🪴Are you ready to get down and dirty planting in your clay pots? As we gear up for Spring planting, it’s time to give our trusty terracotta containers a little TLC. After all, our precious plants deserve a clean and cozy home to thrive in, right? So, let’s start getting those clay flower pots ready for Spring.

I just LOVE the old terracotta clay pots. I love the color and the texture and how they age so well, over time. I started my collection, many years ago and they are loaded with mineral deposits and other discolorations. I love the look!

Check out my collection.

It’s that time of year when nature turns into eye candy. Vibrant flowers blooming. What’s better?!

Oh, but let’s be real. Everything here in Northwest Louisiana is covered in a yellow dust of pollen. 💨 I have to admit that the pollen keeps me from going outside to take care of the things I need to do to enjoy the outdoor living space, and prepare for Spring.

But we have to do what we have to do.  So. 🙆🏼‍♀️

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Let’s get going and gather the supplies for the job. You’ll need some good ol’ soap, water, a scrub brush, and – here’s where the fun begins – a bucket of bleach water. You can find garden scrub brushes at my affiliate link, here.

Now, roll up those sleeves. An apron is a good idea since we are working with a little bit of bleach. Etsy has super cute garden aprons. Find them here. And keep an eye out for the 🦎. This is the part where I squeal when they appear. But then I giggle. They get me every time. lol

Start by giving your clay pots a good rinse to remove any dirt or debris. Then, lather them up with soap and water, and scrub away any stubborn stains. Give them a good freshening up after a long winter in storage.

Once your pots are squeaky clean, it’s time to sterilize them. This is where the bleach water comes into play. Mix one part bleach to nine parts water in your bucket, and soak your pots for about 10-15 minutes. This step helps kill any lingering bacteria or fungi, ensuring a fresh start for your plants.

I love this shelf for storing the pots during the planting season. It folds up for easy storage during the winter. Get it here.

Once your pots have had their bleach bath, give them another rinse to remove any traces of bleach. Then, let them air dry completely before filling them with soil and planting your favorite flowers and herbs. Voila! You’re now ready to embark on your spring planting adventure.

All the cobwebs and dust bunnies are gone and you are ready to start adding rocks for drainage and dirt for planting all your favorite seeds and bulbs. Before you know it, your hard work has paid off and the flowers will be eye candy for you and your neighbors.

My mama loves all of the old fashioned flowers. She loves sweet williams and pansies. We love to plant them in the pots. The little girl statute has been hanging out in her garden for many years.

But we love planting them in the ground – along with container gardening too. There is just something about a mix of plants in a container. I love coordinating colors and greenery that spills over the sides.

I added a little whimsy with the dragonfly garden stake. It’s one of my favorite things in my yard. Get yours here.

In my parents garden, there is an old wood-burning stove that Mama plants mixed plants in. We have had it since I was a little girl. As you walk through their garden, there is plenty of cute vintage decor that will catch your eye.

The old vintage bird has been hanging out in the garden for many years. And Daddy has made cute wooden bird houses over the years. Every garden has to have a frog and they have their share, too. Find your vintage bird and frog here.

Can you just hear those baby birds chirping? 🎶

What will you be planting this year? What are you favorites flowers? I love hearing from you.

If it’s vegetable gardening that you love, take a look at the peppers we grew and used in this recipe. It was sooo dee-lish!

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Have fun today!

When you tell your trim carpenter and brick guy to use your old grandfather clock as a beam. They love to tell me, “can’t do it! “. Of course, Mama raised a determined kid (stubborn😬). So I say, “Sure you can!”…….here, I’ll show you what I have in mind. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 😁

With everyone talking about the time change and my craft friend decoupaging old clocks, I’m nudged to share this project with you.

it was a pretty Spring day. I was out strolling through some of the local antique shops. One of my favorites, Kings Ransom. I weaved my way through the store, rounded a corner, and stopped in my tracks.

🤔Hhhhm. I call my husband to see where he is in his truck. He is always so good about swinging by an antique store when I find a piece I can’t resist.

😂He is also good when he can’t quite see my vision for the old piece. Haha! Oh, the things we have dragged home. lol

And this was one of those pieces. It looked like junk. The dealer told me it had been in a flood in Savannah, Georgia. Then moved to a barn for storage in Charleston, South Carolina. Someone had repaired the bottom and replaced the top. Admittedly, it was a really bad job.

But the antique clock was handmade with those old forged nails (be still. my heart) and a hand-carved toggle to keep the clock box door closed. It’s a real gem and I’m so glad I nabbed it.

We hauled the old clock up the stairs to my studio. I stored yarn inside it for years.

We moved the old fella to storage while we were building our new farmhouse in the country.

As I said, in my bio, my brain is always, always making. I asked my husband who is a builder to have an open mind and see if he could see my vision. We walked to storage, and I said, “doesn’t this just look like a beam to you??”.

He could see it! 🎉💪🏻🙌🏻

Now, to convince the trim carpenter who loves to tell me I can’t do thatttt. 🤣

I cleaned my clock. Ha. And removed the bottom repair job and the top replacement piece. Then I drove it out to the country.

