Everyday Living

Patio Possibilities?

~ Decorating, Outdoors

 We are talking backyard project again on the blog today!  We have drawn our plans for the garden and will be sharing those with the landscaper in the next few days. In addition to the garden area that we shared a couple of weeks back (See here: How Does Your Garden Grow?), our patio is also included in those plans!  To say that it is time for a patio makeover is a huge understatement, seeing as it was built many years ago.  We enjoy eating alfresco from April through October and sitting and relaxing-that is its primary function.  For the past few years, we have contemplated adding a screened porch (too much upkeep, I think).  And we must take into consideration that we have a lot of critters…raccoons, rabbits, opossum, armadillos, turkeys, deer…you get the picture!  Friends have told us some of them will manage to get through screening.  I can just imagine waking up to find them all having a full-blown party on the porch!!!  So a patio make-over is the decision we have made!  I wanted to share some inspiration photos and include a few from our back yard space and talk pros and cons.

Most of these were taken from my Pinterest board: Outdoor Spaces.
Click the picture to go to the original source.

  This example, with its coffered ceiling and lanterns, is a
dream space and probably not a reality! What a beautiful patio for eating.  I love the brick herringbone
patterned floor! What’s not to love about this patio!  I can see enjoying morning
coffee and quiet time in the comfy seating with the sound
of the trickling water fountain! A vine-covered arbor is great protection from the
mid-day sun.  Of course, a fireplace would be a nice
addition-but how much would we really use it?
 This is another example of an arbor covering!IMG_7858 Enjoying morning coffee last year on my patio!
To see more of my Instagram photos,
click here:  Pam’s Instagram patio As you can see, everything is in disarray on our patio! This is an ideal spot for dining out.  I can imagine autumn
dinners with a fire burning! I would not choose a gravel surface, but I love the vintage table
and chairs with a nearby fountain! This partially covered patio has incorporated a sitting area with
fireplace and a dining space! Breakfast on our patio last summer!
You can see more photos here:  Breakfast Alfresco! The large coffee table, mirror, vine covered trellis and furniture
offer an attractive space for entertaining! A fire pit has been a consideration and I love this small one! An arbor with a swing is always a good idea!arbor Butch built our arbor over 30 years ago and it was located in our front
yard with a swing facing our Appalachian foothills.  We moved it to
the back yard and planted Lady Banks roses.  I took this photo
this week!  As you can see we have wide open space for our plans! But if we place a swing under the arbor, then we can’t enjoy dinner
under the roses.  This photo is from last year!
You can see more photos here:
Reservations for Two Under the Arbor
I think the swing will win!

So many options-and if we weren’t concerned with a budget and upkeep, then the sky would be the limit.  We so enjoyed your comments from our post about the garden planning and would love your comments about the patio and arbor.  This will be an ongoing story until we can
share the finished project.
Hopefully that will be by the end of May!

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pam closingLinking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Be Different Act Normal, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Craftberry Bush, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl,  Cozy Little House

