Welcome to all of you coming from my talented friend Lauren at Bless’er House!  Today’s tour is part of a week-long spring tour called Seasons of Simplicity, hosted by our friend Krista at The Happy Housie, and we love opening our homes to all of you and welcoming you in!  I hope you enjoy my blush and green spring tour with fresh and faux florals and walk away feeling inspired to freshen up your home for spring.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy and here for my privacy & cookies policy.  All opinions are my own.

A quick glimpse at last year’s blush and blue spring decor….

I truly loved the blush and blue and still do.  In fact, you’ll see more blush and blue this year in my entry but I wanted to do something different than I’ve done before in my living room and kitchen, which are the 2 areas I’m sharing today.

A funny personal note….

I started doing makeup over 20 years ago and I always tell people that of ALL the mascaras I’ve used over the years, from high-end to drug store mascaras, my all-time favorite is still that pink and green tube of Maybelline Mascara.  I also happen to love that color combo!  So I went with that.  Ok, maybe not those same shades of pink and green but nevertheless….those colors look great together and just scream “SPRING!” to me.

I bought a few new fun home decor accessories but then just moved some others around.

 

 

I ordered new chenille leopard print pillows in this lovely chartreuse green.  I also found these gorgeous velvet striped blush pillows that were the last of their kind (custom made in Turkey) but if you contact the shop owner, he may have some scraps of material of some similar to make you some other pillows.  I was obsessed when I saw them and had to have them.  I love this combo.  I added some velvet white pillows that I’ve had for a while to just add an extra “plush” feel and more comfort when sitting on the sofa.  These inserts are inexpensive and absolutely fabulous.  They feel so expensive.  (These are all linked in the “Shop The Post” section below at the end of the post.)

I was so excited one of my favorite candles ever now comes in in this pretty green jar.  It was perfect for my spring coffee table.

I really wanted to bring in a lot of beautiful floral but my weekly fresh floral budget keeps growing and it shouldn’t, ha!  So, I wanted to invest in some good faux floral and keep the fresh arrangements down to 2-3 a week.  I shopped around online and ordered a bunch of different faux florals that even some friends had recommended and guess what?  I wasn’t too impressed.  So I went back to the drawing board and ordered some more. I tried new things.  I ultimately found a bunch of gorgeous ones that I loved at JoAnn’s AND also at Amazon.

These faux peonies pictured above are from 2 different bunches that I found on Amazon, these and these.  Their stems aren’t very thick but the rest of them are just beautiful and they have lots of different varieties of shades.

When I think of spring, I think of all my garden flowers blooming.  It hasn’t happened yet, but when it does, I have my French basket ready, my sun hat, and my fingers cant wait to get in that dirt and get my garden going again and seeing new flowers and buds!  Until then….here are the gorgeous faux florals I found at JoAnn’s that I mentioned above.  Stay tuned because next week I’m showing you something soooo fun that I’m doing with them!  You’ll LOVE it!

I shared this vase last year (I have 2 blush vases on each side of the TV) but just bought this darling pot and put faux roses and limelight hydrangeas in them.

 

Of course, I can’t resist framing an old spring photo of my kids from 7 years ago before church one day, especially when it matches my decor.

Let’s bring out the bar cart!  It’s ready for spring and ready for the entire family!  Chocolates, limeade and pink lemonade!

 

In the kitchen, I’m mixing fresh and faux florals also.

I found these large faux cherry blossom stems a couple of years ago at Michael’s and they’re still gorgeous.  I added a green vase I found at an antique store and filled it with fresh roses.

 

 

 

 

I love putting away winter hand soaps and dish soaps and bringing back out my favorite pink grapefruit soaps.  It’s perfect for spring and it’s also soooo pretty!

New lime green hand towels, my blush pink dish apron and fresh flowers at the sink….it’s so “spring”, right?!

I found the prettiest little round green vase on clearance at HomeGoods last month and it was perfect for my spring decor so…THANK YOU to all the people that didn’t want it because I was able to get it for like $4.  Woohoo!

Isn’t that so fun and bright and cheery?!  I just love it!  Pink roses, pink carnations, and even some lime carnations mixed in there made such a lovely mix.

Carnations are so under-rated.  Don’t you agree?!  They are inexpensive, beautiful and ruffly, they come in all different colors and shades, and they are a great filler.  They complement other flowers without stealing the show.  Grab a bunch to save money on your next floral arrangement.

I’ll be sharing a really fun and vibrant spring table next week so stay tuned.

What are you doing to add spring touches to your home this year?  I’d love to know!

I’ll be sharing my blush and blue spring entry tomorrow on the blog so please check back!  For your shopping convenience, I’m linking items from the post below (or similar).  Please click on the arrows to scroll right and left.

 

 

Next on our tour is Jen of Tater Tots & Jello!  And please don’t forget to visit the other friends that are also sharing today below.

Also sharing today…

Wednesday

Shades of Blue Interiors // Finding Silver Pennies // Life is a Party // Bless’er House

Summer Adams// Tatertots and Jello // Paint Me Pink // This is Our Bliss

And sharing the rest of the week…

Monday

The Happy Housie // The Turquoise Home
Amber Tysl // Inspiration for Moms // Lemon Thistle

Southern State of Mind // Modern Glam
Taryn Whiteaker // A Burst of Beautiful // My Sweet Savannah

Tuesday

Jenna Kate at Home // Sincerely, Marie Designs // Town and Country Living
A Pretty Life // Hallstrom Home

House by Hoff // Tauni Everett // The DIY Mommy // Clean & Scentsible // Rambling Renovators

Thursday

Home Made Lovely // So Much Better With Age // Maison de Cinq
Craftberry Bush // Rooms FOR Rent

Maison de Pax // Zevy Joy // Place of My Taste // Deeply Southern Home // Kim Power Style

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you could subscribe at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and see everything I’m working on!  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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Want to shop my Instagram posts?  Click on any square below! 

