Over the past few years, the stairs to our patio have been completely neglected. The rest of our patio has looked better than ever, but the little "entrance" to it? Not so much :) It seriously looked like it was falling apart, and we literally had 3 grills and 2 smokers stacked around the sides of it. Why? I have no clue. My husband would need to answer that for you. Besides the grills, we had a lot of junk that just got stuck under the stairs that we never used. So, after convincing my husband that we needed to get rid of practically all of it, I got started on making the space a little bit more appealing to the eye.

I'll share with you how I transformed the railing and stairs soon.  Besides that makeover, I envisioned an awesome planter or two on the sides of the now clean stairs. So, I got to work. Let me tell you, this was just an idea I came up with in my head and somehow, it totally worked....perfect measurements and all. Love it when that happens

Here are the supplies:
12 - 1x6 cedar planks @ 14"
4 - 2x2s @ 18"
2 - 1x3s @ 14"
2 - 1x3s @ 17"
-----don't cut these bottom pieces before hand, measure and make sure they are correct on your piece-----
2 - 1x4s @ 11" smallest side, miter cut
2 - 1x4s @ 14" smallest side, miter cut
2 - 1x6 cedar planks @ 13"
1 - 1x4 @ 13"
Wood glue
Nail gun and 1" nails
Jigsaw
Outdoor paint

Step 1:  As I suggested, cut and measure as you go past this first few cuts of wood. Cedar, although it's great for outdoor projects, it has a mind of it's own sometimes. The 14" cedar pieces and 2x2 are the easiest pieces where you can pre-cut your wood all at the same time and have it still work :)

 Step 2: Connect 3 pieces of cedar to two of the 2x2s (one on each side), lining up the top piece of cedar flush with the top of the 2x2, then work our way down securing it with wood glue and nails. Do this twice, so that you have two sides.

 Step 3: Stand the two sides up, and start securing 3 more pieces of cedar along the now top. Make sure the cedar you are securing is flush with the top of the piece and all sides.

 Step 4: Flip the piece over and do the same thing in step 3 with the fourth side.

 Step 5: Now secure one 1x3 that was cut at 14" onto one of the shorter sides, flush with the top. Do this with the opposite side with the second 14" 1x3.

 Step 6: Next, on the sides that still need the top 1x3, measure the length you will need to cut your next 1x3, this should be the 14" plus the two additional widths of the adjoining 1x3s on the sides. Mine are 17".

 Do the same thing to the opposite side and secure the 1x3s.

 Step 7: I miter cut two 1x4s at 11" on the smallest side. I then secured them to the shorter sides along the top of the planter. I secured these in place.

 Step 8: Now depending on where you ended up placing the pieces in step 7 will determine the length of your next cut. Make sure you cut them with a mitered edge. The small side should measure the distance between your two pieces (on their short sides) from step 7. Mine are 14". Secure these into place.

 Step 9: Now it's time for the bottom. I took two of the 13" cedar pieces and traced out a square using my 2x2 on two corners. Having the two corners be on the side that has the longest length between them.

 I then used my jigsaw to cut out the corner squares.

 Step 10: I placed the cut cedar piece into the bottom of the planter. This should be a pretty tight fit if you measured and cut correctly. I secured this in place with nails going all along the edges.

 Do the same thing with the other cut cedar piece. At this point, you should have a gap in the middle just big enough for a 1x4 cut @ 13".

 Secure that 1x4 into place. There is a small gap between the bottom layers of wood, which I wanted for drainage.

 Step 11: Paint it! I used some durable outdoor paint to paint mine. I have a navy turquoise on top...yes, I just made that color up :) It was a mixture of black and turquoise. I then added white to the bottom for a clean look.

 Next was adding my plant! I had envisioned something big for this pot, and this Threadleaf Coreopsis was perfect!

 This area is seriously so different now! I wish I had taken a picture of when it was a complete mess. I have one before picture, but that was after it was clean up.

I just love how inviting it is now. Before, even though the rest of my patio looked great, I hated being outside because I was constantly drawn to this eyesore. Now it's actually enjoyable to be out here, and even sitting on these steps! My plan is to make another one of these for the opposite side of the stairs. I bought enough wood for it, now I just have to find time to do it...hopefully before summer is gone! :)

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A long time ago...well, maybe like 3 years ago...I changed up my house like 5 times a year. Played musical chairs with all my furniture just wondering what place they would stay put for a few months. It was fun, it was expensive sometimes, and boy do I have a whole entire basement full of things I used shortly and never touched again. That's what it takes sometimes though to find your style. It took me like 7 years, so you can imagine how full my basement is :) But, now I am finally happy with where my house is and truthfully, it's super hard to move things from a place where I already love them. It does help me save quite a bit of money though, now instead of thinking "oh that's cute! I want it!" I think, "Do I like this piece more than the piece that I'm going to be getting rid of for it?".  Nine times out of ten, it's the latter....I know, I know..so grown up :) lol

 So, that brings me to my dining room. I had a wood sunburst mirror on my dining room wall for probably about 5 years now. It's been a staple in the space. I loved it. It made me smile...seriously, even after 5 years. 

