Saturday, July 20, 2013

Back Porch Project

Today I should change my blog name to "From My Back Porch To Yours"!;)
I have been slowly trying to pull our back porch together. It honestly is nothing to write home about but eventually it will all come together.

I was having a hard time coming up with a color scheme for out here. I was on the hunt for umbrellas and since they last a few years I knew I would be stuck with whatever I picked. The Hubster said hey "why don't ya buy one blue and one green because those are the boys favorite colors". I thought what a great idea so when I saw this rug I knew I had to order it from O.co. 

We also ordered some new furniture. Our previous set for back here had cushions and they were worn way out. The puppy took advantage of that by finishing them off for us. For fear that she would take liberty and chew on new cushions I decided it was best to stay clear of cushions as much as possible. Though this set does not have any cushions it is actually quite comfy.

We needed an area to put food when cooking out so I decided to pull this sofa table out from the back of my stash. I am thinking it will be painted a grey with a white wash effect. The mini fridge may or may not stay. The Hubster brought it down from his man cave when we had friends over recently.

This light MUST go and I keep trying to talk The Hubster into making over the ceiling as well. It needs really does need help. The builder installed the light before the paint was dry and thus the light was permanently affixed to the ceiling  making it almost impossible to remove to change out the light bulb hence the torn drywall.

Source
This is the type of ceiling I have envisioned. We shall see if I can get him on board with it.

Source
I also am thinking an orb light like this would be fabulous. Of course not this one because it is well over $3,000!;) The Hubster is wanting a ceiling fan so we shall see. 

While I am battling those two things out I decided to focus on something I could change myself. This is our backdoor. It is just kinda there and needed some freshening up.

Even the casing around the door needed to be loved so out came the paint brush. 

This project took all of an hour and half to do in part because I used AS chalk paint for the door itself. I needed something that would dry relatively fast since we go in and out of the door so often and because it was soooo hot out that leaving the door open was not an option. The color is a mixture of Old White and Duck Egg.

It was an easy project that makes a much more pleasing welcome into our home.

So that is where I am at so far on our backyard makeover. Slowly but surely it will all come together.

Hope everybody is having a great weekend. See ya back here tomorrow for "How I Found My Style Sundays".


Friday, July 19, 2013

Treasure Hunt Thursday #115 & Highlights

Sorry I am a little behind on getting the party up y'all! It has been a busy week.

Here are my top picks from last weeks party. 

Home Chic Club made over a vintage chandelier. I am also loving her wallpaper!

Vanessa At The Picket Fence updated her stairs and foyer.

Prodigal Pieces made this wonderful valance with barn wood and a bedskirt!

Twigg Studios shared her Peach & Lavender pies!

Thank you to all who come and party every week and to those who just stop by to say Hi!

Common Courtesies

1. Please only link up new links that you have not shared before. 

 

2. Please link up only 3 times. If you have more you would like to share save the share till the next THT so it will be just as awesome.

 

3. Please do not link up items you are trying to sell or other linky parties.

 

4. Please be sure to link back to THT. Hint hint I will only feature those who have the link back. 

 

5. Disable Word Verification to encourage more comments from your visitors!:)


 

I would love to have you follow along with me if you do not already!

 

Can't wait to see what you have to share this week.


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Treasure Hunt Thursday #114 Most Viewed Links

It is time to see who has the most viewed links from last weeks Treasure Hunt Thursday!
1. Dwellings The Heart Of Your Home- Sunporch

2. Be Book Bound- Updated Farmhouse

3.Jeannie Marie & Company- Thrifting Finds

Thanx ladies for coming to the party! See everybody back here tonight for THT #115!


Backyard Oasis part 5- Overlay & Landscape

The last I left off with our Backyard Oasis project the pool itself was officially completed. Next up that needed to be completed was the patio overlay and the landscaping.
This is the area behind the pool where we wanted to put landscaping. We were just going to have our contractor prep the beds for us and then in the fall we would actually plant stuff. That all changed when I saw that the local garden center had everything 50% off. Who can pass up 50% off so the boys and I went to BOTH garden centers near our house on the hottest day of the summer and picked out what plants I wanted. We spent hours picking stuff out and the plan was for our contractor to come by later in the day and pick up the big stuff. Well the garden center said no. There I was stuck with four large Crape Myrtles in 108 degree weather and two surprisingly well behaved under the circumstances but certainly hot boys.
To the rescue came our pool contractor. I called and explained they would not hold anything for me so within 30 minutes he was up at the garden center loading up my Myrtles himself!
Later that afternoon the boys and I headed back up to the garden center and brought all of this home plus some. It took two trips in my Flex to get everything home. Yes, I could have just paid our contractor to go and get everything but I was trying to save $$  and I wanted to be able to pick everything out myself cause that is just the way I am!;) 

Here are the beds prepped and the overlay started.
Here is the other side of the pool area. The pool decking is quite expansive which is really nice. 

