Welcome

Last week I showed y’all my newly painted entry table and shared my plan to make my front entry a little more inviting. That’s great (and much needed) once people are inside the house, but what about the outside? What kind of impression is the front porch giving?

Yikes! That’s definitely NOT an inviting area! Lots of leaves, weeds, and even the welcome mat is askew (it’s been like that for weeks…I didn’t do it to make the before picture look worse). Needless to say, my front porch needed a little TLC.

I started by sweeping off the concrete, pulling weeds and picking up leaves…oh and straightening that mat! I added planters that I found at Garden Ridge ($9.99/each) and filled them with snap dragons. I want to add more to both of the planters, but this will do for now. The whole thing was kind of a last minute plan, so I ended up running into Lowe’s and grabbing the first flowers that were pretty and cheap ($3/each).

I also bought a new wreath for the front door. It’s from Michael’s and was priced $34.99. Of course I used a coupon (40% off), so I only paid $20.00. I thought that was a great deal plus the eucalyptus smells amazing.

Also in the front yard, my bougainvillea was due for a haircut. It’s the only plant in the front yard (besides a palm tree) and it’s a beast! I’ve never watered it, but it continues to grow like crazy. I have to trim it up almost every month!  

I usually butcher the poor thing, but this time it turned out pretty even. It’ll be looking crazy again in a few weeks. 

So the front makeover isn’t quite finished - I still want to add more flowers to the planters and I’d love to find a bench for the front entry, but I think we can all agree that it’s a lot more welcoming. It doesn’t look like a foreclosed and abandoned house anymore. And now that the weather is cooling down, you’ll probably see a lot more outdoor projects on here. Thank God the 100+ degree weather is over!