Dealing with the World's Brownest House pt1 - Prettifying the Porch

Do you fancy a cuppa tea?

I know I do. Here, pull up a seat, I've just made a brew.

I've even got some British biccies*...

 

So, you remember I showed you pics of the world's brownest house the other day and these included a photo of the world's dingiest entrance porch:

 

There it was. Well, I've started having a go on it.

There are two things I've always thought an American house should have - a white picket fence, and a bench on the front porch. You always see them in the 50's movies don't you? We'll need somewhere for the girls to kiss their sweethearts goodnight after being walked home from the school prom...ok, I'll shut up now.

So I haven't managed the white picket fence yet, but here's my new seating in the porch...

 

And as you walk closer...

 

 

The chairs, table and parasol aren't actually new. We used to have them in the UK (though must have used them about 3 times in as many years because of the wonderful summers we had, sorry I mean, not had.

I had the set in the back yard garden here but they weren't getting a lot of use because we've actually got a set of 8 chairs and table out there. So I thought I'd try them 'out front' as they say here in Arizona.

I've also added new welcome mats:

 

 

And some garden lights shaped like dragonflies that I was given as Christmas present a few years ago and have never actually had out of the box before:

 

 

They plug into a socket just by the door (we've got 6 electricity sockets on the front of the house...the builders made it 'Christmas light ready'.

Unfortunately my garden lights are British so run on the wrong voltage, so the adaptor sticks out rather unattractively...

 

 

...but as I'm only going to have the lights on at night, I hide the adaptor inside the front door during the day. Sorted!

So there you go. One seriously improved porch. One much more colourful and attractive entrance. A nice place to sit with my laptop in the mornings, or to read a book and wave hello at my neighbours as they drive past my house thinking "what's that mad British woman doing sitting out in this heat?!" Let them laugh, it's beginning to cool down at last...though it was 111F/44C degrees yesterday.

I'm off to scour the thrift stores charity shops in a bit, to see if I can find a nice planter to stick some colourful annuals or bulbs in (I've seen daffodils, tulips, pansies and busy lizzies in people's gardens here...seasons are totally messed up in this weather).

But I might have a quick coffee first (yes, the dark side does occasionally win me over), and perhaps of spot of brunch British stylee - toast, marmalade, marmite, whilst I watch the world pass by...care to join me? Pull up a chair.

 

 

*biccies are biscuits my American friends, and no I don't mean those scone things you have with sawmill gravy, the things you call 'cookies' but nicer ;)