Sections
Shop
Winter and spring seem to be fighting each other here in Ohio. One day we’ll have sunshine and the next light snow. Sun seems to be winning more often the past couple of weeks, but we still have a ways to go. With all the rain of have had plenty of opportunity to wear my new yellow wellies around while we start to tackle house projects.
I finally got my new roses in huge pots and on the back patio. Allison of Monkey’s Always Look was sweet enough to custom make these garden markers for me with the rose name and year planted. I’m a little obsessed with categorizing things and naming things. Yesterday the roses seemed to really be settling in and enjoying the morning sunshine.
We still have not been able to get our edible garden planted. With the threat of frost the past few weeks it’s been too risky. I’m hoping next weekend if we have time, but this growing season will probably be somewhat disappointing because the weather is so weird this year.
I have been opening the blinds to let some light in the living room and Logan has a new favorite spot. He would sit there all day and watch the world go by if we would let him.
I feel like this week was the quiet before the storm. May is going to be very hectic. I’ll be flying out to Oregon for a whirlwind weekend to see my brother walk at his college graduation. We have a backpacking trip planned for the dog and us Memorial weekend. We have a family wedding and the start of the local farmers market next weekend.
In between we have lots of planning and preparing to do. What started as a large project has recently snowballed into something MUCH larger. I don’t want to delve into details yet, but hopefully within the next week or so I can. I am ready to get moving on this one, but there is a lot of prep to get done before we dive in. I’m excited but also a little anxious. This will be the biggest project we have tackled yet. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Maybe this is becoming a little tradition but last year I celebrated the coming of spring with fresh flowers in the dining room. Unfortunately, my peonies haven’t opened yet, but we spotted these giant white hydrangea at the store this weekend and had to take them home (That’s only 2 heads of hydrangea and that’s an extra large ball jar! They are huge!).
I love the little pink and blue tips on the petals. You can kind of see my tulips from Friday on the table in the background. Jared picked some wild flowers from our lot and added them to the bottle.
More house updates coming soon. Lot’s of summer projects looming. I’m excited, but also anxious to get things moving. Details soon.
I have a bazillion bigger projects on the list of things to get done in the house, so when I have a day to catch up sometimes I like to tackle a small project. Our living room has been lacking. We’ll be getting drapes for the big window to make watching TV a little easier. Adding quarter-round, re-painting and fixing up the door and stairs are all on the list.
Wanting to add a little interest to the entry area I decided my growing collection of little antique frames was just the ticket. I think really highlight the height if the ceiling and frame the cute door. It’s hard to believe this area looked like this just over a year ago.
The pictures are all little pieces of us. A couple of pictures of my great-grandparents, a polaroid from our wedding, 2 film photos from high school (one of each of us) taken around the same time and a newspaper advertisement for a coach service that passed through Hudson (where we are) from the turn of the century. I’m hoping to add to the collection a little as I find more frames.
Also, how pretty are these ‘Lucky Strike’ tulips from our front yard? I think they are so cheery. I switched out the grouping on the filing cabinet to be more spring-y and couldn’t help snipping a couple of blooms that were getting heavy.
This week’s One Splendid Day is from Laura of Cubits Organic. Without further ado, lets get lost in Laura’s perfect day…
What time of year is it?
Late Summer, Early Autumn is my favourite time of year. My daughter’s birthday, my present due date, our wedding anniversary, my own birthday, back to school, perfect weather, What more could I ask for?
Where would you be/go?
At the Farm in the orchard picking apples.
What would you do?
Go Apple picking with my family and then press some cider.
What would you wear?
Red Hunter Boots and I would post-pregnancy fit back into my skinny jeans.
Thanks Laura! That sounds so wonderful!
This will be our second season growing seeds from Laura and Cubits. Last year our rainbow carrots were so phenomenal I know they will be a staple in our garden every summer. We’re adding rainbow chard this year as well as a selection of carrots. It’s not too late to order seeds! Visit Cubits today and pick some up! Visit Laura’s blog for more on her garden and beautiful family.
It’s spring on Cotton & Brass right now! The ladies and I put together a beautiful spring inspired tea party featuring pops of bright spring green. Check out more photos (by the talented Christa Kimble) from the shoot here and here.
Michelle also put together an amazing how-to for that show-stopping green pistachio bundt cake. Cut into that cake at any party and guaranteed you’ll have the prettiest dessert on the table.
And the icing on the cake is not one, but TWO giveaways from Sara and me! Win my necklace or bracelet over here. And win Sara’s handmade stationary set over here. Enter both giveaways today and win some spring green to get your spring and summer going!
Our new project this summer is to update the facade of the house in the next year. The main part of the house was built in the 1870′s, but it really doesn’t look like it. I like the white siding and large front window, but the porch just looks so plain.
So we have made it our new mission to give the porch a little facelift. I have a list of DIY’s and budget-friendly projects to conquer this summer and long-term dreams.
Here is what the front looked like when we purchased the house in February of 2011 (above).
