Lucketts Part Two

One of my favorite things to see at Lucketts had nothing to do with what there was to buy. It was the wonderful outbuildings (not outhouses) on the grounds.

(photo borrowed from Casey who also loved the vendors sheds at Lucketts)

Most were filled to the brim with delightful items for sale by vendors.

I loved gazing at the architecture of each building. Many were made from old doors and windows, and most had a touch or two of beautiful moudings.I think I may have mentioned before that my dream home would be on a few acres with no neighbors in sight. And have about five different outbuildings including a big ol' barn that would be used for family gatherings instead of animals (even though when my boys get together it tends to sound like a bunch of animals.) I don't think that dream will be coming true anytime soon so in the meantime I'll just drool over these. . .and maybe figure out how I can build at least one outbuilding in my backyard.
Isn't this a perfect spot for outdoor eating? Or, since I already have similar pillars, maybe I could build something like this. . . A girl can dream, right?

In-Between Porch Decor and a Winner

It's such an odd time of year, one might call it the "In-Between Season." There are no holidays in sight, it's too cold to decorate for spring, and decorating with the grays and browns of winter has gotten old. To cure the winter blahs that one gets in the in-between season, I pulled out my brightest spray paint colors and some old, very old, thrifted items.
First I gave an old frame and a piece of scrap beadboard a fresh coat of bright orange. Then I painted the legs of a stool with a creamy yellow and finished the top off with gray.The beadboard is now the ideal spicy backdrop for an average woody wreath.Faux ranunculus in a crusty pot resting on a silver tray are appropriate for this time of year. Fun Fact: Ranunculus flowers season is usually from January till May. The flowers look so pretty framed in orange with a bright yellow little bird that seems to be enjoying the scene.Even though the flowers are fake I couldn't resist adding a cheery teal watering can into the vignette, along with an over-sized lantern to shed a little light in the crisp early evenings of this time of year.I now have a bright, delightful, and perfect In-Between Season porch.According to Random Generator, the winner of the Thirty-One Gifts Giveaway is number 35. Hooray Gayle! Gayle is a very talented rug hooker and loooong-time reader of my blog. I'm so excited for her. Giving prizes is always fun but when it's someone I "kindda" know (we've never met in person but I saw her on TV), it makes it even more exciting!
Thank you Diana from Thirty-One Gifts for hosting this giveaway.

A Spooky Welcome

The outside of my home is prepared to

welcome October guests.Some may think it's a little batty.But I think that it's something
to crow about.

Garden Delight

I want to thank you all
for your very warm and
welcoming comments
on my comeback post.
It's good to be back!


Summer days have come to an end but luckily
my vegetable garden is still in full production.
The tomato plants have filled the obelisks that we built. I grew heirlooms this year and it makes me giddy
to see them ripening.I've had so many tomatoes, zucchinis and summer squash
that I set up a table on my front porch
and asked my neighbors to come help themselves.I am delighted to see so many pumpkins and gourdsof all colors, shapes and sizes growing in my garden. I'm sure this may seem strange to some,
but sometimes I think that my purpose
for growing a garden is more for the
happiness
I get from decorating with my harvest
than from the eating of it. I suppose both serve a similar purpose;
one feeds the body, the other feeds the soul.

A Secret Garden

There is a shady little strip of land

at the side of my home. It isn't seen by many so I like to think of it as
my secret garden.

I've decorated it with odd little pieces of yard art. Because of it's less than ideal location,
plants struggle to grow and what plants do grow
become dinner to the snails that live there.But it is still a favorite little spot of mine,
to sit and ponder, or simply to walk through and smile.

The Ol' Screen Door

One of my favorite projects for the porch redo began with a door
that was originally propped in the corner of the side porch. It was there because my client has
a love for old screen doors
and she had purchased this one to use as decoration. Without telling her my plans I kidnapped her door to give it a makeover.

(She gave me a budget and told me she didn't want to make ANY decisions!)

I dry brushed it to give it a real aged appearance
and show off the details.We purchased two sets of bi-fold doors from the thrift store. And added plywood and molding to make a shelving unit.I gave the outside a few coats of the exterior red paint
that was used on other porch projects. The interior was painted a calm gray.Now the ol' screen door is not just pretty to look at,
it's functional too.The perfect little potting shed!