Sawhorse Table Refresh

Well hello friends!

It’s been a little while since I posted a decor refresh, and there’s no time like the present! February is when I normally dig out some of the faux greenery, mostly just to remind myself that spring is almost here. The temperatures have been steady in the 30’s lately, which might not sound warm depending on where you are located but trust me it’s pretty darn good for winter in Iowa!

The table I am sharing today is in my entryway, it’s a sawhorse table that my husband Adam built several years ago. Here’s a few photos of what I did with it recently.

IMG_5431.JPG

These magnolia stems were considered holiday decor at Target, so I snagged them at the end of December for 70% off (y’all know I love a bargain!).

IMG_5433.JPG

Recently, a friend generously gave me this stack of old books and I stacked them in an old birdcage with some wooden beads. Simple! I also wanted to mention that little green plant in the background, they are currently at target for $5! They are quite nice quality for the price!

Here are a couple photos of the whole table put together…

IMG_5435.JPG
IMG_5437.JPG

This table came together nicely, minus the crooked frame on the wall but hey, we can’t have it all together ALL the time :)

That’s all I have for you today, thank you for stopping by the blog today and be sure to check back soon for my dining room refresh that I have in the works!

Stay warm out there!

-Rachael

Spring Front Porch

Happy Spring to all of you!

It’s been a little while since I have had time to get on here and share what we are up to, which consists of a long list of projects that seems to grow by the hour! I feel like the winter was so long, that when spring finally arrived we ran out and attempted to do all of the things. We may have taken on a bit too much all at once, but that just means we have more fun projects to post in the upcoming weeks.

For today, I’m sharing my front porch setup for spring. We still have tricky weather here in Iowa, so unfortunately no live plants are included in my decorating this go around, but hopefully I can add some soon. I’m all about budget friendly decorating, and today’s post includes just one purchase, a $10 rug. So let’s get to it!

We will start with the left side of the door…

c7d39c325a8db0d22febb31f53a45ad9.jpeg

Recently, I picked up these ultra heavy duty closet doors (that look like shutters) for free on Facebook Marketplace. I knew I wanted to used them on the front porch, since their weight would help withstand the wind/storms of the Spring weather here in the Midwest. I went through my garden supplies and found these steel buckets from a few years back (they are originally from Lowe’s), and filled them with dirt and faux succulents. Real plants would be ideal, but since we had a freeze warning (and snow!) as little as a week ago, I had to hold off for now.

e5abba03dedd4a9beaeeeebc585a057f.jpeg

Next, we have this vintage water pump and wash tub I picked up at a flea market a couple years back. Simple!

c5f7e6e567d44582ba62fa6d56e4c41f.jpeg

A neighbor was cleaning out their home and had an old red metal star they gifted to me, which I simply spray painted black and hung on the door. This white door is not our permanent front door, just one we used to secure the house during construction. Somehow we have lived here three years without replacing it, but Adam assures me this is the year the official front door will be installed! Until then, we have this plain one to deal with. And in this photo you can see my ‘home sweet home’ rug from Target.

88f30b2f792ca217170c36d9ed7ef5b3.jpeg

On to the right side of the door, which includes more faux plants, and a very old milk jug that is epic heavy. I also included my ‘hello’ metal sign from JDH Iron Designs, I used a few command strips and stuck it right to the stone.

e04c6ef83428a6f2f17cdb0d899f2d8b.jpeg

Alright, here is the full photo of the entire front porch! I am enjoying the little pop of red from the water pump, and the simplicity of the rest of it. I hope this post has brought you some inspiration for your own front porch and as always, thank you for stopping by today!

Happy decorating!

Signoff.jpg

Spring Dining Room Decor

It’s March, and I am determined it’s time to decorate for spring, regardless of the fact it remains very cold here in Iowa. Today I want to share with you my quick and easy dining room decor that I refreshed for the new season.

This is quite possibly the last time I decorate this table, as it is on the project list to be sold and replaced with a barn wood farm table, much like this one pictured below (photo from a client’s home).

IMG_4069 (1).jpg

Hopefully by mid summer we will have the table built and replaced, but as always it is hard to find time to do things for yourself. At least we won’t have snow removal getting in the way of our projects by then!

Well I could talk for hours about plans for my dining room, but let’s get back to the current task at hand….decorating for spring! Traditionally, I have never done a whole lot for spring, and as a result I only have one tote designated to spring decor (I have like 8 for Christmas!). Regardless, I dug that tote out a few days ago and got to it.

IMG_1155.JPG

I picked up these pastel eggs from Target, either last year or the year before, and I have really enjoyed them. They add just a hint of color and are so versatile to use. And since I don’t plan on changing anything up before Easter, they are going to serve dual purpose as the Easter decor!

