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

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