Beautiful, Cozy Books: The Books I Crave When Autumn Arrives

When autumn arrives and the cooler weather starts moving in, my heart tells me it's time to bring out all the woolly throws, make a nice, steaming mug of hot cocoa, and pull a book from my shelves that I know will be filled with cozy imagery and charming stories.   In today's post, I'm sharing some of my favorite cozy "house" books--homes filled with beautiful warm, rich interiors. These are … [Read more...]




Porch Decorated for Autumn With Hints Of Halloween

Welcome to the 767th Metamorphosis Monday! I had a bit of fun out on the front porch this weekend.   Having just purchased these black and white striped bench cushions this past summer, this is their first autumn here on the porch.   The cushions are currently on sale in several colors/ patterns here: Bench Cushions and here: Bench Cushions.   Since were only a … [Read more...]




Answering Questions About My Puzzle Board & Sharing Some Favorite Puzzles for Fall

Over the past few days, I've had several comments and a few emails asking about the puzzle board I love working my puzzles on and about my favorite puzzles. I have to admit, I'm definitely a PPP, aka, Picky Puzzle Person. I have to be really invested in the scene and the story of a puzzle to have the desire to work it, and I will absolutely stop working a puzzle and put it back in the box to be donated if I … [Read more...]




7 Big, Beautiful Wreaths For Autumn, All 60% Off! Amazing Fall Sale!

I've been doing a bit of wreath shopping online today and I was super excited to find an incredible sale! All the wreaths in this post were originally $90-$100, but are currently marked down to between $36-$40! That's 60% off! The thing that really caught my eye is how big they all are! Usually, when you find wreaths in the $40 range, they are really too small for most front doors. Not these! Every wreath … [Read more...]




Fall Dining: Celebrating the Glorious Colors of Autumn

Welcome to the 782nd Tablescape Thursday! I had planned to share a new table this week, but as the time grew closer, my mind was way too preoccupied with a major home update that was supposed to begin yesterday. At the last minute, the company doing the work had to reschedule to start tomorrow. My yard right now is littered with red, orange, and yellow flags from the various utility companies. I'll be … [Read more...]




Some Fun Ideas for Summer: Crafts and Decor Ideas

Recently someone asked in the comments about this 3-tiered planter pictured here on the potting bench that I painted in the color, Dahlia. It made me realize that I really should occasionally link back to some of the hundreds of posts I've written over the past 15 years because many are still relevant. This post took me forever to put together this morning because I found myself rereading them all again and … [Read more...]




Autumn Foliage, Sunshine Puddles & Last Minute Inspiration for Your Halloween Porch

Happy Autumn! It's definitely looking like fall here in Ohio. Our unseasonably warm temps have vanished and we're back to cooler weather now. The trees are so beautiful, they take my breath away!   I love driving down the tree-lined neighborhood streets and soaking in all this glorious autumn color!   Speaking of autumn colors, Hobbes, one of my son's kitties, is dressed for … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Home for Autumn with Whimsical Touches of Halloween!

Welcome to the 715th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy New Week! I have a delightful fall decor makeover to share for this week's Met Monday! Jillian is all ready for Halloween and Autumn and the fun starts right here at the front door.   Please note: This area is designated for "Broom Parking Only, Violators Will Be Toad!" Ha!   Eeek! Bats everywhere! Love the cattail … [Read more...]




3 Autumn Table Settings & 1 Broken Computer

Welcome to the 729th Tablescape Thursday! My goodness, it's been a week and a half around here. My computer decided it no longer wanted to connect to the internet except at very low speeds or sometimes not-at-all. At first, it appeared to be an internet issue but after a visit from a Comcast technician, followed by a second visit from a Comcast Supervisor (not at my request but by the 1st tech) they … [Read more...]




Double the Autumn Beauty and Color for This Week’s Tablescape Thursday!

Welcome to 681st Tablescape Thursday! I have two wonderful autumn treasures to share with you for this week's Tablescape Thursday. Sheri has set a beautiful table setting for fall. Sheri said, "I have my house ready for the fall and wanted to share some photos with you."   Sheri's tablecloth for this fall table goes with her lovely Heartland dinnerware. She paired this Heartland pattern … [Read more...]




