We had no idea, but it was a nice surprise...

We purchased our home in September 2001 and it was July 4th of the next year, as we were heading out the door to go uptown to watch the fireworks, when we noticed car loads of folks parking along the street and many were spreading their blankets and chairs on our property.

We didn't have a clue what was going on, so we asked.

That's when we learned the country club fireworks could be seen from our property.  Who knew!
Needless to say, we didn't go uptown after all.
We sat on the porch and watched the fireworks from home, and have every year since.

We are looking forward to this Fourth of July weekend and will spend much of it on the porch,
so I've added a few touches to make it festive...

These prints are from the Betsy Nimock Flag Series...

Clean Play...

Honesty...

Truthfulness...

In the original 1920's project, the flags, which feature 48 stars, were used to promote penmanship.

The students from that era wrote about topics such as goodness, clean play, truthfulness, self-reliance, and honesty.

In 1992, St. Louis artist Betsy Nimock found 10 yellowed, torn examples of children's handwriting while visiting an antique shop.  The flag project back then was sponsored by the National Institution for Moral Instruction of Washington, D.C.

Clean Play ~ I will not cheat.

Honesty ~ The honest penny is better than the stolen dollar.

Truthfulness ~ Speak the truth.  Truth is beautiful and brave.

Hope you have a FUN time with family and friends this holiday weekend,
have a blessed Fourth of July!

Hope back over for AMAZE ME MONDAY...

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ON THE SCREENED PORCH

The screened porch is a favorite spot for us from early spring through late fall.
Mr. Heart and I have our coffee and breakfast here most every morning before he starts his work day.  We enjoy watching the birds visit the feeders and hearing the early birds sing their songs.  This is also where we often end up when family and friends come to visit and it is truly the perfect spot when it is raining outside...so relaxing!

This picture of the porch is facing the laundry room door which is how we access the screened porch from the house.  If you leave the porch through the screened door you’ll be on the deck that leads to the great room entrance of the house…

Mostly our porch is decorated with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, things we have accumulated over time that have found a home out here.  This actually works out well because it does get damp and dirty on the porch and to clean it I use the water hose, spraying it from top to bottom!  So, if purchasing new and nice decor for a screened porch, it should definitely be labeled for outdoor use.

The centerpiece on the table are snippets of Lantana, hosta and a bit of Asparagus Fern from the pots on the deck…

In the far corner is a vintage wash basin that now holds a fern…

This view is in the opposite direction.  If you exit the screened porch through this door you will step down to a courtyard.  To the left is the main driveway.  To the right you will find the detached garage and the driveway where we keep our camper parked.

A closer view of the farmhouse table and cabinet…

The table fan was purchased from TJ Maxx several years ago and the two black fans under the table are brought out in the summer months to help keep the breeze flowing!  Thankfully the porch is on the back of the house so it doesn’t get direct sun.  The door between the table and hutch leads to a storage room...

A closer look at the vintage hutch in the far corner…

The old roaster is used to keep a few birds nests we’ve found.  Two of the nests still have eggs in them.  I don’t know what happened to the momma bird, but the eggs were dried up when I found the nests.  To be really sure the eggs were old, we placed some dental floss across the nest in a couple of areas and watched it for a few days.  It was never disturbed so we knew there was no momma bird coming back to the nest. 

The butterfly was found as it was being blown across the courtyard.  It was is in perfect condition so I can’t imagine what happened to it.  So beautiful!

Through the screen in this picture is the back courtyard and the deck leading to the great room entrance of the house.  This furniture is from Martha Stewart’s collection and was purchased on sale many years ago. 

On the table is a vintage basket with a few artichoke tealight holders.  I’ve used them for vases by removing the tealight and adding a bit of hosta and Asparagus Fern…

This wicker chair and table set, the two wicker side chairs at the back of the porch and the seat cushions are from Pier One.  We’ve had them a few years and they are holding up nicely on the porch…

This chest was found on the side of the road…

This is the deck just off the screened porch and where the centerpiece snippets of hosta, Lantana and Asparagus Fern were cut…

~The porch floor was a mess when we moved in, here you can see the Before & After.

Hope you enjoyed the porch, please leave a comment so I'll know you were here!!!
and hope you'll hop on over for AMAZE ME MONDAY!

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Blessings,
Cindy

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YIKES! MONKEY GRASS and the YARD GUY

YIKES!  Do you have monkey grass in your yard?  Here’s a story for you…

A couple of years ago we replaced the outside lighting on the house.

We looked and looked and looked and

when we found these light fixtures I knew they were perfect for the front porch.

They are so pretty at night as the light shines up against the house and porch through the textured glass.  Such a beautiful pattern of light on the porch.

Our yard is FULL of monkey grass.  It is used as a border for all of our beds.

It lines both sides of the beds and begins at the front left side of our house…

across the front of our property and all the way back up to the right side of our house…

 

It also lines our front walkway.  From the driveway, up past the front porch and continues around to the back of the house.

I told you we had lots of monkey grass!!! :)

Each Spring our yard guy uses his big ole’ commercial mower and mows all the monkey grass down to the ground.  This year, when he mowed the monkey grass along the house, instead of the mower’s grass shoot facing out in the yard it was facing the house…know where I’m going with this?!

Yup…

as he was mowing the monkey grass along the front walkway there was all kind of debris flying up and it was hitting the house, windows, porch, and…

one of the light fixtures!

You can't tell by the picture but the glass is cracked all around the top.  I usually clean the glass each time I replace bulbs that have burnt out but next time the glass will surely fall to pieces!

We haven’t had these fixtures long so I searched for them every place I can think of...
the store we purchased them from,
the manufacturer,
and have also searched the internet
but as I've inquired about either purchasing replacement glass or even a new fixture I've been told they have been discontinued and are no longer available.  

source

I am so sad, I really liked them!

Oh well, I’m off to look for another option…

Hope you are having a GREAT week!

Blessings,

Cindy
Follow Up Here :)

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CHRISTMAS CACTUS

DwellingsChristmas Cactus

The Christmas Cactus has such a beautiful bloom.

For most of the year we keep these plants on the screen porch.
By the middle of October tiny little buds begin to form
and just before Thanksgiving we bring them inside.

Each blooms a different color.

Each is stunning.

And each year I am captivated by their exquisite beauty!

I am in awe of our Wonderful Creator

as I sit and gaze at these beautiful blooms.

I am in AWE as I ponder how delicate,
how intricate,
and how masterfully they have been made.

And then my heart is reminded that so am I.
And so are you!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

My heart is filled with 
THANKFULNESS & JOY
at this wonderful Christmas time!

Blessings to you my friend!

"The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."

Psalm 65:8

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