Hello everyone and welcome to the 47th All About Home Link Party! I hope you all had a blessed and wonderful holiday weekend! I have really enjoyed seeing all of the patriotic decor for the past several weeks, and I am not quite ready to pack all of mine away just yet. How about you, do you keep some red, white and blue out through Labor Day or are you decorating with other summer themes? Either way, I am loving everyone’s summer decor, and I can’t wait to see whatever everyone shares this week! Read more
Happy July, and welcome to Thursday Favorite Things! I am thrilled to be joining Katherine at Katherine’s Corner and wonderful group of bloggers for my third year as a co-hostess for this fantastic weekly link party for bloggers and blog readers too! Read more
After five weeks of hard work I am finally ready to share my first real “reveal post” of my vintage sink potting bench and our new backyard cottage garden! Sometimes it only takes that one junkin’ find to completely transform your home or garden. That’s exactly what happened when I scored this vintage drainboard sink for $32 at an antiques shop and decided to upcycle it into a beautiful and useful potting bench. Read more
Happy July everyone! Today I am sharing the simple farmhouse style patriotic door basket I whipped up in no time for our patio door. We and our neighbors both had yard sales on Saturday. I got to shop their sale the day before as they were setting up, and I scored this adorable door basket for only $2.oo! *This post contains affiliate links.
Hello and welcome to the 46th All About Home link party! It has been a super busy week between participating in blog hops, “finishing” up garden projects and resuming our kitchen renovation (and throwing in hosting a weekend yard sale in for good measure!) I am going to have so much to share over the next week too as I break up my garden posts in segments, so I hope you will stop by daily!
I took some garden photos the day before yesterday and I am sure glad I did…the deer discovered my beautiful lilies and sunflowers overnight and had a feast! Ugh! We have lived here for six years and the lilies have never been more spectacular than they have been this year. Upon closer inspection in the photo above, I can see that the deer must have been snacking on them some already, but there were so many blooms I hadn’t noticed it until this morning when 3/4 of the blooms were gone! Read more
Happy SUMMER and welcome to Thursday Favorite Things! I am thrilled to be joining Katherine at Katherine’s Corner and wonderful group of bloggers for my third year as a co-hostess for this fantastic weekly link party for bloggers and blog readers too! Read more
Today I am excited to be joining a talented group of blogging friends for our monthly Pinterest Challenge hosted by my sweet friend, Cindy of County Road 407. If you are coming over from French Ethereal or if you just happened to stop by today, I am so glad you are here! *This post contains affiliate links.Read more
Hello dear friends! Can you believe the Fourth of July is just two weeks away? If you are looking for “All-American” decorating inspiration, then you have come to the right place! I am so excited to be joining my friends Chloe of Celebrate and Decorate and Andrea of Design Morsels along with several other talented bloggers today for the Patriotic Tablescape Blog Hop. If you are coming over from My Family Thyme or if you just happened to visit today, I am happy to have you here! You will find links to each blogger’s creative patriotic tables at the end of this post. Read more
One of the first things people always ask when they see my decor is “How do you mix so many style and keep everything looking so coordinated?” I always tell them that I just follow my heart and surround myself with things I love. Often times I will decorate with a theme or style, such as vintage cottage garden or French Country style, but there is always a mix of elegant and rustic decor. If you are just getting started on decorating your first home or if you want to do an interior design refresh, it is helpful to have some sort of theme or design style.Read more
Hey there friends! How’s your summer junkin’ and thrifting going? So far my junkin’ season is off to a great start! Despite being a little strange with all of the concerns about social distancing I have still managed to luck into some great finds. Last weekend a friend of mine posted an old wicker rocking chair on facebook for $30. I had been wanting a wicker or faux wicker rocker for our front porch for quite some time, but new ones can be pricey, and old wicker pieces are usually in poor shape. Read more
Happy June and welcome to Thursday Favorite Things! I am thrilled to be joining Katherine at Katherine’s Corner and wonderful group of bloggers for my third year as a co-hostess for this fantastic weekly link party for bloggers and blog readers too! Read more
