A Texan Bluebonnet Photo Shoot

In Texas, our state flower is the wonderful bluebonnet! Every year once spring arrives, you will find families swerving to the side of the road to get that one good shot with the bluebonnets. That might sound crazy if your not a Texan, but if you live here, it's quite normal to see random photo shoots happening in a luscious patch of bluebonnets on the side of the highway.

Today I had a little adventure with my sweet sister-n-law and adorable niece and nephew. There haven't been as many bluebonnets this year in Fort Worth, so we had to track them down! We finally found a safe little spot in a developing neighborhood near by. Most bluebonnet pictures are pretty simple and really focus on the surrounding blue sea of flowers, but I wanted to do something a little different than the average bluebonnet picture. I wanted to use some fun props and really give this photo shoot a subtle vintage feel and not overwhelm the photo with the stereotypical sea of bluebonnets. What do you all think??

Aren't the kiddos seriously adorable?? If you would like to see more of my work, simply click the handy dandy button above and it will lead you to my new photography website! I am located in Fort Worth, so if you are in the area and would like to schedule a session, please feel free to shoot me an email for pricing and availability;)

Who I'm linking up with:

Homemaker on a Dime

Creatively Living

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

DIY Showoff

Coastal Charm

Not Just a Housewife

Sugar Bee Crafts

A Diamond in the Stuff

Elizabeth & Co.

All Things With Purpose

I Gotta Create

Whistle And Ivy

Designer In Teal

Front Porch Item List

Today I want to share with you where I found my items from my recent front porch makeover. Thankfully since the space is relatively small, I didn't have to buy too much. I even got to use some of my items from our old house! Below is my list of items. Enjoy!

Red Rocking Chairs

Target, $150 for the Pair

You can find them online {here}

Green Rug 5x7

Garden Ridge, $25 on sale

Red Wreathe 
Target, $30

Yellow Ikat Pillows 
Garden Ridge, $9.99 per pillow
(These are indoor pillows that I have used outside since it's a covered space)

Beige Outdoor Trellis Pillows 
Garden Ridge, $9.99 per pillow

Green Outdoor Solid Pillow
Garden Ridge, $9.99 per pillow

2 Navy & White Stripped Ottomans
Marshalls, $19 Each

If there was something I didn't list, it is most likely an antique or from a specialty shop. Other than that, I hope this helps you in your front porch decorating. Spring is right around the corner everyone, so get on out there and decorate!

Front Porch Reveal

I am so excited to finally share my recent front porch makeover with you all! I have always dreamed of having a cozy little front porch, and the time has finally come. Since we are currently renting our house, I am unable to fix up the home exterior like I might with my own. So that means I needed to make the front porch really pop!

If you have a front porch, it is the first impression when people walk up to your home. Don't you want to make it just as inviting as the inside of your home? I know I do! And besides, its a great excuse to design an extra room;) Especially as Spring approaches - its such a peaceful space to sit outside and enjoy a beautiful sunset. And maybe a glass of wine too!

And now for the fun part... Eye candy!

So what do you all think?? It sure makes me smile, so I guess that's what really matters! To find a list of where I found my items, click {here}

I've also been considering starting up a weekly linky party, so please leave comments HERE if you think would link up!

Who I'm linking up with:

Common Ground

French Country Cottage
Pinterest Party at Fox Hollow Cottage
Tatertots & Jello
DIY Showoff
Be Different Act Normal
Sweet Little Gals
Twelve O Eight
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Coastal Charm
Not Just a Housewife
Elizabeth & Co.
House of Hepworths
I Gotta Create
No Minimalist Here
Shabby Creek Cottage
All Things With Purpose
Shabby Nest
504 Main
Designer in Teal

Front Porch Inspirations

A few challenges I've faced with our new house is the (lack of) space. The house is perfect, the location is ideal, but the square footage is about half of our old house. This is a MAJOR case of paying for the real estate, not the size of the home. BUT we have been so so happy with our decision and I have learned to design in smaller spaces. One example is our front porch... 

I firmly believe that your outdoor spaces should feel just as homey as your indoor spaces - even if its small! In Texas we have many seasons of the year that you are able to comfortably sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine or a sweet tea. So why not create a comfortable outdoor living space? Especially if you have a front porch - this is the first thing people see when they enter your home. Why not make it inviting? 

Over the past few weeks, the weather has been going back and forth between cool and warm. The 75 degree weather has been getting me so excited for spring! Which means yes, I just HAD to start shopping for our front porch makeover. We have already ordered some new rocking chairs for the front porch and got SUCH a great deal. More to come on that later:)

For now, check out some of my latest inspirations for some beautiful southern front porches. These are truly some magnificent spaces and really helped me gain a balance between indoor 
and outdoor accessories. Enjoy!

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Aren't these porches just amazing!? 

I cannot wait to share my porch makeover with you in the upcoming weeks. More to come!

Backyard Updates!

Over the long and very HOT summer down here in Texas, I have been doing everything I can to make our back yard nice and comfy:) Pretty much all of the furniture in our back yard is new, so it's taken a while to accumulate it all. So far, we've added a wicker settee, 2 Adirondack chairs, 2 wicker poolside layout chairs, and a hammock. Wehew! That is a lot! ...Oh, and of course more pillows too:) I tried my hardest to really make it an extension of our back patio, and I really think it all ties together nicely. I recently posted about our back porch reveal, so if you missed it, make sure to check it out {HERE}.

Hope you enjoy some of the pictures of our backyard reveal. Scroll down to see where I found my items!

Where I found my items:

Wicker Settee: Big Lots

Wicker Layout Chairs: Big Lots

Small Adirondack Side Table: Home Depot

Hammock: Garden Ridge 

Adirondack Chairs: Lowes

Navy Pillows: Target

Red Patterned Pillows: Lowes

Red Pillows: Garden Ridge

Red Cushions: Garden Ridge

Porch Makeover Round 2!

Hey guys! Well, for a while now I have been working on perfecting our back porch. A few months ago I posted my initial makeover {HERE}, but have made quite a few changes since. I originally started with a red and brown color scheme, but always knew I needed one more accent color to make it all work. It all started when I found my navy blue seat cushions at Ross. They were $9.99 for the chair cushions and $19.00 for the couch cushion. ( I later found the exact same set online at Target for like $70! - crazy!) I knew I couldn't pass up a deal like that, so I just went with it! From then on, everything just fell into place:) I began painting things navy left and right! I brought my old coffee table outside, revamped an old side table {seen here}, and bought a few navy/nautical accents at Marshalls and Ross.  I also added a DIY light fixture over my table {seen here}, switched out the rug to a more neutral option, and added another light fixture between our rocking chairs that I will be posting about soon. With just a few affordable DIY updates, the space was completely transformed and also much more cohesive in my opinion. Scroll down to see a list of where I found my items.

{ Before }

Here are a few pictures of my back porch's journey! 

{ After }

And here it is today!

Where I found my items:

Large area rug - Lowes

Jute area rug - Ross

Red Hanging Lantern - Lowes

Red Curtains - Wal-Mart

Navy Blue Pillows - Target

Red Stripped Pillows - Garden Ridge

Seat Cushions - Ross

Stripped Accent Stools - TJ Maxx

Plate Chargers - Marshalls

Navy Blue Plates - Marshalls

Hurricane Glass - TJ Maxx

So what do y'all think of the navy?? I'm kind of obsessed with Navy right now, so it sure makes me smile! I have also extended this design concept to the rest of our back yard as well. That post will be on its way soon! 

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend:) Happy Sunday!

Who I'm linking up with this week: