Red, White, and Blue Front Porch for Memorial Day

Yes, I’ve changed out my front porch once again.  I love to decorate with red, white, and blue for Memorial Day (sometimes I leave it up until the Fourth of July) and here’s what I came up with:

Memorial Day Front Porch

Our daylillies are blooming now, so the yellow kind of clashes, but what can I do? :)

I bought the long flag banners a few years ago–I think from Lillian Vernon. Sometimes I use traditional bunting, but this house seems to work better with the banners.  I use the 3M command hooks to hang them from the front porch.

My white violas are still blooming, although the heat will probably kill them soon.  The red, white, and blue balls are from Hobby Lobby, a few years ago…

Red white blue front porch at 11 Magnolia Lane

I put the red candles back into the candle-lier, and a “God Bless America” cupcake pick in the small grapevine wreath.

Front porch at 11 Magnolia Lane

All I need is a galvanized bucket of iced-down Coca-Cola, or Jones Soda (in glass bottles, or course!) for things to be complete for a cookout.

Memorial Day front porchA few sparklers and a set of cornhole boards might be fun, too, right?

Memorial Day front porch

 

What are you doing to celebrate Memorial Day?

Thanks for stopping by!
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Christmas Shelves

I have to be honest, it doesn’t feel exactly right to write about holiday decor and other lighter topics yet. My heart still just hurts from the events of Friday, I expect it will for awhile.

I was reminded in church yesterday that Jesus was born into a dark, dark world. The spirit of the holiday is to find Joy in Him despite the darkness, and not let evil overwhelm the celebration of the miracle that is truly Christmas.

We were already attempting a simpler Christmas even before the recent events in Connecticut. We’ll be traveling for the holiday, and this year I already felt that I needed to focus more on our family and less on striving for perfection in the decorations, the food, the perfectly wrapped gifts, etc. I also wanted to take time to enjoy it and be less overwhelmed then I admittedly have been in years prior when I owned a custom Christmas Card business and it was CRAZY at this time of year.  I actually cut things like Christmas cards off my “To-Do” list, I am thinking in this era of Facebook and being a blogger most friends hear enough from me! :) It’s been easier then I thought to actually do less, and I am finding I am enjoying doing the small things more this season.

I have decorated a few “statement” parts of the house rather then trying for perfection everywhere. The first thing I did was decorate the open shelving in my kitchen, we built them in January so this was my first chance to inflict some holiday spirit on them!

The advantage of having a white kitchen is I can swap out my seasonal decor. The pops of red in honor of this time of year definitely stand out in the otherwise mostly plain white room.

On the lower desk area {which I don’t really use as a desk for whatever reason} I added the hot chocolate fixings per Terry’s inspiration HERE.  The kids had a great time making their “To Go” hot drinks Saturday night before we surprised them with a trek to see the Holiday Light festival at our local oceanfront.

Note: we apparently picked the busiest night of the year and after an hour and a half of waiting in line in our car the kids voted on a Christmas movie at home in favor of returning on a less busy night, Oh well!

So, no fancy holiday mantels or Christmas trees here this year, my kids decorated both spaces and I am just leaving them just as they are {OK, maybe I have tweaked an ornament here or there :) }. In the meantime, its been just a blessing to be home, be with family and know that the best part of the season is still to come.

We’ll be joining in the Blogger Day of Silence tomorrow in honor of the events at Sandy Hook Elementary.

XO,

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Trash to Treasure: Christmas Front Porch Decor

 

**Congratulations to the winner of the giveaway for the red damask steering wheel cover from Embellish Me Patty V, #7 Tina W!  Enjoy your treat, girl!  And thanks to Patty for the giveaway!**

I sincerely hope you guys aren’t tired of seeing my front porch.  As you know, I change it out every season, and I was really looking forward to decorating for Christmas this year.

My daughter and I don’t shop on “Black Friday.”  Instead, we put our decorations up.  We follow a strict schedule (set by her) that starts with her room and tiny tree, and then we move on to the rest of the house.  She loses interest before we get to her big brother’s room!

