Today I’m over at Lori May Interiors!
I have a fun guest post on May Day flower arrangements!
There are lots of ideas so come on over to check it out!
jen
Fix It Week
April 15, 2013
It’s been fix-it week around here.
A few years ago, we put a second story addition on our house. While we love the addition, we don’t love the extra shade that it’s giving our already shaded backyard. Moss is a common thing here in the northwest. And in our shaded backyard, it thrives!
This is what our grass looks like in some places…
Yes, it’s mostly moss.
So we had the aerating guy came look at the grass. And then the moss killer guy came to look at the grass.
Then that led us to call a sprinkler complany to move a few sprinkler heads to properly water our newly planted grass. And of course it turned out that a number our our sprinkler heads were leaking and needed to be replaced.
Today they finished replacing the sprinklers. Here they are in the {muddy} ground! And they’re properly marked for the lawn guys that are coming to start their work tomorrow.
We also had mulch delivered and spread in the garden this week…
And while that work was being done, we were reminded of a huge crack in one of our fence posts. How was I reminded?! I head a giant ‘THUD’ as the post hit the ground.
How in the world does something like that split in half!? Seriously! We wonder if maybe a deer ran into it? Who knows. Regardless, it too needs to be fixed. So the fence guy comes tomorrow as well.
I’m ready to have my yard back to us again! Tomorrow marks the ten day mark of workers here at our house.
The highlight is that now our yard is all set for summer! And the highlight for the kids….
…the sprinkler guy left a ton of extra flags. It turns out they make really cool spears when you throw them into the grass!
They are in hog heaven.
Here’s hoping for no more repairs.
jen
Fall Porch Update
October 19, 2012
I love our porch swing. We sit on it every single day while we wait for the school bus. But the pillows I bought this summer aren’t cutting it with the pumpkins and gourds that are also on the porch.
I recently bought these two striped outdoor pillows from etsy. They’ve been the prefect update for the fall and winter season.
And then I added a fun pillow from Target.
I’m especially fond of it because Dan is a doctor. {Though Dan is neither evil nor able to write prescriptions for poison!}
The star pillow is one I’ve had for years. I found it tucked away in a closet and am happy to have found a fun place for it this fall!
I love the update that new pillows gave my porch!
jen
New Porch Swing
August 28, 2012
The kids catch the bus in front of our house. And let’s face it, it rains plenty here in the northwest. So a little swing under my covered front porch seemed ideal for us. Getting it hung up seemed overwhelming to me though. Would it stick out too much onto the walk way? Would it hit the house when someone was swinging? And what if I can’t find studs in the ceiling in just the right place?
Finally this summer I decided to go for it. I bought a porch swing.
After much planning {and stalling}, I got to work.
The studs were indeed in the wrong place. I located their exact location {with the help of my drill}.
I primed the 2 x 4 to match the ceiling color and used long bolts to secure it in place.
And once the 2 x 4 was secure, I hung up the porch swing!
Isn’t it perfect?
I love the colors of the flowers against the white swing.
I picked up the outdoor pillows at World Market earlier this summer.
They sure help brighten up our front porch!
I know where I’ll be sitting next week as my kids wait for the bus on the first day of school!!
jen
linking up to:
funky junk interiors, my uncommon slice of suburbia, home stories a to z, between naps on the porch, the southern institute, nifty thrifty things, todays creative blog, i should be mopping the floor, sew much ado, the shabby creek cottage, house of hepworths, miss mustard seed, aka design, shabby nest, at the picket fence, chic on a shoestring decorating, serenity now, six sisters stuff, serenity now
Quite Surprised…
June 5, 2012
This afternoon, I went out to wait for Emmie and her kindergarten bus. While waiting, I decided to water some flowers. I stuck my finger in this basket to see if it the soil was dry….
…and I heard something shuffling around in there. Suddenly, a bird flew out! So I peeked inside, behind the flowers….
And was so surprised – and excited – to see what was resting in my flower basket!
I’m sure this is how the kids will be spending the days until the baby birds appear….
{ok, ok – me too! i think i’m more nosey than the kids. At least I don’t need a stool to peek inside the basket!}
jen
linking up to:
shabby creek cottage, the 36th avenue, somewhat simple, aka design, house of hepworths
My Favorite Things….S Hooks
June 3, 2012
Every spring, I get hanging baskets for the front porch. But they always felt like they were so high!! So a few years ago, I purchased some big ‘S’ hooks from the gardening section at Home Depot.
They are about 12″ long. And I love how they drop the hanging baskets down to an inviting height!
It’s an inexpensive way to bring your hanging baskets down to a more visible height. And it adds some warmth to your outside decor as well!!
It’s one of those simple adjustments that make such a huge difference!
Jen
linking up to:
funky junk interiors, homemaker on a dime, i heart naptime, nifty thrifty things, the southern institute, between naps on the porch, debbie does creations, home stories a to z, my uncommon slice of suburbia, tip junkie, how to nest for less, savvy southern style, shabby creek cottage, the 36th avenue, somewhat simple, aka design, house of hepworths, shabby nest, at the picket fence, my repurposed life, chic on a shoestring decorating, funky junk interiors, tatertots and jello, six sisters stuff
Guest Post – How to Build Simple Shutters
May 31, 2012
Do you remember last week when I mentioned a project I was working on? I built shutters for my shed!! Today I have the opportunity to write a guest post over at Lori May Interiors on how to build them.
Visit her blog to see how I took my ho-hum shed window….
and spruced it up to look like this!
