A Christmas Porch...

Hi friends - I'm sure everyone is having loads of fun decorating for Christmas - hope it is turning out just as you had planned.  I wanted to share some pictures of my "previous" Christmas porch - this was two years ago at our old home.  These pictures are just to remind you not to forget your "outside" room.  We enjoyed our screened in porch a great deal - even when it was a bit chilly outside.  Needless to say - it was pretty much the main entrance of our home - so that is why I always tried a bit harder to keep it decorated.  Now, I'll have to say - my style has changed a lot in the last two years - I have a much more "simple" look now than before - but I still loved it - and it was a great way to say "Welcome to our home".

 

Here we go...

lots of aqua, red and silver...

 

..."icey" snowflakes from the Dollar Tree...

 

...a lil' tree in a box decorated with fresh greens and some "left over" ornaments...

 

...another tree tucked in a rustic sleigh...

 

...watering cans all lined up - each of these a gift from my sweet papaw...

 

 

 ...burlap tied over the benches made from an old bed - handcrafted by my other precious grandfather...  Be sure to nestle in fresh greens along with some pretty ribbon...

 

...my window basket filled with greens, ornaments, ribbon and a homemade "winter" banner...

 

...those Christmas pillows were made by my grannie Cleo many years ago - I can never seem to part with them...

 

 ...Don't forget to use old soil from your plantings this year as a base to hold fresh greenery, ribbon and pinecones...

Have fun decorating your porch - remember - it's the first and sometimes only impression someone will get of your home.  Make sure it always says "Welcome friends".

 

Merry Christmas!

From my front porch looking in...

I went outside to unplug the lights on the porch - and I stopped to look in my kitchen window.  It made me happy.  It looked bright and cheerful and I had just cleaned up after baking some for Thanksgiving.  But it is not the "things" inside the window that make me happy - it is the "love" inside that makes me smile.  It was a calm, peaceful night at home and I just love that. 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving friends

- if we step back and look "in" - we have so much to be thankful for.

 

This Saturday...

 
Hi friends - Happy November - now that it is over half gone - so sorry I've not checked in.  I've been decorating a bit and I'll share soon.  But first things first - this Saturday our local homemakers are having their Christmas Bazaar and I'll be there.

 

I love our Green County Extension Agent - Miss Audrey, I love our great town and all the talented people in it plus I just love people so I'm really looking forward to being there...

 

Saturday November 17th

9:00 - 3:00 cst

Green County Extension Office 

 

 

Hope to see you there!

 

 

All Treats and no Tricks...

Hope you have a Happy Halloween........

 

 

 

Dried Wedding Flowers...

Another beautiful fall day here in Kentucky - BUT my thoughts are very much on the people facing the devastating weather on the Eastern Coast. 

 

A while back I was asked to make some dried floral arrangements for a wedding.  I have made many wedding bouquets over the years but never a "dried" one believe it or not.  This beautiful bride knew exactly what she wanted and armed with pictures from Pinterest - here is what we came up with.

 

Simple and rustic for her "harvest-style" wedding...

 

 

The boutonnieres were simply made up of preserved leaves, wheat, some centers from purple cone flower, caspia, a needle-like burgundy dyed greenery, a touch of burlap and all tied up with twine.

 

 

 

A few corsages for the MOTB, MIL and others were a lil' larger with some preserved lime-light hydrangea and golden yarrow mixed in.

 

 

 

And lastly for the beautiful bride, Jade, and her attendants - small handheld bunches of all the flowers tied with burlap and twine.

 

 

 A few pearl pins just for the bride - still she wanted nothing fancy...

 

 

 

Her attendants were the same just a bit smaller.

 

 

 

I wouldn't hesitate to use dried flowers again - they really did turn out pretty I think - especially for this time of year. 

 

 

Best wishes Jade and Andrew - hope you have a lifetime of happiness.

 

 

 

A Lil' Fall at the Farmhouse...

I hope the weather is as delightful at your place as it has been here.  The days are simply perfect right now - 65 to 75 degrees - light breeze, plenty of sunshine - well, simply perfect.  Today while I was outside I snapped a few pictures of things that I'm loving right now. 

 

First things first - this GLORIOUS maple tree.  It is the tree I see when I wake up in the morning -  outside my bedroom window - it's over next to the cabin.

 

As you can see - we have started to landscape a bit - still no mulch and we are still missing two porch railings - but hey we are getting there.  I can't believe we've been here nearly a year and still have MUCH to do!

 

This picture gives you a better idea of where the cabin is located.  For those of you checking in for the first time - this was my late FIL's cabin - a place he dearly loved.  It is on the historical register - nearly 200 years old and has military significance.  I'll share all about it with you sometime.

 

 

My in-laws built on to it after restoring the main cabin.  You can see a small kitchen addition in the back.  A lot of great family memories have been made here.  Right now we roast lots of marshmallows around the fire pit - mmmmmm. 

 

 

Just past the cabin in the back is an old barn - a reeeeaaaally old barn.  It needs repair and we'll get to it someday but I still love the way it looks.

 

 

The barn quilt on this barn is called "Glitter, Glitter."

 

 

The sky was beautiful.

 

 

 Out my kitchen window - up on the hill - is the old chicken house and shed.  I love red barns, blue skies and green grass.

 

 

At the entry - I used an old stock tank we had to plant flowers in.

 

 

 It is filled with mums, sweet potato vine, plectranthus and ornamental millet, oh and a pumpkin of course.

 

Another washtub filled with ornamental cabbage and kale and Jade Princess Millet.

 

 

And if you aren't growing these ornamental beauties - you should!  Just sayin'

 

 

 

Have a Happy Fall Day!

 

Simple Cabinet - Before & After

Happy Beautiful Fall Saturday to you.  I told ya last time I'd share some pictures of a cabinet re-do with you so here we go.  I found this old hutch at a junk store - it had some flaws of course but I just loved it from the minute I saw it - it was one of those - "I don't know where it's going but I'm getting it anyway" kind of moments.

 

 

It was oak with this neat tongue and groove back.  Once upon a time it had doors but that's o.k.

 

 

 The first thing I did was use some paint from Lowe's called "Flood Tide" and dry brushed the inside of the cabinet.

 

 

 I truly debated leaving it in it's natural color but in the end - the creamy white won out.

 

 

A heavy distressing...

 

 

I had a roll of $1.00 wallpaper from a clearance bin that I used to line the drawers with.

 

 

 And here it is - Simply filled with some of my white pitchers and a touch of fall along with...

 

 

 ...these beautiful orange bowls my mom gave me.

 

 

 And I've already started to store a few napkins in the drawers.

 

 

 

 This is a shot of the kitchen right beside the cabinet as you'll see in the first picture...

 

 

 

 ...and I just love the way the colors blended together.

 

 

 

 

Hope you have a happy day!