Summer Decorating Ideas Archives - grace grits and gardening

Summer Favorites: Porch Time!

June 26, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner 8 Comments

Porch Time!

This is the first in a series of posts (irregular at best) about my favorite summer things. I’m starting with PORCH TIME!

I think of our porches as additional rooms, the best rooms, rooms that provide extra space and extra peace, whatever we need in the moment. A bit like Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement. In case you truly have been living beneath a rock, the Room of Requirement only appears when someone has a true need. It stands to reason that porches are always there because we always need a spot to rest and read, write and think, and watch the world go by.

See how that works?

I like my porches to reflect each season and holiday, and Independence Day is one of my favorites. Fourth of July is the brightest spot in summer, the top of the Ferris wheel, the cherry on the hot fudge sundae, the pre-party to my birthday shindig. And in my patriotic opinion, a splash of red, white, and blue goes with everything. Seriously, there’s no better place to drink coffee in the mornings and wine in the afternoon. Continue Reading

a simple Lavender Nosegay

July 28, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 6 Comments

Nosegay is one of those silly sounding words that back in seventh grade would have given my best friend and me the extreme giggles. During those Keiser Junior High days, everything was extraordinarily hilarious and something as simple as a funny word (such as nosegay) would often push us over the edge earning us a trip to the principal’s office for classroom disruption. I call those the Giggle Box Years. And though I may seem to be rambling, I do plan to tie all this together, you’ll see if you keep reading. Promise.Continue Reading

Patriotic Decorating Ideas for Home and Garden

June 26, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 3 Comments

Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite patriotic decorating ideas for the home and garden. While patriotism never goes out of style, the 4th of July calls for extra red, white, and blue flair. And I prefer to think beyond the typical and decorate using things I already have or flea market finds.

Like vintage marbles. Red, white, and blue marbles displayed in blue depression glass adds a touch of Americana without being too obvious.

One of my best sources for patriotic decor can be find stored inside my Christmas decoration box. Those red and silver stars that are so perfect at Christmas and New Year’s Eve work quite well come July 4th. I use this simple string of stars all summer.

Strung along the mantle, it makes a primitive sort of bunting.

These flags are fun to make with craft or vintage paper, straws, glue, glitter, buttons and whatever other supplies you have on hand. Stick them in flower pots to brighten your kitchen windowsill. This is a GREAT project for the little ones.

Small vintage vases are handy in holiday decorating. This white star vase couldn’t be any more perfect for Independence Day. If you don’t already collect vintage vases, you can pick them up at flea markets for a few bucks each. Also, they come in great colors that just happen to be trendy now. Colors like chartreuse and turquoise. It’s true. Old often becomes new again.

Those quilts you have in the closet? Display them on a bookshelf or draped across a chair. They may be too fragile to actually use but they’re too beautiful to hide. To me, handmade and vintage is another definition of patriotic.

Patriotic summer snacking is easy. Strawberries and blueberries in a vintage colander, and there you have it! Watermelon is another of my favorite. Maybe in another life I would have cut pieces into cute star shapes like those I see on Pinterest, but not now. My colander has a star design though, and that works for me.

If you can sew, whip up a patriotic pillow using fabric scraps. I found this one at a flea market for $5. It’s small and perfect for my vintage child’s rocker. (It was actually my chair when I was little, and yes, I need to shine it up a bit.)

What do you think of my (mostly) red and blue patriotic book display? While I’m not one to arrange an entire wall of books according to color, I thought a small grouping would be fun. Patriotic summer reading anyone?