For the last 3 years I've been after my husband to clear out the patio behind our garage. Little by little he's been removing his acquired stuff and we are now deeply involved in getting it ship shape.

I'll be uploading to this album as we progress so, if you're interested, keep an eye out. Hopefully it will be [mostly] completed by sundown on Memorial Day. Wish me luck on this! The progress report follows. Please click the photos to read the captions and more on what's what.

05/24/2008
After meeting DC's sister for coffee, we took a trip to Loewes to pick up phosphoric acid to clean and etch the cement. We also picked up some floor paint for my next part of the project: Creatively painting the floor.

DC spent most of the day cleaning and stripping the cement. It was allowed to dry overnight as this is critical to prevent the paint from peeling.

He also moved out the rest of his "stuff" [aka: crap]. It's scheduled for relocation -- TODAY!

05/25/2008
DC started his day sanding the cabinet of the 1950s fridge. There was some outside wear and scratches to the original finish. This caused the exterior rusting. It's getting cleaned up now and prepped for paint.

But look how beautifully pristine the interior is! The seals are in perfect condition. This is very important because my linens and tableware will be stored in it. It's been loaded all winter with my collection of vintage goodies and there's not a wiff of mildew or a hint of mold. Yes! This is exciting.

DC also stripped and sanded our collection of vintage wrought iron shelving. It dates from the 1930's or 40's and is in excellent condition except for the rust.

I taped off and started painting the patio floor.

05/26/2008
DC started his day by priming the fridge while I painted the floor of the patio. The work on the floor went rather quick because the sun baked it dry within an hour.

Yes. It's a lot more work than we originally thought. But we don't want any rust [especially on the cabinet of the fridge] because it will cause problems down the road. Believe me when I tell you - You absolutely do not want to pay him by the hour - But, if you want a tedious job [like stripping paint and relieving a surface of rust] you want my husband to do it. He has a knack for being able to tough through these types of jobs without getting bored or sloppy.

05/27/2008
Recapping what's left to do:
The fridge needs it's final coats of paint and the interior of the bottom needs to primed and painted.

Painting the shelving -- This task needs to be finished but it is being worked on as I type.

The 1950's lawn chairs, shown in the right corner of the 8th photo, will be painted a deepish shade of spruce green. This is my job.

The seats for the dining chairs need to be recovered. Again - this job belongs to me.

The legs on the wash tub, that will be used as an ice bucket, need to be sanded and painted and the wheels replaced. DC will take care of this.

The painting, that will serve as a privacy screen and mounted on legs, that will sunk into the ground, needs to be primed, sketched, and painted. This is another one of my jobs.

We also have to choose and hang the outdoor lighting and decide on additional decorative plants and flowers. I'm leaning towards pots of peppers and tomatoes. It's a little late so -- we'll see.

You'll see that there is a strong division of labor in our house: DC handles the heavy, tedious work and the more visually oriented work is left to me. DC considers the jobs of sanding and any chemical work to be his responsibility. If this seems sexist to you, please, relax. He knows that I am fully capable of it. He just prefers that my time and attention be put to work on the things that he rather not be bothered with - like painting the floor, choosing colors, etc. Believe me, I don't mind this at all.

05/28/2008
DC finished painting the shelving when he got home from the office. They were left to stand overnight to dry while we went off to Loewe's to pick up additional paint for the fridge, the washtub/ice bucket, and the chairs.

05/29/2008
I painted 1950's lawn chairs a deep spruce green and then over sprayed them lightly with a lighter, brighter green to make them pop. I gave the vintage Lincolnware waste can the same treatment. I love the effect but I realize that it's really difficult to see in the photos.

While I was up to my elbows in overspray I took care of the vintage record rack that will stand next to the grill. I like to remove the fire boxes from the grill before I clean and cover it. This stand will hold the fire boxes safely out of the way while they cool. I used high performance paint - like the kind used for engines - to make sure that it will with stand the heat. The flat top part of the rack will be perfect for holding platters and utensils during cooking and serving, etc.

We had a very nice clear day yesterday so the pieces dried quickly and I was able to put them in place well before sundown.

