Front Porch Sitting Accessories

So, I went to the Salvation Army's in my work town today. I was hunting an ice cream freezer. My Dad's gave up the fight this weekend.

I didn't find a freezer but I did find a few treasures!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know that I pin a bunch of junk to a board called "front porch sittin". Click {here} to see my board. I'm working on an easy space that's pretty but not fussy. Comfortable but not sloppy. I'm getting closer, I think.

Today, I found a couple of plant stands. They are really tall so I'm going to use them for side tables. For a buck each, I got both!! :) One may make it to my sun porch so I have a coffee perch...we shall see.

I just set them out on the porch...found condition. I think I like them as is....we shall see what Jonny says.

So anyway, before you get bored...

That's a tiny glimpse of a Church Pew my Mom picked up for me at an auction a couple of weeks ago...$50. Score!!!

I'm a sucker for legs and that green leg is just beautimus to me!

Here's my other table:

That's a whole vingette of second hand finds. I got the wreath, covered in grapes and weird ribbon at a yard sale for a quarter. The chair I got from a road side junk store for around $25. I probably over paid for it as it is in pretty rough condition but I still like it. And so far, it has held me up. :)

I'd like to find a small area rug for this corner. Maybe like 4'x6' or so.

Here's the table a little closer.

Here's the burning question...with my purple house and eclectic tables and chair...what color would you paint my Church Pew?

And, I'm linking up over at Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures party. Click {here} to play along!

Patio Furniture

I don't know about you, but I think patio furniture is horribly expensive!!! I've been looking around for furniture for our tall deck, the one Jj has been repairing. I'll show you progress pictures of the deck...pretty impressive, if I say so myself. That guy is super handy and talented.

Anyway, back to the fur other hunt. I had already decoded that I was going to have to wait for someone to discard their furniture either via garage sale, Craigslist or good ole estate auction!

Enter my sweet Momma and an Auction at Larry Petree Auctioneer in Tipton, MO. And check out this beauty!!!!!

I know! Just wait...it gets better!!!!!!! It was only $20!!!

A couple of weeks ago, on a routine Wal-Mart trip, I perused the spray paint and selected a color that was pretty to me. I didn't have a plan for the paint...I just knew that I liked it and it felt like the Beach to me. If you have been around here much this year, you know that I'm trying to add A little Beach to every room in our house. You can see my progress {here}. Anyway, here's the color I had...just waiting! And here's a sneak peak of the painting:

I only had one can of paint...so I'll have to finish another day. But! I'm liking up with Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Finds party. Check it out {here}.

Sun Porch Eye Candy

Remember waaaayyyyyyy back when I told you about getting my sun porch together?? Well, I had to google to find it, myself! :)

Look {here}.

Ok, so it's not much...so far but...

I had this bird cage from our wedding. Mom bought it back then at an auction and spray painted it to match our decor.

I love this thing!! Jj thought it shouldn't make the move from our old house...obviously, it came with! :)

Oops, there's my shadow.

Here we are partially painted.

And here it is pretty much done.

Let me tell you! Painting the inside of there was a royal pain in the patoot!

I also rubbed it down with a little wax stuff to take the *glare* off. I'll show you that when I get the porch shaped up. I need to do some serious sewing!!

Momogram J + Empty Frame = Pretty Eye Candy

I started with this wooden (MDF) letter that I got a couple of years ago at a shop in Rolla, MO while paper shopping with my Dad and Sister.

Side Note: For part of our Christmas, he took us to this local scrapbook store in Rolla. He gave us each money and let us pick out whatever we wanted. While we were shopping, he walked around and picked out stuff he thought we would like too. We had a blast making memories that day!

In that picture above, I had already used some Tim Holtz distress ink in Antique Linen around the edges. I tried Frayed Burlap but it was too dark and too green (like olive drab green).

I covered the letter in Mod Podge and pressed my paper on top. I decided it needed a bit more pressure so I turned it upside down.

That didn't seem to be heavy enough so I did what every girl would do...

I grabbed my knife block and sat it on top!

Fancy, I know. :)

I let it dry for a bit...like maybe an hour and then cut around the letter from the back. In hind sight, I think I would have let it dry a little longer.

