hosted by Nita over at Mod Vintage Life.

Table Top Tuesday...hosted by Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life.
WOW party...hosted by Kim over at Savvy Southern Style.
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Thank you, ladies...for hosting these lovely parties for us!
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Well my friends....thank you soooo much for coming by and visiting!
 Please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here.
  I would love to visit back with you!
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Have a fabulous week!
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