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Remember last October when I did the 10 minute FORCED INTO FALL post about decorating my front porch quickly and easily? Yeah, decorating ideas don’t often come to me that easily. In fact, I never did get the spring decor done before I was springing into fall!
Well, fall left and spring came but my front porch remained the same. AND thanks to me forgetting to water them the drought we had last year, it was even sporting a couple of dead plants.
So.
What to do?
I remembered how quick and easy the fall decor was and I started trying to figure out how I could make a change for spring, just as quick and easy. What did I have on hand already that would work?
Thanks to Jann at Share Your Cup for featuring this post!
And thanks to Marilyn at Thursday Favorite Things for choosing this post as her feature.
Well, yes. It IS a dead tree. But wait! There’s more…
In early April, we had a cold snap that knocked back several of my plants that thought it was already summer. And this eucalyptus bit the dust. It did not kill the roots, however, and it sprouted back out.
What if….
What if I took these D-E-A-D branches and transformed them? If it were fall, the brown would work fine! But it was spring. Things should be green.
Home Depot and Rustoleum spray paint to the RESCUE! I pulled out my sage green, and white, and silver, and grayish blue. Since the eucalyptus is SO brown, I decided I better use the white as a base coat.
I didn’t try to totally cover the brown, but I did put a good amount of white. Then, I hit it with the sage green.
I decided I liked them with just these colors, so I took them to the front porch and put them in the milk can.
It was a good start!
My granddaughters helped me replace the dead plants in the pots.
The front porch looked SO much better! But not good enough. There was no spark of interest.
And so it stayed.
Boring.
And then, all of a sudden, it’s the end of August and everyone is decorating for FALL!
WHAT???
I was walking around in Dollar General this week and noticed they had put out their fall decor.
And there, among ALL that orange, was a hint of dusty blue.
I guess they weren’t sure anyone would buy the blue for fall, because there was only one in each box, and there were only three boxes.
Luckily, we have 5 Dollar General stores within about 5 miles of the office. So I hit them all.
Now that’s got a spark!
And so.
That’s how I ended up springing right on into fall.
I loved it!
But I also thought I’d like a touch more blue.
I found some dusty blue pillows at Big Lots and a throw blanket that combines the gray look of my church pews and the blue fall decor. The design looks like leaves to me.
If you missed it, be sure to check out how I updated my antique church pews HERE.
I can’t believe its the first of September and I’ve already decorated for fall! Have you?
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I never thought about spray painting dead leaves! What a neat effect. Love those blue flowers! Solomon was examining the mums at Walmart last Saturday and I promised to buy him one soon. I’d love to have a bunch on my front porch but we never get sun on it so they wouldn’t do well. Guess we’ll just do the pumpkin thing for fall …
I have the same problem Lisa. In fact, none of the plants that I’ve planted in the beds in front of the porch live either. Its shady and dry. I have finally quit planting things up there. Mums are stunning for the fall! 🙂
Your front porch looks so pretty, and I think it’s going to feel a whole lot like fall later this week. YAY! I have an empty pot on our front porch that I need to address today because it’s so sad looking. Can you believe I killed verbena! :/
Thanks RJ! I am usually lagging way behind on seasonal decor and especially fall, because I refuse to give up my summer. But this year, I am on top of it! (it doesn’t count that it took me all spring and summer to do something about the porch decor!) 🙂
Looks beautiful. I lived on a farm in Oregon for 30 years, and loved decorating my front porch too. Here in Santa Barbara I kind of forget to do that!
Thanks so much Loretta! I feel so accomplished to get it done at the proper time, early even! I am usually lagging way behind. 🙂
I have to stop following your blog. Have to.
You’re not even Martha Stewarting, is the thing… that I could handle! She’s all, “Oh, you know that door knocker sized diamond earring whose mate you lost? Just turn it into a Christmas tree ornament!” and I’m able to drool over the photos but still I know that is not my life, Martha! I don’t have fabulous jewelry going spare, or time to make teeny ribbons for the place cards for my dinner party for 200, because I don’t know 200 people I like enough to feed.
But you? You’re just better than I am.
