(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)
I did so LOVE the
spring look that had evolved at our home by the closing of spring this year,
and even felt a little sad and challenged about packing it all up. I had become used to it and it made me happy every time I walked through.
It felt like Spring had reached a point of perfection; but
nothing gold can stay forever, and I’m sure by Fall, Summer will have reached a
point of perfection too…..so here goes, on with the transition!
Out with the red, white and blue - what a contrast! Quite a change!
Both looks could be quite cheerful and comfortable, but I was going for more of summer and less of spring! This:
Became this:
And several other changes began to take place:
I usually wait until
after Derby Day and Mother’s Day to begin to transition our house from the
lovely, more formal, fresh and bright spring greens and soft and pretty pastels
into the more casual and comfortable deeper, darker greens of summer and deep reds
of Pentecost. I chose to start a little early this year.
Now with the fast
approaching days of summer we go from elegant, spacious and slightly formal to
cottage-cozy, laid back and comfortable casual.
I always want a more relaxed, laid back feeling in the house which will
hopefully match our life styles during the summer months.
It is a season that easily
blends it’s qualities. These same colors
used for Pentecost work well when we arrive at the time for the patriotic reds,
whites and blues of Memorial Day. The
patriotic things feel so festive, yet un-formal. They continue the Pentecost message with the
way they speak of freedom and growth of a Godly nation.
They also lend themselves with the blends of
more shades of the blues and some mixed beiges to the beach feeling I like to
mix into it all.
These beach decorations
and colors then go so well with more red, white and blue when we once again
show our patriotism on Independence Day.
When you set your home
with this atmosphere, you get the feeling of a constant on-going picnic. It is the time of the year to concentrate
much more on the yard and the outside living areas of the home. We stay beach-worthy inside and outside right
through the end of August when things will once again take another transition
and total change of colors in honor of fall in September.
This year I’m starting
early, right BEFORE Mother’s Day. I’m
going to let May, June, July and August just blend with slight changes. I have pulled out the basics and I’m setting
my goals for some new improvements and fresh ideas this summer. I have a list of the things I would like to aim to accomplish in my home before the end of August. I'll share a few of them with you here. Pray that I get at least HALF of them done!
I want to plant a
thriving spice garden in my kitchen window. When this gets done I'll use these spices to make fresh new summer recipes.
I need to make the
entrance to the house fit the season that we are going through.
I would love to
re-purpose several pieces of old un-useful-for-the-moment furniture. I want to paint some smaller pieces with a
patriotic flair (only to be used in the appropriate seasons.)
I am hoping to be able
to revive some of my outdoor areas – they need a lot of tender loving care this summer. They have been long neglected while we worked on some inside remodeling. Places like the back yard deck, the grilling
area at the downstairs back of the house and the screened porch just off our
master bedroom.
It would be fun to incorporate
more plants, those of the “eating” kind and those of the “just pretty” kind
into planters and containers all over the yard and decks of the house.
I am STILL cleaning out the storage building and garage - an on-going project that will continue through the summer. The garage may have more priority - since it is cooler in the summer months.
I’ve always dreamed of
having a little secret garden to the back of my house that wraps all the way around
one side of my house. I want to lay out
the master plan for that this summer and plant a few of the basics and create a few beginning gardening projects in that direction. This will be
a whimsical garden, one with little spots of imaginative creations and restful
places of peaceful meditation, with pretty plantings that add large splashes of
color here and there, maybe even with a walking trail, be it ever so small and
humble. I will use some of my seasonal
re-purposed furniture that I will not need to use any more to make outdoor sitting spaces
for this area.
I want to establish
our first annual Family Pentecost BBQ Picnic to be held in our own back yard and I will
work on little things that aim for making this more festive and fun for all. This year it will only be immediate family,
but this may evolve over the years into a casual reunion with other extended
family and friends. I’ve noticed a lot
of the younger cousins don’t really seem to know each other very well. We need to initiate an opportunity there…..Planning
the fun events that you want to take part in your home is what the constant
remodeling and redecorating is all about, right? It is all about the people; not the
things. I want the people to know each other better! The things and all the effort
you are extending toward the care of your home are for the people you
love. Let them enjoy as often as you
can. There are a million little ways to
do this. My Pentecost Family Picnic is
just one example. What would you like to
be sharing with your family this summer? Make some special memories!
Last but not least, is
my forever dream-plan of putting an entertainment center with sliding
barn-style doors at the end of our living room.
It would be a miracle to get this done by fall, but I can always hope. I’ve seen just exactly what I want (well, I
would tweek it a bit and make it fit my purposes) in a local store
display. Remember my thoughts are to
have the barn doors slide on and off and be the display for my different large
pieces of art to be changed with each season? I am going to make it a priority to take pictures of the “almost perfect”
one I saw so that my husband and my son-in-laws can help me build it at the end
of our living room. If we do it ourselves, we can do this for a small amount of pocket change. The one I saw in the store though amounted to several thousands of dollars. Of course, I'm opting for saving the money and having a new family project to share! I would change the store's original design a bit to suit my own purposes, change the door to one large one instead of two smaller ones, and change the colors
used for painting the wood. This is on my “if possible”
list. Maybe I will just start
accumulating the materials – we will see how this one goes.
So what is my budget
for all of this? I don’t have one. I really don’t have a penny to spend on home
improvements this summer, so everything you see from me will be very thrifty
and economical. Just more of an excuse
to use the old imagination, right? Keep reading the blog each week to see all that can be accomplished with sheer will power and a little elbow grease!
Sounds like we all are
going to have a very busy summer! I’ll
share my pics and tell you all about it as we go along, hopefully it will spark
some ideas for your home too. Have you
made your own list yet? What things
would you like to work toward this summer?
Life is a process and if you don’t think it through and make a list,
well you may not ever get started. If
you have anything you would love to share with others about your summer décor and
home improvement ideas, please let me know.
I would be happy to feature your home on this blog in “The House
Doctor” section too. I'm always looking for willing participants not too embarrassed to put their ideas out there for everyone to share. The more we share
our ideas the richer our lives will be.
Just don’t forget to stop and enjoy your summer
progress along the way. Take long times
to rest and bask in your progress and also remember to share the beautiful
results of your ideas with all of your family, friends and neighbors. A “house” is an investment. A “home” is a lifestyle!
