Garden

DIY Encaustic Tile Look Alike Landscape Pavers

June 28, 2017 by CORINNA HENDERSON

We are all loving the cement tile look right now. With retro, vintage and globally inspired designs, they truly are suited for a variety of spaces. Even though we’ve started seeing an influx of knock-offs hitting the scene, they can still be pricey when working within a tight budget. And there hasn’t been much to hit the outdoor living spaces scene yet. So I came up with a way to get the cement tile look for outdoor spaces but for a very budget friendly price.

“Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product of the glaze but of different colors of clay. They are usually of two colors but a tile may be composed of as many as six. The pattern appears inlaid into the body of the tile, so that the design remains as the tile is worn down.” [excerpt from Wikipedia- Read More]

The same process applies for the now popularized encaustic cement tiles. Instead of clay, cement is used. Obviously this process is more labor intensive (even if it’s done by machines and not people) and therefore costs more than the look alikes where the pattern is merely glazed over top a plain tile. In most every interior space you and I would ever deal with, these tiles are perfectly suitable and won’t wear down to reveal the true colors of the tile.

For exteriors, simple grey pavers are fantastic for recreating the look. They’re neutral enough for more any space and the colors you choose to put onto it will show up easier than if you chose a colored or darker or more textured stone.

I went with the square grey patio stone from Lowe’s. I ordered online, went to the online order pick up desk and they directed me to where I should park my truck. They did all the loading with a fork lift. Pretty awesome.

To make the design, I used the Americana Fleur De Lis stencil with a sponge brush and DecoArt patio paint in the color black.

I am absolutely in love with how they came out and all my friends and family comment on them when they visit, too. It’s a little touch that helps bring style and interest to a space that can look pretty cookie cutter. I find the selection of outdoor landscaping to be pretty basic and complements all styles. But with a little paint and a stencil, those basic pieces can be turned into a true design feature. I hope you enjoyed!

Budget Curb Appeal Updates

June 16, 2017 by CORINNA HENDERSON

I know that curb appeal is important, but I don’t generally act on that knowledge. And it’s not because we don’t spend time in our front yard. We actually spend tons of time there because my son enjoys having immediate access to greet all the neighbors. What seems to hold me back is the permanence and cost of the changes I want to make.

Landscaping gets surprisingly expensive fast.

Fencing is ridiculously expensive.

And painting a house takes a lot of paint.

Those are really the main three things I want to do with our front yard. I want lots of plants lining a cute fence. And a house in my dream color: teal (or anything, really, just not that brick!). But after a bathroom remodel, a new roof, and moving the hot water heater (and the electrical work that goes into that) we’re pretty kaput on funds.

I couldn’t just do nothing though.

Psychologically, it matters to enjoy what you see when you pull up to your house. So I made little changes with what I had on hand (and a few other things) to make the exterior a bit more cottage charming.

First thing I did was paint the landing, door and front steps.

Then I used a spare shelf bracket, dollar store hanging planter and free plant from a recent festival the little and I went to to make all the flimsy white aluminum work look a bit more cheerful.

Pots from previous years and dirt I received free in a buy this get dirt free sale a few months ago filled the pots and free herbs from my mom grow in 3 of them. Morning glories and moon flowers from seeds I had in a cabinet fill the fourth.

I mentioned free dirt in exchange for a purchase. And that purchase was raised garden bed kits. They were 4 feet square and 6 inches tall. We made some cuts to fit the rectangular space in front of the living room window and arranged other pieces to fit under a bedroom window. Leftover wood stain makes them feel more finished. I filled one bed with sunflowers, a gardenia, bulbs and a spray painted pot filled with morning glories and moon flowers again. A leftover tomato cage was flipped upside down for the flowers to climb.

In front of the beds you’ll see inexpensive grey pavers that I used the Americana Fleur De Lis stencil and black patio paint to gave a pseudo encaustic tile look.

And finally, a whimsical flag greets anyone coming up to our porch. It’s a perfect reminder for me, as I can tend to stay in a negative mood a lot of the time. But I know I can choose happiness. I just have to remember to do so. The flag is part of the lifestyle flag collection at Declaration Home. The teal color is pretty amazing, right?

