Before and After Outside Spaces

Several weeks ago

I shared a few outdoor spaces around my

Rose Garden Cottage.

They were outdoor displays dating back five years ago.

We had lots of rain here in Texas since that post and I wasn't able to get 

the after pics to share till recently.

Now as we are steaming hot 

it's been sunny enough to capture a few more shots.

Bringing an updated look  doesn't have to break the bank.

Paint, accents and accessories 

can help bring in a fresh new look.

As I mentioned, these first pics go back five years.

That was the half way point to my blogging journey.

Yes, I've been blogging since 2006.

If you're like me, you change things often,

or maybe not.

Being the stager and styler that I am  I love to rearrange often.

The way we live, just evolves over time so the spaces around my cottage change as well.

Here below is the BEFORE front porch.

And then the AFTER

Notice the changes?

The old tile porch changed to Oklahoma flagstone which was a look my hubby really wanted

and it has made a huge difference.

I repainted the door without the distress and undated hardware was added with a kick plate.

Large urns with twisted Arborvita bushes were added to each side of the door.

(these are faux, nothing will grow on this porch, it's just too hot)

I also took down the potato vine over the door 

 but

I still like that, so I may have to add it again.

In the fall I usually add a garland of leaves in the same spot or around the door

and at Christmas I added evergreens.

Living here in Texas, while I love fresh and real plantings,

I've learned with the heat we have in the summer,

it's okay to help mother nature along a bit with faux.

(it saves on the water bill too)

The door color is Farmhouse Red by Ralph Lauren.

The door urn replaced the rose wreath.

I love changing this with the seasons.

I got this a few years ago from Hobby Lobby.

and

I've noticed when shopping they still have them in stock.

Next I added a bench in the same color.

To the side of the entry,

Mr. Rooster came to stand guard over the cottage.

                                       

A brass eagle painted white hangs proudly over the door.

This eagle is a treasure  that I've enjoyed in all our homes over the years.

We always find a spot to hang it near the roof peaks.

Small changes in the front yard that make for a big impact

 bringing an updated look to my 25 year old cottage.

The next change happened around to the side drive.

Here is,

The

BEFORE~

Behind this third car garage door,

is my Rose Garden Market Studio.

Here is the AFTER~

I love to design wreaths and

this one changed a bit too.

I simply added a trumpet vine garland 

with a homemade bow made from

burlap and lace ribbon.

The welcome in the center

is from the Dollar Tree.

Another yard rooster enjoying the sun.

Sometime when my friends are leaving,

we sit for another little bit and continue our visit right here.

Lastly going around to the back patio space,

I made a few more changes and updates.

BEFORE

This is a half covered space

over the sitting area.

The AFTER

The before cushions were coverings I made, but after several years, they faded and just wore out.

I replaced those with the gorgeous navy cushions

 which is the perfect complimentary color

to the rust on the patio floor and pool edge.

The outdoor lamps needed a freshen up

so I wrapped them with burlap ribbon.

The old vintage wood burning stove was from our home

in Indiana.

I've carried it around the country

in a few moves.

The movers were not too happy with me over that,

but accommodated my wish!!

It does burn real wood, but currently

I keep timer pillar candles inside.

These make for a cozy evening setting.

The rug was a springtime find on sale at Lowe's.

It's the same exact rust color of the patio floor. 

What a find it was and opens the space.

The patio furniture is all weather wicker and 

really stands the test of time and the elements here in Texas.

We've enjoyed this set about 13 years now.

This old fashion vintage hotel room vessel (chanber pot) holds lavender.

It was made for another function before bathrooms. haha

Great to have a tray near by to carry those refreshing drinks outdoors.

These vintage chairs are from the 1940's

and belonged to my parents.

They've been many a color over the years,

but I am loving this new shade of blue.

They work so well with the color change.

I added coordinating cushions for a comfy spot to enjoy

on a sunny summer morning.

The table is designed with tile inserts.

I took out a couple and exchanged them with tile

I had left from the kitchen.

