Freshened Up Spring Porch + Mother’s Day Interview
I’m so grateful to Balsam Hill for sponsoring this post. All opinions are always 100% my own. Sponsored posts keep this little blog moving; see my full disclosure policy here.
Three things always remind me of my mom- good books, sweet tea, and pretty front porches.
Usually, at my parents’ house, on most sunny Saturday mornings, you can count on her to be sitting on her wicker swing on her front porch reading a book from her library and sipping iced tea that somehow always tastes better when she makes it.
My second story childhood bedroom was right over that porch, and I woke up to the sound of that creaky swing every summer day. Her porch is her happy place, her escape for some peace and quiet.
Front porches always seem more complete with my mother there.
Even when I was a teenager, if we were driving around and saw an old house with a big beautiful porch, we would have to slow down and marvel over it. I lost count of how many times our conversations started with, “Ooh wouldn’t you love to live in that old place?” Looking at charming houses was our thing.
She’s my twin, just 27 years older.
So whenever we were in the blueprint phase of our house two years ago, one of my few requests was to have a front porch.
Do you know how many mornings I’ve spent drinking sweet tea and reading a good book on this porch? Zero. Relaxing on a wicker settee when you have a toddler trying to dart out into the street doesn’t really work.
Since having Olivia and now hitting the huge tantrum phase, I have a much bigger respect for my mother than ever before.
As a kid I thought, “How boring to just sit in a swing and read a book?” Now, I would love nothing more.
As crazy as my brother and I were, my mom deserves her little porch oasis.
One day, when our little one is at least old enough to fend for herself, I hope to have this little escape too.
Ours is finally off to a great start after having no greenery on it for over a year. (Is that sad?)
This is how it was looking last year:
Balsam Hill sent me this 22″ boxwood wreath for our door that was exactly what our plain exterior needed. I really like that I won’t have to change it out with every season.
I added a wooden picture frame from the craft aisle that I stained and sprayed with two coats of polyurethane. We have an initial obsession in our house. If this doesn’t convince you, our gallery wall will. We might have enough by now. (wink wink)
We’ve had our door mat for as long as Robert and I have been married from our first apartment together.
I didn’t want to spend a ton on planters for our front porch, so since I already had two galvanized buckets, I turned them upside down to use as pedestals for these two Bolivian Jew Ivy hanging baskets I picked up at the grocery store. I just cut off the plastic hanger part to make them look like topiaries.
We found our wicker furniture at Goodwill last year for fairly cheap. I had given them a couple coats of polyurethane when we got them home and they’ve been great. This year, since they had yellowed a bit from being out in the sun so long, I freshened them up with a quick coat of white outdoor spray paint. Good as new.
I was on a chevron kick last summer when I found these pillows and cushions at Marshall’s. Robert likes them because, with our navy blue door, we have Dallas Cowboys colors on our porch. Sure babe, that’s exactly why I chose them. Hey, if he’s happy, I’m happy.
I’d bought a wooden crate months ago for shoe storage under our entryway bench that, wouldn’t you know, was hardly used there. So I painted it to turn into a little side table instead. Ya know…for the lucky spare moment I might get to enjoy some mommy time too.
Check out those Carolina blue skies. Nothing could be finer.
Maybe one day, I’ll actually get more than just greenery out here and add some flowers. For now, my black thumb’s abilities have reached its max. Whatever abilities I have decorating the inside of our house, I seriously lack in the gardening department.
Even though our house is nearly identical to all of the others in our neighborhood, at least our porch has an extra dose of cute. #suburbanlifeprobs
(See that scraggily little stick tree in our yard? It bit the dust. I told ya…black thumb.)
I’m so glad the front of our house isn’t looking quite as barren as it did last year. And of course, my mother approves. There’s no swing on ours, but it’s still a little slice of heaven on a pretty spring day.
You can enter to win Balsam Hill’s Mother’s Day Giveaway by sharing your own favorite memories of your mom or mother figure on their social media pages. You can find all the details here.
Whether you’re a mom of itty bitties or all grown-ups, I hope you get to have your own oasis on Sunday to spend some time exactly the way you want. You deserve it, mama.
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I was looking through all the links on The Creative Circle linking party, and I just keep clicking on your links, all you ideas are fabulous! I do have a question about your door. Do you know the color of it? We bought our house a few years ago, and last summer the paint started peeling off the front door. Trying to convince the hubby to go blue and I love the color of yours.
Yay! I’m SO GLAD you found me, Erin! I really wish I knew the color of our door, but the builder chose this color as part of our design package, and I don’t even have a clue. I do keep meaning to find out though because it’s been scratched by our winter wreath in a couple of places. If I do find out, I’ll let you know. 🙂
Lauren your porch looks so inviting and ready for spring!
Thanks so much, Pamela! That means so much coming from the front porch queen. 😉
Love your porch, Lauren! And such sweet memories of your mom! I just got some patio furniture for Mother’s Day and I plan on reading a book out there too… but maybe after they’re tucked in at night! Hope your week is off to a great start friend!
Thanks, Kendra! I’m still amazed at the transformation in your bathroom makeover. You did a lovely job. Big hugs girl!
The boxwood wreath looks great against your blue door! Adding touches of greenery makes it so inviting. Love it!
Thank you, Kathy!
HI Lauren, love your porch. I also blogged for Balsam Hill and almost got the wreath as well…..Christine from Little Brags
Thanks, Christine! Just popped over to check out yours and you did a lovely job! Those fairy lights are so cute.
As the brand ambassador for Balsam Hill, thank you for sharing on your blog and the sweet relationship you have with your Mom. Your porch is looking great and sometimes its process that makes the best look over time. Loved the door mat. So simple and marks legacy in your family and I find that lovely.
Thank you, Dagmar! It was my pleasure and an honor to work with Balsam Hill on this. So glad to have “met” you in blogland lately. 🙂
Love the new boxwood wreath! Your front porch looks so inviting, perfect for sweet tea:)
Thank you, Tara! It is most definitely a sweet tea kind of setting.
i love what you did with those “topiaries” that is a great idea, and the metal is a unique vessel. hopefully you get to enjoy that porch sooner that later, lol.
b
Thank you! I hope so too. 🙂
So simple yet so beautiful! I love the look of the boxwoods. You could do so much with that wreath for any season.
Carrie
Thank you, Carrie! That’s what I like about it too. I love decor that I don’t have to change for every season. Boxwoods are awesome like that.
Thanks for linking up to my “Thrifty & Vintage Finds” link party! I love your porch – and I hardly ever get to sit on mine either 🙂
Thanks so much Dagmar! And thank you for hosting it. 🙂
LOVE! We are in a raised ranch with just steps so no porch for me. But I think I need that wreath! Love the buckets upside down as well. Very clever I might steal that idea…
Thanks Tara! Feel free to steal away. 🙂
Love it, now if only you c o uld find a few moments to enjoy it… wait till the little one goes off to school. 😉
I know, right? In a year or two hopefully. I’ll soak up every ounce of toddler as I can now. 🙂
Lauren, your porch is gorgeous!!! So inviting. I love it. 🙂
Katie@FunHomeThings
Thank you, Katie!
Great job Lauren! Great idea with the buckets!!! Dallas Cowboys, huh? If only I could make myself Tony Romo. 🙂
Haha Notice I said my husband is excited about the Dallas Cowboys colors. I could not care less. Haha Thanks, Jill!