Hmph. Front Porch, take 3

My front entry seems to be on constant rotation these days - sporting a couple of looks this last month alone. 

Throw in some dead mums (all in the name of halloween, of course!) and it's time for another reincarnation for the remainder of the fall season. 

With 3 weeks until Thanksgiving there is still plenty of time to get your fall on! So off to the grocery I went in search of gourds, pumpkins and squash - oh my! - plus a quick stop at Home Depot to collect an assortment of ornamental cabbages and it was time to welcome Fall back to the front porch. 

Here's my secret: I stuffed an empty, upside down plastic pot into the existing dirt in the planter to get the leverage I needed. Then I stacked in my squash, gourds and pumpkins. Any big spaces, I filled with ornamental cabbage and finally, any small spaces were stuffed with yard clippings. I went for camellia branches because I think the glossy leaves offset the rustic texture of the cabbage and go along way to soften the whole look. 

So happy with how they turned out, it almost makes me want to host the big Thanksgiving feast. Almost. But not quite.

 Now, I just need to keep these suckers alive for the next 3+ weeks. Hopefully the cabbages will be a little more forgiving than the previous mums - I swear, in Chicago, I never watered our mums. Hmph.

until next time,  

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A Fall Welcome {front porch}

First, I'd like to send out a heartfelt thanks to everyone for the super nice comments on our master bedroom reveal. Like I've said to most of you, that revamp really tested my patience, but we are thrilled with the results and even more thrilled to be moving onto different projects around the house!

So, as the plans for our dining room start taking shaping, I thought I'd share a quick update to our fall front porch. After all, following the keys debacle, I kind of left you {and me} hanging with an unfinished porch. 

Well, upon my mother's strong suggestion, I replaced the rattan plant stand with our existing white wicker stand. Of course, it didn't help that every time the wind blew the fern fell off the other stand. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Onward and upward...

I found these great purple grasses at a local grocery for a steal. They helped set the tone for the whole porch. Of course, you know how I love using purple for Fall anyway. But this year, because the cooler temperatures seem to be coming earlier and I'm not quite ready to give up the idea of warmer days, I decided to incorporate a bit of yellow. 

Yellow mums and purple sweet potato vine fill out the planter. I'm really loving the bright yellow paired with the darker purple - it's a fun combination that's working for this transitional season. 

Happy Fall ya'll!

linking in with:

Southern Hospitality - It's Fall Ya'll

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It's a Little Embarrassing

When you're known amongst your friends, family and neighbors to be their token 'design' blogger, it's often assumed that your house is in pristine condition at all times. Really, this couldn't be further from the truth.

If only you could have seen my front porch just a few short days ago. It was sad, I tell you, sad. A single pot filled with brown, shriveled up evergreens. Long past their prime. 

A door mat finally dry after a long winter, now rolling up at the edges. Cobwebs, dead leaves and a smattering of fallen petals stuck to the floor.

It was all a little embarrassing, really.

A quick trip to Home Depot later, I came home with three hardy purple perennials, a 6 pack of pansies, and some English ivy. As well as handful of determination to not have the worst pots on the block. Hey, I have a reputation to uphold here.

And because it's me and I don't want to disappoint, I decided to throw in a little DIY craft of the simplest sort. Curly willow tied with jute string adds a bit of height and interest until the plants fill in. 

Phew. Not so embarrassing anymore. Now I can concentrate on other slightly more embarrassing issues like the fact my preschool insisted on wearing 2 barrettes, a bow and a headband to school today. Ah, the stubbornness of an almost 4 year old. Good times.

linking in with:
The Nester
The Polohouse

until next time, 

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A Christmas Welcome

Nothing says Christmas like a well decorated front porch (or stoop or door or whatever you may have).

That's why I've done it up this year.

From garland to wreaths to pots to planters - I've got a little bit of everything. 

Throw in a reindeer and a vintage sled and I really have covered it all!

My planter is a combination of greens, both cedar and fraiser fur, eucalyptus, red dogwood twigs and pinecones. 

Keeping with my rustic elegance theme, I kept the bows and bling to a minimum this year - opting to leave the bows off the garland and decking the wreath with only a bit of ribbon and raffia.

The wicker planter costs were kept to a minimum by working with what I had on hand, namely: vinca vine, coral bells, decorative kale, eucalyptus, red boxwood twigs and faux greenery.

In fact, the only thing I purchased for this planter were two bundles of greenery trimmings, which were actually split between four planters. 

Moving on to the back door...

In the winter, our screened-in porch doubles as a makeshift mudroom. So this year, I decided to give it a little Christmas cheer as well. 

Remember those four planters I mentioned earlier - here's number 3. Just a combination of greens dressed with a simple bow. Perfectly paired with another vintage sled and a trio of lanterns.

The utilitarian side of the porch is accented with a vintage water bottle stuffed full of greenery.

This is the door that I frequent the most and now I smile every time I use it!

Happy Holidays!

Linking in with:

Wow us Wednesday

Until next time, 

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Welcome Home: Fall Front Porch

It's that time of year again - time to Fall-ify the front porch! 

I've already got my theme started with my ReStyled Harvest Fall Wreath, showcasing Autumn's rich purples and plums.

I've chosen to go with a single pot on the front steps. Surrounded, of course, by our family of three (soon to be four!) classic orange pumpkins.

