Old Sewing Machine Table turned Outdoor Planter

Hey Y'all! I am back after a two'ish week break. I needed to focus on healing.

I developed shingles, and let me tell you...that's stuff is NO JOKE!

Thankfully, it's passed, and I have learned so much about myself and how I handle stress (actually how I don't handle it.)

I am taking baby steps, and learning to say no, and learning to just breathe.

It's SOOO hard y'all!

Anytime I am on the mend from an illness, I always have the urge to get up and do something. I don't do well sitting still, but sometimes life knocks you down and you have to listen to your body.

I had plenty of time to dream up different projects with all of that sitting I was doing with those nasty shingles.

So as soon as I was feeling up to it, I was out in the garage tearin' things up.

I had an old empty sewing machine table sitting in my attic that was given to me by one of my mother's friends. I knew I could do something with it, but I just didn't know what.

So it sat in the attic for more than a year.

Hubby kept trying to make me get rid of it because it was taking up space, but I refused. 

I am so glad I didn't throw it out.

I finally came up with a fun way to repurpose the table.

I turned it into an outdoor planter.

This was its original state.

Sans sewing machine.

I used the wood from the stand my porch swing used to hang from, and created a box to slide inside the table. Building the box took 40 forevers!

I went with my tried and true Krylon red. This was the first time for me to use this all-in-one paint and I LOVE it. It was super easy to use!

I made sure to drill a few holes in the bottom of the planter for drainage.

I also roughed up the top with my orbital sander, just to knock off the sheen.

Two coats of spray paint, and she was ready for assembly.

I used the plastic that Lowe's gives you for your car to protect the floor mats as my liner for the planter. Dual purpose, and it was free!

I had some leftover dirt from some previous plantings, and it was just enough. Lucky me!

I also poked holes through the plastic for drainage.

I made sure to get shade tolerant plants, since they would be under a covered porch. I always seem to ignore the suggestions on those little plant tags. 

You know what? Those people from the plant stores kind of know what they're talking about, so I chose to listen this time :-)

I love the varying heights of the plants.

I can't wait until they fill in a little more.

This was an inexpensive build, and I was only out the cost of spray paint and the plants.

I am so thankful for days when I can create what I imagined. It's so fun!

So, who's ready to make their own? I would love to see pictures if you decide to recreate this piece!!

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Growing a Vegetable Garden

 This time of year, everyone begins to think of planting. Whether it be flowers, vegetables, or both, we all long for something pretty to look at after the long, cold, grey winter.

I decided this year that I wanted another try at vegetable gardening. I am really good about starting a garden. I get excited about all of the vegetables that will be sitting on my table during the summer, and how proud I will be to serve my family foods that I have raised myself.

Then reality sets in.  

I forget about my garden. 

I forget that the plants get thirsty. I forget that the weeds need to be pulled. I forget that the ground needs fertilizer and that the plants need help keeping the bugs away. 

Another excuse I always use is it just gets plain hot here in Alabama. Nasty, humid hot, where you can almost cut the air with a knife.

I mean, who wants to go outside and sweat to death for a little ole tomato?

 Obviously not me.

 However, I am trying to turn over a new leaf. 

Plus, hubby said I wouldn't be able to keep it alive, so now it's personal. I refuse to be defeated.

This garden will survive and I will be eating vegetables from it in about 90 days, give or take.

 Hubby built these raised beds for me a few years ago. Every year I have the best intentions of growing food...but it hasn't really happened yet. I know for a fact that I can successfully grow weeds in it, though.

 It took me two hours of digging to clear out all of the weeds. I was so exhausted after that. I am so thankful for grocery stores!!

So what am I growing(besides weeds)?

-pickling cucumbers

-tomatoes

-squash

-zucchini

-cabbage

-lettuce

-carrots

-basil

-rosemary

-thyme

-jalapenos

-habeneros

There is no rhyme or reason to my selection. I ran to Lowes one day and that was what caught my eye. I normally buy all of my vegetables for canning from the Mennonites in Kentucky. So, these veggies are just to get a feel for gardening. That way, when the apocalypse hits, I will know how to keep us alive a little longer!!

I will post progress pictures as the garden gets bigger. Help me stay accountable, y'all! I can't let hubby be right on this one!!!

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Front Porch Fall Decor

 It's Friday!!! 

Yay for 3-day-weekends, and yay for football season kicking off. 

We have a busy weekend ahead of us with lots of food, friends and football. But before all of my guests arrive, I have a long list of to-do's. 

I can check the front porch off the list though. It's done. For now at least. 

We have a tiny front porch...I'm not even sure you could really call it a front porch. It's more of a pass through. 

It's not big enough to have big beautiful displays like the front porches below:

 source unknown

source unknown

However, it looks barren when nothing is there. 

Everything has to be small in scale when decorating this porch because I want my guests to feel welcome at the front door, not claustrophobic.  

I couldn't really get a good full scale picture of the porch. The brick wall kind of takes up the picture, but in person it's much more inviting...I promise:o)

And, yes, I did just water the plants before taking the shot. It looks like my pumpkins got a little excited;o) Guess this photo won't make it to Pinterest;o)

The mums really make the bench pop, and keep it from blending in with the massive boring brick wall behind it.

To try to keep things symmetrical, I brought a small teak chair from the backyard, and used it as a plant holder. The old granite ware pitcher has holes in the bottom of it, so it makes a perfect planter now.

I will most likely be adding more pumpkins and a possible mini hay bale, but that's where I will have to be patient. The pumpkins aren't quite ready, and we'll have plenty of pumpkin farm field trips to collect those:o)

Partying Here:

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Engagement Party

This past weekend, I had the honor of helping put together an engagement party for a very sweet friend's nephew. It wasn't supposed to be at her house originally, so when I got the call, we had to put all crafty gears into over drive.

I had her email me a few pictures of things she wanted to see at the party and ran with it.

I'll provide some of the details, but I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking.

This little sign was at the base of the stairs as you walked up to the front porch. It's made of balsa wood. The sign was stained and hand painted with their names and the date of their wedding.

 In the front entrance, there was an heirloom Bible for guests to sign or highlight their favorite verse along with photos of the bride and groom when they were children.

The gift table

Aren't the flower arrangements beautiful? I love hydrangeas and blue mason jars...you can never go wrong with either of those:o)

There was additional seating outside.

 Here are the center pieces for the tables. Battery operated votives and tea lights were life savers for this outdoor affair.

This was the drink station. I thought it was pretty lucky that we share the same last initial...The mother of the groom made the little flags for the paper straws. I wish I had taken a closer shot of them. They were adorable. 

I had a lot of helpers in putting this together, and it wouldn't have happened without all of their help. 

I was so grateful to be apart of making this sweet little couple feel extra special and I wish them great joy and happiness in the years ahead! 

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