Welcome to the Fall Front Porch

Hi friends, Happy October! It's taken me awhile to get the porch decorated this season because it's been so warm around here and the yard has been a mess because of the drought we're in. No sense drawing attention to the porch when the yard looks atrocious. Although...  we have a long school pick-up line each afternoon at 3:30 on the street in front and I sort of feel an obligation to have something nice for them to look at. Nothing like a line of 40 cars coming by critiquing your outdoor décor each afternoon!

Weathered Gray Finish for the Spring Cart Refresh

Last post I shared my inspiration pics on giving my black goat cart a freshen-up for Spring. I had a plan to use Chalk Paint as I had a few colors on hand from previous paint projects. There are a few go-to colors that I have used in combo for most all my furniture painting. What is that old saying about plans?

Spring Paint Refresh for the Goat Cart

After Valentine's Day is here and gone, we can legitimately begin to think about Spring. Around here in the southern Mid-West, February is still considered Winter. Cold temps, freezing rain and snow are the norm. Once and awhile we'll have a surprise day or two of 65. There may be a few little Daffodils pushing up through the snow, and we know the worst of Winter is usually over. We can now start dreaming about gardens, flowers, and all things "green", without judgement. (insert happy face and a wink)

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October Fireplace and Mantel

 Hi Everyone, Happy October! This is my favorite month of the year... I can't believe that I didn't come jumping smack dab in your face to announce it! Well, yes, I can... this has been a long week already; more to that later. First I want to share my little owl friends that I've had for several years. They are excited to be back taking center stage on the mantel.

Farmhouse Sunflower Tabletop

One of my favorite combinations for Summer is Sunflowers and Ticking... nothing fancy, just rustic and vintage. I thought I'd try something very "summery" this year on the Dining Room table, using one of my old wooden ice cream maker buckets. This old bucket had been a pretty vintage blue/green, but I painted it out in an antique white to make it more "decor friendly". Filled up with faux Sunflowers, sitting on an Indigo Ticking table runner, it says Summer Farmhouse to me.

Spring Dining Room with Hello, Spring Blog Tour

Spring officially arrives today, and I'm here to celebrate with the Hello, Spring Blogger Home Tour with Katie from Let's Add Sprinkles and a wonderful group of talented Ladies. I'm so glad you're here. I'd love to share my Dining Room for Spring.

Spring Forecast for Next Week

No matter what the weather might be like on the other side of the door; one week in the 80's with trees and flowers blooming, the next week lows in the upper teens ... it's Spring inside the cottage. I thought I'd share a few snaps of how Spring has Sprung this last week...

Starting on Spring...

Last week I mentioned a trip to my favorite local floral store. I guess they're sort of a local wholesale supply store for florists, designers, and shop owners. You never know for sure what they will have and if you're not an early seasonal shopper you just miss out. They're never sure if they'll get more in, so if you want it, you get it when you see it.

Pumpkin Roundup in the Dining Room

Hi Everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful week. We've had a taste of Fall here in Southwest Missouri these last few days with the trees getting more vibrant, a day of gray skies and soaking rain, and some much cooler temps. (High of 63). We'll hit 80 again, but it was sure nice for a change.

Thanksgiving Table-top Vignette

Through my inevitable "process" of tweaking and changing up,

I finally decided on the tabletop vignette in the Dining Room.

Enough of you have confided to me that you're as OCD as I am, 

and cannot... will not, leave something alone.

Not until it's been done to death 

and we reach the place where it "works".

Contemplating a New Fall Centerpiece...

That's what is going on...

I'm thinking about a new centerpiece display for the Dining Room Table. I haven't really made a commitment yet, because I'm not ready to start bringing the turkeys out. But since October is flying by, I'm putting together some ideas. It's a work in progress...

Spooky Sideboard and a Give Away Winner

I have my hallway sideboard done up with a touch of "Spookification". Just enough to be an itsy bit "weenish". I always have to apologize in advance for the photos because this is an inner hallway with no natural lighting. Sometimes I get ambitious and "clone" out the 80's monster doorbell, air vent, and the thermostat, but today what you see is what you get.

I'm still totally in love with my Pier 1 chalkboard that's all curvy and scrolly. It's sitting in front of my large paned window that's been here for a couple of years. They make a good backdrop for any Holiday or Season. My sis made the Boo Banner for me a couple of years ago, and gives just the right "fright factor". I know you're scared, huh?

I finally found a preserved boxwood wreath this Spring. I had wanted one last Christmas, but I refused to pay the big bucks prices they were asking for them. If there were deals, they were always sold out super fast. So when I found one for a good price I was thrilled. I just added some fun polka dot satin wired ribbon, then I'll just change out the ribbon and use it through the first of the year.

Since this is a sideboard and a sideboard is supposed to hold dishes, I always like to have some dishes and serving pieces sitting around appropriately. I'm using a little black wagon to hold the tureen, plates, silverware and napkins. And look who flew in...my baby snow owls and the owl collage I made earlier this Fall.

Hoooooo doesn't just love a baby snow owl?

...especially with glitter!

 Here are my creepy little friends from the old Bird Book.

dead mouse and all.

I always love having something fun here to look at.