 

The post Blush & Green Spring Tour With Fresh & Faux Florals appeared first on Summer Adams.

I’m so excited that the Seasonal Simplicity series is back again; and this time it’s to celebrate Summer! Today I’ve joined up with a talented group of bloggers to kick of this series by sharing a beautiful DIY or Craft project with you all!  I’m inviting you to the entrance of my home…my front porch!  I’ve created a very simple but lovely green asymmetrical wreath to show you and also my new planter boxes I received this spring! Enjoy the inspiration and ideas and pin away!  You can always hover over any of my images and click the “pin it” icon on the top left corner.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

This is our first official spring here in the Pacific Northwest and it is quite different than spring back in Texas.  In 3 words I’ll just say…..

It is glorious!!!

The weather is absolutely perfect!  Everything is green and flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, it’s mostly sunny but a rain here and there to cool things off, we’ve been playing and gardening outside and taking walks and picnic-ing.  It’s truly been lovely!  I just shared the very beginning stage of my backyard last week and the French-inspired back patio (that’s already had a bunch of new changes).  So now it’s time to work on the front and share it with you!

For the front door of our Craftsman-style home, I wanted to create a wreath for the spring and summer that was full of greenery to compliment the new white planter boxes and ferns I planted.

I ran to my nearest craft store, which was Michaels, and grabbed a grapevine wreath that was on sale for about $10.  I also grabbed a variety of spring faux greenery stems that were 50% off.  I can’t really tell you how many stems to get because it’s up to you and how full you want to make it.

I would just say to grab a few of each variety and then do like I did and take back what you don’t use.  I grabbed a few different varieties of faux fern stems, eucalyptus, and boxwood.

Now, I made a DIY Boxwood & Magnolia Wreath back in Texas a couple of years ago and had to use twine and floral wire to start securing those stems to the grapevine.  That’s because it was sooooo hot in Texas that if I had used hot glue, it would have melted off the wreath on those hottest summer days and fallen apart.

But now that we’re in the Pacific Northwest, and since our door is shaded and not directly in the sun, I went ahead and clipped stems and started hot-gluing them on to the wreath like crazy.  A month later, with heavy rain and wind here and there, it’s holding up perfectly fine.

For the asymmetrical look, just choose one side you want cover and which direction you want to go and then work around, piece by piece and top to bottom.

I also grabbed a few little bunches of faux snowball stems and other little greenish-white flower stems and added a few touches on there.  I had to add some floral but I didn’t want to go overboard on this particular design and take away from all the pretty fern varieties and other stems.

Since I have black on my front porch door mat and black metal porch lights (see more on those here), I wanted to tie that all in with some thick black and white striped wired ribbon.  So I created a big bow and fastened that on with floral wire.

I really like the way that looks!  I think it turned out nicely and I’m really loving the asymmetrical look.  It’s definitely different than my last DIY wreath but still green and fresh-looking!

I ordered these white Nantucket-style planter boxes for my front door and drilled a couple more holes in the bottom and they’re perfect!  I love the look!  I chose to plant ferns in them because A) they’re inexpensive B) will grow quite a bit and look nice and full C) you water them a lot the first week and then they are totally easy maintenance after that and D) they tolerate all that shade really well.

I still have more flowers to plant in the front yard this week, as I’ve been giving so much attention to the backyard.  And wait until you see what I’m adding in between my garages!  But anyway, I love the way this simple DIY wreath looks with the planters on my front porch.  What do you think?

Please make sure to visit my friends today and their fabulous DIY wreath ideas!

The Happy Housie / The DIY Mommy /Confessions of a Serial DIYer / Zevy Joy

Finding Silver Pennies / Happy Happy Nester / Tidbits / Vinyet Etc.

A Pretty Life / Artsy Chicks Rule / Town and Country Living / Newly Woodwards

Southern State of Mind / Craftberry Bush / Summer Adams

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Lovely Green Asymmetrical Wreath & My Front Porch appeared first on Summer Adams.

Hello friends!  I’m so excited to have you here today, whether you’re one of my regular readers or a first time-visitor! I’ve invited 7 other bloggers friends to share spring fashion and spring decor with all of you  today as part of our “Loveliest Looks Of Spring Tour“.  I’ll be showing you how to throw together a simple spring bar cart that the entire family can enjoy and also my new favorite ruffled skirt that’s perfect for spring.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram OR if you’ve visited my spring mantel, table & kitchen, and spring fashion posts here last week, you are fully aware that I have a crush on the color combo of “blush and blue” lately.  So, I’ll be continuing with that today!

I love setting up my bar carts and tea carts and changing them up for each season.  We don’t drink alcohol so whatever I set up is for the entire family and you can too. Whether you’re having family or friends over for Easter or just for any occasion, all ages can enjoy this bar cart.

I found this darling bar cart and loved it because it has marble and because it’s a pretty champagne gold, just like my kitchen lighting.  If you have fresh flowers or faux flowers, grab them and put them on your cart.

I have lots of fresh flowers in my home but I decided to use my favorite temple jar and some cherry blossom stems (from Michaels).  Nothing says “spring” like cherry blossoms, right?!

You can always bake something sweet to serve BUT as much as I love to bake, I wanted to keep this simple.  I went to Trader Joe’s and picked up some of my favorite Cranberry Orange & Almond Scones.  If you haven’t tried them, you are missing out!  They’re divine!