But, then I had an idea in my head that I couldn't kick. I had to try and see if I liked it. And guess, what? I love it! Now I just wish I had two dining rooms that look exactly the same so I can have my framed lavender in one and the sunburst in the other ;) 

This framed lavender project was one of those projects that I envisioned, looked good in my mind, but then had no clue if it was going to look as good once executed. I'm so glad it turned out half decent lol.

Here's how I made the frames and dried the lavender for them:
Supplies:
1/4" plywood (I used a starting 2'x4' piece.)
4 -1x2s
Stain
Paint
Nail gun/nails or screws
Picture hanger (the claw type)
Lavendar
Small nails (to hang lavender)

First, I measured out my plywood, and divided it up into 6 pieces.

 I cut six of them at 12"x15". If you don't have something to cut it, ask your local lumber store to do you a favor. I used my Dremel Ultra-Saw,  ...the none scariest cutter in my opinion :) 

I decided it would be easiest to paint and stain all the pieces before assembly. I stained my 1x2s dark walnut and painted the plywood white.

 I then cut the wood pieces (not shown). For each frame, I had two 14" pieces and two 13" pieces.

I placed the longer pieces on the top and bottom and smaller 13" pieces on the sides. So, this made the entire frame measure 14" wide and 16" high. I placed the wood stain side down on a flat surface. I then placed the plywood paint side down onto the wood letting it overlap onto each piece of wood. I secured each side with my nail gun using 1/2" nails.

 I did this with all six of them. Next was to touch up the stain on the cut edges. 

 I then added the claws onto the back. I made sure that each one was in the same location as the others. About 1" down and 7" in the middle.

 I then cut some fresh lavender from my garden. I separated them into 6 handfuls, tied the ends with some jute and then hung them all to dry for a couple of days.

Once they were dried and the frames were made, I tied another cute jute bow onto the ends. Nailed a small nail into the center of the white, and hung the jute from it. I made sure not to hit the nail into the plywood so hard that it went through the back. Just enough that it stayed put though.

 I just love the new look these gave my dining room. It was so weird getting used to it. A little busy at first, truthfully, but once I got used to it, I had no problem with them. 

Here's a quick look at how my sunburst mirror looked in here. See? Totally a hard decision to get rid of it, huh?! 

Here's the same angle with the new framed lavender gallery. Also shows that not much has changed in here in the past year :) See, if it still makes you smile, why change it, right? 

Don't worry about the sunburst mirror. It found a new home in my front room. This is actually where it's first home was years ago. 

I am now going on a complete tangent, but check out this before picture when I first posted about the mirror :) 

Whaaaat? Same room. Yep. Crazy!! That's when my couch actually stayed clean and stain free. Now it's just a constant mess lol :) Here's the link to make the mirror if you are so inclined to want to make one for yourself :) (click HERE)

Pin for later :)

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

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Hi friends! Summer is almost here and I'm trying to soak in every second of it! I feel like it doesn't last long around here anymore. Let's just say that I hate snow, so summer is my favorite season and I wish it lasted all year! Today, I'll be sharing some rooms in my house for the Summer Home Tours hosted by the wonderful Marty from A Stroll Thru Life. If you are new here and stopping by from Thistlewood Farm, welcome! I have been a big fan of Karianne's for awhile, go check out her beautiful home if you haven't already!  A little background on my home, I have lived in our custom built house for almost 10 years! Crazy how fast time flies. I have had my ups and downs about moving and finding a place a little more suitable for us, but for now, we are staying. I've slowly been adding the character that I love to our house. We bought it with all beige walls, carpet and tile. Luckily, I've come to adore the walls, we ripped up most of the carpet, and I'm just ignoring the tile :)

You'll notice through this tour that I'm a lover of all things neutral. I do have two kids and a pup...and my husband for that matter...so as you can tell, my stress level is probably pretty high from trying to keep a white house white! haha :) It's really not though :) We live in a comfortable house; I try to not freak out over the little things. In our front room, I'm pretty sure there are like 3 dirty paw prints on the couch that I didn't notice before. My dining room table shows some crazy love from all the years of eating and crafting on it with my children. I'm sure if you look closely in any picture, you'll notice that our house is actually lived in and not perfect. But, it's just the way I like it.

For the summer, I kept this relatively the same from the spring. If it's still making me happy, why change it? I have had some notable changes in a few rooms, so lets get on with the tour :)

My front room does a load of work functioning as a living room, guest room, and play room; it's the first room you'll see off our entry way. 

Barn Doors: Tutorial

You would never guess that this room is trashed with toys three quarters of the day :) 

Wood Sunburst Mirror: Tutorial

This ladder adds the perfect functional touch during summer housing away all the blankets. 

Farmhouse Ladder: Tutorial

This bench was the best decision ever. It houses all the play kitchen toys. It's functional and pretty! As for the gallery wall, all these pictures are of my oldest. I decided to create a gallery wall in a special place somewhere in the house dedicated to each child.