The trim carpenter, although stubborn 😅, is a magician. It’s okay. I can say that. He knows I love him. 😬

Anyhoo. The guy can do ANYTHING.. Truly. He loves to banter with me. And I love that too. 😁 (I get it from my daddy.) That’s the kind of relationship Jim likes. He’s always grinning. This is trim carpenter Jim. 👇🏻

Can you just tell Trim Carpenter Jim is a mess? lol

So trim carpenter Jim works his magic, once again, adding pieces of old wood to the top to make the ‘beam” long enough for the foyer.

It’s hard to build for a creative person. I know this. This is my life. We are complex. OK. There, I said it. lol

Jim and I go back-and-forth on numerous projects in the house. 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ The pantry door. The cabinets. The antique wood laundry room barn door. The wood trim in the lanai room. The ceiling trim in the den. The stained glass window above the kitchen sink. Haaaa

Oh, and the trim above the kitchen island which I still get heartburn over when I think about it.  🙃 Of course, that all started when one of MY ideas went bad. So there’s that. Ha

Maybe I will share those in another blog post. But now that I’ve asked permission to use his picture on the blog, Jim has asked me for the link.  So. 🤣

It’s okay. He doesn’t put anything past me and knows to expect ‘whatever’. 😁

Anyway. This guy is talented. I am so proud of the special touches Jim added to our home.

Sometimes, to make things work, you have to do the heavy lifting. So I did. The brick guy required heavy angle iron install the beam in the brick foyer. So I drove in to town and got two pieces for the project.

At this point. I was on the construction site daily. I was so excited the morning I arrived, and the brick guy had started installing the grandfather clock beam.  Perfect. It was PERFECT!

So. What do you think? (Other than me needing to fix those curtains that are hung too low. Always a project. Never not making. lol #EverythingCan’tBePerfectRight? sigh)

Are you brave enough to install something unusual as a permanent fixture in your home?

This is one of my favorite things in our home. At Christmas, lighting and decor can be placed inside of the clock box with the door propped open.

This chandelier is available here.

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Have fun today!

 

 

🌟 If you’re on the lookout for a fun and easy project that’s screaming red, white, and blue, here ya go. Here’s a Patriotic Door Hanger that will add a touch of Americana to your space.

Okay. Confession time. I squirrel holiday fabric when it’s on sale. 🐿️🌰 Basically, I am a fabric hoarder. lol I mean, who’s not? Right? 🤷🏼‍♀️ If you are crafty, a mini fabric hoarding stash is a requirement. Am I right? 📢😁🚨

I recently raided my fabric stash, my little treasure trove of vibrant red, white, and blue cotton fabrics which were just waiting for their moment to shine. 🇺🇸 I sorted the reds, whites, and blues each into their own pile.

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I found a piece of blue fabric with white stars that I ripped into a 15” x 9” rectangle. I barely snipped the edge of the fabric to get the tear going. I liked the rustic look of the ripped fabric but if you prefer a uniform look, you can cut your strips with scissors.

For the red and white stripes, I tore 13 strips of red fabric and 13 strips of white fabric, each 1 1/2” wide and 30” long.

I ripped 3 white strips and 4 red strips, each measuring 1 1/2” in width but a tad shorter at 24” long.

I tore a 36” strip of the blue fabric with white stars, a 29” strip of a piece of white fabric, and an extra 11” strip of white coordinating fabric.

For the structure, I wandered out to the garden and found a long stick. Simple and rustic, but you can easily swap it out for a store-bought dowel if that’s more your style. An afterthought: It would be a good idea to add a hanging ring at the top if the flag will be hanging on a door. This will keep you from having to straighten the flag each time the door moves. errrrr…I know from experience. lol

Meet Mr. Wilson.

So I moved to the swing on the porch with a glass of lemonade and my pups – and started assembling the flag.  So fun to see this one come together! I tied each of the 30” strips to the stick, starting on the right with a red strip and alternated between red and white. As I tied each strip on the stick, I pushed the fabrics together so they are touching and the stick does not show.

I tore the top portion only of the blue star fabric.  I ripped into it 4” deep in 1 1/2 strips so that I could tie it to the stick and continue the look uniformly across the top.

On the bottom edge of the blue star fabric, I hand sewed the 24” red and white strips, alternating between red and white. I hand stitched these to the bottom of the blue fabric. You could use fabric glue, if you prefer not to sew.

To wrap it all up, I tied the 36” blue strip to the stick next to the blue fabric, secured the 24” white strip to the opposite side, and finally tied off the 11” coordinating white fabric strip to the 24” strip, at the top.

Here is where I would add the ring to stop the slippin’ & slidin’.  ha  Hang it on your wall or door.

I opted to display mine over the fireplace. As someone who loves patriotic holidays,  I love decorating with red, white, and blue.  This project was a lot of fun and my dachshunds loved being outside while I assembled it on the swing. 🐶🌤️

So, gather those fabric scraps that you’ve been hoarding, let your creativity flow, and enjoy the red, white, and blue decor. 🎨🇺🇸

For more crafting inspiration and a peek into my creative escapades, hop over to my Handmake It page.

😀 Here’s the link to red, white and blue fabrics at Joann’s. ♥️🤍💙

If you make it, comment and left me know!

Have fun today!