You’ll also need some dessert napkins, glasses, and a bottle opener.

Fill your cart up with assorted drinks and flavors, if you wish.  I love getting mine at World Market because they have such fun and exotic beverages.  I also love these strawberry rhubarb soda’s from Trader Joe’s.  In keeping with my blush and blue color palette that I’ve been sharing this spring, I chose coordinating drinks and chocolates.

My new favorite skirt, this week, is this adorable blue and white striped ruffled chambray skirt that ties on the side with a bow.  It’s lightweight and so comfortable!  As the weather has been warming up, I can wear it out with a short-sleeve shirt or even a light cardigan if it gets chilly.  I originally paired it with a fun long gold and white necklace but I thought it looked so much cuter with this peachy-pink statement necklace I’ve had for a few years.  It’s such a nice long length that it was perfect to wear with my nude wedges.

I brought down my blush bench and added a couple of pillows for a little sitting area next to the bar cart.  Now I’m ready for company!  Who’s coming over?

Please make sure to visit all 8 women sharing today for our “Loveliest Looks Of Spring Tour”!

HalfwayWholeistic | A DarlingDaydream | Chandeliers&Champagne | HouseFullOfSummer

Summer Adams | CGHomeInteriors | BlueGrayGal | A Thoughtful Place

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Spring Bar Cart & Spring Ruffled Skirt appeared first on Summer Adams.

Welcome, dear friends and also 1st-time visitors! Some of you may have come from Joan’s blog at 2 Ladies & A Chair and I’m sure you’re still swooning over her blue and yellow Easter table like I am!  I’m so glad that you’ve joined us for our 2-day Easter Tour with a group of fabulous interior bloggers.  Yesterday I shared my spring/Easter mantel and today I’m thrilled to share my blush and blue Easter table and also the Easter decor in my kitchen.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

The blush and blue has been a favorite color combo of mine this spring and such a fun color palette to bring into my bright white home.

I was so happy to find these blush stock at my grocery store to go in this new vase I found at HomeGoods.  I also found this adorable blue and white bunny jar there and it may or may not have some of my favorite Cadbury Eggs.  Is anyone else obsessed with those like we are?

I traded out my white cherry blossom stems for these pretty blush-colored stems.  I tried bringing the jar over here but it’s going to stay on the island…where we can all easily reach our favorite candy…ha!

On the other side of the kitchen, I grabbed blush and blue cookbooks from my cabinet and stacked them with one of my favorite candles and placed behind it the cutest floral plate I found at an antique store.  There was only 1 plate, sadly, but I knew I could find a way to use it to decorate some vignette.  It’ll also be perfect to put our pink sugar cookies on that Brooklyn just made.

Tip:  Don’t be afraid to try something unconventional and use what you have in your kitchen to style it.  get creative and think outside the box!

I was so excited to find this blue rug runner and bring it into my kitchen.  It’s a darker dusty blue but perfect over a lighter blue, as to not show as much wear and crumbs.

And since my floor had just been swept and mopped, I sat and admired it for a while.  Yep, it’s a keeper!

Let’s head over to my table!  When I lived in Portugal years ago, so many cafes and restaurants had blue striped table linens.  In fact, so did Italy and several other European countries I’ve visited, so it makes me smile to have found this one that I love.

It’s adorable AND it has the cutest tassel trim!

A few weeks ago on Instagram, I posted about this gorgeous set of vintage gold-rimmed milk glass place settings and teacups that I found on my local Facebook Marketplace.  I am so in-love with them.

They were well-loved by this lady and her family before moving in with her daughter and have served many meals and been a part of many memories.  I will treasure them always and couldn’t wait to use them on my Easter table.

I already had this lovely gold flatware, or “goldie-ware” as I like to call it, and the gold-rimmed goblets.  But I found the most perfect and affordable blush cloth (no-iron) dinner napkins.  Score!  I was really wanting blush plates but the ones I wanted from Pottery Barn HERE don’t ship for a few months.

So in the mean time, I found these adorable disposable vintage-style blush plates that come in several sizes. I bought the salad plates and layered it with my dinner plate and then a small bowl for dessert.  It was a perfect fit!  I’m crazy about them and will use them for cookies to friends and neighbors too.  Wouldn’t that be the cutest plate to gift them on?!

In my Spring Mantel post yesterday, I talked all about how I gave these german glass glitter bunnies that I had (I have a lot of them) a little makeover with some gold spray paint since they’d aged and changed color.  It’s charming and a lot of people love that but it didn’t go with my more transitional style.

The gold was perfect!  And to think, I almost tossed them out….gasp!

Ok now for the vase……

So…I’m in this thrift store a couple of weeks ago looking for snow boots for homeless people at the shelter I volunteer at.  I found boots and I was glad.  And then, like a “High 5” for doing a good deed, there it was….a lovely blush pink vintage vase.  Aaaaaaaaah!  (cue angels singing)

Three dollars later it was mine and I knew it was going on this table.  I had this grandiose flower arrangement in mind for this table but then when it came down to it….I wanted simple.  Pink on pink.  Pink roses in the pink vase. This is also very European.

I wanted it to compliment the simple striped tablecloth and compliment the gold-rimmed and layered plates. I didn’t want the enormous floral arrangement to take away from all the dainty and elegant little details.  Very often in Portugal you’d see the same thing.  Roses or carnations were found often in the vases and on tables of clean, pressed linens.

Also common in Europe, since I’m reminiscing and getting all sappy and missing it there, are drinks in pretty glass bottles and carafes.  This pink lemonade from World Market is not only delicious but color-coordinates with my table so I had to pull it out of my pantry and set it on the table.

THEN…

….I wanted to keep it simple but it needed more floral.