When DC got home from the office, armed with the 40% off coupon that I just received in the mail, we went up to JoAnn's Fabrics to select the covering for the dining chairs.

05/30/2008
I cleaned and covered the dining chairs. The remaining fabric is going to be cut and sewn into a table runner. The table runner will be reversible with a coordinating second fabric. That second fabric will also be used for placemats. I'd like to get this done today but we will have to wait and see on that.

Hopefully DC will get the fridge will finished over the weekend and he'll have a chance to deal with the washtub/ice bucket .

I have to prime and paint the privacy screen and deal with that dirty old planter. I really haven't decided on the details of either of those projects but this entire transformation is really exciting! My neighbor came over yesterday to have a peek at the progress and she was stunned and really impressed with how it is all coming together.

05/31/2008
We are attending a wedding this afternoon and it is rainy. Project resumes tomorrow. Same bat-time. Same bat-channel.

06/01/2008
DC went to a car show this morning while I worked on creating the coordinating linens for the dining table. They are all reversible to the coordinating fabric, except for the napkins, as you will see in the photos. It really looks fresh and I am really excited.

When DC got back from the show we took another trip to Loewe's and picked up small solar-powered patio lights for the perimeter, supplies for the privacy screen, Mr. Tomato Head, and plastic primer for the redo on the large planter that will serve as Mr. Tomato Head's home.

DC also finished the fridge and installed it in place. I must say that I feel like it's really starting to come together now! We still have a few things to work on.
- The washtub / ice bucket still needs to be refurbished.
- The privacy screen needs to be primed and the artwork painted.
- Mr. Tomato Head's extra large planter needs to be primed and painted.

In the meantime, please take a look and tell me what you think. I included as many detail shots as made sense because I am really growing quite fond of this space.

06/02/2008
Mr. Tomato Head is waiting patiently for his new home to be remodeled. It looks all nice and white in the photo but it's not. It's rather a dingy mess - old, scratched and stained. Oh...Well. Reclaim, reuse, recycle and I are working on it. The plastic primer is drying and then it will go down for the artwork. Mr. Tomato Head will just have to exercise a bit of patience.;)

06/04/2008
We're looking at rain today and questionable weather for the rest of the week so progress on the privacy screen and Mr. Tomato Head's permanent home has been slowed a bit. I'd also like to put a water seal on the floor to protect the artwork but, again, I am at the mercy of the weather.

For now, Mr. Tomato Head has made his home in a basic dark green planter. It's quite large and I'm sure he won't mind if I add decorative details while he is in residence.

The privacy screen, being 6 foot wide by 4 foot high, is going to be a while but I will keep you posted with the details on that particular aspect of the project. As it is now the space is very usable and we need to be content with it until we come to a few more days of clear weather. It's a bit of a job to get a 6 x 4 foot strectch of plywood up a flight of enclosed stairs. So I'm keeping this project to the out of doors.

I'm working on sketches and mock ups of the artwork for the privacy screen if you're interested and I am in the process of posting them to the Visual Arts Forge and Foundry. Kumbaya if you're so inclined and please feel free to offer up your opinions on the work. http://teamsugar.com/group/1585733/

06/06/2008
Mr. Tomato Head's intended home did not turn out as I had hoped. I used Valspar plastic primer and I'm really not happy with the result. Still I am hopeful. I am allowing the first coats of paint to cure before proceding with the design. In the meantime, Mr. Tomato Head has taken up residence in a plain green planter. He must be rather happy with his space, artful though it is not, because he has sprouted the tiniest of tomatoes. The first of the year.

While I am waiting for this awful, hot and humid weather to clear I also cleaned up an old urn that was lying about. I'm not sure what will be planted in it but I am nursing a total of 12 incidental tomato plants that have come up in our fallow garden plot. One of them may find a permanent home in it - if - they take hold.

06/07 - 08/2008
DC and I overturned the area of the lawn that was destroyed during completion of another project late last fall. We also shored up the slope that leads into the neighbor's yard and laid down grass seed. It's tough to start grass seed at this time of year so we are giving it daily care and keeping our fingers crossed that it will produce a fine and beautiful lawn.

