Welcome Changes: The Front Porch

Ask pretty much any Southern girl what's on her list of things she wants in a house, and chances are, she'll say "a porch".    Maybe it goes back to our moms and grandmothers and all the great memories that were played out in the comfortable, breezy, rocking-chair-creaking aura of their front porch.


When my husband and I found our current house plan, it had everything we hoped to have in a house.  Except a front porch.  So, we requested that the architects add one on and it changed the entire look of the house.  In fact, shortly after we built our house, they started selling a version of the plan that included a front porch, and I can't help but think I gave them the idea.  (We Southern girls know our stuff.)


So, in the past couple of weeks, I've been sprucing up the porch for prime porch season: Summer.  And, I thought I'd share it with you all as a little reminder that welcoming design can be achieved without spending a ton of money.


I started with the front doors and brought back my basic green wreaths for the third summer in a row because I love the green as a backdrop for the summer flowers and plants around the house.  This time, I hung them with a strip of burlap (stapled to the top of the door).  Click here to see this basic wreath tutorial.  They're still my all-time fave.  I may just keep them forever.


By the way, if you're looking for a great plant to put in urns on the porch, look for some wave petunias in hanging baskets.  They're not just good for hanging.  They're great in tall urns and they're so easy to grow, everyone will think you're a gardening guru.

Right by my front door, I've still got my front door chalkboard, updated with a new message inspired by the eye candy I've gathered on my Chalkboard Art Pinterest board.  Front door chalkboards are one of my favorite ways to roll out the rug of hospitality to everyone that comes to visit.  These are perfect for welcoming specific house guests, writing out your house number, or spelling out a seasonal greeting.  Love, love, love them.  And guess what?  I just added a few to my blog shop so you can get one for yourself (or for a gift for someone you really like).  Click here to see what I've got.

Also on the porch, I've still got the porch furniture my mom almost hauled off to the dump lovingly passed down to me.  I'm trying to squeeze one more year or two out of it before buying new.  Just another example of how to stretch your decorating budget with a little coat of spray paint.  Click here to see the before pics and read the makeover story of my porch furniture.  Three summers and counting!  

And, yes!  I do have a new rug.  Thanks for noticing.  If you're wondering about the painted canvas rug from last year, it didn't stand the test of being exposed to the elements for more than one season.  Moral of the story:  canvas rugs do better under cover.  The one on my screened porch is still looking great.  Read more on that here.


But, to say I'm in love with with my new rug is an understatement.  And the best part is, I made it myself.  (Does anyone else out there shamelessly gush over their own projects?  Okay, just me.)  Anyway, I cannot wait to tell you all about it.  I'll give you the total low-down in my next post, complete with sources and a free download, so stay tuned.


Other than that, I did buy two new black square tables from Target and they work great together to make a little coffee table to hold a couple more plants and my sweet tea and my feet as I prop them up and relax on my front porch

Hope you like the little updates for the season.  Wish you were here to relax and chat for a little while.  See ya soon.

Roadtrip-a-Matic: Vacationing Made Easy

This post brought to you by PA Tourism. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are on the countdown to the last few days of school and if you're like us, you've been thinking "Vacation!"  But sometimes it's hard to decide on a destination that has something for the whole family.  If you're still not sure where to go, you might want to consider the great state of Pennsylvania.  I was recently introduced to a really great website called pa-roadtrips , and it has tons of information to help you plan the perfect roadtrip to Pennsylvania and the best part is, it's all free!

This site has a very cool tool called the Roadtrip-a-Matic, which offers dozens of perfectly-planned iteneraries for all kinds of interests, complete with maps, attraction information, and suggestions for places to eat or stay.  Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, a girlfriend's shopping weekend, a golf trip with the guys, or a family vacation, this site has everything spelled out for your favorite Pennsylvania roadtrips.

We love doing city tours and site-seeing, so the Kidsylvania Philadelphia Roadtrip would be great for us.  Of course, combining that with the Philidelphia Shopper's Roadtrip sounds like even more fun.

{photo via PA Vacation Guide}

Just last year, we drove through Pennsylvania on our vacation and we couldn't resist stopping in Hershey for a few bites of chocolate.  (Next time we're staying longer.  Yum!)

From the history, to the sporting events, to the outdoor excursions, Pennsylvania has something for everyone.  Check out VisitPA.com to see which roadtrip is right for you!

Take it Easy this Summer!

This post brought to you by Flood Wood Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yay for Summer!  Yay for backyard barbecues with friends and relaxing evenings on the deck with the family!  Not quite so exciting is the maintenance we need to do before the fun begins.  In order to keep the deck looking great or the fence and siding looking well-kept, there's a little work that needs to be done.  And maybe if you're lucky, someone else will do it all for you!