In the Mood for a Little Autumn-Halloween Decorating

Welcome to the 662nd Metamorphosis Monday! Still nice and warm here and the trees are all still green, at least in my backyard, but I decided this weekend that it was time to do a little bit of fall decorating. Last year I purchased the white pumpkin in the photo below from HERE. Or, maybe it was the year before, I think it was the year before. Anyway, I loved it so much when it arrived, I ended getting … [Read more...]




8 Ways to Stay Warm and Cozy in the Fall-Winter Home

Tomorrow is the first official day of Autumn. Though the mid-day temps are still in the 70s and lower 80s here in the Atlanta area, you can sense that fall is just around the corner. Not sure why, but for once I'm not dreading the cooler weather as I normally would. Maybe I'm just relishing the return of all the hunkering-down coziness I associate with fall--like woolly, soft, throws, snuggly sweaters, … [Read more...]




Tablescape and Holiday Shopping for Autumn–So Many Temptations!

Welcome to the 673rd Tablescape Thursday! Hope you are staying well and haven't caught this yucky summer cold that seems to be going around. Thankfully, my cold is much, much better now. Whenever I visit family in Ohio, I love venturing out to check out the tablescaping goodies in this area of the world. I made a fun and very productive trip to HomeGoods yesterday and picked up quite a few goodies that … [Read more...]




Creating a Pretty, Little Beverage Station for My Home Office

Do you ever read blogs on the weekends or do you mainly just read doing the week? I often post on the weekend so was just wondering if you like to get a blog post in your Inbox on the weekend.  (Pssst: If you haven't already, subscribe to get an email whenever I post here: Subscribe for Post Updates. It's completely free and will let you know when a new post is up with a link to the blog.) A few months … [Read more...]




The Most Beautiful Vignette–So Much Inspiration!

I love, love, love when I get an email from a lovely BNOTP reader letting me know that something I have suggested has worked well in their home, too! That makes me so happy! Recently, after sharing my spring porch makeover where I mentioned how much I was loving these realistic-looking, faux tulips, I received an email from Sam.   Sam said, "Once again your recommendation was spot on! … [Read more...]




A Screened Porch and Hutch Decorated for Spring and Easter

Welcome to the 636th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! Happy Spring! Happy Easter! It was so pretty here this weekend, I couldn't resist playing a bit on the porch. We're in the height of pollen season now so I gave the porch a good cleaning before decorating it for spring and Easter. Hope you enjoy this little porch makeover!   I love tulips, they are … [Read more...]




A Mini Shopping Haul: What I Found Today in Marshalls

I ventured out today for a bit of shopping. Actually, I was out running an errand to pick up some flowers and decided to stop into Marshalls since this is the time of year they often get in really cute spring decor goodies. I picked up these two pillar candle holders with the idea of using them in a future Halloween table setting. Or, they would work great on a sideboard or chest when decorating for … [Read more...]




A Beautiful Idea to Keep Those Spirits Up Through the Cold Winter Months

These long dark days of winter can sometimes feel a bit drab. Personally, I'm not too prone to feeling sad or depressed during the winter because I love snuggling up inside reading, puzzling, or just plotting little decor updates for the spring season. But I know winter can be hard on a lot of us, especially after the rush of the holiday season has passed and we put away all the holiday decor. Sandra, a … [Read more...]




Beautiful Autumn Wreaths in Both Neutral and Fall Colors

One of the first things I'm going to do when I get back home is decorate for fall. I'm busting to get started! I have two wreaths I've used for my front door and over my mantel in past few years, so it will be time to pull those out and access their condition. I have a feeling it may be time for a new wreath or fall basket. I've been wreath shopping today to see what's available and there are some … [Read more...]




3 Ways to Decorate a Hutch for Spring and Summer

From reports back home, I know my screened porch is covered in this stuff right now. Ugh.   I'm trying to imagine it looking more like this, though.   There's a hutch on the porch that I always love decorating for spring and summer.   This is the dishware I most often use on the porch: Ma Maison by Tabletops Unlimited, designed by Darrio … [Read more...]




A Million Daffodils, A Porch Decorated for Spring & A Whimsical Spring-Easter Tree

Within walking distance of my son's home is a home with the most amazing display of daffodils that I've ever seen. It's one of those homes were people stop, gawk and take photos. It's gorgeous this time of year!   I would love to know how long ago the daffodils were planted and how many were planted at that time. They stretch all across the property, you can see them there on the other side … [Read more...]




