Thursday, January 30, 2014

Treasure Hunt Thursday #141 & Highlights

From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday
Thanx for coming to Treasure Hunt Thursday #141! I know there are a lot of us out there thawing out and trying to keep warm. My thoughts and prayers are with those across the south who were caught in the unexpected winter weather.
Last week was another fabulous turn out.
Here are the highlights! 
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday-Thoughts From Alice Mantel
Thoughts From Alice- Vintage Valentine's Mantel
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday- Nest of Bliss Farmhouse Kitchen
Nest of Bliss- Farmhouse Kitchen Tour
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday-Uniquely Yours or Mine Bathroom
Uniquely Yours or Mine- Planked Bathroom
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday-Concord Cottage heart Pillow
Concord Cottage- PB Inspired Pillow
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday-Creative Home Expressions Kissing Booth Pillow
Creative Home Expressions- Kissing Booth Pillow
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday- The Moon & Me Peppermint Hot Choclolate
The Moon and Me- Peppermint Pink Hot Chocolate
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday-Simply Suzanne's Heart Cupcake
Simply Suzannes- Vanilla Bean Heart Cupcakes
From My Front Porch To Yours- Treasure Hunt Thursday
Thank you so much for coming out to party every week! Remember when you party at my place you not only get a chance at being featured here on my blog but also over on my blog FaceBook Page which has over 130,000 followers!



Let's get this party started shall we!?


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, January 28, 2014

A New Front Porch

I have not been doing a lot of blog posts since before Christmas and I apologize. I have been preoccupied and majorly stressing. Mr. Front Porch and I have been doing a lot of thinking. I halted doing any new projects and started on a long to do list. It was a little overwhelming to say the least. So what is up?
From My FRont Porch To Yours- House Plans
Well Mr. Front Porch and I are thinking about getting a new front porch. When were transferred here we were told we would be here anywhere from 3-5 years. It has been almost 5 with no talks of us being transferred anywhere. We purchased this home thinking we would not be in it longer than 5 years so there is a lot to think about when it comes to selling a home and picking out a new one. It has been a major stressor for me because it is a very important decision to us. Most of the time moving is something we are told we are doing by Mr. Front Porch's work and there really is not a choice. We prep the house for sale and as soon as an offer is accepted it is no longer a worry to us. We pick a new house and that is that. Since this move we would completing on our own that means even if an offer is accepted on our home the deal could always fall apart at the last minute. That is a scary to think about and something we never had to deal with. Another worry is we sell quickly and have no home to go to. Ekkk.

 Several theories of thought that cross our mind are one  sell while the selling is good. The market is hot around here right now! The other theory is we wait a year and if the market is still hot then we sell. The third theory is we just wait till we are transferred again and let the company pay for it all!;) I know, I know we just put in the pool but guess what, that was part of the plan to begin with!;) Adding a pool gives us an advantage around here especially when people are house hunting in the Texas heat. 
We are still not exactly sure what we are going to do. One day we decide we are staying and the next we are selling. Hopefully we will come to peace with a decision soon and that will be that. I can not tell you how much I hate not working on any projects around here. Till we figure it all out I am having fun exploring all of our options that is when I am not stressing about it!;) One option is to build a home which we have done in the past and I completely enjoyed the process. 
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
Source
 I am in love with this floor plan. That fireplace is dreamy with the stone and chunky white mantel.

From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
Source
This kitchen is a dreamy set up. Mr. Front Porch does not think I would like it because it does not look into the living room.
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
Source
One model home we toured had a mother in law suite which was ideal for when the GPs come to stay. The home was 2800 sq ft with the suite but it felt huge! We currently have a 3700 sq ft home. Downsizing is an option we are seriously considering since we really do not use the upstairs.
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
This is the dining room to the home with the mother in law suite.
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
This is the kitchen to the same home with the suite. I LOVED how large the kitchen felt. 
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
Easy DIY ceiling treatment.
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
Pretty secondary bedroom.
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
Can you tell why I loved this space!? Oh those beams!
From My Front Porch To Yours- Model Home
That stove hood is dreamy.

