A Tour: Outdoor Living on the Screened Porch

 

 

Our screened porch, which I’ve featured in many posts because it’s such a favorite place, has a new look! Like an outdoor room, its decor evolves as plants grow, a new piece of furniture is added, or our needs change. But regardless, our screened porch is actual living space for us for as long as the weather allows. I work here, I read my Bible out here, I have my morning coffee here, I have my breakfast (and lunch when I’m home!) out here, I write posts, I Pinterest, and I snoooooze here! Oh, and I COOK out here (more on that in a minute!). Plus, of course, Mr. Chickadee and I—and our whole family—enjoy meals out here whenever possible. Our babies play out here, have breakfast in their jammies here, make milkshakes and butter out here, take naps out here, play out here, and say goodnight to the day here. Our son always tells me that he feels like he’s on vacation on the rare days when only he and I get to sit out here and visit. That makes this mama’s heart sing.(I have many posts around our front and screened porches where you can see other versions of the decor. You can use the Search option in my blog to find them, but you can see some of them here, here,and here.)

It’s such a calming space. It’s where I greet the day most mornings. Sometimes I even set my alarm to catch the first rays of the day here. In this precious corner of this great big world I thank God for His gifts.

A new look:

This is how our screened porch looked about a month ago. We’d bought the rug (at Lowe’s, on clearance—a happy surprise at the register!) and decided we wanted to add more large plants, so we bought two Areca palms and moved the ficus from the front porch.

A brand-new look and feel for very little $$$$, because the palms were on sale as well! All of a sudden, by adding the plants, the feel of the room was changed, and it now feels like a {screened} conservatory or solarium! How fancy!

I was so enthralled with our new room that I decided to try TWO rugs for more coverage:

Yes!!! Love it!

And how happy are these African violets and the Streptocarpus* (more on that in a minute!), basking in the morning sun?

  *This big plant—I now know is a Streptocarpus—is such a happy bloomer! I’ve had it for many years, but didn’t know what it was. In fact, a year or two ago I asked for your help in identifying it. Well, I stumbled upon its name as I researched my Africans!

One corner of the “conservatory.”

One piece that makes this space so functional for outdoor living is the table. It’s teak, which makes it very durable, and as a drop leaf, it can fold away to mere inches, yet it opens to give us ample room for dining, or for serving in the screened porch when all the family is over and we choose to eat at the picnic table, which easily accommodates all of us.

1 table 3 ways:

A few more peeks at this little piece of heaven:

Mid-August/early September the PeeGee Hydrangeas are in their full glory.

I love you in the morning…

This is the view from the patio into the screened porch, and…

Looking out onto the patio.

  From my perch at the table this is my view…a combination of pretties, memories in the shells we have collected over the years, displayed in a printer’s tray, and the fun for the baby Chickadees:

The theatre seats were once brown and drab, and using Annie Sloane Chalk Paint in Duck Egg (see post here) I was able to add {pretty} seating in the screened porch. (And like the table, this, too, is a versatile piece, since it folds like one long folding chair!)

 And now, welcome to my {outdoor} kitchen.

Remember I told  you I cook out on the screened porch? Yep! And here’s my secret: The Longaberger picnic basket hides a cooking plate! Who needs a fancy outdoor kitchen when I can have one right outside our full kitchen?! A few years ago I thought the answer to quickly throwing a meal together when I got home from work (and keeping the cooking smells out of the house!) was a gas grill, but we eventually went back to our charcoal Weber because we prefer the flavor, and yet, though it’s right outside the screened porch door, I usually turn to the hot plate, or my electric pressure cooker.

And did you notice the vintage Skotch coolers? One serves as a table between the chair and the theatre seats, and the other, by the door to the patio, holds the charcoal.

…and in the afternoon.

I love you in the evening…

As evening falls and the  blue hour develops, I often light candles to enjoy the  magic moments and listen to the night sounds—in the safety of my screened-in porch, of course! No critters for me!

More candlelight.

…and underneath the moon!!!

  Goodnight, Moon. Goodnight, All.

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When would you like to stop over? Early in the morning to share a cup of coffee? Midday for ice-cold lemonade? Dinner by candlelight? Just let me know and we’ll be ready for you!

Do you or have you ever had a screened porch? How often do you enjoy it? What features or pieces do you think are invaluable in a screened porch (I’d like to have a hammock, but space does not permit, so we bought an folding cot :)!)

