Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Susan's Home

 It's been awhile since I've showcased any of our homes - so thought it was about time.  And since Susan is a favorite person/dealer of just about EVERYONE - thought we should showcase her home!  Susan has a real eclectic style and her home shows that in every room.  It is also a very comfortable and welcoming home.  Susan shares her home with her husband Art, daughter Georgia and their 4 dogs and a bird!  This gorgeous little orange set is in Susan's front yard!  Isn't it awesome?  Thank goodness she decided to keep it rather than sell it - sometimes that is a tough decision for us!
 This is on the left side of the walk in the front yard.  A pretty comfy spot to wave at the neighbors!
 Entering into Susan's side/back yard..........
 Susan's potting bench - love the simplicity of it!  And love the green fence that matches the trim on her house!
 Just outside Susan's backdoor is her covered patio area.  This is where they spend a good portion of their time in the summer months.  It is cozy little area with comfy seating.  And none of the furniture pieces is actually outdoor furniture - just hardy enough to handle the breezes and raindrops that manage to blow in on the sides!
 Standing in Susan's backdoor looking out to the seating area!  LOVE the Plaza sign!!
 Looking towards the back yard - this side yard is the perfect party area!
 Susan's white display area in her kitchen!  I love to just look - a great way to display a collection!
 Susan's kitchen cupboards are inset with fabric behind glass - and a great old road sign as the back splash!
 Susan's bathroom - she said there was nothing interesting about it - so she painted it all in chalkboard paint and made it interesting!!
 The other corner of the bathroom!
 This built in unit is in the dining room.  It is quite shallow so becomes the perfect spot to showcase family photos and small treasures!
 I startled Susan's bird Otto with the flash and he flew up to a high and safe perch!!  Isn't he pretty? 
 Gorgeous leaded glass windows in the dining room.
 Susan's dining room does double duty - this corner is her office!  Nothing officey looking about it is it?  A great table, chair and awesome lamp - along with wonderful artwork -  you can almost forget that there is a computer there!
 Susan's living room - like the rest of her home - very eclectic - and screams Susan!  The North Dakota road sign - cuz she is originally from North Dakota!
 I love the dining room - great old table, industrial bench, matching formal chairs on the other side!  She makes it all work together!
 LOVE, love, love this piece!!
 Susan's entryway!  Cozy and welcoming!
 On her front porch - this little vignette makes you stop and look and touch!
 Loved this big piece in her living room!  Nice to see no television huh!!
Her front porch on the other side of the front door.  Susan's entire home is filled with textures and colors and various styles and vintages and fabrics and artwork and comfy seating and pillows - it is incredibly welcoming and interesting and you want to know the best part?????? A VAST MAJORITY of everything came from SECOND HAND ROSE!!!!  Now you can't beat that for style can you????  Thanks for inviting us over Susan!!

Decorating our Yards and Gardens!

 This has been a tough summer so far hasn't it?  Too hot, too cold, too wet, too humid - seems like very few moments of Just Right!   But, even with Minnesota weather extremes we love to be out in our yards.  We thought you might enjoy taking a peek into some of our yards and gardens to see how we use our own "junk" to decorate our outdoor areas!  This spot is in Barb's back yard - don't you just love it?  What a nice spot to sit and dream!
 At the back of Barb's house she has a spot with two Adirondack chairs - they get a new coat of color each year - this year she likes the bright yellow/orange shades.  I think the idea is great - what a great way to add some fun color to your yard!
 I love this screen door frame tucked into a corner - and below it is a very old wheelbarrow that belonged to Barb's father!
 Barb has a great front porch - it always says "Welcome - come on up and sit a spell!"  But this year she bought outdoor fabric and made drapes to frame the entrance.  What a great idea that can be used on any porch or deck or patio or gazebo!
 In Barb's backyard - grapevine entrance.  So charming and old fashioned and homey!
 
The door into Barb's garage!  How inviting is that???
 Barb has this great industrial metal table set up in the back yard with multi-colored chairs!  What a fun picnic spot!  I think those burgers and salads would taste even better setting here!
 Rose used a baker's rack in her garden.  It is against her garage and fills up that big empty space so nicely!  You could do the same with great outdoor hardy artwork or plants or use it as a buffet for your outdoor meals!  Most baker racks are metal so can handle the rain and sun - so move them outside!
 Rose made this piece of garden art out of 1 x 12's, bicycle wheels, metal rings and a gazing ball.  It is topped off with a fence post cap - a pretty easy project!
 An old grinding wheel stand - minus the wheel - makes a great piece of art and plant holder in my shade garden!
 A pump in the garden is kinda standard - but it looks so nice don't you think?
 I picked up this faucet at an auction and just hammered it in the ground.  I love that it looks like it is watering my garden!
 Windmills make a great trellis!  This one is covered in Clematis and Rose's.  I have another in my vegetable garden with beans growing up it, and a third with Sweet Peas wrapping around it.  Only this one has the actual fan blade at the top - the others were missing it - but as a trellis that was just fine!
 Part of an old barn door hinged to a couple of posts makes a great entry gate.  Mine has Honeysuckle growing up the side.
 This Red Wing crock was in a junk pile cuz someone had dropped it and a good portion of the bottom was missing.  I just dug a hole, stuck it in, and filled the crock with soil.  I never take it in over the winter and plant fresh annuals in it every year.
 Another faucet of sorts - this long pipe was part of some kind of well.  I like it in my garden over the birdbath!
 This is another well pump.  It was about 10 feet tall - we cemented it in the ground and it became the post for the fence/railing up to my front door!
 The back of our property is our work area and vegetable garden area.  It is all fenced in with various old barn doors, gates, and fencing sections.  Other than this one section, I painted all the rest red so that even tho each 4' section is different - they are all uniform in color!  Then I had to have some fun with this little section!

Barb's front porch - with more of her reds and yellow/oranges!  It is so cheerful!

So.............did you get any ideas for your own yards and gardens?  Or are you itching to share photos of your favorite spots?  Drop us an email with pictures - we WOULD LOVE to see how you decorate your summer areas - be it yards, gardens, decks or cabins!