I grabbed an old frame I had out in the garage (from a project that didn't go as planned). Now I have this in our entry.

I wish I could show you how ugly those frames were!!! They were all gold and had nasty water stained mats with stinky pictures that were all crinkly from water. I think I got 4 total and they were $2 each...I'm pretty sure I said "perfect" out loud! And I also got crop dusted by a 'gentleman' that day in Salvation Army. Nasty! But worth it for the frame deal I suppose.

Here's a farther back look:

I added a dainty little crocheted doily, about the size of a drink coaster after...but I didn't snap a picture...oops.

I'd like to add some more too..but I just don't know what yet.

See that green in the corner? It's this horse of an Elephant Ear plant my Mom gave us last summer when we bought this house.

So what else would you add in our entry? I'd love to hear.

Besides Murphy's oil soap and poly the baseboard and get rid of that DREADED green tile!!

I'm linking up with Rhoda @ Here's the Party at which I'm playing.

I also linked up with Jennifer Rizzo. Here's the link to the party at which I'm playing.

Merry CHRISTmas!

I wanted to take this time to wish my readers (hello, friends) a Very Merry CHRISTmas. May you find Peace this holiday season that can only be found in our Lord.

In wishing you Christmas cheer, I thought the friendly thing to do would be to have you all over for dinner. Now, most of you probably know, that I am a terrible cook. In fact, I really only have a kitchen because it came with the house.

However, since it's here, I thought what the heck, might as well decorate it! Decorating, I can do. Cooking...well I generally require assistance.

Anyway, without further ado, My CHRISTmas table:





A good bit of this stuff, I already had. The table cloth and all but 2 placemats, I've had forever (well, not really but probably 4 or 5 years) and I still love them to pieces!



The white square plates are our everyday plates. I got them YEARS ago from Pampered Chef. We are talking I was still in college and had a PC party to get free stuff and got these plates. And I still love them so I guess I made a good purchase. :)

The red luncheon plates came from Target this year. $7.99 for a set of 4. The holley bowels were from Target too. $9.99 for 2. Thank God for Mommas that work in other towns (with Targets) for saving the day on these new dishes. For my Target was grossly under stocked for my needs. :)



Now this is where the new stuff comes in. The tray I got (and one just a tad smaller) at TJ Maxx, $25 for the pair.



One of the big mercury glass candle holders came from The Maxx this year too; I think $6. The other one I won at Patty K's in California, MO last year at the Christmas Homes Tour.

The little votives on top are nestled into Southern Living at Home cups. I love them because they look like Candlewick crystal...except not as fragile or as expensive. The whole set has a serving tray and 3 votive cups.



The big chunky Christmas tree was from The Maxx this year too. It was under $10.

I also got the mercury glass balls at The Maxx too. I think they were around $4 each. I would have loved to purchase everyone they had! I love them so so much. The down side is they are very heavy so I'm not sure they will be very tree worthy. But beautiful? YES!!!



The taper holders I got for $1.50 at an Estate Tag sale a couple of weeks ago when we were visiting my Parents in Tipton, MO. And! They came with the tapers. Lucky me!!



The pinecones, I got (an entire shopping bag FULL) from a sweet patient of mine.



Chose your seat. And my all means, bust out my pretty cloth napkins. Have I ever mentioned to you that I adore cloth napkins? The really soft kind. Or a vintage flower sack tea towel will do too, in a pinch. But it's CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry CHRISTmas to each and every one of you. I sincerely appreciate you stopping by my corner of the interweb (Jj's word) checking to see what I'm up to. This blog is fun to me and a nice outlet for my schenanigans!

Here's to another blessed, bountiful year. May we have all that we need and be careful not to expect all that we want!

Christmas Ball Wreath

From Drop Box

Would you just look at that!?! Pauke! I love it!! (Not the stocking... the wreath.)

I am sure that others have made this wreath but I saw this wreath idea first from Sarah over at Thrifty Decor Chick. If you have never hung out with this wacky chick, head on over and visit...just don't forget to come back!!

Anyway, TDC, Sarah tells you exactly how to make these... and she did a very good job so I won't go off telling you again. I must stress... bust out the gluegun and glue those tops ON!

