porch decorating...in stages

In my last post I mentioned how it takes a bit of work 

to keep a front porch looking good all year round.  

As winter around here comes to an end and spring begins,

we packed away all of the winter stuff and have started with a clean slate for spring.

Transforming the porch always happens in stages around here.

First we take everything off the porch and clean it.

Then we bring back the basics; the furniture, plant stands and accent pieces.

 In addition to the old metal bench (that was once a bed),

I brought in these two old metal chairs I bought from my cousin.

 I added some inexpensive seat cushions.

 Next, we added our plants and fresh flowers.

 This old planter looks better already.

 Then we position everything where we want it.

Sometimes this means moving some heavy pieces 

a little bit to the left...no back to the right a wee bit.

 I take a look at everything from all different angles

to make sure I like it.

 Later, we'll add the finishing touches.

Perhaps a few more cute pillows and 

some things on the window table.

 Finally, a little something different on the front door.

 I wanted something different from the usual wreath.

I decided to use this old doorbell I found on etsy

a few months ago.

I like it but not sure if it's enough.

My son doesn't like it.  

He thinks people will stand at the door

trying to figure out how to make it ring

so we'll answer the door.

I assured him only his fellow teenage friends will do that

until they remember the real doorbell is just to their right.

Spring changes

Spring is arriving here in north Texas

and with it comes changes.

This particular picture below of my front porch apparently is popular.

I get several notices per day that it has been pinned and re-pinned on

Pinterest. 

I'm not sure why it is so popular.  

Some like the window table while others like the bench.  

I've read comments about nearly every little detail in this picture.  

You know what?  This picture certainly doesn't tell the whole story.

Front porches are wonderful but can be quite a bit of work.

Now that winter is coming to an end around here,

it's time to change up the front porch...and it doesn't start out pretty.

All of the dead plants were removed before the Christmas holidays

and this planter was filled with red ornaments and poinsettias.

Those are all gone now too.  It's been empty for a couple of months.

 

Wreaths off the door, holiday and winter decorations put away

and the porch is relatively bare.

Winter blankets and pillows are put away.

The porch is a mess with winter debris and dirt...

and did you notice something missing in the table?

It's missing an original pane of glass.  

Like most parts of the country, we had a crazy winter here;

one day it was freezing with snow flurries and 

the next day it was sunny and really warm.

I guess the extreme and quick fluctuations in temperatures

caused the table to expand and contract weakening the hold

on the glass and this pane fell out and broke.

We're getting a replacement.

Everything is out of place and dirty...

...or bare.

It all has to be cleaned and packed away for another season.

Little changes are coming soon though.

Here is a sneak peak.

I'm on spring break this week.

yay!

cottage mail

My cousin, Gale, has added a little something to her Austin cottage.  It's clever and so cute.

Gale took some photos of her new addition, had them printed and then sent them

to me by mail; you know, post office mail...hard copies.

I still love getting mail in my physical mailbox in the front of my house

but it makes it kind of hard to share the pictures with you.

I have to scan them into the computer and it's almost impossible to edit them.

I like what she's done though and really wanted to share it with you 

so here are the pictures she sent me.

Do you remember my cousin's cottage?  A few months ago, I shared

a lot of pictures of her house and gardens.  It was a cool spring day

in the early morning when I took the pictures.

If you missed the posts about the cottage, you can visit them

by clicking on the link on the upper right sidebar of my blog.

Here is her house on a hot Texas summer day.

Do you see her little addition near the road?

She's changed her mailbox.

She used an old sewing machine base (all perfectly white and chipped up, 

added a board to the top, a couple of smaller pieces of wood on each side

of the mailbox for support, nailed it all together and there you go!

How cute is that?

transformation thursday at theshabbycreekcottage

fresh summer porch with a little red, white and blue

There are several patriotic holidays coming up over the summer months 

beginning with Memorial Day, then Fourth of July and 

ending with Labor Day at the start of September.

Yes, I did say summer.
I know some of you are still waiting for spring
but it's been in the 90's here the past couple of days
and parts of Texas have already hit 100 degrees.
Pools open around Memorial Day which unofficially kind of
signals the start of summer around here.

I decided to freshen up the front porch for the season

with a little red, white and blue.

I had this bench in my sunroom/project room and decided on a whim 

that it might look good on the porch.  We had a double size black rocker 

that was falling apart and needed to go.  I think the bench looks a lot better.

I added some new pillows to the bench 

which has been recovered in dropcloth.

I got the large striped pillows at Pottery Barn on sale.

They are a creamy white and blue stripe with the thinnest red line 

inside the blue stripe.  Perfect.

The flag pillows are from World Market.  

They were very inexpensive. 

The larger one with stars has just the red/white stripes on the reverse side.

We added the cutest little flag banner across the top of the

entrance to the front porch.

No, I didn't make it.  I can't sew a lick.

It's from World Market too and for about 7 bucks, it was worth it.

They are made of some type of canvas or twill fabric so they are

pretty tough little things.  The stars are stitched.

Summer brings with it a lot of flies, bees and wasps around here.

We found this pretty blue wasp/bee catcher (again at WM.  We love that place.)

Someday I'll have to show you the one we have in the backyard.

It's a bit different to say the least.

Did you see the pretty red flowers in the watering can?

Those will get their own little post later in the week. 

You won't believe where I got them.

There's my little patriotic summer porch.  

It's not completely finished yet.

I have a smaller little bench I may be adding for more seating.

I still have my old buckboard bench from Austin sitting on the other side of the porch

so there's enough seating for right now.