TAKE IT OUTSIDE

It is hard to believe that those summer months are upon us already and that it is time to Take it outside!!!

One of my favorite times of the year. We can move some of our activities to the outdoor areas of our home. I would love for you to think about the outdoors as an extension of your home. How can you create that special atmosphere in your backyard, on your deck or front porch? Something that screams your personality.

First let’s think about some seating. This could be as simple as pulling out last years lawn furniture. Maybe it doesn’t quite look as good as you remembered it when you put it in the storage shed. That’s ok, because we are going to change it up a bit. We could start with some paint, if it is something that can be painted. But if not, let’s add some colorful cushions to give it some pop. It looks better already, doesn’t it? Find just the right spot for this furniture and now let’s bring in a small table. Add a cute placemate to make it look like a doily and then let’s find something that we can cut those beautiful flowers growing around the yard and make a vase out of it. In the summer a galvanized bucket looks great with flower blooms in it. A watering can or even something as simple as a ball jar makes a great vase for those beautiful blooms.

Things are beginning to look better already. What about some lighting. On those wonderful summer evenings it would be great to have the soft glow of candle light. Lanterns are great for this purpose. Find as many as you can that might be hanging around. Group them together on the deck or even hang them in a tree or from the ceiling of the front porch. Something that I have enjoyed doing for years is to take a very large glass jar - like one that pickles come in. Now I am talking large. I put some sand in the bottom of the jar and place a pillar candle down inside that is nestled in the sand. Tie a colorful ribbon around the mouth of jar and you have a wonderful lantern to add to your collection. Make a couple of these and place them on the steps leading up to your front door. What a welcoming light they will be as friends and neighbors come to visit.

Now let’s think about one more thing we can add to our outdoor room. Something for the wall. You might be thinking, but wait - what wall? Well, it could be the wall on your front porch or deck or maybe just the outside of your house near your grouping of chairs. What would be fun to hang on the wall here? Well, do you have an old shutter? You could paint it a fun color and hang it there. Maybe even think about what you could hang on the tree trunk, if you seating is further away from you home. Something else that is fun is an old gate or part of a fence. Put on your thinking cap and maybe even head for some yard sales or antique shops with your new “Outdoor Room” in mind. No telling what you might find there.

If you are decorating your porch or deck, then you might also want to add a great outdoor rug to the scene you are creating. Have fun while decorating your outdoor space. You can use your imagination and since there are no rules for outdoor decorating, you can get a little crazy and enjoy.

Hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration to “Take it Outside” this summer.