Spending Labor Day In The Garden

Coffee anyone:-)? It is no secret that I love nature and I'm truly so inspired by it. It is also where I go to 

quiet my mind.  Whether I am pulling weeds, picking veggies, or having some coffee, there is always a sense of calm that overcomes me- it's so therapeutic.  Since putting so much work into the space, we've all been enjoying it! This is where you could find me most of the time during this Labor Day weekend. 

 I bought this yellow foldable outdoor table set a bit over a year ago and it has been left outside, but held up so beautifully!  I might buy another in a different color-maybe this mint green one...

Over the weekend, I pulled lots of weeds and fertilized the remaining vegetables. 

This year I planted chile peppers for the first time and now I have so many! I usually plant what we call scotch bonnet peppers known as habaneros, so I might've gone overboard with the selection of hot peppers! You know us Jamaicans love their spicy food:-)

some of the chile peppers waiting to be picked

I am looking forward to the cool down so I don't have to water the garden as much. I had placed mulch down in the beds before we left for vacation and that has definitely helped, but nevertheless, the cool down will be well received.  

I hope you're soaking up the last bits of this long weekend. Guess what I'll be doing today?-yep you guessed it; more gardening and plant maintenance. Happy Monday friends. xx

images: Courtney Cheatham

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Our Porch Refresh: The Power Of Paint

 The post is sponsored by HGTV Home® by Sherwin Williams but all opinions are my own

Our screened in porch got little use this Summer and that is a rarity! We were traveling for a bit  and when we weren't traveling, you could find me puttering in my outdoor garden. The screened in porch had become more of a walk through and was quite a dismal sight.

 Since the porch wasn’t in use, it had become neglected and it showed. It was screaming for a refresh and some tlc. I thought well now that it’s Fall, maybe it’s time to show the screened in porch some tlc with a quick refresh! And what better way to do that than with paint! You know how much I embrace the power of paint and the main feature of this transformation is all about the Power Of Paint. 

Naturally the color scheme was going to be bold and to narrow down my choices I set out to Lowes to peruse the HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Collections that are available exclusively at Lowes. After looking at the color cards for the different collections, I settled on the Softer Side Collection for my main color choices.

Above is a mood board of sorts with all the HGTV Home® by Sherwin Williams colors I chose for the project and pictured is one of my inspo pics. In addition to painting, I also planned on doing something fun with the floors using this stencil in the large 12 x 12 size also pictured on the mood board. This was going to be A LOT of painting and maybe not such a quick refresh after all!

This is a before pic of the porch after almost everything was cleared out. After removing everything, it was time to prep the space for painting. The porch was swept and cleaned before painting. 

For the walls as mentioned above, I opted for the Memorable Rose (HGSW 2045). However, unlike before, I decided to bathe not only the ceiling and the walls, but also the trim in the same color. Here is a look at the process:

The walls were lightly sanded prior to painting and some areas needed some putty applied to even and smooth out the surfaces, then more sanding before painting. 

Since the porch was painted a saturated purple, and not a neutral color,  it took two coats of paint to cover it.  As usual, be sure to allow the paint to dry between coats.

AFTER PAINTING

I also added a pop of zest to the space with the color Frolic (HGSW 1235) from the HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Vintage Finds Collection. In addition, the floors were prepped and base porch paint applied before starting the stenciling process using the color Black Magic (HGSW 6991) from the HGTV Home® by Sherwin Williams Soft Side Collection.

Thank goodness the hubby was around for this project as he tackled the stencil application on the floor. It took him about half a day to complete the stenciling. Below is a peek at how it all came together.

This planterific corner that I carved out on the porch is so welcoming and we love spending time out here! It’s hard to believe this was the same space.

We waited for  two days for the floor to fully cure before placing any furniture on it. And now the porch is back in business and is getting lots of use. I love these pretty colors together which are available in the HGTV Home® by Sherwin-Williams collection that is found exclusively at Lowes. xx

Fall Porch Inspiration

I just bought some pumpkins because it feels like Fall is finally making its way to this neck of the woods in North Carolina. I showed a glimpse here. This weekend, I hope to put up some Halloween decorations. This big guy went up yesterday and is already catching the eyes of eager children in the neighborhood. 

Do you decorate for the seasons? xx

images- 1, others via tumblr

 

It's Summer Time Y'all!

How is everyone? I don't know about you, but I am so happy for the warmer weather and nature is showing off right now; greenery abounds!  We're officially on Summer break-yay!! and most of my time is now spent in the garden. I was thrilled to see that the thyme and some other herbs I planted last year survived the Winter and are thriving. Even the kale made a comeback! Now to this picture above, do you remember when I redid the patio? It's still holding up and I haven't had to repaint the door at all. You can see what it looked like before below.  For this project, I extended the concrete area, then painted it with outdoor Porch and Patio paint from Home Depot. I also painted the screen door in that pretty coral color. Are you working on any outdoor projects? 

before image

 

Have a Great Long Weekend!

Today was the last day of school. It was bittersweet to watch the children receive their awards in their virtual ceremonies. This has definitely been an unforgettable school year and undoubtedly one for the history books. I hope you all enjoy this long weekend(those of you living in the U.S.) and have a wonderful Memorial Day. xx

pic via pinterest

We Could All Use a Dose of Color Right Now

Good morning! These past couple weeks have been crazy and I haven't had a chance to blog. I am hoping to get back into the groove soon, but wanted to pop in to share some color inspiration. We probably could all use a dose of color right now.

How are you all doing during these unprecedented times? 

Photography- Guido Taroni

Images excerpted from the book -Inside Tangier Houses and Gardens by Nicolò Castellini Baldissera and Guido Taroni via Vogue Living 

10 Inspiring Outdoor Shower Ideas

source

Installing an outdoor shower has been on our to do list for awhile. The hubby especially is obsessed with the idea of installing an outdoor shower and have even carved out a spot in the backyard that he thinks is ideal. Can you imagine soaking up the sun's rays in that pink bath above. I guess that would be more of a bath experience instead of  a shower but just as delightful.  O.K., let's drool over the others, shall we?

Martha Stewart Living

Janni Delér

 Spell Designs

 Image of Hotel Azúcar in Mexico via Condé Nast Traveller

 Architectural Digest

 Architectural Digest

Do you have a fave? xx

Every Home Should Have a Disco Ball

Every home should have a disco ball. Yes, really! Get one, you won't regret it. These are a couple snapshots of disco ball magic in our home. You might have spotted the pic above on Pinterest as it's been pinned thousands of times. Disco ball paired with sunlight and plants = magic. 

It's almost time for the boys to go back to school so we've been soaking up what's left of Summer break.  Happy weekend to you all. xx

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Outdoor Living

After the harsh Winter we've had I can't wait to enjoy the great outdoors this Spring. I know some of you are still getting snow... Hopefully, these outdoor spaces will still make you as excited as I am for Spring. 

anthropologie

xx

images: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6