So I added snips of carnations to all the tea cups and around my gold glitter bunnies.

Much better right?!

Carnations are so under-appreciated.  Wouldn’t you agree?!

They’re such pretty, little ruffly flowers.  Love them!

So as the sun starts to set and I watch it from this side of the house…

…I sit and reminisce of my time living overseas and dream of being back in Portugal.  I’ll just linger here a little longer and imagine I’m outside at a cafe….with gold bunnies..ha!

I swear I’m getting more sentimental with age but I have so many good memories and I love that they reflect my design and style.  I love that this Easter table and kitchen remind me of a special time in my life, a time that changed my life.  I’ve loved my travels overseas.  I’m loving my adventures here right in this home.  And I’m so glad you’re here joining me for ALL of it!

So, thank you!!!

I’m linking items from my post today, or suggested items, for your shopping convenience.

Please make sure to visit Judy at Life Is Better At Home and see her gorgeous Easter decor!  Don’t forget to visit all my fabulous friends and pin all the ideas you love!

WEDNESDAY’S TOUR

Joan | 2 Ladies & A Chair

Summer | Summer Adams

Judy | Life Is Better At Home

Gloribell | Know How She Does It

Jackie | Finding Lovely

Ashley | Modern Glam

THURSDAY’S TOUR

Yuni | Love Your Abode

Rhonda | Hallstrom Home

Amie | Meme Hill Studio

Kim & Lacey | Styled With Lace

Sheila | Maison de Cinq

Janine | Happy Happy Nester

*****

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

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The post Blush & Blue Easter Table & Kitchen appeared first on Summer Adams.

Welcome, dear friends and 1st-time visitors, to my first spring tour of the season!  Today I’m sharing with you my blush and blue spring mantel and I’m so excited to be joining such a talented group of friends and bloggers to bring you a ton of fabulous inspiration for the season.

But first…

If you follow me on Instagram or if you saw my blog post yesterday of my Rain Gear Round-Up for Spring, you probably already know what a crush I’m having on blush and blue together.  So it’s probably no surprise that I’m using it throughout my downstairs and have chosen it as my color palette for the spring season.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  All opinions are my own.

My basic white mantel with mixed metals can be seen here.

I switched out some vases and pieces to reflect my color palette. I found this darling blue vase at HomeGoods and added some faux blush cherry blossoms from Michaels but you can find similar vases here.

On the opposite end, I switched out my fresh flowers for a lovely faux blush hydrangea floral arrangement.  I also added some blue color to the stacked books and grabbed my vintage copy of Little Women.

The gold glitter bunny was a fun repurposed project.  I have a bunch of German glass glitter bunnies from Pottery Barn that have darkened in color, as they do over time.  I find it charming BUT my home is much more transitional in style these days and less shabby chic so they had no purpose unless I changed them. I was going to re-glitter them with gold glitter, originally, because I wanted gold bunnies and couldn’t find them anywhere.

But I grabbed my favorite gold spray paint and tried spraying it and it turned out exactly how I wanted it. It was nice and gold and shiny.

I sprayed some others as well and added one to my built-ins for some contemporary hints of spring.  I also added touches of pink, like the glass pink bottle.

I didn’t want a ton of bunnies and eggs everywhere but I took another sweet bunny from my collection and added it to the other side of my built-ins.

I switched out the picture of the Salt Lake LDS Temple (a special place for my husband and I) to a spring picture that included cherry blossoms.  I also placed a cute glitter “spring dream” bird box that my best friend sent me from one of our favorite boutiques.

Since Giorgio, our almost 14 year-old Yiorkie, got a new bow tie and was color-coordinating with my spring mantel, I let him get in the picture and model it for you…ha!

We just love him.  Especially right after a bath when he’s so fluffy!
This pretty ruffle throw blanket is sold in my online shoppe but we will be discontinuing them soon so head over and get one now.  They come in 4 colors.

This pretty vase normally sits here on my coffee table.  I also bought it at HomeGoods but will be linking some other gorgeous blue vases below at the end of the post.

Variation:

Okay, so this would be enough of a change to me and I’m pleased with my mantel at this point.  I’ve added blush and blue and small hints of spring AND I have new blush and blue pillows coming next week and I can’t wait to show them to you.  They’ll compliment this room beautifully.

However, if I want to add a few more Easter touches the week of Easter (and I plan to) I will just add 3 more things.

1 – I love to bring out this darling glitter “Happy Easter” banner that I purchased years ago from Pottery Barn Kids and I just love the fun that the extra sparkle brings.  My kids immediately get excited and know that we are close to the Easter Bunny visiting.

2 – My mom bought all the grandkids these adorable vintage-inspired soft little bunnies years ago and the kids are obsessed with them.  Because they’re so nice and so special, we wrap them and put them away after Easter.  They have plenty of other stuffed animals and blankets from Nana and Papa to snuggle with the rest of the year.  I hope these sweet bunnies are something that they save and put out at Easter one day, when they have families of their own.

3- Lastly, I bring out the kids’ Easter baskets and put them below the mantel.  This one is mine (found at HomeGoods a few years ago with glitter eggs from PBKids years ago also).  I’ll be sharing my kids’ baskets soon but they are getting new ones and are still in transit.

Those 3 extra things take our mantel from “Spring” to “Easter” in such a simple but almost magical way.

For your shopping convenience, I’m sharing items from this space below or similar items.

For all furniture and other room sources, please visit our Living Room post and also our Paint & Flooring post.