And if you want to see the not-so-pretty before picture, you’ll have to pop over to Lori May Interiors!!
Jen
What I did today…
May 24, 2012
I have a ton of projects started and nothing complete. So today, I tried to make some progress.
Several weeks ago, I bought these great pots at Costco. I knew the color wouldn’t look right with our gray house, but the size and shape were right.
so today I brought out the black spray paint…
Much better!
And now that the pots are painted, I can start planting all of these flowers!
Today I also started {and finished} making a little something…
Now this weekend I will get it painted. {And then I can blog about it…so stay tuned!}
While I had the nail gun out, I took the opportunity to attach a missing piece of wood to the footboard of my unfinished bed! Slowly but surely, this bed will get finished! Today was a step in the right direction!
So it was a productive afternoon!! Here’s hoping I can get a few more things done this weekend!
Jen
Garden Trellis Tutorial
April 12, 2012
Summer is on it’s way, so I’ve got gardening on my mind!! I recently planted my sweet peas, and they need a trellis to climb up. A trellis in your garden can be both functional AND fun! There is nothing saying it has to be a boring wire one from the hardware store. Here are a few fun ways that others have used a trellis in their garden.
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My mom found a trellis at a gardening store for $40 and she was certain we could make one for less. Turns out she was right! For roughly $10, we constructed this trellis…
Here are my sweet peas today… In a few months, they will be growing right up the trellis.
Here are the supplies needed to build your own trellis:
1x2s and 2x2s * nuts/bolts/washer * nail gun * drill
Two of the trellises were built using both 1x2s and 2x2s and the last two were constructed using just 1x2s. I prefer using 1x2s for the entire trellis.
OK – time to start building! First, decide how tall you want your trellis. Mine were about 5 feet tall. If you making the thicker trellis, cut 4 of your 2x2s to 5 feet tall. If you would prefer to make a thinner trellis (which is easier to work with, in my opinion), then use 1x2s.
Lay two of your support pieces on a table or saw horses. Cut 10 pieces of 1×2 that are approximately 18″ long for the cross pieces. You will use 5 pieces for each side of the trellis. Lay 5 pieces, evenly spaced, across the support pieces that are laying on the saw horses. Mine were approximately 8″ apart (leave a little space below the bottom rung in case you want to push the trellis down in the dirt a bit for more support. In the picture above, the three trellises on the right have a bit more space than the first trellis).
After you are comfortable with the spacing of the wood, use your nail gun to nail the wood down. Repeat this step for the back side of the trellis. Using your first section as a template, lay the second side on top of the first side. This will ensure that the pieces are spaced the same. Nail the pieces into place.
After your two sides are finished, you will want to stand them up and drill a hole through the top for the nuts and bolts.
Once this is done, your trellis is complete! You can stain it, paint it, or simply leave it raw wood. Place it in your garden and enjoy!
Jen
linking up to:
shabby creek cottage, the shabby nest , at the picket fence, my repurposed life, chic on a shoestring decorating, house of hepworths, funky junk interiors, tatertots and jello, be different act normal, six sisters stuff, stylish once again, i heart naptime, the girl creative, nifty thrifty things, i should be mopping the floor, sisters of the wild west, the sweet talk shop, between naps on the porch, the southern institute, making the world cuter, craft o maniac, home stories a to z, my uncommon slice of suburbia, todays creative blog, tip junkie, how to nest for less, blue cricket design, the shady porch, savvy southern style, romance on a dime, the 36th avenue, somewhat simple, house of hepworths, aka design
Planting Sweet Peas
March 5, 2012
I know it’s early to think about planting seeds in your garden, but believe it or not, it’s time to get your sweet peas in the ground!
If you would like to see this later this summer…..
via pinterest
…..then you need to run out and buy a packet or two of sweet pea seeds!
To prepare the seeds for planting, you need to first soak a doubled up paper towel with water. Then place seeds from packet on the paper towel.
Fold up the wet paper towel. Place in a ziploc baggie (I leave the baggie open…) and place on a window sill for several days.
Feel free to peek in the bag after a few days to check the progress. You will hopefully notice the seeds are starting to sprout. After 7 to 10 days, nearly all of the seeds should be sprouting and will be ready to put in the ground outside.
Prep your garden….loosen the soil, remove the weeds and dig a small trench for the seeds. I put a trellis in the ground now, so I can see where the seeds will need to be planted (Note: you will need something for the sweet peas to climb up as they grow. You can be creative – you don’t have to use a trellis specifically made for the garden).
Put the seeds in the ground and cover them with dirt. I like to plant the sweet peas both in front of my trellis and behind it as well, so that I get a nice bundle of blooming sweet peas in July.
And lastly, don’t forget to spread slug bait!
Happy planting!
Jen
linking up to:
between naps on the porch, making the world cuter, diy home sweet home, skip to my lou, craft o maniac, our delightful home, i should be mopping the floor, the southern institute, todays creative blog, tip junkie, home stories a to z, my uncommon slice of suburbia, adventures of a diy mom, romance on a dime, uncommon designs, how to nest for less, primp, savvy southern style, laugh love and craft, the shady porch, polkadots on parade, the brambleberry cottage, the shabby creek cottage, the 36th avenue, thrifty decorating, somewhat simple, house of hepworths, stylish once again, a simply klassic home, create with joy, my 1929 charmer, under the table and dreaming, homemaker on a dime, i heart naptime, sisters of the wild west, nifty thrifty things, the sweet talk shop, centsational girl
