Front Porch Flower Pots

I've been working on our front porch a little here and a little there.

Truthfully, the actual PORCH needs to be resurfaced and I'm currently researching that because, frankly, I don't want them to have to rip the thing off and re-pour it. Can you say headache? And expensive? And HUGE project?
I'm in denial.
So I'm looking into things for crack repair...and inexpensive ways to cover the ugly cement. 

In the meantime though, back to the flower pots. 

In an effort to minimize the ugliness of the cement and the cracks - I've been sprucing up the existing area to attempt to make what I have a bit prettier. 

Husband again - insists - I'm in denial...and something about trying to make a sow's ear into a silk purse....

I maintain that I can't help myself. 

The space is not done so I don't want to show you all of it.

So here are some teasers...

I decided to paint my 2 flower pots that sit on our porch steps. I got the idea from Miss Kimm over at Reinvented.

I was smitten with her front porch flower pots. So much so that I copied got completely inspired by them and had to make my own.

Here they are before

Plain ol'pots. They already had my geraniums in them and they aren't even real terracotta - they are the plastic look alikes.

I brought them into the backyard and put a plastic bag over the flowers. Then I spray painted the plastic pots with some flat black spray paint. I let it dry and gave it another coat. Let that dry about 2 hrs.

Then I spounced on some large white polka dots randomly. I just used some white outdoor paint that we already had. Let that dry another 2 hrs.Then I sprayed on some poly to seal them.

And this is what I got!

I think it's awful cute!
I've already have 3 different ladies stop and ask me where I bought them! 

Ok, like I said, ignore the ugly cement. Hopefully we'll get to that soon.
Oh and I think I may paint our front door black. What do you think?
I have this whole black and white thing working on our front porch area.

I'm linking up with

Domestically Speaking and her POPP

and It's So Very Cheri

Thanks for looking!

Kitchen Island re-do

It's all done and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. 

This is what I started with - it was fine white but my cabinets are a glazed cream color and the white just wasn't doing it for me. And it just seemed...a bit too...old school maybe. But you know - for something I bought at a garage sale 10 years ago - it's been great. It just needed a make-over!

I wanted a very dark brown - almost black - but I couldn't find that exact color. SO what's a girl to do? Improvise!

Here's what I did. I lightly sanded it down to "rough" it up a bit. 

After that I went over it in spots with a brick red color so that later when I sanded the edges I would get a hint of the red and the white. I like layers!

so then I went over the whole thing in a flat black

And then I went over all of it in a dark, chocolate brown - and got this.

It is the exact color I wanted. I also sprayed some brushed nickel on the knobs and voila - new, old kitchen island that cost me NADA. I already owned everything I used. 

I like that it is a darker color compared to my cabinets. And I feel like it grounds the space more too.

To review - front side

before

and

after

from the side - before

before

and

after

From behind 

before

and

after - I added a chalkboard :) 

I love that too. And so does the 3 yr old!

Thanks for looking!

I'm linkin up!

AND