An Autumn Fireplace & A Realistic-Looking Artificial Christmas Tree

My daughter-in-law, Nancy, has the fireplace all decorated for autumn. In the evening the flameless candles glowing in the fireplace are sooo pretty, much cozier and inviting than photos can really show. For many years the chief decoration in front of the fireplace was a baby gate, but with the youngest now 3 years old, the baby gate is no longer needed.   I asked Nancy where she found the … [Read more...]




Beautiful DIY Lit Pumpkin Centerpiece for Autumn

Welcome to the 560th Metamorphosis Monday! Good Morning from Ohio. I'm visiting family over the next few days and looking forward to sharing some of Ohio's beautiful autumn foliage. My Before and After for this week's Met Monday is a wonderful idea my daughter-in-law, Nancy, created for a beautiful fall table centerpiece.   She placed a pierced ceramic pumpkin down inside a gorgeous autumn … [Read more...]




Fall Wreath Idea, A Porch with a River View & Dreamy Fashions Inspired by Fashion Week

I have quite a few fun things to share today, starting with this beautiful fall wreath Carol created for her front door this year. Carol said, "I saw your fall wreath and wanted to share with you my fall wreath. I am always finding something new and I add to it every year, so it has morphed into this now." I love this idea! What a great way to update an older wreath. I especially love the monogram … [Read more...]




A New Autumn Wreath for the Front Door

Summer is still very much with us here in Georgia with temps in the upper 80's and low 90's every day. I love the hot weather so I'm not complaining. Though it's not feeling one bit like fall, I came across a beautiful fall wreath recently that I couldn't pass up. I usually have a hard time finding a wreath I like because often they are just too small. I like a nice big wreath that fills out my … [Read more...]




Dining Outdoors for Summer: A Mostly Child-Friendly Table Setting

Welcome to the 502nd Tablescape Thursday! I've been visiting with family the last couple of weeks and we've been having so much fun! We've been doing a lot of grilling, or I should say my son's been doing a lot of grilling. I'm obsessed with corn-on-the-cob cooked on the grill now, don't think I'll ever be able to eat it any other way. Yum!   With all this dining outdoors, I decided to … [Read more...]




Lots of Little Tweaks, An Office Update

Yesterday was a non-stop day and I still feel like I have so much left to do. Do you get this way come spring? I want everything spiffied up and organized for spring--and I want it right now! lol I did too much stuff yesterday to share it all, but thought I'd share a few fun things, as well as a little splurge that arrived mid-day. I spent part of the day trimming off dead branches from the Standard … [Read more...]




Tips for Cleaning Pollen Off a Screened-in Porch & A Feeder for Dried Mealworms

Welcome to the 480th Metamorphosis Monday! Yesterday I had a comment from Mark who said: Have a similar porch to yours and we love it already. It is coated in pollen. Do you ever hose yours off??? What is your cleaning routine? We are in NC and the pollen is 3 ft thick 🙂 There is not an easy way for water to run off, like yours, but wondered what you normally do. Normally when I'm using the … [Read more...]




The Hunt for a Pretty Spring Wreath

Welcome to the 478th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently I was watching a YouTube video where the vlogger had just purchased a large, floral wreath for her front door. It had huge hydrangea blossoms all around it, and I loved it. Update: It may have been peonies now that I think about it!  I checked to see if I could order one online for my front door, but was unable to locate the shop. The vlogger had … [Read more...]




10 Ways to Stay Warm This Winter: My Winter Survival List, 2016

Those wonderfully high temps we had here in the Atlanta area this past week are starting to fade away. It got rather chilly last night. As I write this mid-afternoon, it's still 59° outside. I know that's not cold to most folks but it definitely falls into the category of "sweater weather" for this girl. Each year I put together a post with my favorites for surviving winter in comfort. Since our temps … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Porch for the Autumn Season

Welcome to the 402nd Metamorphosis Monday! Linda has a beautiful 3-season porch that I've shared before here at BNOTP. It's so much fun seeing how she decorates it for the seasons and holidays. When we last visited Linda, her porch was all set for summer, decorated in a wonderful navy and white nautical theme. (See that post here: Nautical Decor & Tablescape)   With the arrival of … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Porch for Autumn & Halloween

Welcome to the 401st Metamorphosis Monday! How was your first weekend of October? When the calendar says "October" I guess there's no denying fall is here. Everything is still lush and green here in Georgia but I know that's about to change. Blog Update This weekend I had a big update come across for my blog. After the update had completed, the slider that's normally at the top of the blog was … [Read more...]




