Beautiful! I would however instruct my little 1 to ride his trike around on the lower lever only. That raised edge on upper level would still give serious bumps & bruises to little 1 on a trike going off of it. You did a wonderful job of taking pics!! Enjoy your new patios & Hope you have many happy times there with friends & family. Looks perfect for entertaining!

lynninnewmexico, you read my mind! I have been looking for the right fountain... we adore the sound of moving water and it will really add a finishing touch. I can't decide which type I want though - a basin with spigot, a traditional tiered type, a natural rockfall... obviously it can't be too huge since the space is small. We have a larger garden and courtyard area out front but I haven't got to it yet, it has awful ivy and 2 overgrown thorny shrubs to remove first. It's also full sun so I am afraid the plants would bake if I plant them this time of year, I might wait until October for the front. The back patio gets shade in the afternoon so we sit out there evenings, and was a smaller more manageable space to tackle for "instant" (or at least one weekend) satisfaction!

cyn427--I considered painting the background cream, but actually didn't paint it at all. I didn't want the background too stark since we really don't have any other white out there, so just left it with the sort of beige viney floral design it had, then taped off what I wanted to remain unpainted. That way it also was easier for me since I just sprayed exterior black on the whole thing (used a few coats of rustoleum ultra 2x coverage) then just peeled off the tape. Surprisingly, it doesn't even feel any stiffer than the fabric already felt. I'll try to post a close up. From a distance, it just looks like the background color is light linen. If it looks purple instead of black that may just be my poor phone camera picture. Purple would have been cute, but I'm not that creative! clblakey--The seat is actually a typical outdoor fabric that you see on many patio sets. I think it's nylon, and it doesn't seem plastic. We have it on a couple chairs we've had for several years, and the fabric seems to hold up quite well so far. BTW, I loved your permanent marker coloring the wire on your crystals in the post a pic thread! my3dogs--you know how much I've loved seeing your projects! Your comments mean a lot, and I'll try to post if I ever finish something else. teacats--I'll try to give an update at the end of the summer on how it held up. I'm wondering that myself! trailrunner--If you were close to me, I'd love to help you paint chevrons on your glider! And to ALL the rest of you --I've seen your homes you've shared and admired your tricky organzational ideas (mustangs), your helpful suggestions (teacats)....well, all of you--thanks for your kind encouragement. I love seeing what you all do to make your worlds interesting.

In front of our house we have about 7" of ice and the perch are biting nicely. We love "poor man's shrimp", perch fillets rolled in panko and deep fried, served with cocktail sauce. And the commute, well, I have a Subaru with bad ass studded snows and a high speed internet connection for the days I can't make it to the Syracuse and DH is a SAHD, so he can pick and choose his trips to town. Here's a few more pics for your DH, and tell him we love to make Ithaca a day trip, small city hippie culture and lunch at the Moosewood, a great cabin fever cure when we've had enough playing in the snow. Summer: Winter, DD and our neighbor: sandyponder