Bookends: Shelf Life

~ Bookends, Decorating

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬untitled

As an interior decorator, I have organized, accessorized, and styled scores of book cases!  I guess you could say it is one of my fields of expertise.  The problem that most people encounter is the lack of books to fill large built-in bookcases. That would never be a problem in my home! We have hundreds of books and need a library in order to enjoy them and to locate them when we need a particular volume! (See here: My Dream Library). The reason bookcases are problematic is they can look bare from a lack of books or swing the pendulum and be overdone with too many trinkets.  There needs to be balance!  Bookshelves should be inviting with interesting objects and great books that are actually read!  I love old leather books and use them often, but my favorite are books with their worn dust jackets that add color and warmth to a room!  Today I am showing you a small five-shelf bookcase and how I styled it both with books and accessories!  My hope is that you find inspiration and encouragement to experiment with displaying your books and keepsakes.  The walls are hand rubbed in shades of turquoise  and appear brighter in the photos!  But we all know by now that I am a girl who loves color!! All shelves display books, as you will see throughout.  This photo
shows the top four shelves with books and accessories!  The bottom two shelves are shown here You might find it hard to believe, but there are 37 books
on the five shelves!  The top shelf holds an original watercolor painting I bought in
Buenos Aires, an antler box, and a stack of books with a
jeweled carriage on top.
 I have a collection of jewel boxes and this one adds a little
glam to a small stack of devotional books, which by the way, I would recommend all three!6 The second shelf has books on either side of a majolica pitcher!  The third shelf centers books in the middle with accessories
on either side.  On the right side you will see a jeweled giraffe!  The left side of the shelf holds a mini floral oil painting on an easel!  Accessories aren’t always necessary!  It is perfectly ok to have an
entire shelf of books standing.  But to peak interest, I have stacked
books in the middle and topped them off with a family photo.
I always want the spines of the books in view!  Bookcases provide an excellent place for family photos, adding a
personal touch!  A small jeweled frame holds a picture of
Seth and me at his graduation!  The bottom shelf has a stack of decorating books with
accessories on top that include a family photo, a fabulous
scented candle, and a special guitar!  On the left is an old majolica pitcher bought at a benefit auction!  Butch is an excellent guitarist and a friend gave him this
beautifully crafted wood miniature!  Notice every shelf is different in the way the books are organized.
This makes the bookcase more exciting!  The accessories add
color and balance…and most importantly they are treasured
items and we enjoy them on display!  The chinoiserie bookcase by Maitland Smith has a different scene
painted on each shelf.  This piece, I am sure, is meant for displaying
a few objects and not for books hiding its beauty!  Any shelf
is an invitation for me to stack books!

“We read to know that we are not alone”
       -C.S. Lewis

pam closing

Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict,Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Womens Bloggers

How Does Your Garden Grow?

~ Decorating, Outdoors

“And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good”
‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭11-12‬

It is that time of year…the sun is shining and things are turning back to their beautiful green color!  It’s also the time I always start thinking about new landscaping and gardening!  Last Saturday, a landscaper came and spent a couple of hours as we discussed the projects we have in mind.  Our first order of business is our back yard.  Let me explain!

We have a 6 or 7 acre pasture at the rear of our property.  As the years have passed, our back yard space has gotten larger and harder to maintain.  The pasture is still used for hay and for all the wildlife that often stop and visit…deer, turkeys, raccoons, fox, and unfortunately armadillos! With that being said, space is certainly not an issue!

Now back to the landscaper…hopefully he will return in a couple of weeks to finalize our plan.  Not wanting to be unprepared, I have been researching all the possibilities-and they are endless!  In all of my searching and pinning,  I found many looks that I would love to see out my kitchen window!  Since we do not live in a fantasy world, and we do have a budget, there is much to consider!  We do live in the country and I want, appropriately, to have a rustic and inviting feel.  I also want to keep an herb garden and a small vegetable garden, both of which we have had for years.  Perennials, annuals, walking paths, and architectural elements are just a few of the things that would make my backyard a dream!  I would love to use a small bronze fountain that I have, but they are difficult to maintain and Butch is not fond of that idea!  With all of this on my mind, I decided to share some ideas I am considering.  I will keep you updated on the progress and I hope to share the finished project with you!

Click on the photo to view original source.
And be sure to visit my Pinterest board, Outdoor Spaces!

 The white gate with the basket of flowers and the
stone columns is perfect for a front entrance,
but I am thinking for the entrance into my  garden! Love the hostas and the overgrown look!  A brick path with flowers spreading is my
ideal walkway!  I already have the white iron bench!  I like the rustic feel of this country garden…
picket fence and rough wood arbor!  English style kitchen garden with herbs
and vegetables and flowers surrounding the perimeters!  I know that Butch can build this arbor!
This might be a favorite!  Can you imagine this English cottage garden
in your back yard?  This is a perfect spot for alfresco dining for
just the two of us! Another dining option!

 Faux bois table and chairs…perfection but not
budget friendly!  I would like to have a space for relaxing and
entertaining in a garden just like this!
Am I dreaming big?  A perfect English garden!  The forest green garden fence blends seamlessly
into the landscape!  How clever is this – an old screen door as a garden gate!  Architectural elements such as this armillary
always adds interest!  Love…love…love Vegetable garden and chicken coop!!  Probably not, but I can still dream!

So, what about you?  Do you have plans for an herb or vegetable garden? Are you making any changes in your landscape this spring?  We love your thoughts and comments!  Thank you for sharing your life with us!

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“For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations”
Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭11

pam closing

Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Craftberry Bush, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Womens Bloggers