Previously Completed:
- New mailbox. Last summer the mailbox that was installed (if you could call it that) before we moved in was actually blown over. It was just a rusty pole in the ground and a flimsy plastic mailbox with stickers on the side. That was the last straw. We purchased a new wood post and a classic black metal mailbox. Mailbox ($19) + post ($25) + address numbers (approx. $4 each) = approx. $52
- Flower beds. Last summer we got some plants on super sale at the end of the season. In order to get them in the ground we whipped up some quick beds around the new mailbox. There is a lot of room for improvement though.
- New doormat. I managed to snag the Come in/Go Away Ambigram Doormat at a mega discount on Fab.
Short Term (this summer):
- Take down the railing. Eventually the whole porch needs to be replaced, but for now I’m considering taking that old wobbly railing completely off. It doesn’t add anything to the look of the porch and it’s so unstable, it doesn’t offer much in the way of safety. I’m thinking maybe some large planters on the corner instead.
- New storm door. Our storm door is ugly. And it’s a mess. A more modern, all glass storm door would make a huge difference. I would love to go sans-storm door, but our front door is older and I would prefer to keep it protected for now.
- Paint the front door. I love a colored front door. With an all glass storm door I could really make an impact with a fresh coat of paint on our pretty old front door. I keep bouncing around between classic red, trendy orange, hunter green, cheery yellow, spring chartreuse, etc. I can’t make up my mind.
- New light fixtures. Those dated old fixtures do nothing for the house. Plus they are a little crooked. I’m on the hunt for an affordable alternative.
- Patch the cement steps. We have some critter friends who have made a nice little home in a hole under one of the steps. While I would love to keep them around, it’s not healthy for the home. We will have to evict them (as humanely as I can).
- Planters for the porch. If we take down the railing we would have room for a pair of pretty planters for annuals on the corners. I saw some really nice cement ones at Lowes this weekend that might be perfect.
Mid (this year):
- LOTS of new bulbs and perennials. I have a growing stack of bulb catalogs on my desk. This fall I plan to put in a whole bunch of new bulbs. We are enjoying the handful of tulips and grape hyacinth I put in last fall and I’m hooked.
- Clean up the hedges in the front. You can’t see them in these pictures, but there is a tall line of hedges on the front of our property. They are kind of wild right now and could use some tidying.
- Line the flower beds with collected rocks. I would love to start collecting nice sized rocks to line the beds. I’m too lazy to re-edge the beds every year, but I don’t like the look of more store bought edging.
Long Term (Someday):
- A covered wood porch across the whole front. That would be the dream right? It would add so much architectural impact to the little house. And I would love to have a place to sit and read a book in the summer.
- Door trim. I would love to add some decorative trim to the door to make it look a little more like the historic it is. There is a plastic cosmetic frame around the door at the moment. A decorative wood frame would really make the front more inviting.
- Think about the shutters. I would like to do SOMETHING with them. I have no clue what I would do though.
- Replace the front door (?). I love our old front door. But it may eventually need to be replaced. I don’t love the cottage-style heart door knocker and handle, but if we take them off and replace other hardware the door will likely need to be replaced.
I would love any thoughts or suggestions. What do you think would make the biggest impact to the facade? What would you prioritize?
It’s a rainy spring Saturday here in Ohio. I just got my pair of Treton Skerry Reslig rain boots, just like these on sale at Public Bikes (I got mine from Fab). It may be gray outside, but I think I’m going to pull on my shiny yellow wellies and go for a walk.
Here are some more cheery brights to liven up your Saturday…
Color Study no 1 by Emily Rickard – $32
Handprinted Sheer Blouse by People Like Art – $65
Pixie Faceted Box by Oh Deir Living – $45
Porcelain Serving Set by Vitrified Studio – $190
Umbrella Photo by Pixamatic – $25
Bowline Dress from Madewell – $69.50
Colorful Cubes Dog Bow Tie by Silly Buddy – $42
My blog is usually more focused on vintage and handmade, but we also have a soft spot in our heart for gadgets in this house. Our most recent purchase is this little workhorse, the Etón Microlink Self-Powered Radio. It’s not just an AM/FM/NOAA weather radio. It also has a super bright flashlight and (this is the real kicker) a cell phone or small electronic charger. It can be charged with the hand-crank or with the small solar cell on top.
We just bought a simple black one for backpacking, but it would be great to keep one in each car and one in an emergency kit.
I have a new favorite mug. If you didn’t know, I have a thing for mugs. They are my favorite vacation souvenir and I can’t resist cute vintage mugs when I run across them. This one has been my favorite lately. Here are a few other things that made me smile this week…
- The strata I made from easter brunch turned out pretty darn good. Cooking Grandma’s recipe for people , by myself for the first time made me pretty nervous.
- Saved by the Bell on Netflix! Takes me back to watching TV while waiting for the school bus.
- Making beautiful spring-inspired etsy treasuries: One – Two – Three
- This industrial inspired ikea-hack.
- Taking a hike at Blue Hen Falls with the family on Saturday, followed by lunch on the patio. It was so nice to be outside. I’m recovering from a serious case of winter cabin-fever.
Hope your week is off to a good start! Happy Monday!
A little bit of fluffy cuteness this weekend. I wish we had the space for a flock of little spring chicks, but that will have to wait for the next house. In the mean time I like to peruse sites like My Pet Chicken (where these lovely little guys are from). Hope you all have a lovely holiday weekend!
From My Pet Chicken via Buzzfeed.