I Wanna! Wednesday

I just love the look of window arbors. Some people call them window trellises. Whatever you want to call them, I love 'em.

This one is from GM Design. Isn't it so homey looking?! Talk about bringing the garden right up to your window!



Some people don't like to have any kind of greenery up against the house. My father-in-law included. He'd have nothing short of a conniption if I intentionally grew any sort of vine or bush right up against the house. But I think these arbors look adorable even with nothing growing on them.

This one is from Walpole Woodworkers. Crazy expensive (as in $329 just for the brackets. The lathing adds up to about as much too).



Nope, not going out to order one of those today. But it sure is fun to dream.

Here is another example from Walpole. See how they've incorporated the lattice trellis leading up to the arbor?




When we first moved into this neighborhood six years ago, JD and I would walk through the maze of streets, gazing at all the old homes. We just couldn't get enough, how each one was unique and oozing charm in its own special way.

One house had an arbor over the garage. It was wood, painted white. And I thought "Ooh, I want one of those some day!" I went by the house to take a picture for you all. But, to my disappointment, the owners are in the process of covering the house with vinyl siding and the arbor has been taken down. So sad.

I did come across another one the other day, though. Well, virtually, anyway. Lisa, over at Warm Heart Cozy Home posted a picture of her garage with the arbor above. Do go over and take a look. It's absolutely a~d~o~r~a~b~l~e! And she came up with a clever solution to add greenery, taboot.

I Wanna! Wednesday

Welcome to my first installment of I Wanna! Wednesday.

This is what I want today:


Yes, I want a window box. No wimpy one will do. It needs to be large, substantial. With large wall brackets underneath. And cottagey white, of course.

This one is from Walpole Woodworkers. Isn't it adorable? I'm lovin' the detail of the brackets.

But at $389, it's about $300 outside of my budget.

I've been thinking of making one myself for a long time now. We have plenty of wood in our workshop, even for the trim. I am sure I could make the box itself for no cost. The expense would come in purchasing the brackets and the inner liner. But I'd still be way under $389.

I always thought this would make a good winter project for me. Something I could go down in the basement and work on when it's blistery cold outside. Then in the Spring it would be ready to mount, ready for flowers, ready to brighten up the front of our home. Maybe I'll finally get around to it this winter. Maybe.

This is another one from Walpole. It is similar to the one I'd like to make, but I want beefier brackets like the ones pictured above.

I like this style because it seems to emulate the trim work on the columns of our house. When I built our arbor, I used the similar trim design to match the columns. And I think I'd do the same with the window box.

It will need to be quite long to reach the span of the large window on the front of our home.


Wouldn't it be so perfect there?



I think it would really add some curb appeal, don't you?

Yeppers, I think I've talked myself into another winter project.

I'm Back and Ready to Ramble

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Life decided to up and smack me upside the head.

I followed through with my plan to get one set of shutters painted each morning before the blazing heat set in.

I'm not going to post pictures of all of them. Because that would bore you to tears. But here's the set on the left window of our front porch.



I still have two windows left to do. The small one of my office and the one up in the attic. The office one requires clearing away of bushes because I cannot get the ladder close enough to it with them in the way. The attic one requires the use of my mondo ladder. I love that thing, but it sure is a pain to lug around and set up. The heat and humidity are at scorching levels now, even in the morning. It is so hot that the paint globs right on my brush. So I've decided to wait on those last two sets of shutters until the weather cools off a bit.

In the meantime, I'm beginning my next project: Re-wiring and re-doing the ceiling in the Button Room. A "Button Room?" you ask? Yes, the Button Room.

But that's another story for another day.