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Tuesdays at http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturday at http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/

Saturdays at http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Monday Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Summer Flowers

Mid-August…some schools here in central Ohio start tomorrow! Yikes! 1. Where did summer go, and 2. Who ever thought of starting school in the middle of August??? Don’t those administrators and school boards have children of their own??!! Don’t they know they’re “robbing” our children of carefree summer days??!!

The burning bushes are starting to turn ever so slightly, and I see the landscape crew gathering brown, dry leaves. But not in our garden!! Oh, no…not here! Our neighbor emailed us a week or two ago, observing that the leaves on their birch were turning, and my response was that the word “fall” would not be heard around here, even as our own birch starts its annual demise. Boohoo… I’m keeping my head safely planted in the sand.

Our flowers are still happy, and so I wanted to share them with you, as summer’s last hurrah. I may (or may not) have a fall tablescape for you next week—it depends on my ability to cope with the fact, my friends. Blogging is a bit like retail, isn’t it? We need to get our posts out early enough for them to be of value and inspiration to our readers, so in that vein I may be able to do a fall post—the sacrifices I make….We’ll see. (I LOVE summer, remember??)

Besides capturing the beauty and textures of the garden, I also love to photograph the light-and-shadow play in the garden. The metal wheel at the right edge is the wheel to our antique hand plow that I’ve dragged around from house to house for easily 20 years. You can see the beautiful handles on it here, where I photographed our Chickadee Baby Love’s tussie mussie.The hostas in the garden are new this year—a gift from my friend and hairdresser! Don’t you love perennials that bring back memories of people who shared them with you?

This nook is primarily red, white, and blue until August, when the purple coneflowers join in and start to prepare us for the change in seasons. Summer is red, white, and blue, until it’s time for a change in the “theme.”

The red…

The blue, and the white.

I love how coneflowers brighten the landscape with wild abandon.

And then, of course, my beloved PeeGee hydrangeas burst forth in their soothing white. One day they’re buds, the next, it seems, they’re in full bloom. We held our Baby Love’s baptismal reception here at our home in mid-August when the hydrangeas were at their peak, so every year they remind me of that happy day.

Ummm…do you see dry leaves??? I don’t!! What leaves??

Which is more beautiful? The one yet to burst, or the one almost there? It’s hard to decide.

And guess who else likes the PeeGee hydrangeas?

This is the second year for this Endless Summer hydrangea, and she grew “demurely” this summer. I have high hopes for her next summer, now that I moved her to a sunnier spot, but I am thankful that she gave us blooms in time for the little tea party we had after Baby Love’s piano recital (that’s another post!).

She IS lovely, isn’t she?

These are last year’s geraniums! And they came from cuttings from the year before (you can see my post about rooting cuttings here). I was so crazy about this Calliope Red geranium that I didn’t want to run the risk of not finding it again, so we took the plants to our office over the winter, and they survived (though a little leggy by spring). We’ll certainly do that again this year—that way we get nice big plants early! They sure are happy in the berry cart, aren’t they?

So, Mary, Mary (not) quite contrary, how did your garden grow this year? We had so much rain in the spring and early summer that ours took a while to “catch,” but then, in the end, some of them took off and gave us a good show. I hope yours did too. Enjoy what’s left of summer!! The snow will fly in these here parts all too soon!!

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturday at http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/

Saturdays at http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Tuesdays at http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Dance Recital Tussie-Mussie

For Chickadee Baby Love’s first dance recital three years ago, I came up with the idea of making a tussie-mussie for her, as a way to give her her flowers. When her second recital came around, I thought it would be nice to make another one for her (you can see two versions HERE, and more to come), and have made one for every recital since (two last year and two this year, for her piano and dance recitals). This year, at age 7, when she didn’t see one in my hands after her dance recital, she asked me if I had made one for her! Oh, my happy heart! She likes them! She likes the fact that I make them for her!

The Columbus Dance Arts Academy puts on an incredible program to showcase the incredible talent of their students. It has become such a big event that this year it was held at a theatre in downtown Columbus (Ohio)! (Which also explains why the dancers need to wear heavy makeup!) Baby Love was—appropriately, I thought—a Love Bug!

  And here’s our very own Love Bug, aka Baby Love, enjoying the treats that accompanied her tussie-mussie. (More on the treat bags later :) )

Given her dance number, I set out to coordinate her tussie-mussie to the theme and to her costume~

  

The lady Love Bugs are buttons I found at Jo-Ann. Don’t they look right at home nestled in the hydrangeas in our yard?

For the “roses” in the tussie-mussie I used Hershey’s kisses (how appropriate is that, kisses for our precious baby?!), wrapped in red tulle. I added silk rose leaves to make them more realistic, plus ivy and other greenery.

