Finally - an old ladder . . .

The weather has been strange for July - cool yet muggy - and I have been loathe to do much.

Yesterday, after 2 hours of tennis, I wanted to just sit and read, but I forced myself to get up and do something productive.

I painted my old coal bucket red.

I have been planning to paint it for about 3 weeks - lazy me!

I added some dried statice to the bucket and set it out to add a bit of red to this corner of the garden.

After that major accomplishment, I talked Steve into going to the nursery with me and we stopped at a new second hand store with a great name - ROTATIONS.

I found an old weathered ladder.

I know I am probably the last person in blogland to finally buy a ladder for decoration, but there were 2 main factors keeping me from buying a ladder.

#1- I am cheap

 #2 - cheap ladders are not common in my area - I saw one for $800.

I couldn't buy the ladder because we were in Steve's sports car, but this morning, I went and forked over $15 for a broken ladder.

Another reason I have never bought a ladder is that we have a small house and no place to showcase a fun old ladder.

This is the area between our house and the garage and it has the ugly structure to hold the water heater.

If it was up to me, we would build a 2 car garage (with a studio on top) and put the water heater in the garage.

But, it is up to the Coastal Commission who has declared that we cannot build a 2 car garage unless it is 20 feet back from the street which would mean building the garage in the entry.

So, I put up with the water heater and have disguised it with an old red baker's rack.

I want the baker's rack moved to the side of the house to hold gardening supplies and the ladder is the perfect solution for what to put in place of the rack.

I slapped on a little green paint here and there, added buckets, flowers and the same old birdhouses that had been on the baker's rack.

Once the area was spiffed up, I got Steve to help me put the baker's rack on the side of the house.

It made it to a side of the house, but not the side I originally planned.

When we walked past the dining room, we set it in the alcove and I knew then that I would have to find something else to hold my garden tools.

The baker's rack is now both useful and decorative holding things I use around the garden.

Since I began blogging, I have wanted:

a weathered ladder - got it

a weathered door - still waiting

a weathered window - got it

2 out of 3 isn't bad.

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I am sharing at the these fun parties

The Dedicated House - Anything Blue Friday

Fishtail Cottage - Cottage Garden Party

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday

Ivy and Elephants - What's It Wednesday

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

The Charm of Home - Home Sweet Home

Rooted in Thyme  - Sweet and Simple Fridays