I pulled out my standard evergreen lighted roping to swag over the front door.  Last year I wove in some red mesh to give it a little color.  The “Merry” banner was one that I made a few years ago.  The cardboard letters were spray painted, then I drilled holes in the top and wove ribbon through.  I also made two that say “Joy” and “Noel”.  Joy is white, and I sprinkled white glitter on the letters during the last coat of paint and added a pale green ribbon.  Noel is gold, and ditto with gold glitter (but a vanilla ribbon).  Merry is just plain red, but I love the red and white gingham ribbon.  It added a nice pop of red to the top of the door.

If you follow us on Facebook, then chances are you saw a few posts about how I snagged this beautiful greenery.  If you don’t follow us on Facebook, then you’re missing out, because we go into WAY too much detail!  Let’s just say that all my fabulous greenery was salvaged from a pile of leaves and lawn clippings, and that my sweet golden retriever “discovered” it all for me while we were walking on Thanksgiving morning.  Yes, that sounds like a nice, sanitized version of the story {wink wink}.

So, I arranged the holly, evergreen, and boxwood into this door bucket, and then I tossed a little more into my leaky old watering can:

The Dutch wooden shoes were a thrift store find.  We had two pairs when I was growing up, but they got lost somehow when my dad remarried and moved out of my childhood home.  I was happy to find a replacement pair!

I had enough greenery left to make a swag for the lamppost and tied it with more red mesh.

The sitting area on the porch doesn’t get much sitting done on it at this time of year–Halloween is pretty much the last night we’re out there–but I put out my red pillows and red candles, and added a new pillow that I made using the same method I used for my numbered chair cushions.

If you don’t believe, you get underwear.  Really!

I had enough greenery to poke a few pieces into the grapevine wreath that’s been on my front door all year (I love that burlap bow!).  It’s gracing my garage entry for the Christmas season.

There is more boxwood sitting in 5 gallon buckets in my backyard, so I think I’m going to try my hand at preserving it, as soon as I can find glycerin.  The dog really did me right when he found my Christmas decor, didn’t he?  Click below to follow us on Facebook–that way you’ll always know the rest of the story!

How are your decorations coming along?

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Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Home Inspiration, Porches, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Into the woods


Red cape
udobuy.com

Alkemie
alkemiejewelry.com

Vintage hair accessory
$39 - rocknrose.co.uk

High heels
lovelyshoes.net
Don’t forget to enter our PSA Essentials Stamp Giveaway HERE and the Restore My Decor $5000 room makeover sweepstakes that ends TODAY by clicking HERE for instructions! {Giveaways now closed}
Happy Halloween!

 

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Fall Inspiration Board

I LOVE fall!!

I cannot wait until fall arrives, it is simply my most favorite time of year.  Being patient is hard, but I am buffing my boots, organizing my scarves, and taking inventory of my fall decor.  Here is a bit of inspiration to get you into the fall frame of mind!

Big thank you to those who inspire me!!

1. Sarah Shirley Style Diary

2. Pink Polish Blog

3. Pottery Barn

4. Shelterness

5. Madame Noire

6. Hugo Boss

7. Overstock

8. Diggin Food

9. Crafty Scrappy Happy

10. Centsational Girl

11. Pottery Barn

12. Haleh Design Inc

Thanks for stopping by!


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Festive Fourth of July Picnic

We went to my friend Andrea’s house for a wonderful Memorial Day picnic, and I wanted to share the photos with you before the Fourth of July, because the red, white, and blue theme is perfect for every patriotic event!

I loved the burlap that she used to cover her dining room table, and the “America” banner on the front added a pop of color.

We didn’t have ALL the food on the table at this point, and some of it was in the kitchen, but we decided to keep the food inside to minimize flies.  I used an idea I saw on Pinterest to put the fruit salad in a covered jar–that way if you are serving food outside, the flies still can’t get in!

