When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Or when life gives you a garage built for a Vespa and you are too scared to let your husband ride one, make it into a potting shed.

I was able to find the June issue of Southern Living today. Who knew that Southern Living magazine would be so hard to find in the PNW?

Anyway, there was indeed a great article about a couple who transformed their backyard on a budget and employed some of the same ideas that we are. They used pea gravel to make a courtyard and create a sort of outdoor living room feel using shrubs and trees and lots of containers.

They transformed their garage by removing the garage door and installing three sets of exterior french doors, whitewashing the interior and converting a space that is too small to park a car into a space that is useful for their family.

Our garage will be modified by replacing the roof, removing some siding and incorporating some old windows to make an area where we can entertain outside in the shade and also have some storage for gardening tools and a mower, etc.

Here are some pretty pictures from Southern Living to inspire you.