in need of inspiration

it's that time of year again... the sun is starting to shine and all me and my sister can think is: beer on the patio!

well, that's all my sister can think. i think that, then immediately think: time to revamp the patio!

last year was our first summer with a patio, so it was a bit of an exploration in terms of what we could do, and we have nothing but a couple camping chairs and a few Ikea pots to start with. this is what it looked like after our bonanza at the nursery and some donations from our mom:

(not pictured: ugly camping chairs and

overflowing recycling bin... there's a reason

this is the only corner of the patio

that i photographed)

it was lovely for a summer, but our patio furniture is lackluster at best (aside from the camping chairs, we also have two once-white plastic chairs found on the side of the street) and space is a bit of an issue, so i am trying to rethink the possibilities on a budget with a desire to reuse/recycle as much as possible and grow as much of our own food as we can!

and so i've been doing what i always do when in need of a little creative/design inspiration: searching the blog world (and the internet in general).

all i've been able to find on my own find for small outdoor spaces are of the Better Homes and Gardens/Ikea variety, which are both a little too expensive for us and a little too uncreative to satisfy my DIY design aesthetic.

a certain landscape architect-in-training i know turned me on to these amazing hanging planters:

but aside from these (so cool, i wish i knew how to make a planter like that!), there seems to be a dearth of ideas (with images!) for nice outdoor spaces. and so the call to action... any ideas? inspirations? links?

i need help.

xo karly