The next step I take will either be painting the brick or putting up wood shutters. The budget will play a lot into which one of those gets done first, of course. In what ways have you made your curb appeal more appealing?

Curb Appeal: How To Plan A Garden

June 14, 2016 by CORINNA HENDERSON

I want my garden to look lush and full now, but I know I’ll end up setting myself up for failure if I don’t plan my garden for the future. Since this is something I’m working through while wrapping up a few other projects, it felt like a great time to share what I’ve been learning and my plans for my yard.

Let’s jump into the fun part:

I plan on putting two trees in the yard because we need the shade on our house. There aren’t many structures or trees around our house and that means the sun heats our house up pretty quickly. That’s one of the big reasons why the awnings are staying put for the most part. Only windows that aren’t so much affected because of their placement get to come down.

I chose a mimosa tree because I’ve loved them since I was little, the flowers are pretty and who wouldn’t want to drink mimosas under a mimosa tree?

And the apple tree because I definitely believe in some level of self sustainability. If we can grow some of our own produce and water it with collected rain water, it’ll put a pleasant dent in our grocery bill.

In the actual garden bed, I have planned for 3 banana leaf plants towards the back. In Between those I have decided on an ornamental grass that gets about 4 feet tall. Around those I’ve left room for potted plants. Maybe some kind of bulb?

From the driveway to the sidewalk to the front door I’ve started working on a path with pavers and there will also be some pavers that lead to the water spigot to make access easier than it is now.

You’ll have to wait until next week’s reveal to see what else I’ve been working on- the suspense! But for now, here are some tips for garden planning:

Tips For Garden Planning

Know Your Zone. Plants not in your zone will not survive very well.
Plan for Different Seasons. If you don’t want a brown garden in winter, mix in some cold hardy evergreen plants.
Identify Needs for the Space (i.e. Privacy, Shade, Space for a water hose). If you need to access anything in your garden, make sure there’s ample space. Create paths when needed. Choose bushier, taller plants for privacy or vines that will fill out a trellis.
Working with the mature height and width in mind, Create tiers for more interest. Plants start out small but each plant grows to a different height. Make sure there’s enough space around each plant and that they’re placed in a way where you can see all of them when they grow to full height.
Play around with an online garden planning tool. There’s loads of free ones that offer different features. It’s good to get a visual of what you’re working with before you’re digging and redigging.

And I’ll leave you there. Your garden can be as complicated or simple as you want it to be. Drought tolerant or water loving, flowering or green, your garden needs to suit you. Online garden planning sites can help to give you a visual before execution and preplanning will give your garden interest and accessibility where and when you need it. In 1 week, I’ll be sharing my curb appeal progress!

Catch up with the projects from the other bloggers participating in this challenge:

Mom Home Guide

My Life from Home

Simple Nature Decor Blog

The Deans List

Paint Yourself a Smile

Knock it Off Kim

Lehman Lane

Cheap way to cover a chainlink fence

June 7, 2016 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Welcome back to our third check in on our curb appeal project. One thing I really enjoy and struggle with in these types of projects are blending what I like, with budget, with what’s socially acceptable for the neighborhood. Most of us are well aware that pallet projects have been around, have hit their prime and are basically common knowledge. So today, I present to you just one more way to utilize those pallets.

This may not work for every neighborhood. But for my neighborhood, it’s a bit eclectic and by the beach. You know how creative and repurposeful those beachy folk get.

pallet fence with planter pots

The Cheap Way To Cover A Chain Link Fence

If you’ve got some visible chainlink fence that you want to liven up a bit and that you want to make a little more private, pallets can be a really cute, kitschy and inexpensive way of doing this.

Paint your pallet your preferred color.

Pose the pallet against the fence and straighten. Use heavy duty zip ties to secure it to the fence. You must use a heavy duty zip tie that is made for outdoor use.

