SUMMER: decorate with tote bags?!

 

When we moved into our house in 2016, I created this feature in our entry hall, using a vintage porch post that had been cut in half lengthwise (Thanks to Don & Peggy at Down Home Antiques!). I collected a selection of various new and old hooks and added them to the wood post.

The pegrack project was published in Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine in fall, 2024. That article shows it staged for the fall issue - I pretty much changed up what's hanging on this peg rack every season. Anything goes, trust me - including tote bags!

Continue reading to see how easily I styled it for summer...

SUMMER: thrifted game as tiki wall art

Summer is finally here, and it's time to get into an island groove!
But Deb, you don't LIVE on an island!, you might say. True.
But we LIVE like we do!

Back in 2020, our home decor theme shifted. Massively. 
We had created a sort of farmhouse/wine country hybrid with small seasonal accents, made by me. But when the Pandemic lockdown was put into place and we had to cancel our summer trip to Hawaii, we pivoted. "If we can't go to Hawaii, let's bring Hawaii to us!" was our mantra... and the shift to tropical decor with a tiki subtheme hasn't stopped! We enjoy it 365 days a year. (Yes, I still add in a few seasonal items - but now, they're ALL tropical!)

Thing is, I know this kind of themed home decor doesn't appeal to the majority of people. It is a bit like living in a Disneyland attraction (that's by design - my grandfather helped build Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room!) and that's not for everyone, so I chose to continue creating & sharing 'regular' seasonal decor projects that would appeal to most of my blog readers.

But life is crazy right now in these United States, and I need FUN! I need HAPPY!
I thought that perhaps you, dear readers, might need more of that as well.

So this summer, I'm sharing a slew of tropical / tiki / Hawaiian style projects that I've already completed here at home. This is your 'peek behind the curtain'!

...continue reading to see how a thrifted 'cornhole' bean bag game became wall art!

SUMMER: one-step bamboo refresh!

 
This is a tip I learned years ago from my sweet Dad...

I've shared it before in my 2013 makeover of their backyard, but since my ENTIRE summer series this year is about creating your own tropical decor, I thought this project would be a perfect way to kick off the season. It's an easy first step to refreshing your yard!

Continue reading for details...