The pot is planted with a Whiskey Barrel Millet, two decorative Kales, a purple Mum and three Vinca vines (borrowed from my summer pots).

Here's my rule of thumb for potting planters, you want something: tall (millet), something trailing (vinca vine), something colorful and blooming (mum), and some filler (kale). 

The light green and white of the vinca vine keep the whole planter from feeling too dark and heavy. 

Now, moving on up the stairs, welcome to the front porch.

You'll notice that I've kept my Mother's Day pineapple and lantern and thrown in yet another large purple mum in an orchard basket.  

It all coordinates so nicely with my fall wreath!

But my favorite part of the whole front porch has to be the white wicker planter. I've mimicked the front step planter by using similar plants. I chose another whiskey barrel millet, flanked by purple mums, english ivy (again borrowed from my summer planters) and purple hued coral bells.

I'm always using the back door, but I love this planter so much that I've been known to stop the car while driving down the driveway just to enjoy the view!

Ah, Fall is my favorite time of year!

If you enjoyed this post, may I suggest:

Summer Pots

All for One and One for All

Wicker Planter Update

Linking in with:

Thrifty Decor Chick

Until next time, 

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A subtle update to a wicker chest

It's all about subtlety these days, right? 

At least that is what I am telling myself after a revamp that didn't really meet my expectations.

Let me start from the beginning...

I've been looking for a piece to add to our screened-in porch that would not only add more surface space but also storage.

I first fell in love with this blue cabinet that I came across while thrifting on our road trip, but alas, there was no way it was fitting into our car so it had to stay in Michigan. 

Back home, I remembered this wicker (ok, not this one, per say, I forgot to take a before picture!) 4 drawer chest that I purchased as extra storage for the nursery when we lived in London.

So...

One coat of primer, two coats of Sherwin Williams Timid Blue (left over from the BGR project), and a coat of clear protective enamel later.

She has a new look.

Subtle, yes, but against a white backdrop I hope she will shine.

Tell me what you think?

Perhaps not the pop I was looking for, but still a change I'm liking. 

(Next time I guess I should pony up for some new paint.)

Accessorized with a vintage glass jug, iron and glass hurricane candle holder and a ball jar filled with fresh clippings...it's a lovely addition to our almost completed screened-in porch.

Here's a peek as the porch comes together.

Linking in with:

WuW at Savvy Southern Style

Until next time,

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Summer Front Porch Pots

Well, hello there!

Sorry to have missed you for my regular Monday post. 

We had a great weekend visiting family, but a hectic return and a busy Monday. Crucial design decisions had to be made, appointments couldn't be missed and long awaited birthday presents finally arrived and just HAD to be set up today!

No matter how crazy it's been lately, I love to stop and enjoy our front porch pots.

Come on by and take a look!

I went with a white and green theme again this year - some people love blue and white - me, I'm a sucker for green and white. Every time! 

The big change this summer is the addition of a third pot, complete with topiary.

English ivy, white impatiens, white petunias, and climbing white clematis.

The two smaller pots hold a variety of white petunias, vinca vine, white geraniums, and white impatiens.

You know what they say, you've got to make time to stop and smell the flowers! 

And this evening, I did just that. 

Hope you have made time in your day to enjoy all that summer has to offer.

Until next time, 

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Porch Planter Updated

Last year I inherited this wicker plant stand, which had been my grandmother's and had lived in my childhood bedroom for years.

Ah, memories! 

I was so excited to receive it that I immediately set it on the front porch and promptly forgot about it.

Needless to say, this year, it was looking a little worse for the wear.

Time to make use of my favorite methods of transformation - spray paint!

A couple of coats of white paint followed by a clear top coat to protect against the elements...

And she's back to her former beauty! 

Paired with one of my pineapple finials and a lantern, she is now ready to welcome all who enter through our front door.

What about you - transform anything with spray paint lately?

Linking in with:

Met Monday

Thrifty Treasures

Until next time,

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Spring Front Porch Planters

Despite the horrid weather currently being enjoyed in the Chicagoland area, I went ahead and updated my front porch planters for Spring.

One pot features a beautiful purple/blue hydrangea and multi-colored pansies.

My little helper potted the second pot with only multi-colored pansies. It's a bit lack luster at the moment, but she had fun and I am sure they will fill out a bit in the near future.

There is just something about hydrangea that I really love.

They are a surprisingly hearty plant and I can't wait for the rest to spring up from our garden.

Now, if only this weather would change and perhaps we could get that garden going!

What about you? What do you plant for Spring in your pots?

Until next time,

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De-Christmas-ing the Entryway

It's officially, almost, February - no more excuses, the last of the Christmas decor must be put away!

That's what I thought to myself while I drove the car past our front entrance last week.

Someone must of heard me because the temperatures finally rose above freezing for the first time in weeks, so I got out there to work a bit of magic.

Before: Christmas Entrance

I removed all my red berried items and replaced them with white winter berries and purple eucalyptus. The majority of the greens, dogwood twigs and pinecones stayed.

(It helped that they were mostly frozen in place!)

After: Winter Entrance

I was really fortunate to find two huge faux branches of winter berries on clearance at my local nursery. A couple of clips later, I had enough little branches to accent all three planters and the wreath.

A little brighter - and a slight nod to Spring.

The eucalyptus came from Michael's.

Wanna see my new Winter wreath? Check back tomorrow to see how it all came together.

Hope you had a nice weekend!

Until next time,

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