Archive for the ‘Exterior’ Category

How to Make a Custom Cushion

I’ve sworn that I’m going to get my “to-do” pile in the sewing room this summer. It’s not quite a UFO pile…it kind of has it’s own classification. It’s all the silly things that are either super fast projects or just need fixed!

Anyway, today I set out to wrap up some things outside but I woke up to a yucky rainy day. So, off to Joann’s we went! I grabbed some 3″ foam, my 50% off coupon and I was determined to get this bench cushion out of my to-do bin! I figured that I would help you while I was at it; with this helpful tutorial, you’ll be able to make any sized bench cushion that you need! Follow my formulas and it’ll fit snuggly and look lovely! Let’s get started: (Continue reading…)

Simple, Durable DIY Window boxes

Today I’ve got a fantastic DIY project for you! In a new adventure that I’ve gotten ourselves into, we’ve decided that it’s time for a big change in our front yard. I’ve dubbed this project as “un-landscaping.” After a whirlwind year, and our front flowerbeds mysteriously being weeded (I’m assuming by our sweet neighbors) while we were away for the weekend, it’s time to step back and admit our limits. Flowerbeds aren’t beautiful when they are being taken over by weeds and untrimmed, disproportionate shrubs. (Continue reading…)

How to Grow Luffa & Make Your Own Sponges

promo image for a tutorial on growing a luffa gourd and turning it into a luffa sponge

Flipping through the Burpee’s Seed catalog this spring was, as usual, way too inspiring. I flipped over the page and saw among the squashes: luffa. I did a double-take and realized that not every bathroom sponge has to grow under the sea—I could grow my own luffa sponges!

I quickly added these miracle seeds to my order and anxiously awaited their arrival. A few weeks later, I was planting four tiny seeds into the ground, no idea what I was in for. Little did I know that these vines would take over at least a quarter of my giant garden and flower well into October; I’ve got enough luffa to keep a small country squeaky clean.

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Is My Home Hostile? 6 Mistakes That We All Make in Our Homes

6 reasons why your home feels uninviting and how to fix it!My husband always finds the most interesting articles! It probably has something to do with actually knowing how to use Twitter, but I digress—he’s the best at finding information that I love. Today an article popped up in my inbox titled The Subtle Design Features That Make Cities Feel More Hostile: Think your city doesn’t like you? You’re right. After reading it, I wondered if there are ways that we make our homes feel hostile without even knowing it. Here are the top 6 most common mistakes that I’ve discovered, making our homes feel unfriendly, even if we aren’t aware of it and how to fix them to make your home more welcoming: (Continue reading…)

The Monthly Mirror: A Perfect Porch

Small Porch DecorI don’t know about you, but I grew up with the most amazing porch in the entire world—wooden porch swing, iced tea, and all! Even if you didn’t have the privilege of this sort of upbringing, you know what I’m talking about, and I know it’s what we both are craving! When standards are set that high, it’s hard to think that my 5’x5′ slab of concrete will ever satisfy, but I believe that with the right accessories any shape and any size of front porch can feel just like we want. With a little help from Diana over at Our Vintage Home, I’ll show you how to get the look of that cozy front porch anywhere! (Continue reading…)

Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter

winterize gardenMy backyard garden is so embarrassing! Wooden stakes leaning over the falling over wooden fence, posts are missing from my fight with our giant groundhog, tomatoes rotting on the ground—it’s a disaster! In my efforts to finally get the back yard cleaned up, I also learned that you should get your garden ready for winter every fall, so here are a few tips and tricks on how to protect your garden this winter.
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DIY Outdoor Rug

Make your own area rug!I believe it’s time for a quick, simple DIY!

This is one of my favorite outdoor DIYs so far because it’s quick, easy, cheap, and you have complete creative control! I give you: the patio rug.

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Summer DIY: How to Remove Ivy

How to remove an ivy bank“That is the FIRST thing that goes!”

That was me, pointing at a whole bank of ivy this time last year when we were buying our first home. We couldn’t help but plan at the walkthrough—we knew this was the house for us! We got the house in the end, but the bank of ivy was certainly not the first, second, or even third thing to go! I finally got around to ripping it out this spring and realized that there is a system to pulling out ivy, especially mass amounts of invasive ivy. I thought I’d share with you, so that you don’t need to waste your time trying to figure it out (like I did)! So, here we go: the easiest way how to pull out an ivy bed.

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My Café Table: Recovering Chair Cushions

Recover Exterior FurnitureThe past few weeks have been quite an adventure: my dear uncle (an HVAC professional) came and helped us decipher some of the heating issues in our home, which looks like it’s going to be a lot more involved than we originally thought. This may or may not hold up our basement renovation plans since we are still working on a final game plan. But for now, I’m focusing all of my I-can’t-wait-for-summer energies on the exterior of our home, starting with the deck. Today I recovered some cushions on a café set that my grandmother gave to us.

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