Summer Mantel

I wanted to do something a little different

this year for the summer mantel.

 Instead of the usual "cottage garden chic",

I thought I would go the beach!

 I dug out some shells and this cool picture that

belonged to my dad.

This was my inspiration, blue and white, the ocean...

 Filled a glass vase with shells gathered when we lived

near the ocean in Washington,

 Stacked some sand dollars in a bell jar.

 Moved some shutters in front of the fireplace opening.

I even changed out the wing chairs for the navy striped ones.

Bring on the Summer!

Repurposing Junk Into A Potting Bench

I am always looking to get rid of the "junk" around my yard,

but in a purposeful manner.

So, we took an old window, some fence boards

and my father-in-law's very old (and falling apart) work bench,

put them together and, voila, a potting bench!

I can now organize and take stock of all my

pots, gardening tools, mulch...

I also have a few less items in my junk pile.

And it's pretty to look at!

Added bonus: it helps disguise an ugly shed,

but that's a story for another day!

http://www.impartinggrace.com/2016/05/grace-at-home-no-202.html