I'm a PORCH MAKEOVER wanna be! Susan has inspired me...HELP!

HELP!!! Ever since Susan from http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com posted her Porch "makeover pics" and shared the lovely serenity of her outdoor room, I've layed in bed with dreams of "wispy curtains" blowing in the wind, romantic areas to sit & sip tea, with lots of soft colorful pillows & lace around me. We (hubby & me) have a large dream of adding a large addition to the rear of our home where the porch would extend over the entire back, where we'd have access to it from both our Master Bedroom and off the Family room. That dream isn't part of our "Action Plan" financially with the Dave Ramsay, Total Money Makeover, for about another five years though. I just can't wait that long...

Then it hit me, I have a second floor Veranda style porch which I view from the home office I work in. It's not a huge space, but large enough to screen it in, and dream of converting in to a smaller version of Susan's! In other words, I'm going to "work with what I have" for right now...due to my budget and our goals for getting debt free in the near future! So...here we go, let me share what it looks like now, and what things I'd like to put on the porch once it is screened in. Some items I can add now without the screened in look., but I can't wait to show you the pics of the finished product.

This is the view I see when I exit on to the Veranda and look to my left. This past year I hung three huge Orchid Colored Wave Petunia's and they were a great pic! I'll still be able to hang these, but maybe only have one in a corner so as to not make the area look too overwhelmed. Once the porch is screened in, I won't have the ability to have the plants hanging off the porch area like I do in the pic below.

These are some of the "posies" I'd like to have in some of the Vignettes around the porch that I'll have positioned at a lower level with all types of delicate flowers. I love the rich color of these on the outer edge with the little touch of yellow inside.
If you look over the edge of my Veranda, you'll see my two sons and husbands "Traveling Hand prints" that have moved to every home we've lived in since our move in 1999 from PA to the South. I love the fact that these will be part of my view from the new and improved porch!

This is the view across the street from where I'll be sitting on my future "totally made over" Veranda. There is this really neat open common space. Children play there, running and giggling...I love to hear them, it reminds me of when mine were young. It sometimes makes me feel like I wish I would have ran more with them and tickled them in a field like this when they were little, I was always so focused on work and the duties of home life. As a "Mimi", I plan on changing that with my grandchildren, and we're doing a pretty good job of running in this open field together. A visiting Grandma told me that sitting on her daughter's porch overlooking the view of this square reminded her of a real "Norman Rockwell Picture". She said, "There aren't many homes in America that have this view from their porch so they can see their children happily riding their bikes around the sidewalk, and/or running in a nearby field." I'm blessed to have this view!

This is the window area that faces my office. I have this nifty small bistro table for two that will give me more space if I choose to use it once the porch is done. Right now I have a bistro table that is rectangle and seats four. I really love the design of the larger table and chairs..but I'm afraid I'll have less room to do other things...got to think about this one! (I'll let you know which one I decide on later!)

This is the view of my Veranda from an outdoor angle. Even though I live on a perfect square, other streets are connected. I have the same size porch on the bottom level as I do on the top area...so, I may just move the bistro table for four down there.

This is something I want to have on my newly converted porch! These shells were collected when our children were young over a period of time from different beaches. Some even have hand written love notes written on them to my husband and I from our children. Having something like this is another way I can keep the hearts of my kids close by!

This is some of the food I want to eat on my new Veranda! I found this salad in an old AARP magazine while visiting my mother-in-law a few years back. It's the BEST salad you'll ever eat! The recipe for this is under an earlier post on my other blog called "Stay In the Day" @ http://www.stayintheday.blogspot.com
For sure, you'll love the taste, and the presentation is always a hit with the guests!

This is the style of pots I want for the posies! I love the "Old World" feel and it definitely also lends itself to that "Romantic" look that I love!

Last, but not least, these Gerbera Daisies are one of my favorites and I'd love to have these sitting fresh on the Verandah when in season. I bought this yellow bouquet for a "Decorating On A Dime" home presentation/tour that my womens group from church did at my home here back in the fall of 2008. You can never go wrong when using fresh Gerbera Daisies as an accent...and the color of Yellow (which I use to not like) really puts a "Smile" in a room~regardless of where it is in the home.

Well, now that I've shared my "naked" Veranda and the dream I have for it, I've got lots of work to do~ And, Susan...I'm going to look for that bargain on the wispy curtains at Walmart when I'm ready for them. (I think that's where you said you found them for $5 a panel) Oh yea, I must shop for that outdoor ceiling fan~ I loved that tip from you too!

~Au Revoir...

~CC Catherine