Creating A Life Studio: April 2013

Can you believe we finally have some real spring weather here in western Colorado?! Sheesh, it was a long time coming! This weekend it was in the 70's and just perfect out, so I decided to take on prettying up our desperately winter-worn little porch. I didn't even bother taking any 'before' pictures, it was just bare and ugly and sad looking. Trust me.

I've mentioned before that although I really do love color, at this stage of my life I generally prefer to have more white/neutral rooms. It's just more soothing to live with. Apparently soothing is what I need : )
But out here I'm going for some cheerful spring color.

Come on over, put your feet up and relax for a bit. The birds are singing happy, the sky is glorious and it's a perfect time to be out on the porch!

Our porch swing has been with us through 3 homes and lots of years. Despite having to replace broken rusted bolts, and the original cushions being torn and faded, I still love it! Cover it with old, soft cotton sheets and a pile of over-sized pillows and it's charming {and comfortable} as can be. Not to mention the great creaking noise when you swing : )

The vintage tablecloth was my mom's. I think I raided her vintage stuff about 25 years ago, and she was nice enough to give me some of my favorites. Mind you, this tablecloth was probably new when she got it!

Several years ago I picked up 4 of these yellow gingham curtain panels at a thrift store for about $2.00 each. They are pretty heavy and lined, and they've had many different uses over the years. I used two of them to cover the brown chairs. Can't I just put them on a window like a normal person?

The other two I hung at each end of the porch, just for a little color and softness. I really like our view out here, and I wouldn't want to cover too much of it.

I wanted to get them up in a hurry, so I just gathered the top of the panel, tied it with a piece of clothesline and hung it over a nail.

Last summer my younger kids begged me to turn this into a sleeping porch, and it never happened. Maybe later in the summer I'll see if I feel motivated to do it. If so, I'll rig up a curtain rod (or just stretch a length of clothesline) so the curtains can actually be closed, since this is right where the sun rises in the morning.

An old iron headboard, just 'cause I think it's cute.

I decoupaged this bottle when my son was born, almost 6 years ago! I still think it's pretty sweet.

I made this little scrap bunting last summer from vintage sheets. I used iron on tape to attach the flags to a strip of yellow gingham fabric (also from an old sheet). Not perfect, by any means, but it was quick!

Thrift store patchwork pillow cover.

Wooden box was a curbside find recently.

Another old headboard, a vintage baby quilt on the table, and the floral metal tray table was my grandma's!

I can't resist putting in a photo of my little guy "acting". As if he would ever really take a nap!

Yep, I'm having my afternoon coffee out here. This is another vintage floral tray that belonged to my grandma.

I'm sure I'll be tweaking things a bit more out here this week, but today I'm happy to let it be.

Thanks for coming by and hanging out on my cozy little porch today!

Jeanette

Sharing this week over at:
Be Inspired at Common Ground

Monday Funday at Finding Home
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Creative Bloggers Party at Homemaker on a Dime
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Knick of Time Tuesday
Budget Decorating at Creative Cain Cabin
The Scoop
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits at StoneGable
Share Your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours
Creative Inspirations at Embracing Change
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Sometimes all the pieces just come together. Rarely. But sometimes : ) I almost can't even call this a "project" because of the way everything seemed to magically fit together.

Recently we were picking things up from a nearby city's annual spring clean-up. People put their cast-offs {including lots of furniture, construction and garden supplies} out for the city to pick up and dispose of on a certain date. Before that date, it's all fair game and we brought home lots of great "junk".

This baker's rack had no shelves, but I knew I could come up with something to replace them, so home it came. I really don't need this piece in my house, but if I can't sell it, it won't kill me to keep it around either.

Another thing we picked up was this child size picnic table that had fallen apart. I can use all these white boards for something, right?

Another curbside find-this large wire basket was in a post-yard sale "free" pile.

The white boards from the picnic table happened to be just the right length to form shelves, and the wire basket fit perfectly into the center shelf space! Crazy, huh? Like I said, it's almost too easy to be called a project.

I can think of lots of places a shelf like this would be useful. In a laundry room, a bathroom, as a potting shelf. I decided I'd style it as a kitchen rack, just to show you what it might look like in this space.

The basket is pretty large and could hold so many different things! Dishes, paper goods, pie pans and baking utensils, root vegetables, breads, table linens...

The handle of the basket makes a perfect towel holder, too.

I can fit several of my ironstone pitchers {and my grandma's cow creamer} on the top shelf with some utensils.

The second shelf I filled with an old basket holding mason jars with silverware, a little creamer holding measuring spoons and my pepper mill atop some small white bowls. I tucked a chalkboard across the back and even found a spot to hang an apron.

On the bottom I put a picnic basket {great for storage, as well} and some of my cookbooks.

This little white board panel was another curbside rescue. Not sure yet what it will become.

Making something useful from elements that would have ended up in the landfill totally makes my day. Doing it without spending a dime? Even better!

How about you? Do you have a favorite curbside rescue project?

We ***FINALLY*** have some spring weather this weekend, whoohoo! The kids are playing in the park behind our house in shorts, and I spent some time sprucing up our little back porch with some happy color today! I'll have post about that up tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks so much for coming over, friends!

Jeanette

Sharing this week over at:

Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill

Monday Funday at Finding Home

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Creative Bloggers Party at Homemaker on a Dime

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Budget Decorating at Creative Cain Cabin

The Scoop