Create An Autumn Porch That Will Invite Guests To Linger

Welcome to the 397th Metamorphosis Monday! Even though it's still nice and warm here in Georgia, the mornings are feeling wonderfully cool. I come downstairs each morning and throw open the doors to the screened porch and let the cool morning air fill the house. Some days are so nice now, I can leave the doors open all day.   This weekend I went ahead and hung my favorite fall wreath … [Read more...]




Nautical Decor & Tablescape for a 3-Season Porch

Welcome to the 406th Tablescape Thursday! For this week's Tablescape Thursday, we're off for a visit to Linda's beautiful 3-season porch. You may remember Linda's porch from this previous post where I shared all the details about how she and her hubby converted their outside patio area to a mosquito-free space they enjoy all year around: An Ordinary Patio Becomes a Beautiful Three-Season … [Read more...]




Makeover a Hutch with a Nautical-Beach Theme

Welcome to the 395th Tablescape Thursday! Recently I de-pollened the porch and gave it a little spring makeover.   I dressed the porch hutch with my fave porch dishes: Tabletops Unlimited, Ma Maison.   For this week's Tablescape Thursday, I decided to give the hutch a little beach makeover using a dishware I purchased back in right after the porch was … [Read more...]




Awesome Deal for Preserved Boxwood Wreaths

I don't normally post on Sundays but I came across a deal this weekend that expires today, so I'm sharing it in a quick post just in case it's helpful in your upcoming holiday decorating. Update added 11-2-15: It looks like they still have the 10% off deal going on, which is great! Tip: If it shows the wreath is out of stock for your store, click in the box that looks like this one below and you'll be … [Read more...]




Decorate a Porch or Sunroom for Autumn

Welcome to the 351st Metamorphosis Monday! Earlier this year in June, I shared Linda's beautiful 3-season porch. You may remember that this space was once a concrete pad with just a pergola overhead. Linda and her hubby transformed it into a porch they now enjoy almost all year-long.   They kept this room and the adjoining living room light and bright by using a clear, acrylic roof … [Read more...]




Refreshing The Porch For Autumn Joy

Welcome to the 350th Metamorphosis Monday! I'm super excited to share a wonderful autumn porch makeover by my friends, Mary and Dave at Front Porch Ideas and More. This makeover has lots of great ideas including no-sew pillows, a DIY table runner and an outdoor furniture makeover done on a budget. Here's Mary now to share how she and Dave, with the help of their darling granddaughter, Millie, … [Read more...]




7 Ways To Decorate Your Home for Autumn & Halloween

How did it get to be October so quickly?! With fall here and Halloween just a few weeks away, how about a little inspiration for your autumn and Halloween decorating. Thanks so much to Town and Country Magazine for sharing my Chinoiserie DIY pumpkin craft in their article titled, "Everyone is Turning Their Pumpkins Into Chinoiserie Pieces of Art." Also, thanks to House Beautiful for sharing that project … [Read more...]




Getting Ready for Snuggling Season

Thanks so much to Country Living for including my autumn door decoration in their fall roundup of 12 Festive Fall Door Decorations That Aren't Wreaths. Click on the image below to check them all out. There's so many great ideas if you would love to try something new this year for your door.   I'm not quite ready for fall, it's still sunny and warm here in Georgia with temperatures in the … [Read more...]




DIY Shell and Sea Glass Chargers

Welcome to the 345th Metamorphosis Monday! A few years back I made these shell chargers to use in beach-themed tablescapes.   I made them after coming across six Pottery Barn chargers on eBay and seeing them sell for over $200!   I've always wondered how they would look with pretty sea glass mixed in, so recently I primed and painted a bunch of old, plastic chargers I … [Read more...]




What I’m Loving For Fall & Halloween

We've been having some really wonderful fall-like days here lately. It's hard to believe this is August because it has felt more like October. How has it been where you live?  I've been throwing the doors to the porch open every morning, letting all that cool morning air into the house, then I close them around 10:00 when it starts to warm up a little. With the cool temps, I'm starting to think about … [Read more...]