Happy Summer everyone! Today I am excited to be sharing my early summer decor as part of the Summer Home Tours featuring 30 talented bloggers! A special “thank you” goes out to our talented host, Marty of A Stroll Thru Life for organizing this inspiring event. The tours have been fabulous this week, so if you you missed any of them be sure to check them out via the links at the end of this post. If you are coming over from White Arrows Home or if you just happened to stop by today, I am so happy to have you here! Read more
Happy June and welcome to Thursday Favorite Things! I am thrilled to be joining Katherine at Katherine’s Corner and wonderful group of bloggers for my third year as a co-hostess for this fantastic weekly link party for bloggers and blog readers too! Read more
Hello friends and welcome back to my Pin Away Wednesday series! Summer is a great time to create stunning cut flower arrangements and to enjoy the fresh summer blooms from the garden or market. Today I am sharing highlights from my Flower Arrangements, Bouquets, and Gatherings for inspiration. If you are a flower lover, get ready to pin away! Read more
Hello friends and welcome to a fun “Summer Nights” themed blog hop hosted by my friend Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction. I am excited to be joining five blogging friends for this fun hop as we share creative ways to celebrate summer nights. Read more
Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying summer and finding some joy in your gardens as these times of trial and suffering we are facing seem to be neverending. For me, creativity is the key to staying positive, and I have been trying to tackle little craft projects that have been on my to-do list for some time using supplies I already have at home.
About eight years ago I purchased this pretty garden stake at Hobby Lobby. This is the only fuzzy picture I have of how the stake looked originally. It had a small Frenchy rose and post card image under resin. Over the years the resin broke and the image completely faded. I continued to use the stake in my garden because I liked the overally style and rusty-chippy look of the stake itself, which had faded from a rusty cream to a rusty white.
I actually forgot to get a before picture (I always seem to forget the before pictures!) but here it is when I was just getting started sponging on some decoupage.
I got the idea to give the stake a makeover when I was cleaning out my craft bin and came across this outdated calendar that I kept for craft purposes.
It was one of my favorite all-time calenders (another amazing Dollar Tree find) with beautiful French vintage images that are perfect for crafting. When I flipped the calendar over and saw the small images on the back, I noticed that they looked about the same size as the missing image spot on the garden stake. With a little Mod Podge (affiliate) I knew I could give the garden stake a new (vintage) look in no time.
I wanted to use this image, but it turned out to be a bit too big. I decided to cut out the butterfly to save for a future decoupage project. Then I just pieced together the pretty flowers as a collage to fit the empty square on the stake.
Using the pieces I had left over after the butterfly was cut out, I played around until I could fill in the entire blank square. I brushed the Mod Podge directly on the stake with a foam brush where the image would be, and also on the back of each cut piece. After I positioned the pieces in place I covered the entire collage with another light coat of Mod Podge.
I love how this quick and easy garden stake makeover turned out! After it dried I took it out to the garden and played around with using it in a few different spots. Here it is stuck down in my big galvanized bucket of herbs. Even though there is a slight visible seam in the collage and the images don’t exactly match up, the stake will always be viewed in the garden from a distance, so the “imperfections” are barely noticeable.
A couple of days ago I used it to stake some tall flowers on a newly planted Yarrow that needed some help straightening up.
For now I am loving it in my colorful superbells petunia basket which is sitting on my new potting bench. This area doesn’t get heavy rain since it is up against the garage and under part of the roof overhang, so I think the image will last for a while. By the way, I will be sharing my new potting bench and progress on our new backyard cottage-garden landscaping over the next several posts, so I do hope you will visit often!
The whole project took less than 10 minutes and didn’t cost me a dime since I had everything in my craft stash. Fast and free…that’s the ticket! Now I am ready to move on to decoupaging some old flower pots. Have you used decoupage for any fast and easy craft projects for spring or summer? I love hearing from you, dear readers!
