i love following myquillyn smith (@thenester) on instagram.
out of necessity, we often use what we already have on hand to make our space functional & even beautiful. as i was putting together this cozy little space on our back porch, i was reminded of smith’s “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful” sentiment (see #idhtbptbb for real life home inspiration).
a window shutter & a chippy star…a worn outdoor sofa & mismatched pillows…
friends, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.
& so, in the spirit of smith, i thought i’d share ten of our favorite home diy projects using what we already had on hand/thrifty finds to make our space a little more beautiful. join me!
1. pallet wall
luke & my brother-in-law spent hours pulling apart old pallets for this wall, but it was by far worth every bit of effort. to make our wall, we measured each piece & nailed it to the wall. simple & straightforward.
2. photo garland
using leftover pom pom yarn & mini clothespins, we display some of our favorite photos on our chalkboard in our dining room! here’s the simple tutorial.
3. exterior house painting
this was one of our more expensive projects, but it made a huge impact. we painted the old & outdated brick on our home! see here for details & instruction.
4. rainbow outdoor chairs
for about two years, i collected rusty metal motel chairs. my only rule – i had to purchase them for $5 or less. once i collected enough for our outdoor space, i spray painted them every color of the rainbow. this might be the happiest “room” in our home & i just love it!
5. hoosier cabinet
we took an old hoosier cabinet & brought it back to life with a bit of elbow grease, a can of paint & some new knobs. i blogged about the before & after here.
6. kitchen remodel
right when we moved in, we remodeled our kitchen for about $300. one of the biggest upgrade? our painted cabinets! i blogged about it in full detail here.
7. cheery dresser
i found this dresser at a yard sale for $65. with two sample cans of paint & spray paint for the pulls, i turned this beaten up old dresser into a happy piece perfect for our bedroom.
8. paper flowers
i was originally inspired by ashley to create these paper flowers, but all good ideas are, of course, originally inspired by martha. get the full tutorial here.
9. our mantel
this was an empty wall when we moved in so we utilized the space a little more effectively by putting in a faux mantelpiece. luke gathered extra pallet pieces from our pallet wall & nailed them in to the bottom for added texture. this project cost us less than $200 & it’s one of my favorite parts of our home.
10. coffee bar
we host friends & family at our home quite frequently so it’s always nice to have a way to easily serve our guests. this coffee bar was pulled together on a strict budget using a lot of what we already had & i love it! here’s how we created this cozy little space.
i would love for you to share your favorite home diy projects in the comments!
love,
natalie
friends, my heart just might explode sharing my upcoming project with you! (!!!)
last august, we opened up our home & farm to ten amazing women for an intimate half-day canning & preserving workshop.
this workshop had been on my heart & mind for years so when the day arrived, i was absolutely giddy that my dreams were really coming true. it was on that day, sharing stories & processing tomatoes in the kitchen with my fellow sisters, that i realized…
“yes. this was what i was uniquely made to do. bring women together & soak up the goodness of life.”
the workshop was an incredible success! lesley of recipe for crazy joined me in the kitchen & together we shared in the art of canning with the girls.
after canning a batch of delicious homegrown tomato sauce, we hit the road in hogshead’s volkswagen bus for an afternoon of junkin’! we went picking & filled up that bus with the best rusty & chippy finds. friends, it was glorious!
it was one of the very best days on our farm & i believe it was the beginning of something even bigger… eep!
friends, we are opening our farm back up again in august for a TWO DAY workshop & retreat! oh my heart, YAY!
early saturday morning, ten of us will gather in my home around the farmhouse table as i teach the basics of water bath canning. we will put on cute vintage aprons & harvest woven baskets full of vine ripe tomatoes from our garden.
in the kitchen & step-by-step, i will guide you through the process of chopping, processing & canning roasted homegrown garlic tomato sauce. in my farmhouse kitchen we will produce several jars of tomatoes sauce, one of which you will take home.
once we’ve finished a homegrown lunch on the back porch, hogshead’s 1970s volkswagen van will pick up & take us to prairie grove for a little junkin’!
we will stop by one of my favorite spots, daisies & olives, where i find the very best rusty, chippy, vintage pieces! daisies & olives will greet us with drinks & dessert while we dig up good pieces for our cozy homes. oh lordy, it’s going to be good!
that evening, we will enjoy brick oven pizzas in town & then head back to the farm for a bonfire with s’mores, laughter & good conversation.
here’s where i am shaking in excitement…
so many of you wanted to attend our little workshop on the farm last year, but couldn’t quite figure out the logistics of travel & lodging.
after dreaming some big dreams, we are making magic happen on the farm!
for the gals choosing the overnight package, we we are partnering up with my good friends at wanderlust adventure & will be hosting you on the farm in a 1978 airstream named minnie pearl! (!!!)
girls, we absolutely cannot wait to pamper you. you will enjoy full amenities in your little airstream along with the sound of farm life as you wake up in our beautiful pastures!
once you awake, we will enjoy brunch at my favorite little spot & then head back for an afternoon of crafting our hearts out!
i am giddy to share the team behind this weekend! my sweet friend, megan, will be leading you in a creative sunday afternoon of crafting & lovely erin of tweetpotatopie will assist in the canning goodness of the weekend. y’all, i cannot wait for you to meet these ladies!
won’t you join us for a weekend of canning, crafting & junking?
here are the details:
-the workshop & retreat will be hosted at our farm in fayetteville, arkansas august 8th-9th
– an intimate group of 10 will participate in the workshop.
– registration for the overnight package opens on tuesday, may 12th at 8:00 am cst. those who register & pay for the overnight package before the end of the day (may 12th) will receive 10% off!
– registration for the one day workshop will open on wednesday, may 13th at 8:00 am cst.
– to register for either package, please email me at natalie.j.freeman@gmail.com!
– overnight workshop & retreat package: $700 // one day workshop package: $275
this workshop includes:
+ hands-on, step-by-step instruction on how to water-bath can at home
+ a recipe for roasted garlic tomato sauce & one jar to take home
+ all inclusive gourmet meals (two meals for day-only participants) complete with delicious dessert, drinks & snacks!
+ shuttle to & from the airport for our out-of-town guests
+ overnight lodging on the farm in a vintage airstream complete with vintage charm & a handful of surprises (available for overnight package only)
+ a trip on hogshead’s volkswagen van & junking in prairie grove
+ an afternoon of crafting with megan (available for overnight package only)
+ swag, treats & so much more from some of my very favorite makers & artists
sweet friends, we have so many more surprises up our sleeves! i am oh so excited to spend the weekend with you exploring the art of canning & preserving! i hope you can join us for this magical time on my farm!
please email me at natalie.j.freeman(at)gmail.com with any questions! yay!
love,
natalie
the garden is a huge part of our home life during the spring, summer & fall months. we provide vegetables, herbs, flowers & eggs to a small group of families during the summer months so most of our day is spent weeding, watering, planting & harvesting in the garden.
during the spring & summer months, in celebration of gardening, i am going to share a garden overview of what our garden looks like along with what we plan to plant throughout the month!
the garden – may 2015
we are eating fresh salads every evening. spinach, lettuce, kale & radishes are bountiful!
the onions are coming in nicely. we’re excited to replenish our pantry with this staple.
we anxiously await cabbage & broccoli from the garden! this might be our best crop yet (we covered the plants with row cover until they were nice & strong to prevent pest problems early on)!
we are enjoying sautéed garlicky swiss chard for dinner! the sugar snaps are slowly growing & soon we’ll have fresh peas for snack time.
we also just finished planting all of our flowers for the season! the garden is going to be so colorful!
what does your garden look like in may? please share!
love,
natalie
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