Today some of my friends are sharing their beautiful and inspiring Spring mantel decor or a Spring vignette. Hop over to see what they are sharing…

Zevy Joy / Willow Street Interiors / Summer Adams / A Burst of Beautiful

Sincerely, Marie Designs / Rambling Renovators / The Turquoise Home / Paint Me Pink

Duke Manor Farms / Nina Hendrick Design Co. / Town and Country Living / Deeply Southern Home

Amber Tysl / In My Own Style / Place of My Taste / Jamie Costiglio

Setting for Four / Shabbyfufu / Decor Gold Designs / Sincerely Sara D.

The Happy Housie / Craftberrry Bush / On Sutton Place / Kelly Elko / Rooms FOR Rent

*****

I’m so glad you stopped by today! I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

Want to remember this post?  Pin this image below!

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The post Blush & Blue Spring Mantel appeared first on Summer Adams.

Do you need ideas to style your home for Spring? My friends and I are sharing 14 different ways today so get ready to start pinning and being inspired!  Spring is less than a week away!

Welcome to all of you coming from Maison de Cinq!  I recently met Sheila at the Design Bloggers Conference (more on that coming soon, I promise) and can I just tell you….she is as lovely and as sweet as she appears on her blog!  Sheila is just a genuine, talented, beautiful and kind soul and I adore her!  I’m sure you know that by now and I’m sure you loved her Spring tips as much as I did!  Welcome, once again, to all my regular readers and I’m so glad you’re here!

Just 2 days ago, I shared how I styled my master bedroom and dining room for Spring and refreshened it a bit.  You can read all about it HERE!  Today, I’m sharing with you my kitchen and nook decor for the Spring.

You may notice that I’m using a certain color throughout the entire downstairs of my home.  I’ll be sharing my family room and living room on another day and you’ll see even more of this color.  Here’s a hint…it was chosen as Pantone’s color of the year.  Yep!  Green!  I just love it so much.  It says “rebirth” and “fresh” and “new” and “alive” to me, when I think of everything blossoming and growing once again.  So I brought that feeling inside.

I’ve been trying to keep more fresh fruit and veggies readily available to my kids (washed and cleaned) so that they’ll just grab it and go, instead of a packaged snack.  These delicious green apples double for decor too in that lovely gold bowl.  If you remember, I shared how I added gold and brass to my kitchen last year.  So another pretty pop of gold, besides the bowl, is this cute little teacup with gold polkadots.

I happened to have some fresh white roses and baby’s breath in another room so I stole just a little from that other arrangement.  With some plant food, it stayed gorgeous like this for over a week!  Crazy right?!  I was thrilled.  It’s so fun to use what you have.  Just look around you!

And if you have been following along with me for a while, you know I love my Dirty Diet Cokes, which call for limes.  So I always have those on hand and thought I’d wash and clean them and have them ready to go in a pretty apothecary jar.

When the roses on that kitchen nook table (previous picture above) finally died, I decided I would do something I did HERE when I wanted to keep peonies around all year long.  My friends from AFLORAL were kind enough to send me some gorgeous faux stems and this gorgeous antique gold floral urn to create a fabulous faux floral arrangement.  Why?  I knew I had a LOT of traveling going on this spring and I didn’t want to keep buying fresh flowers every week, just to turn around and hop on another plane and come home a few days later to dead flowers.  I love my husband and children.  But they do NOT understand that you have to look after your blooms.

Afloral sent me some seeded eucalyptus hanging spray stems so I put them in the floral foam brick, hanging off the sides.

I also used wisteria bushes and had them hanging over the sides.  They’re so pretty!

I added ranunculus stems,

I added some lovely gardenia sprays,

and I also used a few mini white peony bushes to use for a great filler.  I just cut them the sizes they needed to be and stuck them in the foam brick.

Isn’t it gorgeous?!  So, about 45 minutes after I was finished with it, a friend dropped by to borrow an ingredient she was in need of for her dinner.  Her jaw dropped when she saw these and said from across the room, “Did you husband send you that?  Wow that’s gorgeous!”  I told her that he had not and to go take a closer look.  She touched them and said, “I can’t believe it!  They are faux!”  That’s right.  And that’s exactly why I wanted to order from Afloral because they weren’t your grandma’s “fake flowers”.  Their faux real-touch and silk flowers (and dried) are all so gorgeous, as are their trays and vessels.  I highly recommend them!  This arrangement makes such a statement and brings life to my little kitchen nook.

Just to the right of my little round table is that cute vintage tea cart that I decided to keep in the nook.  This little nook needs all the fun it can get!

I usually keep a Hot Cocoa Station on it during the Fall and Winter.  But now that it’s Spring, it’s the perfect place for guests to come and help themselves to some tea, sparkling water, make an italian soda, and enjoy a few sweets.  You know I usually have something fresh coming out of the oven to put on that cake stand, right?!

Well, I’m thinking it’s the perfect time for some Lemon Cream Cupcakes maybe?

Or possibly this delicious Coconut Cake that I shared with you last Easter?  Or Coconut French Macarons?  (Oh gracious, I should NOT blog about desserts when I’m this hungry.)  There are so many favorites.  I suppose I’ll just have to bake them all!  Just not in one week or you’ll see this blog turn into a “how to lose weight” blog haha.

Thanks to Afloral for sending me such fabulous stems and that gorgeous vessel!  I’ll be sharing a couple of other things they sent me next week!  Here are some other pieces from my home (or similar items) that you may have seen in this post and I’m linking them below for your convenience.

(AFFILIATE LINKS USED BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN)

I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest posts.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

I’ll be sharing more of my home this Spring next week, but for now…hop on over to my dear friend Tamara at Citrine Living!  You’re in for a treat because Tam is not only beautiful and kind but she has impeccable taste and her home is so lovely.  You probably won’t want to leave BUT make sure you do eventually because these other fabulous blogger friends of mine are waiting for you to visit their homes as well.

