pimp my patio.

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After over a month of hard work, and spending about twice as much money as we expected, we finished our patio. The picture above is not our patio. I'm waiting for the plants around it to grow a bit before showing it off. But I sure do love it. 

There are, of course, a few things that are absolutely necessary for enjoying a patio, things I've been collecting since we finished the job. Bug spray, for one (I'm trying the Burt's Bee's stuff now). And fun lighting (globe lights, citronella torches), a fire pit (we got this one), comfy furniture, lots of plants, music (currently shopping around for an iPhone dock), and drinks, from a cold glass of iced tea to a summery cocktail. I can't wait to spend my summer on the patio. I never really want to leave.

patio by ericajackson 

porchin'.

Our new front porch is teensy, but really I'm just happy to even have a front porch. Luckily, we have this little Ikea set that we bought when we first moved to Charleston that I think should fit perfectly. It has seen quite a lot of wear in the last four years, so I'm thinking of painting it — but I can't decide what color. My top choices are black, red, yellow, or light blue. Let's put it to a vote?

Also, let me know if you have any tips for painting stuff like this. I was just going to go with spray paint but I'm not sure how well that'll work.

Also, we bought a washer and dryer last night. We're writing so many big checks I feel like a balla.