The turkeys are up next!

I promise I didn't forget about the Give Away winner.

 Lisa has a wonderful bracelet or custom piece for 

Di from Cottage Wishes

congrats Di, just get in touch with me by email

 and we'll get your piece created!

Be sure and run by Lisa's wonderful Etsy Shop,

Love Squared Designs

and remember she has a discount code for 10%

 off the rest of the month of October.

COMMONGROUND at Etsy Checkout.

thank you so much, Lisa!!

I'll be joining in with these great parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

DIY by Design

Inspiration Exchange at Ella Claire

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

From My Front Porch to Yours

Open House at No Minimalist Here

TTT at Stone Gable

Rooted in Thyme

French Country Cottage

The Charm of Home

Shabby Art Boutique

The Party Bunch at Whipperberry

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Coastal Charm

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Mod Vintage Life

xoxo,

Pumpkin Filled Goat Cart

Yesterday I made it over to Billings Missouri, for Pheona's Vintage Market; a once a month sale in an adorable Victorian house turned shop. The weather was beautiful; a real feel of Fall was in the air and when I left home in the morning it was 62... perfect! While I was out I stopped to buy my first load of pumpkins for the season. Normally they would have already been arranged on the front porch and deck, happily hanging out with some mums that I found last weekend. But this week we are scheduled for our new roof to be put on, and because we have wood shake to take off, decking to be put down, then the new composition roof, it might take a whole week or longer. (oooohhhh, I'm praying not) Soooo....the pumpkins had to come inside until the roof and new gutters are on.

I love this reproduction black goat cart that I found several years ago, and it's perfect for my load of pumpkins. At Christmas this little cart holds one of my smaller Christmas trees for the Living Room.

 Look at this wonderful pinky-blush pumpkin, 

how perfectly "shabby".

Just right for all you "no orange" Fall gals.

Some preserved leaves and real bittersweet,

which costs it's weight in gold.

The little cart is here in the Living Room in front of the old screen I mod podged a couple of years ago. I had wanted to do a project in antique book pages and this was the perfect victim  piece.

Here's a photo of what that screen

 looked like 4 years ago when I first found it.

yikes...

and then after the make over.

The book pages are antique English Composition and Grammar pages.

 I'm already itching to go back for another load. 

Nothing like a grouping of pumpkins to get you in the mood for Fall.

Also, just wanted to tell you that this is my new camera's maiden voyage.

I upgraded my Canon T2i, which I love love love

and is super easy to use

(and that I'll be using when I'm out and about)

to the new Canon 70D, the new kid on the block at Canon.

The pics are more clear straight out of the camera than I've ever experienced;

hardly need to do any tweaking at all. I'm really having fun with it!

And...

If you have an Etsy Shop or Online Store be sure and come join in for 

The Marketplace

tomorrow morning thru Tuesday.

joining in with these parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Knick of Time Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style

Ella Claire

DIY By Design

From My Front Porch to Yours

No Minimalist Here

Stone Gable

The Inspired Room

Shabby Art Boutique

The Charm of Home

Jennifer Rizzo

French Country Cottage

Craftberry Bush

Funky Junk

It's Overflowing

xoxo,

A Vintage Flower Wagon

I've been seeing photos of some adorable vintage children's wagons being filled with flowers this Spring; some planted, others just holding the pots. I had this little guy, here, that I found a few years ago to fill with pumpkins and mums, but it was just sitting in the garage all forlorn, so I brought it out to the deck and decided to liven it up a little.

It's just not Summer without Red Geraniums, so I had to include a few of those, then Million Bells, Petunias, Lobelia and Marigolds. I wanted it to be bright and colorful, since the wagon itself is black.

It's not but just a few inches deep, so I had to use peat pots for the Geraniums and some of the others that were larger plants with more root base. Then I just filled the whole wagon with potting mix to help hold it all together. My husband drilled a few holes for drainage before starting, and that will help this Fall too, since water always collected in the bottom around the pumpkins.

My picket fence gate from the sunporch came out as a photo background.

Here it is last Fall on the front porch, and then a few others 

from my Pinterest Board, Wheelbarrows, Carts and Wagons.

LOVE the idea of using one for Herbs.

 I just have a few other things to get potted, 

most of it is done.

Now, I just get to wait and see them fill out.

I'll show you how it's growing in a few weeks.

Hopefully it will be spilling over the sides to cover up the pots.

It's been nice having more room on the deck now that the Monster Gas Grill has been adopted by the kids. We went to Academy Sports and Outdoors and found a little charcoal grill on sale yesterday. My husband said that he'd never thought of me as a "cheap date" until that purchase. Hey, doesn't take a lot to make me happy...sometimes.We grilled filets, and they were heavenly. But we've decided not to tell the kids that we went "cheapo" on the cooker. Bigger is better in their minds. Not me, I just want a steak that tastes like "steak".

joining in with these party gals:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Exchange at Ella Claire

Share Your Cup Thursday at Mrs. Olson
Tips and Tutorials at Stone Gable
French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Simple and Sweet at Rooted inThyme
Garden Party at Fishtail Cottage
Funky Junk
Blitzed on Pinterest

Hope you're start of Summer was a good one!

xoxo,