The Porch Hutch Gets a Makeover For Spring and Summer

Welcome to the 319th Metamorphosis Monday! This has been the wackiest week with 75 degree temps on Wednesday, snow on Friday and back up to 70 on Sunday. Has the weather been this up and down where you live, too? With the warm temps returning yesterday, I spent some time out on the porch cleaning a little and getting it ready for  the warm days ahead. After cleaning the dust and grime of winter off … [Read more...]




A Beautiful Outdoor Oasis For Entertaining

Cold, what cold? In my mind it's summertime. We're out on the deck, the sun is shining and the hamburgers and hotdogs sizzling on the grill smell heavenly. Did you hear that? It's the doorbell, barely heard over the beautiful music emanating across the porch and decks on this gorgeous summer day. Friends are arriving and the fun is just beginning. Time for partying and playing outside again. Okay, … [Read more...]




A French Duvet I Couldn’t Leave Behind

It's been a while since we stopped by one of my favorite haunts, A Classy Flea. My timing today wasn't the greatest since they just had a huge Holiday Open House about a week ago. I didn't make it to the open house and I wasn't sure there would be anything left when I stopped in today. I found a few things to share and picked up a couple of things for myself. One of the things I purchased was a kind of … [Read more...]




Dressing The Bed In Tartan: Ralph Lauren Inspired

The makeover I've been working on in my bedroom feels very timely with all this cold weather we've had come in so early this year. You may remember my inspiration is this bed dressed all in Tartan by Ralph Lauren. I don't know why Ralph Lauren likes plaid fabric so much but I'm so very glad he does. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought about mixing different plaids or tartan patterns if I hadn't … [Read more...]




Warm, Cozy Escapes

It's cold out and I'm craving warmth. All I can think about these days are soft, merino-wool socks, cozy cable-knit sweaters, warm wool throws, libraries with fires blazing in the fireplace, flannel sheets, down duvets, hot chocolate by the fire and great books for reading on those way-too-cold nights. When fall comes around, I want to spend my days in rooms like Ralph Lauren's Bedford home library. I'm … [Read more...]




Decorate Your Mantel For Fall and Thanksgiving

Welcome to the 302nd Metamorphosis Monday! This weekend I decided it was time to give the living room mantel a little makeover for fall and Thanksgiving. This can be a fun room to spruce up for autumn because the warms tones in the judges paneling and the jewel tone colors of the fabrics always make a great backdrop for fall decorating.   Normally the mantel has a few books and … [Read more...]




What To Do With Those Left Over Pumpkins & Gourds

Halloween is behind us but if you're like me, you may still be using the pumpkins you bought for Halloween in your fall decorating. With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, here are some fun and creative ideas shared for a recent Met Monday. These would be great for dressing up those left over faux or uncute pumpkins and gourds for your Thanksgiving table or fall decor.   Life in my Empty … [Read more...]




The Power of the Pillow

Well, I think I've made a final decision about my bedding. I should know very soon but I'm 99% sure I'm going with the bedding I shared from Williams-Sonoma Home in yesterday's post. So what has moved me further along in that direction?   This little tartan pillow is to blame. A few days after I ordered the bedding, I revisited the WS website to gawk at it again. In the midst of my gawking, I … [Read more...]




Create a Winter Retreat With Tartan Bedding

So, apparently landscaping the front yard wasn't a big enough project to take on this fall. Somehow I've also embarked on a little makeover in the master bedroom. Here's how my bedroom has looked for the last 10 years. I still love this bedding but I've always dreamed of having both a "winter" look and a "summer" look for my bedroom. These colors are great for spring and summer but they have always … [Read more...]




6 Fabulous Fall Mantels!

Fall is such a great time of year! Mother Nature is very busy now, redecorating and changing the color palette of our home from vivid greens and bright colors to one filled with the rich warm colors of red, orange, gold and brown. We can never resist following her lead and bringing those beautiful colors into our own homes! I can tell you guys love Fall, as well.  At this week's Metamorphosis Monday Link … [Read more...]




Fabulous Decor Ideas for Fall

Are you finally feeling a little crisp coolness in the air?  It is still pretty warm here, but I'm definitely enjoying these early days of Autumn. After checking out all the amazing projects this past Metamorphosis Monday, I can tell you are too! Here are just a few wonderful ideas for Fall I found while looking at your posts... Would you believe that these pumpkins and gourds are artificial? … [Read more...]