I love the way Andrea stacked up old soda crates to hold condiments and salt and pepper.  I have a bunch in my son’s room to hold his Legos; maybe I should borrow them for my next picnic?

The eagle, the straw hat, the copy of the Declaration of Independence…I love all the details!

Even the chandelier gets decorated for the holiday, with red, white and blue paper stars and lanterns.

Andrea took a simple boxwood wreath and jazzed it up with the Declaration of Independence and some flags.

And take a look at what she did over the wreath, with the eagle and the old flag draped around it…

Dessert–the best part!  Hot Tamales, Twizzlers, Three Musketeers, and Crunch bars in apothecary jars create a red, white, and blue display.  Paper flags dress up easy cupcakes made from a box.

Beautiful vintage ephemera on the hall entry table…

The bar was open for the grownups, and the kids enjoyed a bottomless cooler of ice cold Cokes (in glass bottles) on the bunting-draped porch.  Coke in glass bottles is my kids’ favorite junk food treat.  Not surprisingly, this was about the time my children asked me if they could live with Andrea! :)

Even the flowers in the backyard were decorated for the holiday…

While the grown-ups played a cutthroat cornhole tournament, the kids threw water balloons (red, white, and blue, of course) at each other to cool off.  As night fell, Andrea pulled out a bucket of glow necklaces and whip-its to keep them occupied for awhile longer, while we all sat around and enjoyed some adult conversation.  It was a perfect day!

As we celebrate our nation’s birthday, I am so thankful for the freedom that we enjoy, and for the brave men and women (like my husband and all of the guys at this picnic!) who fight to protect it.  Happy Independence Day!

Thanks for stopping by!

{We are sharing this post at Common Ground and Serenity Now and Honey We’re Home}

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Merry Christmas!! Red and Green Polka Dot Pillows GIVEAWAY

Won’t your porch look beautiful sporting these festive pillows?

I recently showed off my front porch, decorated for fall.  I received several inquiries about my outdoor pillows, and after sharing one of my favorite Ebay sources, I figured I’d touch base with her and see if she wanted us to host a giveaway.  She graciously agreed! Courtesy of Susan at Pillows-Pet Beds-and-More, the winner of the giveaway will get this set of four trendy lumbar pillows–two solid red, two green and white polka dot–to decorate her home for Christmas.  Can’t you think of at least a dozen places you could use these? I have about ten of these pillows in different colors, all purchased from Susan, and they are awesome!  I just change out the colors based on the season or the holiday.  They are reasonably priced, even with shipping, and they’re made (in the USA!) from thick, durable, indoor-outdoor poly fabric.  I use them inside and outside,  and when I use them outside, I can attest to the fact that they do not fade in the sun, nor do they get mildewed when they get left out in the rain.  Just think of the possibilities with this set–use all four together for Christmas, the green ones for spring, the red ones for Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, etc.  Lots of decorating options! To enter, you need to 1) become a follower of 11 Magnolia Lane (over on the right) or tell us you already are,  2) leave me a comment at the end of this post telling me where you’d put your awesome cushions.  One entry per person, please, and no entries after noon central time on Sunday, 11/27.  The winner will be selected at random and announced on Sunday night, and Susan will mail you your pillows just in time for you to decorate for the holidays! Take a look at some of the other pillow combos Susan’s got in her Ebay store:

Aren't these great fall colors?

LOVE these--and the damask will go with anything, just like the polka dot ones that I have.

Lumbar pillows are versatile, plus these are so stinkin' cute!

I can’t wait to see your porch with your new pillows jazzing it up!

Four lumbar pillows from Pillows-Pet Beds-and-More!!

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Red, White, and Blue–What Else Could a Boy Want?

Oh, what a week!  TGIF for sure!  Before I start packing for a quick trip to Florida (it’s too darn cold in North Carolina), I felt inspired to do a quick post on my son’s room.