We have a lot to consider and have given ourselves another few weeks to decide but that is it! Building where we are looking at takes 7-8  months so that puts us right smack dab up to back to school time.
From My Front Porch To Yours
In the meantime Savannah and I hope that everybody is keeping warm! Today we had a second ice storm in less than a week come thru which is unheard of here in SE Texas. We have spent the day chilling and watching the crazy weather on t.v.. How is it where you are?

Sunday, January 26, 2014

How I Found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home

From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home

Hello Everyone!
My name is Barb Garrett and I am the overworked, underpaid writer
and creator at The Everyday Home.
Barb Garrett with The Everyday Home
I also love what I do with a passion...sharing "everyday" ideas to
for living a simple life.
Thank you to Pamela for having me as her guest.
She asked me to answer a few questions, so here I go...

1) What is my decorating style?
This one always throws me for a loop. My style has evolved through
the years, and one day I hope to figure out an exact name for it.
What do you get when you mix Farmhouse with Traditional with
English Country and a love of Charles Faudre?
You get The Everyday Home.
I have always said I need at least 5 homes, one for every style I love.
I guess some would call it “eclectic” but I have always thought that
word sounded so raw and uncertain.
I prefer to use the term “heartfelt.”
So...my style is “heartfelt” :)
My favorite room is definitely our Kitchen.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I Found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
The farmhouse-style beckons back to my childhood where I grew up on
a large agriculture farm in NC.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
It's also the room that has received the most sweat equity since we
moved in. All DIY projects.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
You can take the tour of my home HERE.

2) How did you find your style?
My style has been greatly influenced by our travels.
Being a military family we have lived all over the Country, and was
blessed to enjoy 3-years abroad in Europe.
I think I found the style which spoke to my heart there,
more than anywhere we have ever lived.
Several of our antiques were purchased there...
(cheaply I might add!)
Two of my favorite pieces are this drop-front desk...
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
...and this Antique-Bed-Turned-Bench which my
Flemish neighbor crafted in his 300-year old barn. You went into his
barn and chose a bed from the dozens and dozens of vintage beds which he
had stockpiled, and then he turned it into a literal work of art.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
You can also see some of the Blue and White Transferware I collected
during my travels thru England.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
3 - What has been your most treasured find of your home?
Moving around every 2-3 years, we unfortunately lost items
along the way. It was always a gamble when
our entire household was packed up and carted away to
an unknown storage center and then shipped all over the world.
A few years ago, I opened a large suitcase I had not used in years,
and discovered a group of manila envelopes.
I started crying. Literally.
Standing in the middle of the attic,
bawling like a baby. Those manilla envelopes held
assorted baby pics and travel pics which I thought I had lost.
So without a doubt, that is THE most important "find" I
have made in my home in a long time.
From My Front Porch To Yours- How I found My Style Sundays- The Everyday Home
4- What tips do I have for creating a beautiful home?
This is a tough one for me, actually.
I could give you the boxed answer like "let your style grow organically"
and "utilize magazines and blogs, etc, to help you discover your style."
But you know what? That is someone else's style. The problem
with someone else's style is that it is never quite your own.
So, instead - let your home speak to you. Every home has a
personality and if you try to force a style that doesn't fit you will
never love it.
Collect things YOU love, and not things that you see
everyone else collecting - particularly trendy things.
Don't be afraid to be original. If you have a passion for purple
feathers in black polka-dot vases, then by golly go for it.
Finally - and I mean this from the heart...
do NOT let Blogs and Blogger's Homes make you feel like your
home or your style is not as good. Remember that it is our job to
offer creativity at all levels and share the best of what we offer.
(If you saw my house on a day-to-day basis you would tsk-tsk.)
Laughing
My style has evolved over the last 30 years.
I look back at pictures 15-20 years ago and cringe.
Don't be afraid to let your home evolve as your life does.
When someone walks into your home, let it be a reflection of YOU and
your family. Not someone else's home.
So that's a little bit about me.
Thank you again for letting me share this with you.
I would love for you to visit me at The Everyday Home or
follow me on my Facebook Page.
Most of all - I wish you blessings.
Until we meet again...
xxoo, Barb
Thank you Barb for sharing pieces of your home with us today! It is always fun to look back thru the years and see how our homes have changed. You have turned your into a stunner!