It could happen!  That's why I'm filling you in on the Take it Easy Sweepstakes offered by Flood® Wood Care, the best solution for any wood care project you may have. The Flood® brand was founded in 1841 by a family of painters and has earned a reputation of being "The Wood Care Specialist".  They offer everything from Wood Finish Removers to Cleaners and Brighteners to Exterior Stains in a variety of great colors.

And whether you've got a fence, furniture, siding or a deck that needs a little maintenance, you can trust Flood® stain products to simplify the process while delivering quality results and long-lasting performance.

Visit the Flood® Wood Care site for more information on all of their products and more inspiration photos.  You'll also find great DIY tips and videos.


If you're the lucky winner of the sweepstakes, you'll recieve $500 worth of Flood® Wood Care products, contractor services to stain your deck, and (the best part) $2000 for a fabulous deck party to throw for your friends and family once your deck is finished!  It's a prize package worth $4500!  Sound good?  Click here to enter.


With Flood® products, your wood will look its best and you'll be able to "Take it Easy"!  Don't forget to enter!  And good luck!

Beaded Ribbon Necklace Techniques

Beaded ribbon necklaces are possibly the simplest type of necklace to make.  One of these little beauties might just be the perfect accessory you need to go with that new summer outfit.  All you have to do to make one is thread a ribbon through some beads.  But if you've tried this, you know that sometimes that's easier said than done.  

Here are a couple of tips and methods I've found that work for me...


Start with the right ribbon and beads.  The ribbon obviously has to be small enough to fit through the hole, so be sure to choose beads that don't have a microscopic hole and a ribbon that's not crazy-thick.  

After that, you can use one of these methods to string on the beads.




1.  Aluminum foil method:


Cut your ribbon at a sharp angle on one end and then wrap a small piece of foil around the tip, creating a sharp point on the end of the ribbon.  Be sure to squeeze and twist the foil tightly so it's small enough to fit through the hole of the bead.  

2.  Threaded wire method:

Cut a thin piece of wire and fold it in half, letting the ribbon rest in the fold, creating a threaded needle technique.  Then, just poke the wire through the bead and let the ribbon follow.

Once you've threaded all your beads onto the ribbon, tie it to the length you want it and snip the edges of the ribbon.

A little clear nail polish on each ribbon edge will keep them from fraying.

These necklaces are super-simple with the right techniques.  What will you wear with yours?


Sharing with a few more of my friends here.



 

Happy Memorial Day!

I'm hoping you have a happy Memorial Day

 with friends and family, enjoying the present freedoms we have and remembering those who have sacrificed to give them to us.  

Thank you, American military personnel and families!

 

Welcome to the South! Have a Biscuit.

Here in the South, we love a good biscuit.  Most of us will always love our Mamaw's recipe the best, but we're not so discriminatory that we can't appreciate biscuits in all kinds of other variations as well.  That's why we have things like Biscuit Festivals, which is where we loaded up the kids and headed to last weekend.  

Dozens of vendors lined the streets downtown with their famous biscuits in hopes of being voted the Best Biscuit of 2012, and we taste-tested as many as we could handle.


There was everything from the pretty...

to the unique...

But, one that was voted our family's fave was the Garlic Cheese Biscuit from Ruby Tuesday...

And since they were generous enough to pass out the recipe, I thought I'd be generous enough to share it with y'all...

Ruby Tuesday's Garlic Cheese Biscuits

3-3/4 cup Bisquick or Homemade Biscuit Mix (below)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese.
1/4 cup garlic butter (below)
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup ice cold water
as needed vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter for brushing

Combine biscuit mix, grated cheese, melted garlic butter, kosher salt, parsley, and water in a mixing bowl.  Mix gently using a rubber spatula to incorporate ingredients.  (Note:  dough should still have some lumps in it.)
Using an ice cream scoop, place scoops of biscuit dough onto a slightly oiled baking pan.
Bake the biscuits at 350º for 13-15 minutes, rotating once halfway through.  Once baked, remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

Yield:  approximately 13-15 biscuits.

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Homemade Biscuit Mix:

9 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp kosher salt
2-1/4 cups vegetable shortening

Mix all dry ingredients in mixing bowl until well incorporated.  Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter.  (Mix should resemble coarse crumbles.)  Store mix in an air tight container until ready for use.

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Garlic Butter:

1/2 lb butter, melted
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp granulated garlic

In a small saucepan, melt butter on stove top, then remove from heat.  Stir in seasonings and set aside. (Extra garlic butter can be kept for several days in the refrigerator.)

Y'all enjoy those!  I'm sharing with a few more of these friends as well.