That porch is totally obtainable and I haven’t done it. I’m not going to do it. The only way my porch will look like that is if I somehow manage to steal your house because I’m even too lazy to steal your porch decorations and set them up on my own porch. All of which is giving me some sort of emotional crisis because I’m in love with that pillow
I am literally roflol, right here, in the office, below my desk. Well, ok, not literally, but I am giggling and the guys are asking me whats so funny… AND what makes it so funny is that I am NOT the “decorate for every season” person, although I desperately long to be. I, like you, see these young mothers (pun intended) decorating for Spring, and End of Spring, and Summer, and End of Summer and so on, and I just get so enthused! But then I realize that I’d have to open the attic door and pull down the stairs and locate a flashlight since there is no light up there and then find the box of seasonal decor. And I just don’t even get up off the sofa. So if it makes you feel any better, know that I only get the decor done maybe once every other year. Now, the gardening thing thats a different story. I am always doing something in the garden. Thanks for visiting and making my day. 🙂
Lovely inspiration
Thanks Jane! I love the way it turned out. I am not really a fan of the oranges for fall, so I was pleased when I found the blue. 🙂
I like you Gwingal do not like the orange colors of fall, unless it were more burgundy. Love your porch. Thank you for sharing on Oh My Heartsie Girls WW.
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Karen. Yes, I have been using burgundy and purples for my fall decor in the past, but I am really excited to have a new color to use. I am loving the blue. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Love the blue flowers with the matching white containers that match the trim as well. it looks very cohesive and pleasing that way. Wonderful job putting your front door decor together for Fall.
Thanks Leanna! I am really enjoying it. This is my first time ever to use pillows and a throw on the front porch and I am liking it! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
I love your front porch, beautiful!!
Thank you Tanya! I appreciate the complement so much. And your visit! 🙂
Love all the natural items you gathered. Love the look of your porch. Found you at Bloggers Pit Stop
Hi Kage! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see you often. Spray paint can sure work wonders can’t it!? 🙂
The touches of blue are just perfect and I love your church pew!! My sweet daughter came and decorated my porch for me a couple days after my surgery. It makes me happy every time I walk outside. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Oh so nice that your daughter did that! Maybe it will make your recovery quicker and easier by sitting out there and enjoying what she did. Thanks for the visit Jann! 🙂
I love how you decorated for Fall – we don’t decorate like that in Ireland so it is nice to see all the great ideas here
Thank you Amber! I have never used pillow and blankets on my porch before because I was always afraid it would blow away! Plus, I didn’t want the neighborhood cats using them. LOL But I like it! Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
Congratulations! Your post was my feature pick at #ThursdayFavoriteThings this week. Visit me at https://www.marilynstreats.com on Wednesday evening and to see your feature and grab your badge! All hosts choose their own features so be sure to return to my blog. I invite you to leave more links to be shared and commented upon.
Woo Hoo! Thanks Marilyn! I’ll be right over. 🙂
It turned out just beautiful–a nice twist on the usual fall decor. Enjoy the season!
Thank you Christie. I was so excited to find something other than orange. Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Hey, yours looks a lot better than mine does! I never really got through with Summer decor either…it was very hodge podge. Crafting & decor never comes easy, so I end up not bothering half the time (gasp!). Trying to make an exception this Fall. What a genius idea to treat the dead Eucalyptus with paint! Like the look of the blue flowers too.
Yeah, I never got spring done and totally skipped over summer, but I’m ready for fall. haha Funny because I never am ready for fall because I never want to give up summer. Thanks for visiting Florence. 🙂
Hi, just popping back to let you know that I will be featuring you at SYC today.
hugs,
Jann
Oh boy oh boy oh boy!! Thanks Jann! 🙂
Love your church pews!!! The front porch looks so inviting! And believe me, fall will be here soon enough and you can snuggle under that pretty blanket. Really pretty.
Thank you Clearissa! I love my church pews. I appreciate your comments and friendship. 🙂
Hi Nikki, I was happy to find your blog after the sweet comments you left on mine 😉 How cute your Grandgirls are and what great helpers! I love the church pew and I have a milk can at my front entry 😉
Hi Cecilia! So nice to meet you. I really enjoyed your blog and look forward to reading more. Thanks for visiting with me! 🙂
What a peaceful setting! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Whisk It Wednesday. Have a momentous week and come back to see us real soon! ~Carrie
Carrie @ Carrie’s Home Cooking recently posted…Comment on Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies by Laineey
Thank you Carrie! I hate that I skipped right over summer and went into Fall but that’s how my life works. haha Thanks for stopping by! 🙂