It brings the Texas rust color outside

and accents the patio floor.

The new color looks great with the pool tile and rust pool edge.

In this area, we added the flagstone too.

Here I toss lots of shells to what I call our  "stone beach".

You can find bags of these at the Dollar Store.

Why not make your own outdoor beach?

Thanks for stopping by this week

and sharing in my updates over the years.

As we soar towards the 100 degree readings,

I hope you enjoy the perfect summer day!

Stay cool and see you next week.

A Walk in the Garden

Happy Summer blog friends.

Today begins a new season and the longest sunshine day this year. I always like to walk the garden and visit my flowers as I water and relax viewing the pretty blooms.



Although our springtime did not end on a happy note, we are doing much better now, but of course, still miss our sweet Miss Beazy Lee. With the new season I look forward to better days ahead and back to my routine even though I feel it has taken me some time.


I am back in the studio and beginning to create again and find my joy doing what I was meant to do.

All the emails are answered now and my thanks for all the prayers sent my way. I think I even sent a few thank you emails twice. LOL I wanted to make sure all were thanked and I may have sent some of you two emails. I promise I have not lost my mind yet!! LOL

Flowers around the pool in my container garden are doing pretty well, but we have not hit those triple digits yet, however, they say it's on the way this weekend.

This will mean water, water, water to keep the flowers with us.

Rosemary and the Potato Vine growing nicely. I love walking by the Rosemary and the beautiful scent it gives.

We have even been enjoying yummy tomatoes from our one little vine this year along with 4 green pepper plants that are really doing well, much to our surprise.

Miss B's pink roses.

Ivy and roses do well in this spot and seem to take the heat with a few annuals mixed in.

For this first day of summer, I picked a pretty bouquet of roses, daisies and cone flowers.

In this pretty glass pitcher vase, they bring a sweet touch indoors.



Thank you for taking a walk in the garden with me today celebrating the new season and new beginnings. I will be back soon to share what I have been creating, my new studio and lots more.

Hugs and Blessings always,
Celestina Marie

A Comfy Summer Spot

to enjoy the lazy days of Summer.

Well, I don't know about the days being lazy, but that's an ole saying I often hear used to describe, what I bet we all wish Summer to be. 

Well, we can wish right? 

However, I do love a place to retreat after a full day 

or early morning spot for a cup of tea.

Every Spring, after a good cleaning and sprucing up, our patio or Lanai is ready to welcome our days.

Recently on our working vacation, while my Best Guy did this~~~

~and Miss Beazy did this.

I worked here, covering the love seat with a gorgeous rose quilt and making new pillows.

The quilt is a King size reversible and worked wonderfully to tuck and shape to the sofa. I used the pillow shams here on two side chairs with the reverse side, but since this pic, I have turned them to the roses. I like it better!

The middle pillow was made from some fabric I had in my stash using a combo of green toile and a rose design I love. The vintage lace was made by my grandmother and I weaved a soft tan velvet ribbon through her delicate stitches.

The square pillow is reversible from the toile to the rose design and the heart shape pillow was a Goodwill find that I covered in the toile and added a bit of bling.

For the side chairs I added rose pillows to each. I had these in my stash of stuff and thought the embroidery design went nicely with the quilt. The throw is a design by Warren Kimble with birdhouses, birds and flowers.

Next I placed a few favorite cottage books on the coffee table~

Spruced up the old fireplace.

And~~ so goes another beginning of the Summer season. I guess the moral of this story is how using a quilt with coordinating pillow shams makes for the start of a great little makeover. Using what we already have and seeing the use in a new way. I love to do this kind of decorating.


Another great find was this outdoor lace tablecloth. I placed it on my bistro table and love it. The size is 70 round.

The house trim is also finished and best guy has a good tan from that project. He is so glad to have this complete now that our temps are reaching 100 degrees here in our beloved Lone Star State.

Hope you have a great weekend and see you again soon.

Blessings and Blue Skies.

Celestina Marie