We also discovered that the Design Director has 2 chicks in the nest up under the eaves of the garage. Really - they are not so little and they actually look like they may be ready to take flight any day. Because of this, we are hesitant to really clean the patio. I know some animals can be skittish if people are making too much ruckus around their babies and I don't want to spook her and have her abandon them. Thus we are taking a bit of care and trying to be relatively quiet while we work.

She did warn me off while I was transplanting some ornamental plants and ground cover into the area between the end of our patio and the wall that terraces our yard from the neighbor's. That was a little bit scary because she made a pass close over my head and then came back around close to where I was working before returning to her chicks. I was well warned by this and so we made sure to give her as much privacy as possible.

06/09/2008
Our weather is still unseasonably warm and quite humid so the privacy screen project is currently on hold. I do think the design director has taken off on family leave. Her nest is empty this afternoon with no sign of her or the chicks. I hope this means that they have taken flight and that nothing bad has happened. I will keep you updated if I see them or if they return.

06/11/2008
A more seasonal character has returned to the weather and the privacy screen project has begun. I'd photograph it for you but I can't really see the point in showing you a 6 foot by 4 foot section of plywood with one coat of white primer propped up on horses. Really, there's not much to see today. Once I have both sides primed I will begin work on the painting - most likely tomorrow. Then I will have something to show you.

Not to worry about the design director either. Her babies have taken flight and seem to return to the nest each afternoon. I'm thinking she is putting them down for a nap because she returns to the roof of the garage in the early evening and calls for them and then they are off. I have witnessed this and all is well though I think it is fair to say that she has resigned from her position as overseer here.

06/14/2008
DC started working on the old/vintage washtub that will serve as an ice bucket while I worked on the artwork for the privacy screen. She's mostly color blocked now but the thunder is rumbling and it looks like rain. Needless to say, this is probably a good time to take a break. I'll get back to her if the rain passes us by but it's feels like we're in for a rather severe storm.

06/15/2008
Luck was with us on Saturday because the rain held off and we were able to put the privacy screen in place so I could finish her without worry of marring the finish. DC also finished painted and refurbishing the washtub that will serve as an ice bath for bottled drinks. Yes - I expect this to be another "controversial" accessory but it is period perfect and an original. Love it or hate it, it works in the space and supports the quirky eclectic look that we have going on here.

The grass has also started to come in quite nicely. It may be another month until that section of the yard is worthy but it will get there in its own sweet time.

In the meantime, we had our first meal on the patio last night and it was very enjoyable. The only thing lacking at this point is additional lighting in the space. I want to add a solar-powered spot light for the privacy screen and I'm thinking that I may have to give up my vintage float bowl for a period-specific candelabra - we'll see.

06/17-23/2008
We've moved on to working on the rest of our outdoor area behind the house and have dubbed it to be "The Slate Garden Gallery". Details are contained in this post if you care to take a look.

06/30 -07/02/2008
I completed to additional paintings for the patio space and hung them in place. Both are created with acrylic on plywood and are sealed with a clear acrylic top coat.

07/04-07/2008
This project is starting to feel like something that will just not be completed. DC and our neighbor spent a day and a half installing the privacy fence that we've been talling about for some time. The neighbor had already priced and picked out a standard issue, dog ear style of planked fencing that looks okay on his side but is less than okay on ours.

Frustrated and annoyed by the fact that our patio area, previously so well planned and artfully arranged, now had the look of an unfinished barn, DC and I were forced to consider what could be done to right this horribly wrong scenario. Finally, with a decision and vision in mind, we schlepped to Loewe's and picked up some 4' x 8' sheets of pressure treated latice, some long skinny pots, and some ivy plants.

We installed the latice work on 07/06/2008 and I finished potting the ivy this morning. My idea is that the ivy will climb and consume lattice over the course of the next 2 summers. I have my fingers crossed - believe me.

In the mean time I'm working on two additional pieces of artwork to finish off the space in The Slate Garden Gallery.

I want to thank everyone who has followed along and encouraged me in completing this project. Sometimes it's hard to continue to work on projects like this and to actually see them through to completion. You guys have all helped us to stay on track and I do appreciate it.

Much love to all of you Sugar Peeps,
- Haze