Florida Gator Patio

When we bought our home just outside of Orlando, we fell in love with the patio and pool area. It is unheard of to find a pool/patio AND a yard in Florida, so we knew this home was rare. My husband, being a University of Florida graduate, has collected many Gator items over the years. And, while I love him dearly (and have grown to love the Florida Gators through his coercing), I didn't want all this Gator stuff in my house. So, the Gator Patio was born. With just a little money, some time, and even more creativity, I present to you the most Orange and Blue Patio you'll ever see!

This is the "Gator Roundtable". The chairs are from Wal-Mart and were $19 each. They were part of Mallory's birthday present. The orange vinyl is from Fabric.com (my new favorite website for fabric- I'm so over shopping for fabric with a toddler and a preschooler!) and was about $6/yard (I ordered 1.5 yards of each color). The blue chip and dip tray was 50% off at Dollar General- making it $1.

The table in the background (with the blue cover) is our second talbe, which provides additional seating at parties and such. I also got the blue vinyl from Fabric.com and the orange serving trays from Dollar General- $2.

I made the quilted table runner and showcased it here.

Mallory (my husband) really wanted to paint this "50-yard line". So with some spray paint and tape, he contributed this white line and the center "F" to the already green outdoor carpet (which "just happens" to look like a football field, he said!).

This TV was Mallory's housewarming gift to himself. He has dreamed of a TV like this for years, and after pulling all the strings he did to get us into this home, he deserved it. It's a great addition to this patio. We are researching ways to cover the TV and protect it from extreme weather (mainly heat, in Florida). I also would like to make a fabric cover for this black shelving unit. We'll see how that evolves...

The view when you walk out from the house.

This is our "Florida Tree". It was a gift to my husband from his parents about two Christmases ago. It was purchased at Wal-Mart and we have collected orange and blue ornaments over the years. I made the tree skirt from fleece. The blue "F" was put on the wall with painters tape.

These three baskets hang from the ceiling and are attached to each other with fishing line and twine. They are great for things like sunscreen, fan remotes, etc. They were also found at Dollar General's summer clearance sale for $1 each.

So, that's our patio. To all my family in Alabama, I apologize in advance for you having to view all this orange and blue. In light of last Saturday's game, we needed to have a little "Gator pick-me-up" here.

The orange and blue patio isn't completely finished, but I don't know that it will ever be. It's one of those "works in progress" that is continually updated, added to, and remodeled.

Go Gators!