Picture Perfect Porches: Back Porches

Well, I neglected my poor little throwback blog AGAIN. I'm sure I'm the only one feeling any sadness about the matter, but I had to get back to it because it is something I care about. I decided I'd just start where I left of- the porch series. However, I did decide that I'm not going to do the post about the history of porches that I initially planned to do. I started looking into it and there is SO much information. It's fascinating and it's something I really want to "study", but I just don't have time for it right now. Instead, I'm going to share more images of my favorite types of porches.

Here are some back porches that I love:

I really like the white furniture, especially the wicker!

This isn't typically my style, but I thought it was unique and I particularly love the hammock.

The swing is a little more traditional and I really like how soothing it is! The description on the website called this look "nautical/coastal" and declared "Turn your home into a sea side retreat no matter your locations..."

Another light and airy porch! The pillows aren't my favorite, but I love the Adirondack chairs and idea behind the curtains

This circular porch is so neat and different!

This is one of my favorites!

This one is PERFECT for the beach!

I think this is my ABSOLUTE favorite.

I love what they did with these shutters!

Aren't these reclaimed doors gorgeous?

The lattice really draws me to this one.

I love the chaise lounges and again, the curtains. This porch looks perfect for a party!

This one is neat because it's like a real room that just flows from the rest of the house.

Okay, so those are my favorite back porch pictures. I'll be continuing the series with more types of porches, but I may do a few other posts in between!

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
[Note: About half of these images were taken from a Southern Living post- I encourage you to check it out. There are so many great ideas!]

Picture Perfect Porches: Front Porches

There are so many really neat types of porches, but I thought I'd start with the obvious: the front porch, since it's what you see first. I think a really pretty porch makes such an inviting home!

My childhood home had a long beautiful brick porch on the front of the house. It perfectly complemented the white columns on the front of it and the dark green shutters on the windows. It was beautiful.

I know you can't really see the porch in this picture, but it gives you an idea. It was brick like is lining the driveway.

When my parents moved, their new house had a much more rustic feel and the porch was smaller and simpler in a way. The walk way to the front door has lots of foliage surrounding it, though, and it's gorgeous in an entirely different way.

[front porch at Christmas]

[Me and Peyton leaving our wedding reception at my parents' house for our honeymoon via the front porch ]

Now that Peyton and I have our own house, our "porch" is one thing that really doesn't satisfy me. It's pretty much just a little slab. Although there's not a whole lot we can do, I am planning to one day add a little rail and banisters to make it look a little more like a true porch.

[Our porch area at Christmas. Leaves a bit to be desired, no?]

In the next installment of this series, I'll share a little about the history of porches, but first I wanted to share a few images of front porches that interested me.

The quintessential classic American porch:

A couple with a bit of a modern spin:

As far as furniture goes, I think rocking chairs are very classic. I do like for there to be at least a pair, though!

I love wicker furniture, too. I think it has such a Southern feel to it!

Or you could go a little bit more "fun" and casual and use Adirondack chairs.

One of my absolute favorite things is a porch with a swing!

One neat idea I saw when I was looking through these images was hanging drapes on the porch:

Another really cute porch I found had basically a "picket fence" banister.

Lastly, I found this double porch I really like. I don't always like they way they look, but I like the idea of double porches. I think this one is really pretty!

[Images: 1, 2, 3, and 4 were taken with mine or my dad's little point and shoot;

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]

Lovely Things: Porches

One of my favorite things is a big, pretty porch. I think they're so Southern and such a beautiful addition to a house. One of the things I picture my "dream house" having is a wrap around porch. I decided over the next few weeks to do a little series on different kinds of porches. Here are just a few images to start out with:

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

A Return to "Lovely Things"

Well, I have really neglected this blog. When I started my goal was to post on this blog at least a couple of times a month. I did pretty good for a little while and then I just let it slip. I'm starting back up with that same goal in the new year!

Gratitude in Ink

This week one of the items on my to-do list is to write thank you notes for a couple of sweet, unexpected gifts my daughter or I have received recently. As I said in a previous post, it is unfortunate that hand written correspondence has kind of fallen by the wayside, and I see this general trend effecting the specific practice of writing thank you notes.

On the Emily Post website I found that "The rule of thumb is that you should send a written note any time you receive a gift (even a ‘thank you’ gift) and the giver wasn’t there to thank in person."

The website also offers some guidelines for specific situations where a thank you note is called for:

Shower gifts.
Even though the gift giver attended the shower in your honor and you had a chance to say thanks for her gift, you should still send a written note.

Wedding gifts
Each wedding gift should be acknowledged with a written not within three months of receipt of the gift.

Congratulatory gifts or cards
Anyone who sends a present, or a card with a personally written message, should receive a note in return.

Gifts received when sick
Thank-you notes should be written as soon as the patient feels well enough—or a friend or relative can write the notes. It’s okay to call close friends rather than write.

Condolence notes or gifts
Everyone who has sent a personal note, flowers or a donation should get a written thank-you. A close friend or relative can write the notes on the recipient’s behalf.

In addition to these situations that necessitate a thank you note, I think there are many, many other times when a thank you not may not be expected, but is nonetheless appreciated. For example:
- I try to write a thank you note any time someone has us over for dinner.
- When I was interviewing for teaching jobs, I wrote thank you notes to all my potential employers, expressing my appreciation for their time and interest.
- I make an attempt to write a thank you note any time someone goes out of their way for me or our family. For example, several people have offered to babysit Ann Peyton when I have doctor's appointments and whatnot. Since Peyton often works evenings and since both my parents and my in laws live in town, we really haven't had a need for it. However, I can think of one time when I asked a non-relative to babysit. I didn't write a thank you note, but in retrospect, I wish I had and I certainly will if I'm in that situation again.