MemeHill | CrazyChicDesign | DwellingsByDevore | KnowHowSheDoesIt
HappyHappyNester | 2LadiesAndAChair | LindsayHillInteriors | StyledWithLace
HomeAndFabulous | InspiredByCharm| OscarBravoHome | MaisonDeCinq | Citrine Living

xoxo,

The post 14 Ideas For Styling Your Home At Spring appeared first on Summer Adams.

I returned home to Dallas last week from Los Angeles, where I attended the Design Bloggers Conference (more on that later), to find that my trees in the yard were all blooming. Spring! It’s arriving! I couldn’t be more excited! So today I’m sharing with you a few things I’m doing to “freshen up my home” for the spring in this Spring Home Tour, sponsored by our friends at Annie Selke.

For those of you coming from Shabbyfufu, welcome! Isn’t Janet’s home so dreamy?! It always feels magical when I’m visiting her beautiful home through her blog. I hope you’re pinning away and feeling inspired. Welcome back to all my regular readers and I’m so glad that you come often to share ideas!

Ok, so there are a few things I do in the spring to “freshen up” my home.

Let’s head into my master bedroom.  First, I give everything a good wash, right down to the mattress cover.  I vacuum all our mattresses with the hand-held attachment on my vacuum and then I steam the mattresses (I used to do it once a month but then I had kids and now I do it once a quarter, ha) to kill any dust mites.  I take out any fur rugs or throw blankets and substitute them for something lighter.

I normally have a large, heavier quilt on the end of my bed, that we like to snuggle up with if we’re not getting all the way into the bed and under the sheets. Instead, I replaced it with this gorgeous WRUFFLE IVORY MATELASSÉ THROW from Annie Selke’s Pinecone Hill.

I love the light knit and the lovely crochet trim around the edges. It’s the perfect pretty throw blanket I needed here for the spring and summer and I love its vintage charm.  I also do something else….I pull out my open-toed slippers.  You may find it odd, but I can not walk barefoot on our floors downstairs.  They are just so hard on my feet and I know it’s bad and dries them out too.  But I don’t like my heavy, warm slippers I use in the winter.  So these are just the perfect pair.  Aren’t they just the prettiest house slippers?!

I also replaced the other boudoir pillow I had on the bed for this WRUFFLE IVORY MATELASSÉ DECORATIVE PILLOW from Annie Selke that matches the throw perfectly. I like it so much better.  It is the thickest, softest pillow and I love the waffle weave texture.  I love relaxing against it when I’m reading to the kids.

Both the quilt and the pillow are from Annie Selke’s new Artisanal Collection that Annie is calling her “or•glam•ic” line.  How cute is that?!  Organic with a little glam….right up my alley!

In Texas, it just doesn’t get cold enough to use flannel or heavier sheets in the fall and winter.  But if you use them where you live, now is the time to get out your crisp cotton sheets and put them on the beds and put the others away.


If you visited my master bedroom recently from my Updated Vanity and Master Bedroom Tour, you saw this lovely vanity I switched out from the previous one.  In the spring, I often have fresh flowers here.  Just not today, as we are traveling a bit.  But I do switch out any of my body sprays or lotions for lighter floral scents and toss any perfumes that I am not using or liking or smell a little old.  They don’t last forever, ya know!

In that same post, I was still looking for a pair of matching chairs to put on either side of this little French provincial end table. I’m still looking for that perfect pair, but until then I decided to bring these two vintage chairs upstairs and put them here.  It’s so pretty with the sunlight coming in, I had to have a place to sit.  And let’s try to pretend that Josh doesn’t throw his clothes on them at the end of the day (cringe).  Haha!  I know I’m not alone in this…right, ladies?

One, I found at a garage sale for less than $50 and it was a hot mess. It was mustard yellow worn velvet with a TON of cat hair all over it. Painting the edges white and recovering it with linen was a labor of love but well worth it. A good friend actually saw it in her neighbor’s yard sale and texted me a picture and told me I had to have it. I agreed. This was back in Waco and was the last thing I purchased there before we move to Vegas. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we’ve moved a lot for my husband’s job in the last 5 years. (Ruffle throw blanket sold HERE in my online shoppe.)

This other chair was my Great Aunt Wanda’s and she gave it to me when I got married before she passed. Oh how I just loved her! But I didn’t love the bright red velvet and dark trim so much. So I had a friend’s father reupholster it (back when we lived in Waco) and I painted the wood as well. I’m so happy with the way it turned out.

The chairs may not be matching, but that’s okay. I think it gives this room a little more character and they are pieces that I love and have sentimental value.

Let’s move on to the Dining Room…I love love love fresh flowers.

These gorgeous hyacinths were a bunch that I purchased at Trader Joe’s right before leaving to Beverly Hills for the Design Bloggers Conference. They had a variety of colors so I bought the pink, fuchsia, and darker purple. I had every intention of arranging them in something beautiful, but while waiting to arrange them, they sat in this lovely white marble pitcher overnight and just sort of stayed there. I thought they looked so pretty that I didn’t want to disturb them.  It doesn’t have to be fancy to be pretty, right?!

Once they passed on to flower heaven (which was by the time I returned from my trip because no one in my house knows how to take care of flowers but me haha), I decided to move a few of my {many} mercury glass candlesticks into the dining room and put them on the center of the table. But they seemed to be a bit dull and I wanted to liven them up.

I’m using green a lot in my home this spring.  You’ll see more of that on Wednesday and next week in some fun upcoming posts.  I remembered loving some gorgeous candle wreaths from Magnolia Market that I used in one of my Christmas Dinner Tables, so I decided to make a little spring version set.