Faux fireplace DIY: Tutorial      Wire Hamper: Amazon    Bench: Target

If you read my blog, or heck, even just look around my home, you will quickly notice I am obsessed with pillows and blankets. So, having a place to stash my collection in every room is a must. Most rooms, I have like five places to stash them :) This hamper was an awesome find and adds the perfect charm to this room.

One of my favorite new accessories in here is this bread bowl. This thing is massive! I still need to figure out how the heck to style it. For summer, I just added a whole lot of greens.

An addition to this space is my wood sunburst mirror that I made years ago. It was a staple in my dining room, but I decided I wanted a little change in there. So, I moved it back in here. I love how massive it is :) 

The topiaries were an awesome yard sale find from a interior designer clearing out her inventory. 

I added some new euro pillows to this sofa bed along with a macrame round one. For some reason, these totally speak summer to me :)

Speaking about the sofa bed, this is one from Ikea. You wouldn't believe the amount of storage it has under it! It's the perfect addition to make my front room easily convert into a guest room. 

Console Table: Target     Sofa Bed: Ikea      Bench: Target     Rug: Rugs USA

Here's a quick glimpse at our entry way. I had it in me to paint all my natural knotty alder years ago and I'm so glad my husband talked me out of it. I just love it now! 

Let's get on with the tour and check out my dining room. This is the room where messes happen. It rarely looks like this. My oldest is like a tornado of chaos and this is her stomping ground. I had to peel off so much tape from this table before taking the pictures haha. and don't mind all the nicks and dings...oh, and craft paint. I love the color of it, and I'm so not ready to paint it yet, but it sure shows it's age :)

Jute rug: Amazon    Farmhouse Chairs: Amazon     Striped Turkish Towel/Blanket: Amazon

I obviously like Amazon ;)

My addition in here is the gallery wall full of dried lavender I picked from my garden. I actually loved my sunburst mirror in here, but thought after 5 years of having it here, it was time for a little change. I'm so glad that I love these just as much!

For the table scape, I kept it simple with faux greens and white vases.

The addition of these slipcovered chairs in here made a huge difference in this space. It's like a casual elegance. Plus, I'm all for white stuff that can come off and get washed! Makes my life a whole lot easier :)

As I mentioned before, my other rooms have stayed pretty much the same since the spring tour. Welcome to my living room:

Shiplap: Tutorial     Media Console: Tutorial      Builtin shelves: Tutorial

Wreath: Tutorial

 I had high plans to add some additional board and batten around all the walls in my living room, but ran into a hiccup with things. Until I figure that out, it's going to be staying like this. 

 Here's a glimpse of the gallery wall for my youngest. My husband once accused me of never having any actual pictures of the family in our house. Now I bet he will keep his mouth shut :) I about have a gallery wall full of pictures in every single room. 

 You may have noticed in this picture that I am a little obsessed with stripes at the moment. I wasn't so sure about adding the striped pillows in here with the striped rug, but I never notice it clashing, so I say it's good ;) 

Rug: Amazon      Clock: Tutorial     Ruffle Pillows: Amazon

 Welcome to my bedroom....which never looks like this. I did really good for about 3 months making the bed every single day and keeping up with laundry. Well, let's just say that that ship has sailed :)

 But, it's totally fun to look at pictures and remember what it could look like. 

Ruffle Pillows: Amazon      Bedding: Crane and Canopy      Lamps: Target      Nightstand: Tutorial

 This looks eerily similar to that in my dining room. I was thinking about taking these frames and putting them in my dining room instead of building new ones. I'm glad I didn't. They just make this room. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour! Keep an eye out next week, I'm going to be raw and take you on a tour of my real-life house. Like, old cups, food, toys, dirty clothes, all of it...even my kitchen which I never show! :) No holding back on this one. It's fun to look at blog worthy and instagram worthy photos, but I realized how it's completely hard to hold yourself up to those standards, sometimes just plain ruining your day not thinking that you are good enough or that your house is good enough. It's great for inspiration, but sometimes, you just have to know the real life behind those photos, you know? Trust me, we live here and are making memories. My house only looks like this 4 days of the year....and that's probably not every room. If I actually managed to clean every room and keep them all looking nice at the same time for more than 3 seconds, I deserve some sort of award :) 

Next on the tour is Hymns & Verses, you won't be disappointed! Go check her beautiful house out :) And if you want to continue on and see the rest of the tours from this week, check them out below: 

Monday – June 11

A Stroll Thru Life

Pink Peppermint Design

Setting For Four

Nesting With Grace

Cuckoo4Design

Southern Hospitality

Tuesday – June 12

ZDesign At Home

Inspiration For Moms

Clean & Scentsible

Simple Stylings

Life On Virginia Street

Remodelando La Casa

Wednesday – June 13

Our Southern Home

House By Hoff

Our Fifth House

Dimples & Tangles

Decor To Adore

Follow The Yellow Brick Home

Thursday – June 14

Haneens Haven

Monica Wants It

Duke Manor Farm

My Sweet Savannah

11 Magnolia Lane

Life Love Larson

Fri –June 15

Decorating Delirium

Thistlewood Farm

Thrifty & Chic

Hymns & Verses

Starfish Cottage

Far Above Rubies

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

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