Back to Blueberry Hill

Living in the woods of New England, it’s almost imperative to have a screened-in area to escape to.  Let’s face it, it’s buggy out there.  Funny, we hardly used this space when I was growing up.  Probably because most of our summers were spent splashing in our old pool.  (Man, I miss the old girl).  So, as the new owners, we’re determined to make the porch a place we want to spend time in.

I’ve always wanted one of those fabulous outdoor fireplaces.  Since building a real one wasn’t exactly in the budget, I decided to get creative.  An old wooden shelf found in the garage, a few spare pieces of wood, a mirror , a $3 saw box found at a yard sale, and a string of white lights were all the ingredients we needed to create the ambiance of a fireplace at a fraction of the cost.

After it was hung on the wall, I gave it a quick coat of Benjamin Moore Rockport Grey that I had left over from my breeze way (stay tuned for that makeover). Then, I styled it with things I had lying around the house, which for the most part had been handed down/gifted to me.  Ready to see?

That same warm glow with zero risk…Then in the daytime:

The throw blanket hanging on the vintage ladder is from West Elm.  The shutter chalkboard to the right, and the tray you see below which holds a dish towel and clock are all from Homegoods.  And now for a side view:

Then from the other side.  The ladder and the huge lantern were gifted to me by my lovely sister-in-law.  So generous right!?

I picked the fresh flowers from our garden with my little ones.  They love to help mommy pick.

The pretty orchid from this next picture is faux and from Homegoods (why are you not surprised!?). I had a real orchid once and even though the instructions to keep it alive were simple (one ice cube a week) I still managed to kill it. :-/

If you look closely in these next few shots you’ll get a sneak peek of what’s to come tomorrow 🙂

Amazing what a few Christmas lights and a little imagination can do! Thanks for stopping by.