IMG_1166.JPG

Here is a closeup of the table, which I kept very simple, and all of these items I had on hand except for the small glass plant mister which was at the Target dollar spot, score! If we zoom out a bit you can see the rest of my dining room below.

IMG_1168 (1).JPG

My buffet and large rusty metal pig are permanent fixtures of the dining room, and I change up the buffet decor for the different seasons. As you can see I used some faux greens and DIY candlesticks (if you missed that tutorial click here). Also, I have had some eucalyptus and faux flowers in the window boxes for a couple months now, but I will most likely leave those as is until we are closer to summer.

And there you have it, my simple refresh of my dining room for spring. I would love to refresh my front porch as well, but my winter decor is currently frozen to the concrete so that will have to wait for another day and another post…hopefully sometime soon!

Well I am off to tackle some spring cleaning, I must harness this motivation while it lasts! Thanks for stopping by the blog today, see you soon!

Signoff.jpg

Spring Farmhouse Decor Items on Amazon (Budget Friendly!)

Hi there!

I know it’s wishful thinking for most of us that spring will be here soon, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to de-clutter, disinfect, and decorate with bright colors. If you have been following for a while now, you know I love all things budget friendly and that includes decor. I frequently make my own decorations, but there are some times when a minor purchase can really make a difference to a space, and today I have brought you my top picks for budget friendly spring farmhouse decor items from Amazon.

*Note: This post contains affiliate links, for my full disclosure please click here.

Quick and Easy Updates

If you are like me, you might not have a ton of time to refresh your home for the next season, which is why I love simple pillow decor. Just bust these out of storage and pop them on the couch! Done!

Incorporate the Outdoors

Spring is a great time to start bringing your indoor and outdoor spaces together. This can easily be accomplished by decorating your front flower beds or starting your garden early indoors. Depending on your weather patterns, this time of year can be busy with planting. For us in the upper Midwest, we have a while to go yet before we can get our hands dirty outside so until then we bring the outdoors in!

Prep the Kitchen

With all the fresh food that will be coming in from the garden, I like to take time to reorganize the pantry. These hanging baskets will be perfect for fresh produce (we are going to try and do a ton of onions this year)!

Everyday Essentials

These last few items can be versatile for many seasons, making them worth the time and effort of installation!


Don’t forget to Pin this post for the future! Simply hover over the image below, and the Pinterest icon will show up, easy!

Blocked In.png

I hope this post brought you some inspiration for your own home. As always, I love your feedback and feel free to leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email if you have something specific you would like me to look for. Make sure you are following us on Instagram for all of our updates!

Signoff.jpg

Spring Faux Greenery Guide

Hi all! I know you might read the title of this post and think to yourself it’s January and too early to decorate for spring, and while I certainly agree, I do like to add a pop of greenery to my winter decor to keep things fresh. Iowa has a habit of being brown, with the exception of snow, for months on end and I personally prefer a hint of green to keep me plugging away until spring!

First, let’s discuss where I like to shop for faux greenery.

I get a lot of questions about where I find my stems and it varies by season. For example, I like to shop at Hobby Lobby for fall and winter stems due to their extensive selection and great prices on seasonal items. For spring or year round items I prefer Target or Amazon, due to their rock bottom clearance prices. Target usually has more of the style of faux greenery I prefer, and there is the satisfaction of seeing it before you purchase, however Amazon reviews can often times answer any questions you might have prior to buying and it helps they have a hassle free return policy on most items.

Next, lets take a look at the types of faux greenery available.

Below you can see a couple different examples of greenery currently in my home. The left photo shows more of a softer look with muted tones and a ‘fuzzy’ texture. I prefer this type of greenery for any stand alone plant that I decorate with, as it matches the softer tones throughout the rest of my home.

The photo on the right shows a mixture of large matte eucalyptus leaves with a smaller, more ‘shiny’ plant. When creating a display with multiple plants, I prefer to use different textures so the individuals stand out.

Softer, ‘fuzzier’ look

Softer, ‘fuzzier’ look

Matte vs Shiny

Matte vs Shiny

Here is another example of how the matte, softer looking plants work well with the decor already in my home.

This greenery is from Target. Book sets available here

This greenery is from Target. Book sets available here

Here are examples of mixed textures with multiple plants in flower boxes that I have in my dining room. I did add a hint of color to these displays, and I plan to continue to add to them later on in the season. I like how each type of plant stands out from the bunch.

IMG_0629.JPG
IMG_0630 (1).jpg

If you are looking for a few greens to get started with, I rounded up a couple options below from Amazon. You just can’t beat the bulk pricing and quantities!

Note: These are affiliate links, and you can read my full disclosure here.

Well, that’s all for today! I hope this post was able to provide some inspiration for your own decorating!

Signoff.jpg