Summertime Garden Room

It's been 6 years since I've been able to decorate a sunporch for July 4th festivities. So this year, having a sunroom again, it has been especially fun pulling out the patriotic and red/white/blue decor.

"Hoo Said That?"

I have several little friends that haven't been able to make their appearance this Fall, since they're all packed away and waiting till next year. But once in a while I hear a little hoot, chirp, or baaaa, and know they are wondering what happened to October. They were the star of the Late October Show. Don't worry, we'll share a few pics from yesteryear.

Roses Revisited...

Hi Everyone, I thought I'd stop by for a quick update on this last week. I'm sharing some pretty and peaceful photos from a few years ago that were taken on my sunporch. That was my favorite spot for photos, since the room was north facing and the light was always perfect. I've never had regular rose bushes, but we did have this lovely Knock-Out bush in the front yard. It would bloom proficiently from Spring, all Summer, then into late Fall.

I'll share some prettiness before I bore you with my day-to-day fun...

Late Summer Look-back

I've been hunting for some inspiration for this transition time into Fall.

 The fading flowers are showing the wear and tear of the sun,

 the temps are still hot, the yards have started turning brown around the edges, 

and this time of year, I often find myself in a little decorating funk. 

Just a little seasonal tweaking

Patriotic Sitting Room

One of my favorite times to really go over the top in my sitting area decor is for the 4th of July. Patriotic decor is a natural when you have white or neutrals as a backdrop. I love layering on the old quilts and pillows in some red/white/blue. I've been trying to give this kitchen room sitting space the feel of my old sunporch, since I don't have one at this house.

Kitchen Baker's Rack...it's back!

I know many of you are thinking "Christmas" about now... me too. I'm loving seeing all the Christmas ideas and inspiration out here, and I'm making plans. I go through this every year... I get antsy to decorate for Christmas, but I can't get there quite yet. I really need to celebrate Thanksgiving, first.

I really couldn't decorate for Fall at the lease house because we were packing and moving. I put out a few things there, but being in transition, I didn't get the full effect of enjoying Autumn.

So the first thing I wanted to do as we moved in to the new house on October 31, was to bring out some of my Fall wool plaid blankets, pillows, and Thanksgiving Turkeys.

So I hope you'll bear with me as I share a little November decor.

I've mentioned that I've been able to squeeze a few of the pieces I had in the sunporch into the kitchen here, to make up for not having a sunroom or porch. The wicker settee, a wicker chair, and the baker's rack all share the eat-in kitchen space. (just like the lease house) In some ways it's better, because the sunporch had no heat or air, and by this time of year, I couldn't really enjoy it on a daily basis. If we had company or a family gathering I brought in a space heater, but otherwise it was usually too chilly.

If the baker's rack looks a little sparse, it's because when these pics were taken, I still hadn't opened all the boxes marked "baker's rack". I got to them today, but I'm planning a little kitchen spot in the lower level, so I'll have some fun displays down there.

Here's a peek at how things are coming together in the kitchen dining area. Do you remember that old chippy white door? It looks pretty small here. This room has higher ceilings than the sunporch, so it looks pretty dinky. I haven't hung any prints or items on the walls yet; I've been waiting to unpack all the boxes of prints first. I'm not wanting to make any mistakes with a bunch of holes on those "perfect griege" walls!

Our younger daughter Aly has been helping me unpack, and I couldn't have made this move without her. I've always been the person who would and could, work all night or until the job was done. I can't do that anymore, so I want to give her credit for being there when I've really needed her. Here's a pic of both my pretty girlies taken a few years ago. Aly on the left, Erin our St. Louis gal is on the right. Don't know what I'd do without them. They're the best.

OK, so I have a few more pics of Fall and Thanksgiving stuff.

I like to have the blog as a diary of my Holiday decorating,

so hope you all won't get too bored.

Believe me, I'm ready to haul in all those tubs of Christmas fun!

xoxo,

Late Summer Reflections

I usually do a lot of complaining this time of year...I'm tired of the heat...I'm ready for Fall...my flowers are all dried up...I can go on and on. But this year I'm really missing the gradual change of season in my decorating, and I'm needing a little late Summer/early Fall inspiration. It's been a little hard for me to look back at all the photos from last year. It's not so much that I miss the house itself, but that I just miss being able to putter and play and decorate. As a friend said to me today, "It's hard being in a temporary nest". You can click on the individual photos for the "biggy" size.

Here are some highlights from Augusts past...

Yes, that's a pumpkin you see, don't tell anyone...

OK, I feel better...

just itching to get all my Fall Decor out.

gee, hope I can find it...

We just have two more weeks until we close on the house,

and I have some fun and exciting things to share once we do.

Joining in at 

Sundays at Home with Thoughts from Alice

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Junkin' Joe at The Cottage Market

The Scoop at Stone Gable

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Hope you have a great weekend.

xoxo,

Just what I need....

So here's my latest addition to the sitting area. A pitchfork...only to be used if the hubby starts getting smarty pants. Seriously, don't we all need a pitchfork in our kitchen? And don't you love that big crack that runs down the length of the side on the armoire? It will be on my "to paint"and repair list as soon as we find a house.

I've had a slight obsession with French Country Garden Goods, and I've been on the lookout for old gardening tools. With all the "stuff" hubbs and I have been dealing with since the end of last year, really... garden tools are the last thing I need.

Just ask him...

he'll let you know.

But I have this mental fantasy that I'll have a garden room again 

and that I can decorate it with all kinds of frenchy garden things.

I've realized it's important to keep some "dreaming" alive

even if it seems impossible at the moment.

Here's the French Inspired Garden Frame from my last post.

I have other old tools hanging out in our garage.

One that I found was an old bulb planter that I'll share later,

I plan on using it...

eventually.

Right now I need to just not be tripping over them,

or have them in a place where hubbs actually has to see or deal with them.

Why can't guys realize that sometimes we just have to go with our gut?

In hubby's defense, 

he was the one that had to pack box after box of my old garden junk.

when I was out of commission.

He's reached his limit, I'm pretty sure.

I found these breadboards at Antique Farmhouse.

And I've had some of you ask about my basket full of linens...

do my kitties nap there?

They are a lazy couple of cats,

but I've never seen them in there.

shhhh...don't tell them...

Here is a collage of pics from my French Garden Fantasy over at Pinterest.

Hope you're having a wonderful week. We're having a cool-down like a lot of you. Perfect for me, I'm not a fan of the heat. The older I get, the less I like to sweat.

Joining in on these great parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
It's a Party at DIY by Design

xoxo,