First-

I started with tubes of plastic ornaments from Dollar Tree:

From Drop Box

And I glued all the tops on with my baby glue gun that was a Christmas present last year from my MIL... LOVE IT!!

From Drop Box

I used dinner plates to hold all the Christmas balls from rolling off the table... I thought it would be easier to get glitter off plates (ahh, the miracles of dishwashers) than off the carpet!

Bending the coat hanger was kind of a pain but it did end up well worth it to use a non-flimsy hanger.... More on this later.

So, sit back and see my pretty wreath!!!

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

(Check out that pine cone and other random hard things wreath... I love it. Mom has since added some pretty sparkly ribbon to it... snazzy!)

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

I gifted this beauty to my friend Lora. I likely won't live on this block next year at Christmas but I want to always remember the fun we have had here in our Above the Creek Mafia. Next year, I will make another wreath for our new home and I will use it to always remember our great friends Above the Creek!

Here's the newest addition to our Home!

My Pretty Mom refinished this for our wedding gift. She and Steve delivered it last weekend. JJ and I couldn't decide where we were going to put it so they couldn't install the shelves (hence the year delay)...

Like Miss Irene, this beauty was nearly black when my Mom rescued her and saved her just for us. JJ and I truly are blessed with wonderful family that love us very much as well as provide for us an example of how wonderful marriage can be. I agree Mom, may God watch over us and help us to remember to keep Him at the center of our marriage and our marriage at the center of our lives.

Just look at that detail!!

We finally made a decision.... this pretty girl resides in my Cavern and holds some of my favorite things... PAPER!!

Psssttt-- looks like I need more doesn't it!?! There are two whole drawers at the bottom that are empty... EMPTY I say. Oh my stars!

~LJ

Graduation Cards via Stamp Club

I am in a Stamp Club with a few of my friends. I was the May hostess; with graduations and allergies/colds, we were a small group. While I missed my friends, I did not miss lugging the extra leaves for my table! :) We did "stamp a stack" to be able to produce several similar cards quickly. Perfect! Because I needed 3 graduation cards for the coming weeks. The stamp set is Bitty Birthday from SU. And! Look close... that's the Manhattan Flower embossing folder--Love!
Here's our tiny group, minus Lora. That's my Mom on the left (she's going to be impressed with this picture!) and my good, good friend Leslie and me on the left.

If you've been here before, you know that that's Miss Irene in the back ground.

Haha!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Today is my Mom's birthday. I'd like to send a shout out to her plus a few of my favorite photos of her...

This is a scrapbook album cover... Me, Mom and Sarah on vacation (2008). Mom and Steve aboard the U.S.S Alabama; she's a WWII gun boat. Massive and beautiful floating in Mobile Bay, Mobile, AL. Eventhough the date days '08, it was just last summer.
We were freezing our tails off atop a light house in Hannibal, MO in 2008 in celebration of Mother's Day and Mom's birthday.

In front of the Missouri Govenor's Mansion. Christmas Season, 2008 Happy Birthday, my pretty Momma!!

Designs by Carl Olson

Look what popped open at my house this weekend!! My Mom's coworker and friend Carl, is an Iris Farmer; he even hosted a very prestigious Iris Festival (now, I know it has a more sophisticated name which escapes me at the moment).
Anyway, he is very talented and hybridizes iris to get different colors, color combinations and traits. I toured his yard last summer...snazzy! He shares extra bulbs or some of his favorites with my Mom, who shares with me! I am a lucky girl!! I got several bulbs last fall; they all have really cool names... but I have no idea what they are.
What do I know? I love these flowers!!!! Thank you Carl!

Here's the one I will call "Pink Lady". I think it might be a "double" bloom. All I know for sure is that I love these flowers. Did I already say that? And, that pink looks pretty cool next to my brick too.

Yummy!

Look at these colors! Stinking cute!!

Look close, I even captured a few water droplets. Fancy pants!!

Thank you Carl, for sharing the fruits of your labor with Mom and me.

PS- I have some more pictures to share of my yard but I will save those for another post.

Edited to include: Linked up to Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer. (Sorry I haven't quite figured out how to grab the logo yet...)