Hello friends! I am thrilled to share some fabulous Friday finds that I lucked into on my first time “back on the junkin’ trail” since the shelter in place began in March! It’s not the actual finds that have me so excited (although I love my new treasures) but that fact that life is returning to some sort of normalcy, and that is what actually allowed me to luck into these treasures. *This post contains affiliate links.Read more
Welcome back to my Pin Away Wednesdays series! Since Memorial Day is this weekend and summer is upon us, I thought it would be a great time to share highlights from my Patriotic Decor Pinterest board. I absolutely love using patriotic touches around our home inside and out from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is so easy to create patriotic style inexpensively too! I am always pinning ideas for patriotic decor, crafts, tablescapes and more. Here are some highlights from the board. Pin away! Read more
Hello friends! Today I just want to share a little bit about a beautiful and funny period drama I discovered on Amazon, “Badehotellet” (Seaside Hotel). I have not been feeling well for a couple of weeks due to an autoimmue flare, so while spending my days resting in bed I have been enjoying a trip back to the late 1920’s and early 1930’s along the pristine Jutland seaside in Denmark. It has been a wonderful distraction from the modern day woes we are all facing. Read more
Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well during quarantine time! Have you been doing any home improvements while staying home? My husband has been working on our kitchen renovation and it is coming along nicely. At this point we are at a little stand still as we have to make some final decisions about the built-in that we plan to put in place of a window (it has an unscenic view of the side of the garage) and an oddly shaped short cabinet that we never use.
Hello friends and welcome back to my Pin Away Wednesdays series! Spring is here and I am loving every minute of it! We have some nice days, allowing me to get outside to enjoy some early spring planting and garden clean up. On cooler days I have been getting my gardening and flower fix from a couple of my favorite garden-themed boards on Pinterest. Today I am sharing highlights from my Country Cottage Garden Style Pinterest board. If you love flowers and vintage junk garden style, get ready to pin away! Read more
Happy holiday week dear friends! I can’t believe the Fourth of July is just two days away! Just a few days ago I got the idea to upcyle some vintage salvaged chair spindles into farmhouse style American flags. I rushed to get them finished up so I could share a post with you today. They were super fast and simple to make and I love how they turned out! *This post contains affiliate links.Read more
Hello dear friends! Can you believe the Fourth of July is just two weeks away? If you are looking for all-American decorating inspiration, then you have come to the right place! I am so excited to be joining my friend Chloe of Celebrate and Decorate and several other talented bloggers for the Patriotic Tablescape Blog Hop that has been going on all this week. You can find links to each blogger’s creative tables below. I love decorating with red, white and blue for patriotic holidays. Today I am sharing my “Stars and Stripes Forever” tablescape. Take a look! Read more
Beinvenue friends…and beinvenue SUMMER! Today I am thrilled to hosting the “Spring Into Summer” Porches, Patios and Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop where twenty fabulous blogging friends and I are getting together to share ideas for decorating various outdoor areas for summer. You can find links to all of the beautiful blogs at the end of this post. After weeks of battling pollen and rain, my husband and I were finally able to get the porch cleaned up last weekend. I ended up doing some unexpected restyling of the porch which resulted in a refreshed look in my favorite French (vintage) cottage and garden style. Come on up to the porch and take a look around! Read more
Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Today I am excited to be joining a talented group of blogging friends for our monthly Pinterest Challenge hosted by my sweet friend, Cindy of County Road 407. If you are coming over from Our Southern Home or if you just happened to stop by today, I am so glad you are here! This month’s challenge is to create a patriotic/Fourth of July vignette taking cues from this gorgeous Pinterest image by Mary of Home is Where The Boat Is:
Mary always designs the most beautiful spaces! In this photo she used several simple accessories to create an adorable patriotic vignette. It is super easy to create a farmhouse style Fourth of July vignette with these elements: Read more
More than 6 million people in North America view an average of 19 homes each month while house hunting, PR Newswire reports. While trends in home design used to be all about aesthetics and style, the demands of homeowners now seem to be changing. Today, more and more people are looking for beautiful and functional homes that facilitate eco-friendly lifestyles, blend traditional and modern styles, and provide ample space for socializing. Read more
Hello dear readers and welcome back for another post in my Home Ownership 101 Series! Today we are discussing the importance of keeping your HVAC well maintainted year round. Your home HVAC system helps keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. When it’s running smoothly, you don’t pay much attention to it. However, when things start to go wrong, then you have to make a decision. Do you try to fix it yourself, or do you call in a certified HVAC technician?