All I did was grab a few bunches of pretty faux boxwood stems and used a little floral wire to connect 3 pieces together in a circle, at 4 different spots (1/2 inch long at each spot).  I covered the wire with a little floral tape and voila! Easy peasy!  All 3 took me about 2o minutes and definitely brings a bit of spring to these pretty candlesticks.

Last week, I shared how you could have peonies all year long. Did you get to visit and read that post? If not, you can click HERE.  I love flowers all year long in my home, be it fresh or faux. But I believe everyone should enjoy flowers around your home in the spring time. Peonies are my favorite. What are yours?  I have a special place for these beauties so stay tuned!

Well, there are a few ideas for now to get you started and ease into Spring.  Freshen up your bedroom with some new bedding options for spring and take care of those mattresses!  Change up your furniture to keep things “fresh” and different without buying all new furniture.  And bring some floral, fresh or faux, and place them around the home.  I think you can do it, don’t you?!  Here are some shopping links I’ve included below, for your convenience.

(affiliate links used but all opinions are my own)

I’ll be bringing you several other tips in the next couple of weeks, along with some yummy recipes so make sure and stay tuned. I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest posts.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

Now, please head on over to my dear friend Tanya at A Darling Daydream to see what she’s sharing with you this Spring.  I just know you’ll just fall in love with her home and never want to leave!  And please make sure to visit my 3 other ridiculously talented friends as well to see what they are sharing with you today!  We love sharing our new favorite Annie Selke goodies and our spring ideas with you!

ShabbyFufu    StylehouseInteriors    ThePinkDream   A Darling Daydream

See you soon!

xoxo,

The post Spring Home Tour with Annie Selke appeared first on Summer Adams.

Oh how I just love this time of year! I captured these blossoming almond trees on the way to meet our friends in California at the beach house and had to stop and capture the magical beauty of it all. I wish I could have just brought it with me back home and enjoyed it there as well. But our homes don’t have to be dull or dreary after all of our back-to-back holidays over the last 6 months. What do you do after putting away the easter baskets and bunnies? Brightening up your home at spring and giving it some small attention is easy and can cost you little to nothing, depending on the decor you might have throughout your home (and hiding in closets, like me…ha!). Here are some changes I have made that gave me just that “refreshed” feeling our little nest needed.

First and foremost, I just LOVE entertaining and having friends over! I feel like the table is the heart of our home. It’s where I share my favorite dishes with my family (I enjoy cooking for them so much) and it’s where we have the best conversations after a long day. And I equally LOVE coming up with a new tablescape so I decided to do something a little more creative and really have some fun. This is one that has been in my head for months and I couldn’t wait for a chance to do it. I needed just the right season. And this, it is!

My starting point was the floral. Easy since I’ve worked fresh flowers into my grocery budget on a weekly basis. I highly recommend this as it gives such a sense of life in your home and natural beauty. As long as you change the water and add plant food throughout the week, they will last and last. You may not even need to buy them sooner than every 10 days. {One tip: Keep your house temp low! Being too conservative with your air conditioning and temperatures rising will cause your flowers to wilt and die more quickly. Always test your AC as you come into spring so you know that it’s working properly. If it isn’t you can get air conditioning repair Lynchburg before the hot weather hits and your flowers suffer!}

I love having a simple, beautiful white plate. The “charger” idea was actually inspired by something I saw Joanna Gaines do last fall so I decided to make it my own and more affordable. I went to Michaels Craft Store and grabbed 4 summer garlands that were all green with these tiny white blossoms. Each garland is long enough to make two chargers (wreaths). I cut them in half and connected the ends (each end has a plastic circle that you can insert the opposite end through). It creates a circle, looking like a wreath, and you simply place the plate on top. I found these adorable mini chalkboard paddle boards at Rod Works (also shop them here or here) and created individual chalk art on each one. All 8 of them only took 30 minutes (I’m NO artist) but it was fun!

Each of my messages were about eating but you could also create holiday greetings and art, write down your menu, or write your guests’ names on it as a place card.

I grabbed one of my tree trunk slices (found here) and a bouquet of faux spring flowers I’ve had for a few years now and created a smaller arrangement next to my gorgeous larger (fresh) arrangement. They complimented each other perfectly and gave the table more dimension. Loving the natural elements!

You can grab ” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>paper dinner napkins or ” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>linen dinner napkins for that crisp, clean look. I thought a little ribbon tied around the silverware would give another fun touch to the table. Since I’m a stripe-lover, this kiwi-striped ribbon was just the perfect choice!

Doesn’t all of this greenery and floral shout “IT’S SPRING!” to you?!! My dining table never looked so cheerful! Now, I wouldn’t be a very good hostess if I invited you to my table and didn’t share something delicious with you! This green bean dish is my family’s favorite and tastes too good to be good for you!
Here’s the recipe for my Sweet & Savory Green Beans:

5 pieces of bacon
1/2 small sweet onion, chopped
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb. green beans
1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add chopped onion to bacon fat and cook until clear. Add the vinegar, sugar and salt to onions. Stir and make sure sugar is completely resolved. Add green beans to pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain water and add beans to onion mixture. Crumble bacon on top to serve. If you desire, add slivered almonds as well before serving. Bon appétit! {Don’t forget to pin and save for later!}
Let’s run upstairs to one of my so-called “problem areas” in my home. I have a wide hallway leading to the side of the house where my children’s bedrooms and my office are located. On one side, I have a lovely armoire (in the middle of a transformation and will be shared soon) and on the adjacent side….this little bend. It’s had several things hung on this little wall space. But it doesn’t get barely any natural sunlight (which makes it difficult to photograph well) and such a “blah” area. Especially now that spring is here, I wanted to brighten it up. I’m loving all the framed botanical prints out there so I found some free prints online and printed them out on cardstock and added them to these gorgeous beaded frames with matting (only $14 on clearance at Michaels….score!!). They turned out perfectly.
I knew just what last little touch it needed….a small end or console table or plant stand. Home Goods just happened to have this lovely piece with gold legs and marble top. I grabbed my large glass bottle from Hobby Lobby I already had and some faux spring branches and voila! The perfect little vignette that brought this dark and dreary space to life and a touch of spring to the upstairs level.

