front porch prettying-up

lately, i've been spending a lot of time on my front porch and i've been taking note of what needs to be done to make it more enjoyable. in talking to the mister about it, we have decided to make it more like a grown-up clubhouse. we had a bench that we had inherited from my folks, that we sanded and painted a year ago, but that was pretty much it for the porch. i wanted to make it a pretty place that i enjoyed being, as i often hide out there when the kids get to be too noisy for me, or when i need to study a bit, or when i'm checking my emails, or when i'm enjoying an evening glass of wine.



the ladder in the above photo was one that the mister made for the kiddos' bunk beds when they were little. they haven't used them in a few years and i found it in the garage yesterday. wanting to put some plants on the front porch, i grabbed the ladder, painted it white and then faux distressed it with the sander and some "antique stain." this is an awesome tool that you spread on with a brush and then wipe off with a rag and leaves the wood looking aged. i found the tin sign at hobby lobby for 50% off and the colors will match the outdoor rug that should be here tomorrow. the cans are simply food cans that we've recycled into flower vases and herb planters. i sprayed them with a butter yellow paint and they look really cute. other cans are sprayed green and others are blue. it's a thrifty way to recycle some planters for herbs and other small plants. plus, it's great for those little wildflowers that the kids are always bringing me.

these little chairs were given to my twins when they were babies... and my twins are getting ready to turn EIGHT this month! they'd never been painted and quite frankly were not my favorite chairs. but, the kiddos loved them, so i kept them around. to fit in with the new porch, i painted them a light blue (those of y'all living in my area would refer to this as 'carolina blue') and then distressed them.

if you stick around the blog very long, you'll notice that i like the 'distressed' look. the simple answer is yes. it reminds me of farms and simple living. i am not the shiny, polished, elegant kind of girl... i prefer cotton and denim, clean lines and things that are worn in. i am also the youngest of 6, so almost everything i've ever own was previously loved before i got hold of it. maybe it all goes back to that. maybe it's because i have 5 kids of my own and i know that shiny and new doesn't last long in my house. 'distressed' is just giving things that will eventually get beat up a reason to look beat up. but really, i like it because i'm a bad painter and i like instant gratification, and the sander fixes a multitude of sins! i have spent time to make pieces have professional finishes and all that sanding and painting, waiting to dry, sanding and painting, etc. is so boring. with the distressed look, i can put on a coat, sand it and beat it, put on some antiquer and wipe it off (if it needs it), and be done. i love it!