  Her favorite, of course, was the fat lady Love Bug, made out of a Tootsie Roll Pop that I covered in red felt and added a pompom for its head. Little googly eyes and rhinestones on her antennae, and she was ready to attend the recital! (Since I’ve saved all her tussie-mussies and have them displayed in her room here at out house, the Love Bug and kisses were not eaten. There were plenty of treats to accompany the tussie-mussie and for her little brothers who benefit from her performance.

Tussie-mussies need handles, in order to not crush them or damage the decorations, so another Love Bug button graced the top of the handle.

THIS is what a Love Bug looks like!

And this…

And just in case you’re wondering why all the fuss, it’s for that smile…those sweet eyes..those beautiful curls…but most of all, it’s for her most beautiful heart.

  I am blessed to be her Ata (ah-tah), and that she is my Baby Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The tussie-mussie idea came about as I thought about a gift to give her after her first recital, and I’m glad I’ve been able to carry it on to now have it be a tradition, because I find that it’s not easy to come up with ideas that relate to the theme. I hope you’ll share the ideas you’ve come up with for recital gifts, because I’m sure many of our blog friends will welcome them!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturday at http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/

Saturdays at http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Tuesdays at http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Red, White & Blue Inspiration, Part 2

Hi, All! I love patriotic holidays and red, white & blue so much that I have tons of pictures to share, even after last week’s post (here). While last week was mostly about red, white & blue gardens and other great inspiration from our trip to Newport Beach, California, this post is more about home—our home specifically.

The table is set! Won’t you join me for a patriotic luncheon? I used my Ballard Designs Southern Living tiered basket (love, love, love it—it’s so versatile!) as the main attraction and to save room on the table by using it to hold the dishes, napkins, mugs, etc.

The flag is actually a scarf (coincidentally, a souvenir from our Newport Beach visit). The Warren Kimble Colonial sugar and creamer are ready for the coffee to accompany dessert, which includes fresh fruit: cherries in a pewter star dish (a GREAT gift from a friend many years ago), and strawberries in a blue-and-white bowl. The silver underplate for the strawberries complements the pewter star dish and adds a bit of “ummph” to the bowl, rather than setting it directly on the table.

As you know…no holiday decorating is complete at our house until the china cabinet is done! As you also know, I’m The Lazy Decorator, so a few touches of red added to the blue-and-white Spode Delamere, and voilà! A subtle “salute” to a patriotic holiday! 

 

After our luncheon many of the pieces found a home in the china cabinet.

These flag stirrers were a great find (wish I remembered where!), as was the blue-and-white pitcher—DO remember where I found it—at a second-hand store!

Hardly is there a time when you don’t find blue hydrangeas somewhere in our home—and a great addition they are to our red, white and blue decor!

For some reason I feel like people are decorating earlier for the Fourth this year—have you noticed that? I don’t mean stores—they had Fourth of July merchandise out in March, I believe! Do you think it’s the earlier-and-earlier Christmas decorating habit that is spreading even to the Fourth? Will be, like the stores, be decorating for the Fourth in June? Or just carry it over from Memorial Day right into the Fourth?

Speaking of Memorial Day, I have one more picture to share with you! We were in Florida over Memorial Day weekend, and thinking ahead, I took the flag scarf, AND A SMALL FLAG, in order to observe that day while we were there~

Remembering those who serve and have served is important—even while on vacation. Thank you to all of them, and their families.

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Since I’m seeing more patriotic deco, I’m feeling pressure to get my decorations out. I also want to get my posts done, in the hopes that they’ll offer some ideas and inspiration to you. I get so many ideas and inspiration from you all, that it’s the least I can do! :) That’s what blog friends are for, right? Next week’s post will be the front porch, so stay tuned!

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

Monday Show and Share at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

Mondays at The Art of Homemaking at http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

ModMix Monday at http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/

Amaze Me Monday at http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Inspire Me Monday at http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://californiacoastalhome.blogspot.com/

Karen’s Something to Talk About at http://www.karensuponthehill.com/

Tuesday’s Blog Shop Listings at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Tuesdays at http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Wednesdays at DIY Design at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com\

Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Thursdays Share Your Cup with Mrs. Olson at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

Thursday Your Turn to Shine at http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/

Share Your Style Thursday at http://www.Commonground-do.com/

Fridays at Feathered Nest: http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Home Sweet Home: http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturdays at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Saturday at http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/

Saturdays at http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni