Fall Credenza

Decorating for any season is always fun, but fall seems to be nearly everyone's favorite.  I've been adding things here and there to the credenza in my living room from it's summer display.  Didn't have to change much, just added a few pops of color. ~ I added a few faux sprigs of fall leaves and a bright orange pitcher to these summer white sunflowers and now it looks totally bright and fallish, especially with the sun streaming in the room.

I found this transfer ware container at the Springfield flea last weekend for only $5 and quickly filled it with mini white pumpkins and dried gourds.  They are the perfect color combination of browns and off-white.

Moving to the opposite end of the long credenza are these cute little birdies.

Aren't these guys so cute?

So here is the long view of the entire credenza tucked in alongside the sofa.

So on a sunny afternoon, there's no place I'd rather be than curled up on my sofa that is loaded down with pillows.  I knew that my sofa fabric would be perfect for fall decorating and by this season I would love the choice I made.  Not sure how I'll feel about my orange sofa for Christmas, but I'll deal with that then.  For now ~ it's time to plop on the couch and enjoy what is left of the late afternoon sun filtering in through the shutters.

Linking with ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday  

This Year's Fall Porch

Every year I try to decorate my front porch a little differently, but it seems to always end up very similar to the year before. I buy all my pumpkins at the Springfield Flea Extravaganza because they have a vendor with the best prices.  Then it's time to come home and play with the pumpkins.

I used a variety of pumpkins, mums and kale in an attempt to coordinate with a new wreath from the Pottery Barn Outlet.

The wreath was a little pricey, but I liked it's muted colors and the leaves that look nearly gray and match my house.  It doesn't "pop" off the front door, but has a quiet subtle look of fall that I really like.

This sap bucket and stand were also purchased at the flea market and gives me the ability to add different levels and heights for displaying the pumpkins.

I also purchased some kale this year.  I've never grown it before, but they said it would last until winter and at 3 for $10, it seemed like a real bargain.  I used the other two in my urns that I'll show at a later date.

The kale drinks a lot of water and along with the ferns, needs attention on a daily basis even with the cooler weather.

I love decorating for fall with it's bright colors ~

it always looks so warm and inviting.

Linking with ~ Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Monday ~ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday ~ The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday ~ A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday   

Fall Sedum

I was outside in the garden the other day and noticed my fall sedum was not only blooming, but covered with bees.  Honey bees in my yard are always a delight to me since they are becoming more and more scarce.

Some years ago, I used to be a beekeeper and always enjoyed their presence in my yard.  Now it is a very cherished treat.  

  The sedum is so delicate and such a sweet shade of pink . Such soft shades of pink are sheer delight, making me wish it were spring instead of fall.   

  I found it inspiring to see the bumble bees and several varieties of honey bees all sharing the same flowers without any bickering.  Their friendliness shows they know that nectar gathering time is drawing to a close and suitable flowers are few and far between.  It reminded me how important it is to share what we have with others, even if it isn't much.  

   Wishing you all a lovely weekend and reminding us all to  ~ Bee Happy ~ Bee Thankful ~ Bee Kinder than Necessary  ~ Bee Generous ~ Linking with
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday

   

What A Mess

Between Naps on the Porch
Have you ever started a project and found it was 100 times more work than you expected?  Well ~ that's where I find myself right now.  This spring, I discovered that the corner of my screened porch was rotten.  The wood under the paint was mushy and I knew it needed replaced.  The people who built this porch before I moved in 23 years ago, did not use treated lumber. Here is a picture of the side of the porch so you can see what it looked like before.

This is not the side I'm working on, but just wanted you to get an idea of what the before looked like.  About ten years ago I had the plywood replaced and I added the trim to dress it up. This is the corner that is rotten.  It consists of three 2x4's and all three were rotten halfway down to the bottom.

I was so hoping it would be a minor repair and the rot would be only above the trim ~ not. To make matters worse ~ the rot was in most of the 2x4's.

And so a long hot day of work began, tediously pulling things apart and replacing the wood, one post at a time.

Each time I replaced a piece and tried to nail it back in, I discovered the next piece had rot too.  Trying to stay true to my new motto, "Replace and repair to the best of my ability and affordability", I realized that while the porch is torn apart, it was necessary to keep replacing each piece in the interest of structural stability. Now the corner that I originally started with was sound at the top and since it consisted of the three 2x4's and was tied into my arbor, I cut out the bad wood at the bottom and then replaced it.  If I had a husband or handyman, I would have torn out all of the three pieces, but I don't have either of those, so did the best thing I could do instead.

Not the best solution, but the best of my ability.

While up on the ladder I kept hearing a noise in the gutters.  I thought it was just a bird pecking around in the gutter or at worst a squirrel.  But when I kept hearing it and I was working and banging right there, I climbed a little higher to see over the gutter and this is what I found.