I purchased two crepe myrtles with white flowers for each side of the pool. 
We laid everything out just where I wanted it.
Here is the end result! I have African Day Lillies, Pencil Holly, and Lagustrum. I even have enough room left over to plant some color in the fall. I was wanting to keep everything pretty simplistic with green and white and then later on add pops of pinks.
After the landscape was completed the tape from the overlay design started being pulled off. I have to say I was getting rather giddy at this point. I showed Tim exactly what I wanted our porch to look like and he said no problem. I was still nervous seeing as we have never had any type of work like this done before. The tape was coming off and I was feeling good so the boys and I headed to the grocery store.
We got back and my heart sank. I mean literally sank. They guys had started painting the glaze on top of the design and I just was not feeling it. Though it was lovely and it was the color glaze I picked out it was not the look I was going for. It was just too orange/peachy for the rest of the pool. It was taking away from my overall vision for the pool design. 
Thankfully I caught them in time and they had not gotten quite half way done painting the large squares and I asked them to go back over the glazed areas because I preferred this look instead. They thought I was nuts and kept making sure I did not want the glaze. It was quite comical to me because they were mostly speaking Spanish and I was just imagining what they were saying to each other!;) I assured them it was ok to not put the glaze on and thanked them for going back over the areas they had already glazed. 
Once they were done I was giddy once more with delight!
The overlay came out perfect! 
I am working on the finishing touches to the patio and then I will share with y'all the official pool reveal.

Thanx for stopping by and following along with our progress.

If you missed any of the previous Backyard Oasis posts here they are:
Backyard Oasis
Backyard Oasis Part 2
Backyard Oasis Part 3
Backyard Oasis Part 4
Linking up to the following linky parties:

Sunday, July 14, 2013

How I Found My Style Sundays- Serendipity Refined



Hi Everyone! I am Kimberly from Serendipity Refined.
First, I want to thank Pamela for inviting me to share my decorating style with you today.  I'm excited to be here!  Second, I have to admit I don't really have one specific decorating style. It's more a combination of several.


My style is continually evolving and,  for me, it has a lot to do with where I'm at in my life and the people with whom I share my home than it does any one style.  Right after college, my style was certainly much more feminine than it is today.

My current decorating pallet involves several shades of grey, beige and ivory.  This might have something to do with the fact that I live in a home where I'm the only female (unless you happen to count Martha Stewart who has lived with us for the last fourteen years. No, not that Martha...the one who lives in our home has four legs and is a yellow lab.)


It also may have something to do with the fact that I wear those colors as the basic parts of my wardrobe much of the time. One of the things that I've learned over the years is to take color cues from the clothes that I love the most. I found that the colors that I wear most often are those that are easy for me to use when I decorate.


I think that my style is best described as evolving and eclectic. It has strong traditional elements but the pieces in our home range from my great grand parents sofa and chair to a brand new dining room table. I also want you to know that that the evolution of my style hasn't been much about me finding my style as it has been about my style finding me.


Over the years, I've continued to be drawn to the same sorts of things.  Most of them are warm...and comfortable.  They've usually got an interesting shape or a fascinating detail.  Many of them have a story to tell.  I've collected, inherited and roadside rescued much of the furniture that resides in our home.  Very little of it has been purchased new.


I tend to decorate with mainly solid, neutral colored pieces and then allow just a few areas like cushions, draperies, rugs, and pillows have pattern. I studied Art and Design in college and I'm a weaver so, I find that I'm drawn to fabric with interesting textures or soft fibers like chenille.


Details (like a collection of vintage ironstone and a few wooden spoons in painted holder or the hand painted tile back splash) help to make our home feel not so "new".  One or two special details can define an entire room and make it feel like "home".


I like to mix things up. I combine natural wood with painted pieces, different types of counter tops in our kitchen,  hardware on cabinets that doesn't "match".   I found that doing this helps our home feel as if it has been "put together over time" rather than the nine year old "new-ish" home that it actually is.


I like down-wrapped cushions and plenty of throw pillows. I like cozy spaces (like window seats) but I find that I also like rooms with loads of natural light and which are open to each other.  This makes it really easy to entertain everyone from just a couple of people to large groups.



I've discovered that my style has become much more casual now that my sons are nearly grown.  I'm also mixing things up a little more than I used to (like combining my very traditional, formal dining room table and side board with a painted cabinet, the park bench from my yard and a hutch that I built from reclaimed barn wood).



The most important thing that I've discovered  is to allow you style to tell your story...and the story of the people who live in your home.  Surround yourself with things that make you feel comfortable...things that make you smile... and don't worry if they "match".



I'll admit that I'm  a compulsive re-decorator and I'm constantly changing things around. I regularly move pieces from one room to another to keep things interesting (and keep my sons guessing).  Having much of my furniture upholstered in neutral colored fabrics allows me the freedom to do this fairly easily.  

Family pieces will always remain in our home decor but, other items are sold (or donated) to make room for "new" things.  This keeps our home fresh but still allows it to have a sense of "history.

More than anything, I believe that a home should be a place where you feel comfortable. Whether it's a sleek, modern, minimalist apartment in a high rise in the city or a charming country cottage, yur home should feel like YOU!

xo,
Kimberly
Kimberly I never get tired of seeing your beautiful home! You did an amazing job with it and I can not wait to see what you do with your new home! Thank you for joining us today.