Thursday, June 23, 2011

Outdoor Decorating

I had been thinking about making some garlands to hang in our lanai to festivize the place.  My plan was to string wine corks, shells, and beads on twine.  Well, stringing the corks on twine was a bitch, drilling holes in shells creates a very aromatic dust, and the pretty glass beads that I wanted to use didn't have big enough holes for the twine.  In short, the project was seriously sucking.  And yet, I still managed to get 5' done.

And then my associate discount at the popular craft store got bumped up for a few days and they just happened to have some really pretty starfish and shell garlands on twine.  Granted, this is something that I could have easily made myself, but it was well worth it with my discount since I still would of had to purchase supplies and spend the time making it.

New Starfish Garland!

I got enough to hang on the side and back but the corner is empty.  I might get some prayers flags to string across the corner.  I think they would look so pretty with their vibrant colors waving in the breeze.  I particularly like these Inspirational Prayer Flags by Cazmira


I had an idea a while ago to add some solar lanterns around the lanai, too, but just never invested in the project.  I still think it will look pretty, but need to wait for some disposable income now.

I would love to get an outdoor rug, but when it rains, we just have too much standing water for that to be practical.

It's really starting to come together out there and become a really happy place!

7 comments:

Linda E. Pruitt said...

I have a small patio and really like those lanterns made with canning jars! I like the sparkle of the light through them!

Athena's Armoury said...

I love those, too, Linda! I've seen a few different tutorials; I may have to try making some.

Kathryn Dyche said...

Looks great, love it.

Athena's Armoury said...

Thank you! Slowly but surely, we're making all kinds of improvements out there.

Rebecca said...

Thank you so much for featuring my prayer flags in your blog! Would love to make you a set when your ready!

Curious after reading about your big move, how long have you been away from NYC?

We are starting to get antsy here...we are going on seven years in NYC! The Gulf of Mexico sounds pretty awesome, and so is the size of your outdoor space.

pasqueflower said...

The starfish were a great find!
Very festive!

Athena's Armoury said...

Rebecca: I think we've been down here for around 6-7 years. Something like that. I'll tell ya, I'm a city girl at heart. I do love being so close to the beach and having a house big enough to have a pool in the yard, but I really, really miss my city.

pasque: Thanks! I'm hoping that by the end of the summer, the yard will be a little closer to the outdoor retreat that's I've been planning.