Finally, here are a few tips I personally think serve to help formulate a well written thank you note. Keeping these personal guidelines in mind helps me write more meaningful, significant notes:
1. Be specific
2. Be detailed
3. Be genuine
When I remember these three things, I think my letters are more personal and more sincere.

My mother is a phenomenal note writer and she always instilled in me the importance of gratitude in ink. It can really brighten the recipient's day and it usually improves the mood of the sender as well!

{Images: 1, 2}
{Source: Emily Post Website}

Lovely Things: Samplers

One thing that I love to have around my house is samplers. I know some people probably think they're super old fashioned and even a little outdated. I'll admit they do have a bit of a "grandma" feel to them. There is NOTHING polished or sophisticated about a sampler. But something about a sampler just says "home" to me. Maybe it's because they were scattered throughout my parents' and my grandmother's house and those are places that felt like home to me growing up. To me, they just convey an air of quaint simplicity.

Here is a little background research I found about samplers, via Wikipedia:
A sampler is a piece of embroidery that demonstrates skill in needlework. The alphabet, figures, motifs, decorative borders are common parts of samplers. Sometimes, the person who makes the sampler will include their name and date as part of the sampler. The word sampler comes from the Latin ‘exemplum’ - an example.

The oldest samplers still in existence date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Because pre-printed patterns did not exist, a stitched model was needed. Whenever a needlewoman saw a stitching pattern that she was fond of, she would quickly sew a small sample of it onto a piece of cloth - this became her 'sampler'. The patterns were sewn randomly onto a peice of fabric to be used later as an example, and the woman would collect different patterns this way throughout her lifetime.

Around the 18th century, samplers had become quite different. Instead of the scattered, random examples that were to be collected and used as a guide throughout a lifetime, they becamed much more organized and symmetrical. They were made by young girls and women to demostrate their expertise in the skill of needlework.

I have several samplers around our house. Some my mom found for me at antique stores, some came from my parents' or grandparents' house, and some my mom cross stitched herself. Here's a peak:

This one is in our kitchen:
Dear House you are so very small. Just big enough for love that's all. It's very special because it hung in my grandmother's kitchen before she passed away. It is the a wonderful reminder that for right now our house is the perfect size.

Here is a collection that is on one of the walls in the guest bathroom. I'm not sure where all these came from, mostly antique stores I'm sure, but my mom did the top one, so it's really special.

A closer look at the ones on top:
A house is made with brick and stone. But a home is made with love alone. What an important thing to remember. Peyton and I are building a home with love for each other and for our children. This is one of my favorites andI think the little family is so precious. This is the one my mom made, so that makes it extra special to me!

The best gifts are tied with heartstrings. I always think the spirit behind the gift means more than the gift. I love receiving a gift and knowing that the person put thought into it and picked it out especially for me. I try to give gifts in such a way.

Happiness is homemade. Isn't that the truth?

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. There is a reason the Serenity Prayer is so popular and so well known- it is applicable to everyone's life and yet it feels so personal when you read/pray it.

And the ones on the bottom:
Home is where the {heart} is. Clearly I love special sayings about my house/home. Home truly is where the heart is, in my opinion. I still call my parents' house "home", and it took me a long time, but I finally call this house home, too.

Who waits outside the door one may never know, so tarry not my friend, he too may to go. I just think this one is really funny and again, I love the little pictures at the bottom.

This last one is right above my vanity in our bedroom:

A closer look:Love. Faith. Hope. Charity. {Happiness Tree} Work. Play. Laughter. Happiness is catching. We get it from one another. I like this one a lot because I think it's just a neat way to organize a lot of virtues and show what truly brings happiness- other people and a life of faith and integrity.

I think my sampler collection says a lot about what is important to me and the things that I want to be cognizant of as I go through my day. They are like lovely little post-it notes throughout my house!

Photos: C/O my little Canon point and shoot and my mediocre photography skills

Source: Wikipedia article on samplers

Fashion Flashback: Jon Jons

I decided that I am going to do a series of posts about items of clothing (for men, women, and children) that are currently in style, but are very classic and traditional. In these "Fashion Flashback" posts I will share a little history about these timeless pieces of apparel.

We are expecting our second child (we have a seventeen month old little girl) this Spring, and if that baby is a boy, I plan on dressing him very traditionally, much as I have done with Ann Peyton. I like it when babies look like babies, not little mini adults and I like classic things. One of my favorite things to dress a little boy in would be these:

JonJons!

Jon Jons are so so named for John F. Kennedy, Jr. The style gained appeal when his father was in the White House and his mother, Jackie created a fashion trend by dressing little "John John" in the one piece outfits. Incidentally, "John John" was not a name given to the president's son by any family member, but rather by the press. The outfit has held onto it's popularity for over half a century, due to many factors including the increased ease in diaper changes that they provide and the fact that they are ideal for busy toddlers, who would have a harder time keeping on a two piece set.

 

Prior to Camelot, toddler boys wore shorts or long pants and a shirt. It's funny because I think of that as a much more "modern" look!

I can't wait to dress our little one in some precious jon jons- seersucker for the Summer and flannel in the Winter and gingham all in between!

Sources: Marie, my sewing instructer at Continental Sewing and this Southern Living Message Board
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4,