Christie's Mobile Home Diary

Before and After Garden Projects Refresh for Spring 2024

It's full on spring in our area, with cool nights and mild sunny days....it's been really pretty weather, and it's been so nice to be outside. So, before our weather turns scorching hot and humid, we've been doing some clean up and getting our home and porches cleaned, and the garden cleaned up too, and ready for this new season. (I'll be sharing more about all of that in an upcoming post hopefully soon).

I've also been doing some before and after garden projects and makeovers. So much fun! I always love seeing before and after's and it's always a fun challenge to make things look refreshed again after winter! These garden projects are things I've worked on in February through the end of March.

I am just now posting about them because I have had to rest my arm and wrist from computer work for a little while... my wrist, arm and shoulder starts to bother me and hurts, if I do too much on the computer...and sometimes a break from the computer is a must. It doesn't take long on the computer for my arm and wrist to get aggravated, sometimes I barely get through adding the photos and writing the post, and I end up having to save it to a draft and come back to it later. I like to finish what I start though and often work for too long and end up hurting myself, but I'm having to learn better to listen to my body when it tells me I've done enough. It's also why sometimes I'm late to blog party link ups...because usually I can only link up one place at the time and over the course of several days, after creating my post, and there's sometimes that I can't link up to all the different places I'd like to, even before the blog party link up ends. I hope you understand. And if ever I've been a little absent on my blog, this is why. Anyway, I'm happy I can share my projects here in my home diary this week. I hope it inspires you!

So, here's some of the garden things I've been working on this spring...I'll show the after photo and then the before for each ....

I'll start with my watering can....

~AFTER~

I hand sanded it, then I used Rustoleum Hammered spray paint in silver, then I added some faux rust with some brown acrylic craft paint from Dollar Tree (that I already had on hand), and Waverly Antique Wax, then for the edges I used Folk Art Metallic Copper craft paint, and then some clear spray paint to seal and protect the acrylic paint a little better....

~BEFORE~

It always amazes me what paint can do to transform things...

These little yard sale tables (or they could be stools...they had a sticker on bottom that gave a weight limit of 250 lbs. so I think they could be used as either),they got a makeover with paint, napkins and mod podge decoupage medium.....

They were only $2 each...

~AFTER~

~BEFORE~

This is the napkin that I used for the top of the table...for this makeover, I also used Waverly Celery chalk paint, Waverly Antique Wax, Mod Podge decoupage medium, Folk Art Brown Metallic craft paint for the edges, and Rustoleum clear spray paint to help seal and protect it.

~AFTER~

This beautiful mosaic tile table with pink roses was a $5 yard sale find, and I repainted it white on the legs and edges...

~BEFORE~

See the light green pot in the photo above on the right hand side beside the green table? I have 3 of those and they got a makeover as well...

~AFTER~

For these, I hand painted them a color that is nearly the same color as they were when I got them last year. When I purchased them, they were hanging baskets that had petunias in them already. They were still in good shape, so I took the hangers off and I used Waverly Celery chalk paint (to refresh their faded color) and make them appear more like pottery instead of plastic, I used Folk Art Metallic Copper craft paint, and clear spray paint over that once it was dry. I love these paint color combinations for the garden. I remember seeing these colors in Cecilia's garden last year and I thought it was so pretty. Have you seen how Cecilia, from My Thrift Store Addiction Blog refreshed her garden pot last year using this paint combination?! She used copper spray paint, and did hers differently, but her garden pot and other copper items turned out beautiful that she redid. I was inspired by her, and so I wanted to try that same combination this year myself. Thanks Cecilia for sharing your color combo idea! You can see how she made over her garden pot HERE.

My little table got a fresh coat of Rustoleum Copper spray paint and black matte spray paint...

~AFTER~

~BEFORE~

The fire pit/plant stand got a fresh coat of paint as well with the same colors...

~AFTER~

~BEFORE~

My hanging butterfly bell got a refresh...with copper spray paint and some colorful beads strung with galvanized wire...

~AFTER~

~BEFORE~

My windchimes also got a makeover...since one of my chimes were missing, and it was getting so rusty too, I decided to create a colorful hanging yard ornament...it's so pretty when the sun hits the beads...

~AFTER~

For this refresh I used copper spray paint, some beads I already had on hand that I'd salvaged from other outdoor things over the years, and some beads that we'd found at yard sales, and I used some galvanized wire I had on hand to string the beads.

My copper spray paint went a long way for refreshing things this season!

~BEFORE~

I also used some copper spray paint on the faded spinners....

I touched up painted some tables and a couple of my chairs with black matte spray paint to spruce them up and protect the worn places.... that's something that's needed every spring it seems....

I also refreshed some white pots I had....

~AFTER~

I decoupaged a napkin to the top edges of the pots with mod podge, I took the white backing off of the napkin and then cut it into strips that would fit the top part of the pot and then used Mod Podge in matte to apply the napkin.... I really like how these turned out.

~BEFORE~

Lastly, my little garden angel got touched up with brown metallic craft paint that I had on hand...after I touched it up, I sprayed it with clear spray paint. Now, you can hardly tell that some fingers are missing can you!? lol!