Once secure, drill through plastic planter pots into the pallet for a pretty plant filled fence. Colorful, practical and cheap!

painted pallet for fencing project

heavy duty zip ties hold pallet to chain link fence

screw through plastic planter pot into pallet wood

Now that you’re armed with a new way to utilize those pallets, be sure to visit the other ladies participating in this curb appeal challenge:

The cheapest way to hide a lessen the eyesore of a chain link fence and add a bit of privacy to your yard

Love pallet projects? How about one on wheels! A pallet fence on the go? Yes…

How To Remove Bushes

May 31, 2016 by CORINNA HENDERSON

It’s been a week since I announced my participation and plans for a curb appeal themed challenge. My curb appeal sucks. And so I’m hoping to do my best to get the area looking as better as I can get it in a matter of a few weeks.

It’s been raining nearly nonstop since last Tuesday. What a bummer! We did manage to get the bushes removed. It’s strange how much bigger the house looks without them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a small house at 1,200 square feet, but it’s a strange illusion nonetheless.

Since there hasn’t been a whole lot else going on besides removing the bushes, I figured I ought to share exactly how we did it. We knocked out 6 bushes and 4 trees in less than an hour (we only removed half the stumps though, so there’s that additional time we still have to put in). There was a lot of sweat, so the rain shower we received just after was welcomed.

How To Remove Bushes:

These bushes were shockingly massive. It took taking them out and seeing how much yard they took up to see just how big they really were.

First, we used bypass loppers to expose the base of each bush. The branches were long do to make it easier to cut through the base of each bush, we used the loppers to cut off the lower branches so we could reach with the reciprocating saw.

Once the trunk was exposed we cut through it with a reciprocating saw (as I just mentioned). This just helped us cut down on the amount of branches we had to work around to get to the trunk.

Then using a digging shovel we worked our way around the base of each bush, occasionally pulling out the axe to cut through especially thick roots.

The rain was coming back over us so we only did the side we plan on doing the patio. But here’s the before and after!

In The Next Week:

What I hope to accomplish this next week is getting the patio set up. I’m not following traditional instructions for getting this put in because I’m lazy and our soil is tough with very thick grass.

The plan is to use these two products:

I’m also hoping to get a tree planted on the other side of the yard, a new mailbox installed, and I want to start working on a cute house number + planter project. Still lots to go! Pray this rain lets up for me, will ya?

Check in with the progress on the other’s blogger’s curb appeal projects here:

Paint Yourself a Smile

A Designer at Home

Seed Sorting: My Free System

May 30, 2016 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Even if you’re not an avid or successful gardener, a seed collection can pile up. Case in point- me! Whether I’m buying them myself or they’re being gifted to me, the pile seems to double on me at least once a year. Now that I’ve quit my job and have a bit more time on my hands, I want to start planting and actually using the seeds I’ve been hoarding.

But if you know a little about gardening, you know that every plant has an optimal planting time frame during the year. So a good chunk of my seeds aren’t meant to be planted right now and it’d just be a waste to do any planting work on them.

My seeds have been sitting on my kitchen countertop for a while now while I try to figure out what to do with them. I wanted them visible so I could actively try to come up with a solution. I didn’t want to spend much, if any, money on a solution because I’m working on making over our front yard and am still finishing up the dining room right now (and technically the bathroom, but there’s no more expenses for that, I just need to finish installing everything).

And then an idea sparked!

My Free Seed Sorting System

I used to get a lot of junk mail before I figured out how to stop receiving a lot of things. I always felt bad about the waste though and kept the return envelopes that came with a lot of things. I’ve got a pretty massive mile of them that are also waiting for their purpose.

So I grabbed 12 of those old envelopes, labelled them with each of the months, and sorted the seeds based on what the package recommended for my zone.

I now have a small section in a cabinet of my kitchen with each month’s envelopes. At the start of each month I’ll just pull out the corresponding envelope and pick which seeds I want to plant and execute that over the course of that month.

Recycling is an awesome system and I love finding creative ways of doing it in my own home. I know this idea is probably way elementary compared to some more extensive systems you’ll likely find. But given I didn’t spend a single dime, I thought this idea could help someone else out, too!

So remember, save those return envelopes from your junk mail, you never know when they’ll come in handy for seed sorting or something else!