Can you see it ~ those two little beady eyes in the gutter? That rip in the shingles represents where the wisteria on the arbor had grown through the shingle and up onto the roof.  When I cut it out earlier this summer, I slipped a new shingle underneath the ripped ones to stop any water from leaking through, but underneath the wood was rotted and flaky.  I was planning on covering it up with new wood when I worked on the porch, but now I have this new problem ~ mice inside the eaves.  He was pulling crab apples out of the gutter and taking them into his nice little home (my home) for storage.  Now I have to think about how to get him/them out of there before I close it up. Anyways ~ at the close of the first day, this is how far I got.

Better than before, but still a long ways to go.  The bottom and top will get treated plywood and trim, and the door needs replaced, it's frame and the cat door.  Then I'm going to attempt to make my screens so they can be taken in and out for repair instead of being stapled to the frame. I realize now, getting this side done right will probably be all that gets accomplished before winter and I'll have to wait until spring to tackle the other two sides.  But at least now I know what to expect as I work my way around post by post. ~ If there's one thing I've learned this summer while working on my own home instead of working on furniture to sell ~ it's inspecting your gutters and downspouts regularly.  I have found wisteria growing through the shingles, roots growing 18" up inside the downspout, mice, and wisteria laying on a gutter causing the high end to overflow during heavy rains, which ultimately led to this porch rot. During a heavy rain, take an umbrella and go outside to see where the gutters are overflowing and how the downspouts are draining.  If you see any problems, don't put off dealing with them ~ a hard lesson learned. ~ Linking with   The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays    Between Naps on the Porch  for Metamorphosis Monday  

Summer Dishes

I wish I could say this is my only set of summer dishes, but it is not ~ it's just my set for eating outside.    

  For some reason I feel like I have to justify why I have all these extra sets of dishes, but these are all plastic, making them perfect for both of my outside tables which have glass tops.  I bought two wrought iron tables this spring from a friend and neither came with tops.  Well ~ replacing glass tops is expensive, no matter how inexpensive the furniture was.  It made me nervous to use glass dishes on them unless I had a place mat under them ~ so plastic was the perfect solution.

I wrote about these plates back in the spring when I purchased them just because they made me smile.  I love their happy colors and they were on clearance at the grocery store, so I loved their happy price too. The goblets also are actually plastic, and were a birthday present from my daughter. They were purchased from Meijers, a store somewhat similar to Walmart, and again I was grocery shopping.  It should be a crime to put dishes in a grocery store for those of us who can't resist those aisles.

The wrought iron set was black with paint spattered all over it.  I can't remember why I decided to paint it this happy shade of green, but I just love how it turned out. 

The seats are covered with an indoor/outdoor fabric  from JoAnn's.  

Aqua Ball jars with sand and candles made the perfect centerpiece for a summer evening.

It was my delight to use my table and goblets for the first time to celebrate one of my sister's birthdays, and we had perfect summer weather to do so ~ at last.

Linking with
Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

 

Learning to Enjoy

Learning to enjoy . . .    pretty views  

  ice cream and fresh blueberries on a hot day  

  summer phlox in a blue bottle  

  a pretty table on a screened porch

the crispness of blue and white

textures

did I say ice cream already?

Learning how to take breaks, relax, and enjoy the simple things in life is what I am finally learning as I grow older.  My Mother will be proud. ~ Well, the ice cream is gone now, so it's back to work. ~ Linking with   Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ~ At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
 

Canning Tomatoes

Every summer I can tomatoes.  I think it's because my Mother always did and I was raised to be thrifty and prepare for winter by canning produce.  Now, I only can tomatoes, and I must admit I don't like it much, even sometimes hate doing it.  But ~ still every year I plant 24 tomato plants so I can preserve them for winter meals.  My Mother tells me not to do it anymore, but I can't seem to give it up. It's a long process starting with washing up the jars and getting everything out and set up.  

  I've had the jars for years and years and they're always so pretty washed up and ready to go.  

 

And then there are the tomatoes.  This basket may not look that big, but its almost two feet long and it's loaded.

There is something beautiful about tomatoes with their many and varied uses in meals.

And here is my little bee friend to help me with my chores.

Now, I'm off to actually can, instead of taking and editing pictures.  Can you tell I'm procrastinating?  I've done everything this morning from laundry to cleaning out kitchen drawers, when my first priority was supposed to be canning.   ~
Here are the tomatoes going through the hot water bath, which is followed by the cold water bath to loosen the skins. Canning is a very hot process and it usually comes at the hottest part of the summer.  Thank goodness today the temperature barely made it into the 70's.

I got so involved, I forgot to take more pics of the process, but here is the finished product.

Aren't they beautiful?  I never tire of looking at the finished product.  There is a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment when I see the jars all lined up that always makes the work worth it all.  I've been know to leave them set on the counter for a week because I love to look at them.  Maybe that's why I keep doing a chore I don't enjoy very much.

All in all ~ I ended up with 18 quarts of tomatoes.  That's the largest batch I've ever done at one time and sometimes more than I do in an entire summer, and it's only the first wave of tomatoes.  I think I'll be eating a lot of chili, spaghetti. and sausage-tortellini soup this winter.

Linking with ~ The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays ~ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday