Fall Porch Happiness

Welcome! Or at least that’s what I HOPE my porch says.

Let’s face it, after a long, busy summer my porch was looking a little, uhhh, sad. Dead flowers, faded pillows, you know the drill. I’ve been looking forward to giving my porch some attention, and yesterday was my window of opportunity. A few days ago I put in my reservation with my hubby for a trip to the farm. Yes, reservation. You know, when you lay the groundwork for a trip to his not-so-favorite-place on the day of a FOOTBALL game. Well, he’s the best, and he agreed.

Picture this. A perfectly warm, sunny September day, a beautiful drive in the country, and a stop for burritos on the way. Yes, all was going well until we arrived at  Bauman’s farm and *gasp* there were NO white pumpkins. At least not any that were picked and ready to be sold. Lucky for us, the owner of the farm was there, and she  said, “Well, let’s go pick some pumpkins!” Talk about great customer service! Fast forward 20 minutes and a whirlwind pumpkin picking adventure…and our truck was loaded with the most beautiful white pumpkins you’ve ever seen (most of which are reserved for my indoor decorating…I decided the pop of orange was fun for the porch). And BONUS, picking them myself was the best part of the experience! Talk about the ultimate treasure hunt. For those 20 minutes I was a kid again.

So to me the most important part of the fall look is the pumpkins/hay bales/corn stalks, you know. Stuff not made by MAN. But let’s get real, cute pillows for the adirondack chairs have been on my shopping list. This. Aint. Easy. Someone could make fade-resistant outdoor pillows for fall and make a killing. They just don’t exist. At least not locally. So, when you can’t find it, make it, right? Ya. Easier said than done. I stood in the outdoor fabric aisle for about 25 minutes. Nothing was screaming, “I need to be on your porch!” I mean, not even close. It all looked so fabric-store-ish. Ugh. I took a deep breath and a light bulb went off. Ohhhhhh! Just do a combo of two fabrics, and add some numbers for a graphic punch! I used our address numbers, because I thought that would be cute for the porch, and because it will make everyone wonder why I love 17 and 64. 😉

Can we talk about this polka dot pumpkin? I’m in love. I picked this up at a local sale a few weeks ago, it was made by my talented friends Matt & Emily at The Missing Piece Rustic Decor. The other little sign is one I painted last year, on a scrap of wood that may or may not have been from a builder’s trash pile. Hey, there’s a lot of construction happening in my neighborhood. It’s better than Home Depot up in here. And let me reiterate, it was found in a TRASH PILE. Don’t go getting all judgey. Sheesh. 😉

Aaaaand there you have it. The fall porch. All fresh and well-loved again. So how about you? Have you given any thought to your porch? Does it say “Welcome?” Let’s do this! Bust out the broom, freshen up those flower pots, pop a couple ‘o pumpkins out there, and boost your curb appeal x1000. It might just be the nicest thing you’ve done for yourself in a WHILE. Happy decorating!