Well, that's some of what I've been up to lately.

Behind the scenes, I've also been working on video clips for my YouTube Channel. My next video is going to be about all of my outside garden projects and makeovers and how our porches are looking this season, and how our little secret garden is coming along, (there are lots of before and after clips I will be sharing). I hope to have it put together and ready to share sometime later this month or if not, hopefully sometime in May, I'm just waiting until I can get my last bit of footage with everything grown in a little more. I am so excited to share that video, because it will be sort an outside journey from late winter late February through spring and into early summer and how things have changed.

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful time of the year and that you are feeling inspired!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Until next time...

Stay creative and have a beautiful day!

This week I'm linking up at these fun places:

You can click each link to visit the hosts and other participants

Vintage Charm Party

Share Your Style

Thursday Favorite Things

Tuesday Turn About

Our Azaleas Are In Full Bloom and Easter Thoughts....

Our Azaleas are in full bloom this last week of March and what a show they have put on this year...

Purchased when they were less than a foot tall in gallon pots, for 99 cents a pot, 23 years ago... we planted them to line our circular driveway and the road side of our property...with hopes and dreams of them being all that they have become....they have not disappointed...it did take some time...but it was worth the wait. These are beautiful!

Like so many things God gives us.... they are always well worth the wait. God does not disappoint. His goodness is all over his works....

As Easter approaches, I wanted to share some thoughts with you today and a poem...

I think there is so much to learn from nature and the way God created things to work in the different seasons of nature and our lives. This spring time of year, just in time for Easter... the earth awakens and the signs of rebirth are all around us...surely, God's message of hope.

I wanted to share this poem below by my favorite poet, Helen Steiner Rice, it's from the book "Showers of Blessings"...I'm glad I found this book a few years ago, and have revisited it this month, so that I can share a poem from it with you....

"Springtime Glory"

Flowers buried

beneath the snow

Awakening again to live and grow-

Leaves that fell to the earth to die

Enriching the soil in which they lie-

Lifeless-looking, stark,

stripped trees

Bursting with buds

in the Springtime breeze

Are just a few examples of

The greatness of God's power and love,

And in this blaze of Springtime glory,

Just who could doubt

the Easter Story!

~Helen Steiner Rice

It's so true! I think that the Spring season surely is God's reminder to us of his resurrection power, and the hope we have through his son, Jesus, the Savior of the world. He (Jesus) is Risen... (Matthew 28:6). I know my redeemer lives...(Job19:25) There is hope. Hope for the whole world. That's what the Easter Story is all about. I'm so thankful for all that it means. It all really is a miracle, one that only God could have planned from the beginning of time. I am so thankful for it all.... and for all God has done. He's a good God, worthy to be praised, at Easter and everyday.

Until next time....

Be encouraged!

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Easter!

God Bless You!

Latest Junkin' Finds

It's been a while since I shared my junkin' finds, but we went thrifting last weekend and I came home with these fun finds...

I found some pretty throw pillows, paper craft supplies, linens, and some hand painted art...

This floral red throw pillow was $2.99....

Anytime I pick up throw pillows second hand, I do a couple of things before I make a decision about buying them.... first I have to love them, because I seriously don't have any more room for throw pillows, next they have to be in excellent condition, (no holes ect.), then I give them the smell test, (I know that seems extreme but it's a must, lol!) if they pass that test, they can come home with me. And when I get them home, I wash them if I think the fabric is not too delicate or if not, I throw them in the dryer on high for about 20 minutes or so, and then I spray them with Lysol spray, sometimes I spray them with Lysol spray put them outside if it's sunny, and then put them in the dryer. As I understand it, some thrift stores fumigate their pillows, but I'm thinking some don't, so I'm not taking any chances, lol.

and this pretty red and yellow one I found at that same thrift store, for $2.99....

Emma approves, and she thinks these pillows can be used at various times of the year in here too...

This table cloth/ throw blanket was $3.99

and this pair of quilted standard size pillow shams were $2.99...

As you can see, she's lovin' these too and thinks they were brought home especially for her!

The Pioneer Woman braided placemat was $1.49 and I'm using it underneath my table centerpiece at the moment....

At a different thrift shop, I found this Anna Griffin Card Kit, that still has a lot of things to work with in this box, it was $2.50....I can make all sorts of things with this kit....

These will be a lot of fun!

I also found some pretty hand painted art pieces for .50 cents each....at that same shop...

Emma likes them okay, but she says that she really likes the books better that I sometimes bring home, (they are softer on her gums and teeth)

The prices were so great for these and they are so sweet looking.... I had to bring them home with me! I know I'll be using them in some vignettes...

This week we did some antiquing too.... we went on a 3 day spring getaway trip to visit Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, Alabama, (the waterfall was beautiful), and we did some junkin' along the way getting there too. We found a quaint and pretty historic downtown in Oxford, AL. and so we stopped at an antique shop there, there was a lot of unique things, and it was great for walking around and stretching our legs.... I found these charming vintage prints for $7, for the pair....I think these will be pretty in the fall months, in my home decor. I often find things out of season when I'm junkin', and then I just hold onto them for future decorating.