Final porch post...in use

I'm loving the light, the color, the plants, the dog, and the man...I think we've had almost every meal since Friday on the porch...I'm a happy chica.

The pots and our little gardening how to...

After reading this book, I was inspired to try out gardening. Then, I had A. read it, and he equally was thrilled (he already loved gardening, but liked the idea of me being involved and doing it all in pots). After returning home from a very long work trip, we went to our favorite antique store in Northern Virginia and had three great finds.

Then, we put our little garden together, with the cool wash tub, wash basin, and my personal favorite the tobacco jar. Following the directions

in the book we started planting:

Along with the new "pots" we also used several we already had and the almost dead rose and strawberries were already planted.

We did a mix of seeds and little plants to see which was better.

We put holes in the bottom for drainage.

The book said to use either styrofoam or stones to help with drainage.

Fill to the top. We used an organic vegetable potting soil.

Our puppy was a big help. The aqua feeders were leftover from the last balcony garden. They are a pain to fill, but I think they are pretty.

A is home and the porch is blooming

The porch before A comes home:

The porch after 48 hours of my green loving husband's return:

Hopefully, we'll soon have tomatoes, hot peppers, strawberries, rhubarb (yes, I know the season is over but I missed the boat, and NEED some rhubarb), green beans, and eggplant!

Blood red...

...oranges that is. I love blood oranges, the color, the taste, heck the vampire in my even loves the name. That being said, they are a bit expensive. I wonder if I would really save money by buying my own tree?

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Porch spruce up...

After reading a post on DesignSponge about gardening and outdoor attire, I decided I needed to color-fy our porch so that it would be a warm, inviting place to spend our summer evenings. We spent long, lovely evenings on our porch at the old place, and our new one was even better, so after a month's long debate about where to spend the money and getting everything in from various stores it is finally ready, and just in time for my man to come home for a much too long work thing.

The chairs came with my man, no idea where from, but they are just little cheap, plastic jobs. I wanted cute yellow bistro chairs, but I don't want to pay for them, when these work just as well. I have been promised they will be painted bright yellow by a certain someone.

The mosaic lobster table is originally Pottery Barn, but I got if off of Craigslist for half the price. The fire pot is from Restoration Hardware, and is one heavy B! But awesome, I can't wait to light it up.

The cute little woodsman table was made by A.

The pillows were 25% off from World Market last weekend.

The rug is from Vivaterra and is made of reclaimed plastic bottles.

The wind-chimes were a gift to A. this Christmas and the sound is amazing. The lights are a compromise, A. wanted lanterns, but these seemed more weatherproof, and he was okay with that. Purchased from Pottery barn.

The bully is from Ohio, and he is the best looking part of the porch!

The only thing I need now is for A. to come home and plant pretty things in pretty pots...notice the dead rose bush and lackluster strawberry pot...I'm not a green thumb.

moose

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I think I want to buy this and hang my necklaces off of it. These heads are all the rage right now, and while I don't want a huge one in my living room, the little guy would be super cute in my bedroom.

skull and cross bones

For some reason the skull and cross bone look is becoming more popular. My husband has always liked the look in a masculine sort of way, not on throw pillows. But, when I saw this:

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I decided I liked it in a little bit of a cliche-wanna-be-punk fashion. But, I can't find a damn pillow that isn't cheesy.

So, then I started looking for cross-stitch patterns, and I found this one and I think its my favorite, but $85...I don't think so.

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I found this knitting pattern, but I'm not really a knitter yet:

I'm thinking maybe this would be the best one to combine arson with glam...

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Oh decisions to be made...

Discovered blogs after I got married...

I was not into blogs until I became unemployed and needed to fill my days with something, so I started reading food blogs, which led to design blogs, fashion blogs, mommy blogs (don't ask, never been pregnant), and then somehow wedding blogs. I was married at this point, in fact JUST married. I was unemployed because I moved to him for his job, and finding work in D.C. in 2008 was not all that easy. Anyway, after the discovery of blogs, I started kicking myself for not finding them earlier for all the great wedding advice. I loved my wedding, sure the groomsmen forgot black socks and I forgot to make a schedule for the reception, but hey that's life right? I mean details are simply NOT my thing...I apologize to my future children when I will forget to wash your shirt for purple shirt day and am frantically sewing on your boy scout patches on the way to the banquet.

Anyway, then I started my own blog for shits and giggles, mostly so I can catalogue cool stuff I see on the internet and I can have all the blogs I read i

n one place.

However, I recently ran across these:

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How freaking cute! I would plan my wedding again (not really) to use these!

yummy...

This and this is why She Eats Bears is my new fav. Try them, these recipes are summer dream food.

most recent anthropologie lovin'

(Normally, I'm a romper hater, but this is just so cute and summery, I might be giving into it...yikes~)

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Groovy Banners

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Yes please!

I can totally make this

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This is an amazing chair, but anthropologie is charging $200 for this chair. This is a folding chair with cool fabric, and I feel quite confident I can do this, and I shall.

from balloons to banners to books, I'm seeing inspiration everywhere!

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mason jar lovin'....

So, i think everyone loves mason jars, right? I mean what isn't to love, and now seeing them as chandeliers makes me want them even more. Right now I have a rockin' chandelier from Urban Outfitters, but some day, I'd like to make this first one and put in on my back porch....

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Here is a tutorial on how to make it.

I think I'd put it over this table:

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Only I'd have some blue jars as well!

This one is an anthropologie display that was then show on apartment therapy. Not practical in a house, but very, very cool.