Back porch living

Our back porch is like an extra room for us when the weather gets warm.  From spring until Fall we practically live on the back porch.  

Enjoying morning coffee and eating our meals on the porch~ often times breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Reading a good book on the back porch. I just finished "Whistling Past the Graveyard".  If you liked the "The Secret Life of Bees" and "The Help" you will like this book.  

  

Otis in his rocker.  

We love the back porch for many reasons.  Watching the birds, hearing the wind chimes when a soft breeze blows through, and just being close to nature.  So until the weather gets too unbearably hot to be outside, this is probably where you will find us.  

Home and garden ideas and inspiration

Paging through "The Gardener's Idea Book" that Lowe's puts out for the Proven Winners Plant Brand, (a small catalog that comes in the mail), I was delighted to find so many great ideas and inspiration for the home and garden....

 just had to share these lovely pictures!    

Notice the colorful pillows and accessories.  

Flowers on the front steps or near the front door says "welcome".

The garden shed  ~  not just a place to store those garden tools, hoses and fertilizers, but a friendly spot to work and sit a spell.  

Have you noticed all the different containers you can plant flowers in?  

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of spring garden inspiration!

A little bit of blue

It was time for some new seat cushions for the back porch furniture.  I decided to go with something blue to go with our blue wicker.

 I got these from a place in Sanford, NC called Arden Company.  Believe it or not, the cushions were only $2.00 each!  Arden has a sale once a year in May.  I found out about it from my sister-in-law who lives in Sanford and I've been wanting to check it out for years.  It's in a huge warehouse filled with all kinds of lawn and porch furniture cushions and pillows, all sizes and shapes.  Unbelievably low prices!  We had to wait in line about 20 minutes to get in, but a small price to pay, wouldn't you say for bargain prices like these.  

So I am thrilled with my new cushions.  And Otis is finding them quite comfortable.  

Just a short time on the porch this morning....

....before the heat becomes unbearable.

I imagine myself walking on the beach early in the morning, a cool salty-air breeze.....seashells,

the pounding ocean waves and the sound of seagulls.

Lovely ~

think cool thoughts today if you, too, are dealing with this summer heat wave.

Enjoy your day!

A Porch Tour ~ Art Stroll

Come join me on a walking tour of downtown historic Wilson, NC.

Saturday was the "Porches of Old Wilson Art Stroll".

A little a bit of history, a little bit of art.

We had a nice lunch downtown and then walked over to Green Street.

This charming house below was not on the tour but I love the purple porch, don't you?

Cottages along the way.

This is the Joseph J. Best House, below, (former Catholic rectory) on Bragg Street, built between 1920 and 1922. It has a pressed tin hipped roof with front and side gable dormers. A beautiful front door and a wrap-around porch.

The Wilson artists displayed their work on all the porches.

Below is the Will Gardner House also on Bragg Street. This wood shingled home was constructed as a one-story house before 1913 and was raised to two stories circa 1925. Tuscan columns support the front porch which features a central entrance surrounded by a transom and sidelights.

The JC Brown House on Gray Street (below) is a prairie style bungalow circa 1910.

One of only a few entirely stuccoed bungalows in Wilson is the Dr. Oscar Hooks House on Whitehead Avenue. Circa 1915. A beautiful wrap-around porch where French doors open onto an uncovered terrace.

Artwork by some of the Wilson artists.

These are only a few of the homes that were on the tour.

It was a beautiful day for a stroll in downtown Wilson and we hope to do it again next year.

We then walked home, where we enjoyed a nice cold glass of iced tea on our porch.

Hope you enjoyed the porch tour of a little bit of history and a little bit of art.

Morning breeze

Early morning is the best time to enjoy a cool breeze here at Mourning Dove Cottage. The rest of the day is almost too hot to be outside with temps in the high 90's. It's really been hot lately!

I like to open all the doors and windows to let in the fresh cool air.

And while I was enjoying a porch morning, look who stopped by for a visit.

Enjoy your day.

Our front porch

Today Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses is hosting a Front Porch Party. Please visit her to see her front porch and many more wonderful front porches.

This is our front porch. It's a very small porch ~ actually more like a stoop. Oh well, I can still dream of having one of those big wide wrap around porches, can't I?

It may be small but there will always be flowers and a welcome sign to greet you!

Have a wonderful porch day!