Today is my precious baby girl’s 24th birthday. I started to type a post for tomorrow but I realized that nothing I had to say or share was more important than celebrating this beautiful, intelligent, precious young lady!

I have no idea where the last 24 years went…seems like just yesterday the nurses were handing me a beautiful dark haired, blued eyed, chubby ( 10 lbs 3 ozs people!!!) little girl. Even though she was my 4th and I couldn’t imagine having any room in my heart for another, somehow my heart swelled and she took her place!

She is beautiful.

She is smart.

She is kind.

She is loving.

She is strong.

She has integrity.

She is respectful.

She is happy

What more can a mom ask for?

I adore her.

I am in awe of her.

I am soooo proud of her.

I am eternally grateful for her.

I can’t imagine my life without her.

So, on this very special day 24 years ago I was blessed with another AMAZING daughter!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!!!!!!

Luvs :)

SO. MUCH. RAIN! But that is spring in the Ozarks. We are again fortunate that we haven’t had severe weather…just some flooding here and there.

So much rain my poor plants are screaming ENOUGH ALREADY! They are really struggling. But soon the summer heat and dry will set in and I will be watering every day. This amazing house had an irrigation system but it had been severely neglected for years. It took a bit of time and money but I have 2/3 of the system up and running so HOPEFULLY when it is time to water I can do most of it with a flip of a switch. I still have a few porch plants that will need to be watered but its waaaay better than dragging a hose and sprinkler around the yard.

Totally off subject other than to say I have been forced to work on a few indoor projects. Those usually entail my LEAST favorite DIY chore, sewing, but if you want pretty (without a serious financial payout), it is an evil necessity!

The screened porch was no exception…there were a few sewing projects. Pooh.

So my inspiration (okay, kick in the rear) came from another blogger…Tasha. LOVE her screened porch she revealed HERE. Awesome space and if I had a large screened porch and a large family, it would be perfect. But I have a small space and it’s just us and the critters. We often joke….we have this huge house but usually all three cats and the dog manage to crowd in…we can literally take up 10 square feet.

Regardless of the space, you want it comfortable and inviting….this space was neither. It was basically where we “threw” a bunch of overflow outdoor stuff when we moved in and have neglected it since. Other than eating out here at the little table on nice evenings, it had been pretty neglected.

The little table and chairs were an auction score and over the years they sat outside and the black paint chipped. Pretty sad looking. It may be kind of “old fashion” looking, but we really do enjoying sitting at this little table for dinner and in the mornings drinking coffee.

The wicker chairs were on our porch at the old house…I think they were originally rockers but over the years the wood rotted and I removed the rocker part.

The round rug was originally my son’s and he didn’t want it so we put it out here.

My intent has been to turn the iron frame between the chairs into an outdoor side table. I think it is an old aquarium stand I salvaged from an apartment years ago.

You may notice the fan and light were pretty pathetic…so that replacement is a MUST

The “kitty corner.” They LOVE the old wicker chair that use to be my smoking chair on my back porch. I haven’t smoked in almost 10 years if that gives you an idea of how long that thing has been around. It was pretty nasty and honestly needed to go!

Even in a small space, it is important to “make a plan.” Tasha gives some excellent tips for designing a space like this, or any space for that matter.

1) If you have a large space, create zones. I didn’t really have a large space, but I do want it to serve several purposes. Eating, reading, and cat lounging (they are indoor kitties so they LOVE this outdoor space)

2) Make your space USEABLE! That was the motivation for this makeover…useable and comfortable.

3) Add as much ambient light as possible. New fan and light and I do want to eventually add a lamp on the little side table but honestly we rarely sit out there after dark so I’m in no hurry to find a suitable lamp.

4) Add plants! Unfortunately I don’t do well with indoor plants. I did have a HUGE peace lily in the all season room I divided so I put that in here…I tried adding a fuchsia but it took all of about three days for all the pretty pink blooms to drop so it went outside and I ended up adding a little potted planter of outdoor flowers. Maybe they will fair better since I am a master of most outdoor plants!

5) Bring in pops of color! Now that I can do…although if you look around you may notice I don’t do that on a large scale in my decor. But in my plan for this space I knew exactly what I wanted to do,

Pink flamingos.

Okay, so here is how that all started. Years ago Brian bought two vintage pink flamingo knick-knacks at an auction.

For some reason that has become a “thing” in our house…possibly because it is so rare for him to buy something other than guns, pocket knives and coins…lol! One Christmas Mom bought him a pink flamingo ornament. Somehow we ended up with pink flamingo metal ornaments in our yard. I bought him some flamingo socks…it just went on and on.

And honestly, I like pink and green.

So my plan for this space…

1) New cushions and pillows for the chairs. Perfect way to bring in the flamingos and A LOT of color.

2) FINALLY paint the ratty iron aquarium frame and make a top for it.

3) Paint the little table and chairs.

4) Years ago I acquired the iron frame to an old train bench from my mom. It had sat on their front porch for YEARS. Eventually the wood rotted and my intent was to rebuild it with new wood. This little porch is the perfect place for it…and it is time!

5) Add some plants here and there.

The reading area…

I made new cushions and pillows for the chairs.

A new “funky bow” for the Home Sweet Home sign that hangs on the wood frame that use to hang in our old guest bath.

I painted the little iron base and made a wood top out of some scraps I had on hand.

A few little knick knacks. The driftwood is a piece we picked up off a frozen pond in Georgetown, CO almost twenty years ago! A picture of my precious kiddos.

A new paddle fan and light…a must!

I painted the little chair and table. I had to sand it a bit to remove a bunch of chipping paint, primed it all with metal primer, then sprayed it with spray paint.

I had this old pewter compote for years and really didn’t have a clue what to do with it.

I saw a picture on Pinterest where someone had turned one into a little flower thingy….

...gives it a purpose.

I bought little vintage flamingo salt and pepper shakers off Ebay.

I bought a little rug off Etsy…

…and a little flamingo flag….(note the pathetic fuchsia)

Hopefully the impatiens will fair better…..

My favorite project was the railroad bench. Primarily because it was a family heirloom and partly because the darn thing has been sitting around for years! It was time…

New wood and good for another few decades.

Somewhere there is a picture of four of my parent’s grandsons sitting on this bench when it was on their front porch. My boys were preschoolers then. Crazy.

All in all I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

It certainly isn’t anything as elaborate as Tasha’s but it serves our purposes!

I really didn’t spend a ton of money but the investment was worth every penny. It has been the perfect place to sit and read during the rainy, dreary days.

And of course the cats LOVE it!!!

Another rainy day project…swapping out the front porch decor for Memorial day and 4th of July.