A Spooky Halloween Hutch

Welcome to the 296th Metamorphosis Monday! Did you have a good weekend? I spent mine getting a few things done here around the house. I also played a little out on the porch, changing the hutch from its summertime look to something fun and just a tad spooky!   Postcards From The Porch Before I share the hutch update, I wanted to say a big thank you to all the lovely folks who took time to … [Read more...]




The Summer Porch: Beach Cottage Decor

Welcome to the 272nd Metamorphosis Monday! It's been beautiful here so I've been playing out on the porch. This is how the hutch normally looks during the spring and summer months. I usually have a variety of white pitchers displayed along the top and my fave porch dishware, Tabletops Unlimited. Ma Maison by Dario Farrucci, displayed on the shelves.   I get a lot of comments and e-mails … [Read more...]




Decorating the Porch for Spring

Welcome to the 266th Metamorphosis Monday! This weekend was so nice here, especially Sunday. I threw open both doors to the porch and spent some time enjoying our 70+ degree weather.   I did a little pre-spring cleaning, dusting off a few things in anticipation of the warm days to come.   Recently, I came across this little bird feeder in Lowes. It has a rope attached and when … [Read more...]




Ideas and Inspiration for Your Thanksgiving Celebration

Happy Friday! Are you looking forward to the weekend? Any fun plans for a little leaf ogling or cider sipping? Have you finalized all your plans for Thanksgiving? If not, you're going to like today's post!  I'm excited to be joining in a fun Thanksgiving party put together by Laura who blogs at Top This Top That. The other lovely ladies participating in today's "Better Late Than Never" … [Read more...]




Fall Color for the Front Porch

Still waiting for a bit cooler weather to transplant the Japanese maple and to landscape around the porch, but at least the porch is a happy place!  Can't wait to get those shrubs in around it. It shouldn't be long now. We've been waiting for some cooler days and I think they are here. In the meantime, I'm trying to imagine the Georgia red clay splashed up onto the brick is a lovely fall accent. … [Read more...]




An Autumn Mantel and Fire Screen

It's been a while since I've posted a fall mantel, the last time was late September 2011. I only have one fireplace, thus one mantel in my home and it's in the den, a room with honey-colored judges paneling. (Picture below from last year, just after Christmas.)   Photography is always a bit of a challenge, even with a tripod. The walls just soak up all the light.   This is how … [Read more...]




Classic, Timeless, Traditional: Decorate For The Fall-Winter Season

I love visiting Mary Carol Garrity's online website for her shop, Nell Hill's. There are always so many beautiful things to see. This made my heart sing! If you have ever wondered if it was okay to mix brass/gold with silver, I think this answers that question once and for all. This is so much more beautiful than if the candlestick lamps had been all matchy matchy in brass.  Picture above and below … [Read more...]




Decorate in White for Fall

It's late summer and the temps are still warm here in the south, but in the evenings there's a hint of fall in the air.   Yesterday I shared a new lamp I had just added to the porch. It's painted one of my fave colors, a soft green. I love the color combination of green and white. It feels so fresh and so alive.   I have a hutch here on the porch and it's painted in the same pretty … [Read more...]




Make a Lantern for Summer Parties

Recently, I came across a photo in a poplar store catalog featuring some pretty candle lanterns.   I loved the lanterns, especially the handy rope handle, so I decided to make my own but with a few changes.   The supplies needed for this project were: a 1 1/2 pint size, wide-mouth jar and a 1/2 gallon jar (Ball canning jars work great), candles, sand, hose clamps, rope, shells, … [Read more...]




Decorate a Porch in Victorian Style

Yesterday we saw how Amy completely transformed a little used patio into a fabulous screened in porch.  Today I'm back with another wonderful patio to porch transformation, although this one was done with Victorian flair. Renee, a reader of BNOTP shared some lovely pictures of her porch addition. Is this not enchanting?! The lantern and the lovely silhouette draw you in. I want to follow that path and … [Read more...]




Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine

I couldn't stand it.  It was a gorgeous day yesterday and the porch was calling, begging me to come out and play.   Pollen, you are not the boss of me! I liked Lisa's idea from yesterday's post of just covering the seating areas with sheets during this high pollen season.  Then when you want to enjoy the porch, you just remove the sheet and replace it when you're done.  Sounds like a plan! The fans … [Read more...]




