Cleaning Out the Flower Bed

The front flower bed had become wild looking.

After years of not weeding the plants had become overgrown and unmanageable.  As the spring weather rolled in it was time to tackle more yard work.  So I dug up all the old plants in the flower bed and removed all the weeds. 

Here's what the flower bed looks like now!

 We have lots of shade in the front of the house, so I chose to plant hydrangeas.  I love hydrangeas!  I have 2 small plants on the other side of the yard that I've had success with so adding more was any easy choice.

 Hydrangeas remind my husband of his late Nana.  I planted them with her in mind.

The Endless Summer Hydrangea has repeat blooms from spring through fall.

Mulch adds the finishing touch.

I added few hanging baskets for instant color.

Flowers on the front step make for a pretty entry.

Our old door mat was wearing thin, so I replaced it with this one.

Cleaning up the flower bed truly made a difference.  I enjoy sitting on the porch looking out into the yard much more now.

What have you been up to lately?  Have you planted your flowers yet?

Cocktail Coasters

Summer is all about spending time outdoors and outdoor entertaining is on my mind!  We've been working very hard on our deck to create a casual area for eating and a place to sip a cocktail or two.  And since no one likes water rings left on their furniture, I made a few coasters.

Ceramic tiles are cheap, I bought mine for about .30 each at Home Depot.  Wallpaper samples are free from Serena & Lily and Farrow & Ball. (Thanks again, Caitlin!)

I used a tile as my guide, then traced and cut the paper into 4 squares.

 To adhere the paper to the tiles I used equal parts clear Elmer's glue and water.  After the paper was dry I gave each coaster a few thin coats of Polycrylic.  I allowed them to cure for a few days before using.  The last step is to add felt pads or cork to the bottom of each coaster for surface protection.

They would also make a thoughtful housewarming gift.

Easy and inexpensive!

Cheers to summer!

I am linking this post to:

Summer Celebration Link Party
The SITS girls
Cupcakes and Crinoline
It's Overflowing

Mailbox Makeover

 My mailbox was looking rough, don't you think?!  Mildew, rust and peeling paint.

 I've wanted to give it a makeover for quite some time.  The weather was beautiful this weekend, making it perfect for outdoor projects.

 I picked up some supplies from Home Depot and got to work.  I decided to stain the post after cleaning off most of the mildew(I used Varathane- Kona).  I unscrewed the mailbox from the post then painted it with Rust-Oleum Hammered, copper-spray paint.  Once everything was dry, I gave the post and the mailbox a clear coat for weather protection.

I ordered the vinyl number decal from Etsy.

I love to see flowers growing by the mailbox!  With no design in mind, I added a few plants and flowers.  I finished it off with a layer of mulch.  Instant curb appeal!

Hopefully they will hold up well throughout the summer and fill in nicely.

Now if I could only keep my neighbor's Chihuahua from peeing on them.  Grr!



I am linking this post to:
The SITS girls

Etsy Dreaming, Random Thoughts

I love to make pillows and have dreamed of selling on Etsy for quite some time.  I've researched and procrastinated for a very long time.  I've thought about it and talked myself out of it, at the same time.

What if they hate it?  What if nothing sells?  I want my kids to see the world as being full of unlimited possibilities.  To take risks!  I know in my heart that it's time.  I need to worry less, let go of fear and doubt.

My husband's advice...Just do it!  What are you waiting for?  We'll figure it out!

I wonder if one day, I’ll work up enough nerve to list my first item.

My Backyard Was A Hot Mess

My backyard was a hot mess.  No grass, just Georgia red clay and lots of leaves!

Over the winter we neglected our yard duties.

Looking at my awful yard made me wonder, how do I make it look good again?

Rather than being bogged down by its current state, I decided to focus on what I liked best about our yard and plan from there: 

-I love the ivy climbing up the back of the house.  We're fully aware of how rapidly ivy grows and all the damage it can do, so we've kept it controlled to this small area.

   

-We love the look of our retaining wall, but after a heavy rainfall the lower level fills up with water and everything becomes a muddy mess.  There's nothing much worse than watching your dogs track muddy paw prints across your floor!  So we decided to start our planning there.  We created a small patio area to keep the mud away.  We wanted to have concrete poured, but it was way too expensive.  Our next option was concrete pavers; they are easier to work with and inexpensive.  We began by purchasing the pavers and mulch to fill in the cracks.  

Once we had the area raked and leveled, we placed the pavers down in a simple pattern.  They're not absolutely level, but we're okay with that!

  

We added a few azaleas.  They should be an awesome border in a few years as they fill in. 

We built the patio for about $250; supplies purchased from Home Depot.

A small price to pay in comparison to all of the rugs I've washed or tossed to keep the muddy paws out!

There's still so much more to do though.  I plan to add few more plants and give the area a good cleaning with the pressure washer.  I purchased paint for the back door and the areas that need to be touched up, but for now we're just enjoying our small patio area.

Of course, I'll post more pictures once we're finished!



I am linking this post to:
Inspire Me Please

Savvy Southern Style

Home Stories A to Z

Thrifty Decor Chick

The DIY Dreamer

Natasha in OZ

Moulding Success

Although we're a long way from calling our entry, stairway and hallway finished, I'm happy to share with you a few progress pictures.

 

The moulding has been installed.  Giving the walls a fresh coat of paint has made a huge difference.

The outlet has been wired and the new light fixture is up!

 I spend most of my free time painting.  Oh how I dislike cutting in.  I have so much to do it's daunting.

It'll be worth it in the end.  I must keep reminding myself of this.

I am linking this post to: 

Thrifty Decor Chick

Inspire Me Please

Moulding Makes Me Happy

I absolutely love moulding!  It just changes the look and feel of the rooms in my house.  Over the years we've added it to most of the rooms and lately I'd been thinking a lot about beefing up the walls in our entry and staircase.  So we decided to have chair rail and picture frame moulding installed.

      

We still have a long way to go, but so far I'm loving the results.  I plan to paint the walls above the chair rail Revere Pewter(same as the L.R. and D.R.), by Benjamin Moore(matched to Glidden Paint) and the area below will be painted a creamy white.

As you know, one change leads to another!  So we'll be saying goodbye to our old light fixture and replacing it with something simple.

We're also adding an electrical outlet, so I can finally add a lamp to the entry table.  Lamps create such nice ambiance don't you think?!

I have plans to create a photo gallery along the stair wall; something I have wanted to do for a long time!

Our contractor friend is doing most of the work(I'm in charge of caulking-n-painting), but his schedule is quite full already, so it's been a bit of a challenge to find time to finish things up and that makes patience even harder to practice.

So a few boring-before pictures to share with you today.  Hopefully I'll have some progress pictures in a few!