Everything’s clean right now in my house.  My awesome cleaning crew came this morning (I would rather give up running water than my housekeepers!) and it all looks and smells GOOD.  This afternoon, a realtor came over because our gorgeous house is going on the market.  :(   Let me know if anyone needs a beautiful, historic home in North Carolina, OK?

So, while everything was clean, and my son had all his Lego put away, I thought I’d snap a few pictures, because who knows if when it will ever happen again?

My husband is in the Army, and like most boys my son LOVES all things related to hunting, war, and the like.  So we just went with that theme and covered the room with my husband’s military prints and souvenirs, and made the room into our little boy’s young man’s dream.

Uncle Sam wants you! OLD Pottery Barn Kids helicopter bedding and an Uncle Sam poster set the theme.  Sorry for the glare–there are three windows in this room and it’s always super-bright.

See the world as an Army Ranger! (Cigar boxes, globe, and binoculars optional)

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your room (I’m not), then put a HUGE Army-guy print above it!  (Note a few lingering Legos in the wooden soda boxes and on top of the armoire–like cockroaches in the South, they are impossible to completely eradicate!).

I have to include a picture of the tabletop air hockey table I found at Goodwill for $12.99.  I giggle every time I see the one in Pottery Barn Kids for $169.00.  SCORE!

This World War II Navy foot locker belonged to my son’s great-grandfather.  Even though it messes up the Army theme of the room it’s pretty cool, huh?

The crazy quilt has a couple of medals pinned on it (ones that were given to me as an Army wife, so they’re not very important:).  The silk pilot’s map is probably the most valuable thing in the room, but all aviators need one!

The blue table was my great-grandmother’s, but I’ll admit that I spray painted it blue (after I spray painted it white for awhile).  Doesn’t every little boy need a gumball machine in his room?  I scored it at an antique show for $25 and all the kids love it.  Plus, it enforces saving, although right now I have it set at 5 cents, which I consider a bargain!  Oh, and notice the camp seat that my son made at Cub Scout camp last summer (it’s to the left of the bed).  I have it holding a stack of books since we never have enough bookshelf space.  I just wanted to keep it real–I love to decorate, but there’s always room for the homemade, well-loved, and even downright ugly in my house!

Stay warm this week and I’ll be thinking of you this week from sunny Florida.  Oh, and I’ll be thinking of my poor, sweet husband who has to stay to work and take care of the puppy.

One gratuitous puppy shot for the road.  15 weeks and 33 pounds–heaven help us!

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Model Home Inspiration

Yesterday Terry and I (along with our friend Trinity) stopped off at a Model Home in our area. Its been awhile since I had been in one, but this one was an amazing source of decorating ideas. We were “oohing” and “ahhing” and had our I-phone cameras snapping away throughout our visit.

Terry is going to have to follow-up with a “part two” post, she has some pictures I didn’t take especially of some very pretty (and easy to copy) window treatments which are pictured below. Model homes usually have a color scheme throughout and the Designers have a “theme family” (ages, number of kids etc.) in mind. This home was rich in vibrant reds, beige and black–jazzed up with some fun animals prints. I am more of a “light color” person (really, my whole house could be white, white, white if I didn’t have messy children) but I still found many design ideas I loved.

Here is some inspiration ideas from the home I thought I would share.

Game Table In the Basement (Cute Chairs!)

A cool room for a guest or teenage girl (love the wall treatment)

I could (may have to...) make this mirror

Love this pillow, two great things--animal print WITH a ruffle

Can you see the adorable ruffle on this curtain in Red?

Loving the black vanity and Gorgeous wallpaper!

(See the girls also admiring this pretty room?) And…this is the window treatment that we checked out EXACTLY how they did it (stay tuned for part 2!)

More on this window treatment to follow...

Had to get a close up of this wallpaper...love it.

A simple bulletin board idea...

And here is Terry, who happens to be stylishly sporting the same colors as the Model Home!

And then, off we went for our girl’s lunch after our detour through this inspiring home. Hmm…this could EASILY become a habit! All in the name of Blogging, right?

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