Other ways to brighten up your home and incorporate touches of spring can be….
Use decor pieces with green vine, moss, boxwood, etc. to create small vignettes. I bought this adorable moss basket a few years ago and combined it with a small nest (also already had in my stash) as well as one (of many) birds in my decor closet. A subtle but fresh and cheerful addition to my fireplace hearth.

From across the room, a simple spring wreath brightens up any space and can be the perfect floral accent if you don’t care to run out and buy those fresh flowers.

While I’m a neutral-lover, I thought I’d experiment and bring out new pillows with gentle pops of color in all 3 corners of our sectional (outside pillows found at TJ Maxx, pom pom pillow from H&M, sofa from Macy’s). While I love my beiges and greys mixed with some aqua, it will take some getting used to! I do think it livened up this family gathering spot though. I love changing out accent pillows for each season/holiday. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to transform your room. While sticking with neutrals, changing the pillows and a few pieces of decor can allow you to experiment with many different color schemes and styles.

Those that know me well and come for a visit also know that I will probably have something special awaiting them My vintage tea cart (found several years ago in Waco, TX) is the perfect place for serving refreshments for guests (or a hot cocoa bar in the winter here or even used for a summer garden party here). My latest obsession? Macarons! My daughter and I make them frequently and they are just the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth. (aqua goblets from HomeGoods)

I grabbed yet another wood slice, placed it on top of my jade cake stand and then added my floral arrangement. I love how an inexpensive bouquet of flowers from the supermarket can be clipped and arranged to make a completely different centerpiece.

I’m so delighted you could stop by and visit! I hope you leave feeling inspired and ready to freshen up your own home. Please visit these 13 other FABULOUS friends of mine whose blogs will make you swoon as they share some other ways to bring touches of spring into your home! Click on their links below!

xoxo, Summer

The post Brightening Up Your Home At Spring appeared first on Summer Adams.

Spring!  A reason to open the windows and also a reason to change up your home decor!  The minute Valentine’s Day is over and the days grow longer, I start thinking about what I’m bringing out as I pack red hearts away.  I thought I’d share a few “spring scape” ideas with you today from my home and then make sure when you’re finished reading that you hop on over to my friend’s blog next to see her spring decor and enter to win a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!

When I think of spring, I think of green and floral…bunnies and birds.  The weekly trip to the market for fresh flowers begins once again.  I love this “NEST” sign from my shoppe.  Not only does it represent our home, but it represents gathering of life.

My sitting area is immediately changed up to reflect the time of year and I love sitting and reading a book or working on my laptop while sitting here on my chaise lounge and enjoying the natural elements surrounding me.  I love moss balls and green vine balls, boxwood topiaries, hydrangeas, bird nests with eggs, bunnies and neutral colors this time of year.  I know pastels are also very popular this time of year but neutrals give me a calm feeling when I walk in my home, especially after a chaotic day.  I really appreciate stores, like Pottery Barn, that design such a cute bunny pillow as it allows me to add that touch of spring or Easter festivities while also keeping the neutral theme that I love.  The lovely ivory ruffle throw blanket is also from my shoppe.

I love using this wooden 3-tiered tray to fill with spring decor!  I get to choose so many things to layer on it and make such a lovely display.

On the opposite end of this buffet I have found a fun way to use those Target Dollar Spot mini crates to create another spring vignette.  I love the look of different heights and elements used to represent spring, Easter, and my family.  And again, using boxwood topiaries (this one much larger) in the corner to bring in that greenery and “spring-y” feel.

Above our fireplace mantel hangs our television.  So on each side I add a few things that reflect the season but also continue using the elements that I’ve chosen throughout the rest of the home (below).  Not pictured are the two boxwood topiary balls sitting on large mercury glass candlesticks.

I always love a pretty spring banner!  This one is found HERE in my shoppe and can also be used to spell out so many other different things, as it comes in a large pack of letters.  I love that vintage look with glittered edges and vintage silk ribbon on the ends.

Below is just one shot of my Easter tablescape but see my previous post for more pics and details.

Now, while I don’t bring a lot of different pastels all throughout my spring or Easter decor, I did actually add some pretty pink and blue to this one little vintage tea cart area in the corner of my kitchen.  I like to have a little dessert cart for when guests stop by for a visit.  There are always candies, snacks, or home-baked goods there to offer them and ready to be served.

And how CUTE are those adorable bunny towels (above)?!!!!!  I fell in love with them the moment I saw them!

Wherever you can, add some greenery or floral to add touches of spring to your home!  Put away dark colors and think fresh!  One more thing….change your candles or wall plug-in fragrances to reflect the season.  Time to put those pumpkin and cinnamon scents and think floral, fresh, fruity!

I’m working on a few other things upstairs but that will have to be shared at a later time!  I hope you’ve enjoyed a few ideas I’ve shared and feel inspired to open up your windows and change things up and welcome spring!

NOW, hop on over to Lauren Nicole Designs Blog for a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY and more spring decor inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!  xoxo, Summer

The post Spring Scape appeared first on Summer Adams.