Home Decor: Porch & Patio

Despite the regular freeze warnings we've had this week, it's starting to feel like spring in Virginia, and that means I want to be outdoors as much as possible.  The problem?  My outdoor spaces are not nice places to be right now.  Due to the location of our townhouse at the end of the lot our complex is on, we kind of got gipped.  The townhouses on the sides have nice wooden decks.  The townhouses on our side have one long, short concrete patio.  Even though the wooden decks aren't "private," there's a division there between YOUR deck and your NEIGHBOR'S deck.  The patios kind of blend together, with only a little crack to show where our space ends and our neighbors' begin.

Consider this a "before" picture.

The mister and I both enjoy a little gardening now and then.  My family has kept some sort of garden for as long as I can remember, my father grew up on farms, my mother loves landscaping with flowers and tress, and I'm certified to teach forestry at 4-H summer camps.  The mister used to work as a groundskeeper at a golf course.  Between us, we can name most plants and love to have growing things around us.  The mister had the bright idea to line our little patio with planters to give it more of a defined border.  We also want a nice patio set with a table and chairs and perhaps even a cute umbrella.

For the front porch, my wish list is a welcoming wreath, a new welcome mat, and- this is the ambitious part - a comfy bench that would also hide our recycling containers.

Basically, we're tired of our outdoor spaces being boring and want to add some life to them!  Here's some of the inspiration I've found for the porch and patio!

Container Gardens:

Addicted 2 Decorating || LLH Design Blog via Baby Gizmo Blog

Better Homes and Gardens || Bay Village Garden Club

Strawberry Planters and Herb Gardens:

Bed Bath and Beyond || Crate and Barrel (out of stock, similar here)

Chez Pim

Storage Glee

DIY Tables and Benches:

Apartment Therapy

HomeDIT

French By Design

Funky Junk Interiors

Spring Wreaths:

My Blessed Life

Sandy Sewz

How do you "spring up" your outdoor spaces?

A Month of Gratitude: Things I'm Thankful For This Week...

I think that taking at least a few moments each day to reflect on what I am truly grateful for this month is putting me in an all-around better mood.  I feel like I am greeting people with a more cheerful disposition.

I'm thankful for my husband.
Mr. Spin's love for me is so loyal and devoted.  I've been under the weather lately, and I am a grumpy sick person.  He never acts annoyed or frustrated when I'm being a big baby, just takes care of me.  He is loving and patient all of the time; it's simply amazing and I feel like I fall so short of deserving him.

I'm thankful for our home.
We are lucky to be able to live in our townhouse; it became available at just the right time.  Setting up our first home together has been a labor of love for Mr. Spin and I, requiring both teamwork and compromise.  Luckily, our decorating styles and work ethics when it comes to chores aren't too disparate.  I am so thankful to live so close to the school where I teach- not having to be in the car for two hours each day is allowing me to live a fuller life (although I am much less in-touch with the top stories on NPR!).

All dressed up for Halloween!

I'm thankful for my students.
This week, out of curiosity, I counted how many school days are left in the semester.  It's less than 40!  I am going to be sad to see these guys head over to the Center for Applied Technology and Career Exploration in January.  They are the nicest group of kids I've ever taught, the most voracious readers, and they've really been troopers as we've transitioned from A/B to semester block scheduling.  Last week, one of them made the comment that they wish I could go to the Technology and Career center with them, as their math teachers are doing.  Part of me really wishes I could, when I think about how much they are going to grow between now and June- 90 days in the classroom is such a short time with these amazing young people!

Portfolios chock full of writing from the heart!

This week's projects and plans!

1.  Decorate my classroom for Halloween.
2.  Make orange chicken in the crock pot.
3.  Make potato soup in the crock pot. (Confession:  I ran out of time, so I put it in the crock pot for an hour, then boiled the heck out of it in a stock pot.  Also, I used real bacon, not store-bought "bacon pieces."
4.  Decoupage a pumpkin.
5.  Make squash fries.
6.  Make pumpkin bread muffins.
7.  Go to a hockey game.
8.  Wear a disguise.
9.  Assist with a photo shoot.
10.  Finish sending wedding thank-you notes, and send gifts for recently married friends.
11.  Make a list of ALL our expenses.