Published on April 26, 2018 | Last Updated on January 30, 2021

A few weeks ago, Trent and I were looking out into our backyard at a pollen covered screened porch filled with leaves and decided we were going to tear it down. It seems crazy because almost five years earlier, the porch was one of the biggest selling points of the house. But overtime, we stopped taking care of it and wanted more of an open space that would be easier to clean. The next morning we had someone give us a quote for tearing it down. Later that afternoon our good friend who is also a realtor stopped by and convinced us it was a bad idea to tear it down. It all happened so fast! He said we just needed to give it a face lift and turn the space into somewhere we wanted to spend time so we’d be more likely to keep up with it. Well, I’m SO glad he convinced us to do that! Last week we had the whole porch painted white and then a new screen, door and fan installed. It’s amazing what a huge difference it made to the space! It looks larger and reflects so much light into our living room. I love it so much!

Outdoor Entertaining with Tuesday Morning

I knew I needed to retire some of the furniture including the worn down rug and white folding chairs around the table. I found four blue painted chairs at my local Tuesday Morning for $79.99 (compared to $129.99) and I instantly fell in love. They’re perfect for the space! I’m deal shopper and I’m always amazed at the quality you can get for the incredible savings. I also found a large jute outdoor rug for $99 (compared to $189), plus a bunch of tabletop items perfect for entertaining this spring and summer!

When I walked down the dining aisle in the store, I saw the blue and white outdoor plates for $2.99 (compared to $7.99) which inspired the rest of the tablescape. I added the blue dessert Plates for $2.99 (compared to $7.99) and the cute, pink paper napkins $1.99 (compared to $5.99).  I always like to add an unexpected element as a conversation piece and the DIY lemon napkin holders add a fun, playful touch. I’ve included simple instructions below! I’ve been on the hunt for a melamine cake stand and I found this turquoise one with scallops for $12.99 (compared to $24.99). I know I’ll get a ton of use out of it plus it perfectly coordinates with my new chairs! The blue pitcher for $12.99 (compared to $24.99) to add some more color to the table and tie in the navy on the plates. The striped lemon candies $2.99 (compared to $7.99) were a great addition to the bar cart display + I added a small leaf under each of the lemon thumbprint cookies $2.99 (compared to $7.99) to resemble little lemons. They were the perfect touch to add to the garden stool. I found a very similar Ceramic Indoor/Outdoor Garden Stool at Tuesday Morning for $49.99 (compared to $129.99).

Tuesday Morning offers a variety of products and incredible deals that let me express my personal style. To get a similar look visit Tuesday Morning to check out the latest deals and click here to find a store near you.

Lemon and Daisy Cookies by Okie Doughkie.

Thank you Tuesday Morning for partnering with me on this outdoor entertaining post and thank all of you that continue to support brands I love. All thoughts and options are my own.

DIY LEMON BALLOON UTENSIL HOLDERS

• Small yellow balloons (5 inch)
• Green scrapbook paper
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• String

I saw a lemon balloon straw on Pinterest and decided to do something similar but to hold the utensils. To make these I inflated the balloon a few inches and cut out a leaf shape in green scrapbook paper. Then folded it in half to give it more of a leaf effect. I used a hole punch to create an opening to attach the tail of the balloon to the leaf. I tied string around the base of the balloon the tied the lemon balloon to the plastic utensils.