I can’t even tell you how much I’ve been craving warm weather and time to be outdoors. We moved into our new home in August–on the night before the first day that teachers reported back to school. Yeah, it wasn’t ideal. Between desperately trying to unpack enough to function, and get the new school year started, we didn’t have much time to enjoy the outside around here very much.
Actually, we didn’t get to enjoy last summer much at all. We got stuck living in an apartment all summer because we sold our other two homes and our new-build wasn’t done yet. When I got remarried in 2017, my new husband and I each owned our own homes. Homes that we had lived in separately for 14 years! So let me tell ya, moving was no easy endeavor. We sold stuff, gave stuff away by the truck load, and packed what was left in four PODS. We moved into an apartment with the bare minimum needed to survive. There was no outside space, except for a teeny, tiny little cement slab. And most of the summer was spent babysitting the build of the new place. So we had little time to enjoy summer.
And then, we moved here and unloaded those heinous PODS in record time, right on top of the new school year starting. And if you’re a teacher, you know that is the WORST possible time. Beginning a new school year is exhausting. So, if I never see another POD again, it will be too soon.
Annnnywaaayy…. we moved in here and by the time we got at least somewhat settled, summer was over. So, I am literally craving time to be outside, and do some gardening and planting around here. We hired someone to do the hard, heavy lifting of the limestone edging, river rock, and sod, but I wanted to do the planting myself. I find it very therapeutic to be outside in the sun and fresh air, planting and playing with flowers. 🙂
When March arrived, we were still trapped in frigid temps and unpredictable weather. I needed, yes needed, some spring. So I went to work incorporating some spring touches inside the house. It really does boost my mood. I found this free printable on Shabbyfufu’s website, and knew it was perfect for my mantel. I printed it out and stuck it in a frame I already had. Boom.
I added a pretty spring-smelling candle, and some artificial pink tulips. Yup, they are fake. I have several vases of real flowers around here too, but sometimes it’s nice to have some that stay perfect looking, ya know? And from a distance, they might fool you. I got mine at HomeGoods, but these on Amazon are half the price and look just as pretty.
I got these little daffodil stems at our local Hy-Vee yesterday. Usually I buy them at Trader Joe’s every year, but I was in Hy-Vee last night and saw them there for about the same price, so I snatched them up and brought them home. They were still all tightly closed last night, but I trimmed the ends, and placed them in a little white creamer from my china cabinet. I put them on the entryway table next to my silver bunny and some vintage looking eggs. When I woke up this morning, they were blooming out already. Voila! Instant spring, and they only cost about 3 bucks for two bundles of daffodils. The “vase” was just something I scrounged up around here, costing me nothing…easy-peasy, instant spring!
I’m super in love with this bunny pillow. On my gray plaid farmhouse inspired chair, it just adds a pop of color. All of my permanent pieces in this room are very neutral, so it gives me the freedom of adding pops of color appropriate for the season. And for spring, I’m luxuriating in all the pinks this year. Pink is my favorite color, and with all the grays and neutrals in here, it’s working really well to add a little spring spark. Plus, who doesn’t love a cute bunny. Again, all the rebirth and renewal stuff are getting to me this year.
I’ve had this ceramic bunny for years. He’s one of the few things that didn’t get the boot when we did our drastic purge when we combined two homes. I dug him out of the basement storage. Oh Lord, the basement….it gives me anxiety just thinking about it. It’s in desperate need of organizing, but that will have to be a summer project. So I braved the hideous mess that is our basement storage room, and risked my life climbing over piles and and unstable stacks of totes to find him. I emerged with him in hand and placed him on this stump that held our wedding cake. He needed a bit of something-something…..so I just played around with what I had on hand to give him a little “nest”. I know…he’s a rabbit and he’s in a nest with eggs, but work with me, people. I think it looks cute, right?
The kitchen needed a little brightening up too, so I put this platter from HomeGoods and another spring candle, also from HomeGoods, on a plate rack on the counter. Simple.
The kitchen table got a simple little Gerbera Daisy I picked up this weekend when we were running some errands. The local greenhouse just opened up for the season, and we could not resist stopping in for a glimpse of some actual green plants and flowers growing. I told you I was desperate for spring. Anyway, this little guy came home with me and quickly got transplanted in a little galvanized pot I picked up at the Dollar Tree. So cute, and just the right amount of farmhouse style when I placed it on a gray plaid placemat.
Even the screen porch got a pop of pink flower love. We also stopped in to Lowe’s and they had these little pink perennials. I repotted him in a slightly taller and more narrow galvanized pot from Dollar Tree and added him to my existing arrangement in the screen porch. When I have some time, I plan to give the porch the full spring treatment, because when the weather is nice, we spend practically all our time out there. But this will have to do for now.
And finally, back to the centerpiece on my kitchen island. I think this arrangement is my favorite piece of all! This was my inspiration picture. I wanted you to see what I started with in my mind, and how close I came to this inspiration, just by working with things I had around my house for the most part.
I just worked with what I had on hand to create my own version of it. With the exception of the tulips from Costco (gotta love Costco–that beautiful tulip arrangement with exposed roots was only 10 bucks!), and the little nest, which I ordered from Amazon, I had all the rest of the things around here. I just played and experimented until I had it the way I wanted it.
The tulips were tightly closed when we brought them home, but bloomed out in a few days time. After they were past their prime, I swapped them out for this lovely bouquet that my sweet hubby brought home to me. I put them in this little vintage pitcher and it gave this centerpiece a whole new look. I got my pitcher at Hobby Lobby a few years ago, but you can find a similar one here.
The little tree circles under the candle are actually coasters. I felt like the candle needed a bit more height and some texture, so I snatched them from the end table and used them here.
The wooden bunny is years old. Under the “J” initial is an old sterling silver base for a pillar candle. The white iron stone candy dish holding the eggs is a thrift store find from a few years back. I dug them all out of the basement and just played around with things until it came together.
And that’s it. I love scrounging around the house and finding things I already own to combine in new ways for a fresh look. I spent very little money, yet it feels like spring is pushing winter away. Finally.