Make Pumpkin Topiaries for an Autumn Porch

Welcome to the 195th Metamorphosis Monday! Right after I added a front porch onto my home around 4 years ago, I bought some faux topiaries from a local store here in Atlanta.  I would have loved real topiaries on the porch, but I knew I'd never remember to keep them watered and they probably wouldn't survive in the shade of the porch. The faux topiaries turned out to be an expensive mistake.  They … [Read more...]




A Fall Door Arrangement You Can Make in 5 Minutes (or less)

Earlier in the fall I made this arrangement for my front door.  It can be viewed in more detail in this post:  An Autumn Basket for the Front Door   For Halloween, there's some strange things happening on the front porch.  The earlier fall arrangement just wasn't working anymore.  It was a bit too dressy/formal for Halloween.   I decided to create  something a little more casual … [Read more...]




Greet Your Guests with an Autumn Basket

Welcome to the 190th Metamorphosis Monday! Ever since I came across this picture of Mary Carol Garrity's front door with this eye-catching, unusually long basket, I've been hooked on decorating doors with a basket of flowers.    This photo is from the book, Nell Hill's Decorating Secrets and it is an excellent book.   I think I have every book she's written and I love them all.  Highly recommend … [Read more...]




A Shell Wreath for the Summer Porch

Welcome to the 177th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!   I'm excited to share a small change on the porch for this Metamorphosis Monday.  Recently, while shopping in HomeGoods I came across a wreath I have been hoping to make for a couple of years now.   It all started when I saw this shell wreath online a couple of summers ago.   I really wanted to make one since I have lots of nice, big … [Read more...]




Decorating for the Summer House

A little beach themed vignette...   It's time to celebrate summer!   A shell-adorned hat to protect your peaches and cream complexion...   A few books to inspire your summertime decor:  Cottages by the Sea...The Handmade Homes of Carmel, Second Home...Finding Your Place in the Fun and Victoria At Home with White...Celebrating the Intimate Home.   A guide to … [Read more...]




Wake Up the Porch & Decks for Spring

Welcome to the 168th Metamorphosis Monday! Preparing the Porch and Decks for Spring: Cleaning and Planting At the start of this past winter, I decided to try something new.  Instead of tossing the big geranium that lives all summer on the porch, and the three smaller ones visible behind this summer table setting below, I tucked them all away in my garage for the winter. Amazingly, they lived.  They … [Read more...]




Porches for Sleeping

From time to time I visit a section of the Atlanta Journal & Constitution called "Private Quarters."  They highlight homes of all types and give mini tours.  Recently this home was featured.  You can see the full tour HERE.  My favorite "room" shown in the tour was the porch.  I know that comes as no surprise since I have a thing for porches. This little piece of heaven especially caught my eye. … [Read more...]




A Few Seasonal Updates Around the House

Welcome to the 149th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!  How was your Thanksgiving?  I hope it was wonderful and you got to spend lots of time with family.  I drove 8 hours to Ohio to visit with my son and daughter-in-love-to-be.  I miss them and cherish the time we get to spend together.  I snapped this pic of a house near by.  I loved this particular photo because you can clearly see the American flag … [Read more...]




Sometimes the Grass Really Is Greener on the Other Side

A while back I set up a little cozy, fall  'scape out on the porch.   A few weeks before creating that little tablescape, I had purchased some real acorns on Amazon.  They were reasonably priced  and perfect for  fall.  (You'll find more pics of this fall tablescape, HERE.)   The funny thing is, I have a HUGE oak tree in my front yard.   But for some crazy reason, 99.9% of … [Read more...]




Autumn Comes to the Porch

I've been playing outside today, bringing a little fall to the porch.  During the summer it looks something like this Because the porch is all white (for the most part) it's a blank slate for anything you can dream up.  For the 4th of July, it looked like this. (4th of July porch can be viewed here: Porch Decorated For the 4th of July)   It was time to add a little fall  to the … [Read more...]




Change Your Decor for the Seasons

Welcome to the 141st Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Met Monday! Hope your weekend has been grand! Do you have a room in your home that you love to change up and transform with the seasons? Kristy, a talented Interior Designer who lives on the West Coast of Florida with her husband and two daughters, enjoys transforming her living room to reflect the changing of the seasons and holidays.  Kristy's home, … [Read more...]