There’s a couple of things you can try before calling the professionals. First, make sure the thermostat is set properly and turned on. Second, make sure the air filter isn’t clogged. If both of those are okay, give the professionals a call right away. To find out more, contact HVAC in Cedarburg.
Optimizing HVACs for All Seasons
The elements can create havoc for homeowners during all four seasons. Extreme temperatures year-round can result in the need for restoration of your home. While some seasonal damage or preventative techniques will require the hand of a professional, there are a few simple tips that can help you protect your house and the systems that keep it comfortable. Discover these easy ways to protect your home during the changing seasons below.
During the spring, your home is thawing out from the winter. Your foundation is settling, your home is adjusting to different temperatures, and the wind can damage faulty residential structure.
But aside from all of that, it’s a great time to give your HVAC unit a spring cleaning. Vacuum out your vents and the interior parts of your system, and hire a professional HVAC specialist to inspect your unit. During the off-season, most professionals reduce their HVAC costs. Unfortunately, underground issues like roots growing through your pipes can cause a main line block or sewer main break. Thoroughly check your HVAC system to avoid expensive repair costs and summer cooling emergencies.
Summer
The summer is a time to have fun, but it’s also a great time for homeowners to check off their summer HVAC checklist.If your HVAC system isn’t getting your home to the right temperature. You check the air coming out of the vents. During the summer, you expect cool air. It’s too warm. Or, in winter, you need warm air. It’s coming out too cool.
Numerous potential issues can cause this problem. Once you verify the thermostat is set properly, it’s time to call in the professionals. They have the equipment and experiences to identify the problem and recommend the best solutions. That way, you can get your home to a comfortable temperature as quickly as possible.
The best way to get summer off to a great start is by upgrading your thermostat. Advanced technology features that come with modernized thermostats will give you the benefit of programming your temperature settings to reduce your energy costs. For example, geo-fencing technology learns when you leave your home and sets the thermostat a few degrees cooler, bringing it back up when you return. According to the EPA, “your thermostat can be set to energy-saving temperatures.” Summer is a wonderful time to spruce up your comfort levels.
The fall season requires another kind of maintenance. For example, when the leaves pile up around your unit, they can hide critters and cause your unit to get dirty. Mold can even start to develop around the exterior of your unit in the presence of persistent wet leaves. For this reason, the fall is a great time to get a lot of technical and maintenance work done to your HVAC unit. Remember to always keep your unit free from dust and debris by raking up your leaves, cleaning out your gutters, and trimming the trees close to your home.
Winter can be the toughest time of the year for your home. Anything could go wrong during the winter. Homeowners run the risk of busted pipes, losing energy from faulty windows, a frozen HVAC unit/pipes, and excess water from melting snow. Hopefully, during the fall, you’ve had your heating unit thoroughly inspected. Winterizing your HVAC unit is one of the best ways to protect your system. Properly insulated windows with appropriate weatherstripping can help you save money. You can also turn your thermostat down a few degrees to start saving on energy bills and reduce the overload on your system.
If you have any questions about seasonal tips and hacks to protect your HVAC unit, be sure to contact your local area heating and cooling professional today. Best of luck!