A Fall Mantel for the Family Room

While we're enjoying all the wonderful "before and afters" from yesterday's Met Monday, I thought I'd share another little metamorphosis I've been working on this week in my family room.  (Update: This living room looks very different now. See the changes in these two posts: Reforming My Faux Ways and Velvet Drapes for an English Country Living Room)   BEFORE: The coffee table looks so bare … [Read more...]




Displaying and Decorating with China for the Seasons and Holidays

Welcome to the 154th Tablescape Thursday! Jeanne  blogs at  Selep Imaging.  Jeanne has a wonderful hutch she changes out with each holiday or season.   I was so impressed with her lovely china collection and the creative way she displays it, I couldn't resist sharing it for Tablescape Thursday. As you scroll down, notice how Jeanne mixes so many different patterns beautifully.  There's a wonderful … [Read more...]




Spring Sprucing on the Porch

Welcome to the 113th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!  Hope your weekend was fabulous! I had plans to start working on the walls in the office, sanding and patching, sanding and more patching. But Mr. Max had other plans. I couldn't get him to abandon his perch on the desk and I don't think sanding while he's in the room would be such a great idea. Tomorrow, I'll try again and I may have to just lock him … [Read more...]




Porch Hutch from Fall to Spring

Welcome to the 10th Metamorphosis Monday! I gave myself a break this week from working on my home office. Instead, I've been playing out on the screened-in porch. I couldn't resist since it's been in the 60's all this past week and actually hit 75 degrees here today! I know this warm weather isn't going to last, but I had to play a little since it was so pretty. I decided to make a few changes to the … [Read more...]




Snowbound

Snow so high I couldn't even open the screened doors to go out on the decks to take pics...so these were taken through the screens. Before: After: Decorating by Mother Nature... Before: After: The swing cushion has never even gotten wet when we've had tornado rains. It was a blooming blizzard, y'all! Before: After: Before: After: Don't worry … [Read more...]




Update to Autumn Basket

My Fall Basket: Well, I took everyone's combined advice and I: 1. Decided to keep the fall basket on the door since most of you liked it. I made it taller and skinner so I think it looks much better...less wide and overwhelming on the door. And 2. I cut the whiter flowers off the bunch of sunflowers they were attached to. I dispersed them throughout the arrangement. For some reason, they looked … [Read more...]




An Autumn Basket for the Front Door

Welcome to the 89th Metamorphosis Monday! I need your help today...I can't see the forest for the trees, so tell me what you think. I have a pretty fall wreath I sometimes place on my door...but this year I thought I'd try a basket instead. Here's how my front door has looked all summer. Nice, but time to put this look away and welcome in the fall season... I found this large basket … [Read more...]




Decorating for Autumn and a Thanksgiving Tablescape

Welcome to the 45th Metamorphosis Monday!   For this weeks Met Monday, we're going to Bonnie's beautiful home to see how she has transformed her hutch in her breakfast room. When we last saw it around the end of October, it was all decked out for Halloween. Remember this amazing pic? Well, honey, that was so, three weeks ago! Feast your eyes now! Wow...quite a transformation from Halloween...love … [Read more...]




Front Door Decoration to Welcome Guests

A couple of weeks ago I shared a sweet metamorphosis that was happening out on my front porch. right down here inside the basket of flowers on my front door. Remember these sweet babies...little house finches newly hatched. Well, I'm happy to report they grew up big and strong and flew the coop to do little birdie things. Some of you guys left comments on that post that had me a bit … [Read more...]




Celebrating the Winter Blues

A little birdie told me you had the winter blues... So I was thinking...since Old Man Winter is here to stay for while, instead of fighting those winter blues, why don't we just embrace them. Come on over here; I have the perfect spot for you...a comfy blue chair... And a nice, hot cup of tea, served from a Blue Willow teapot... How about a fluffy, soft pillow... With a … [Read more...]




A Plate for All Seasons

In my kitchen, I have a little plate holder that for years held a red and white "rooster" plate. A while back I decided to make it more than just a plate holder with a decorative plate...now it's a fun way to mark the changing of the seasons, as well. So when February rolls around, it's time to think about cupid... And as it get closer to Easter... Once Easter has past, it's time to … [Read more...]