By Dave and Mary

Front Porch Appeal Newsletter

Enjoying the Warmth of the Season

Issue #92 June 2018

pretty summer front porch
Those lazy days are here
Here in middle TN, our grandchildren have been on summer vacation for almost two weeks already. And we know many students in other parts of the country are in school till mid-June.

But no matter what, the temperatures have warmed up and our porches are being dusted off to enjoy the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

    Thank you for reading this month's newsletter. In this edition we share...

  • DIY Porch Hand Rails
  • Butterfly Houses in the Garden and on the Porch
  • Butterfly Wall Art - an Idea to Inspire!
  • Watermelon Lovers Welcome the Season
  • From Around Our House
  • A Free Tutorial for Squaring Your Porch or Deck
  • A Lovely Summer Home



DIY Hand Railings for Your Porch Steps

DIY stairhand railing on front porch steps
DIY Stair Handrails
Our stair railing ideas have been a very popular feature on our site lately. Mary and I believe that installing a stair handrail is one of the most significant safety measures you can provide for family members and friends. Did you know that this can be a DIY project? Yes, indeed!

It only takes one step (or mis-step) to fall no matter the number of porch stairs. It is just as easy to injure yourself falling down one or two steps as it is four, five, or six.

These DIY easy-to-install handrails are perfect for one to five steps and they sure beat the cost of custom wrought iron handrails.

We encourage you to learn more about your step handrail options.


Butterfly Houses Aren't Just for Butterflies

Butterfly houses are pretty as decorations too
Two butterfly houses: one for the porch and one for the garden
We had fun making these two butterfly houses. The one on our porch table is a summer decoration and the one on the right we really hope to get butterflies!

See how easy and inexpensive it is to make. We not only show you how to make them but also how to paint them to enhance the look of your porch or garden.


Speaking of Butterflies...

Butterfly wall art
We turned simple butterfly drawings into wall art for our porch
The butterfly houses inspired us to carry the theme to our summer wall art - AND to our porch pillows. Take a look at how the butterfly art evolved. We share many pictures.


Butterfly pillows
We even painted butterflies on our pillow covers



Watermelon Lovers Welcome the Season

cute girl enjoying watermelon
Any watermelon lovers in your house?
Our grandchildren love watermelon. We usually cut it up in serving-sized pieces and remove the rind. Ever hear of watermelon rind pickles?

A few watermelon tidbits...
  • Watermelon is not only a thirst quencher, but it's also known to quench inflammation.
  • Watermelon is healthy in that it has no fat or cholesterol yet is a great source of Vitamins A and C as well as fiber and potassium.
  • Watermelon is considered both a fruit and a vegetable. It's a member of the cucumber family (which is probably why I love cucumbers).
  • The sweetness of watermelon complements the salty flavor of feta cheese. Does that inspire a menu idea?
  • When picking a watermelon, choose ones without cuts, dents or bruises. And it should be heavy as it is over 90% water.
  • You can freeze watermelon cubes for a fun alternative to regular ice cubes for your lemonade, iced tea or to flavor your water.



From Around Our House

A Different Perspective

succulents in blue bird bath
Succulents in our blue bird bath
Ever look at something from a different vantage point? When we looked down upon our decorative bird bath with these lovely succulents, we were surprised at the beauty.


A Place to Relax

our porch swing
A favorite spot on our porch
Do you have a favorite spot to relax on your porch?

Our porch swing is usually swaying with the gentle breezes on the side of our porch. If you have a porch swing, you know how wonderful it is. Please enjoy this helpful information we wrote about porch swings for you.


A Much-Loved Wreath

beautiful hydrangea wreath
This colorful old-fashioned peony wreath interjects charm onto our back porch
A sweet gift from Mother's Day, we have been enjoying this beautiful peony wreath on our back porch. How about you? Do you have a gift you display on your porch? We have several.


Our Free Tutorial on Squaring Your Porch Foundation or Deck

Ebook cover -  14 page pdf showing how to square a porch or deck foundation We created a 14-page guide to help you get your deck or porch foundation square.

One of the most important factors to building a quality foundation (or deck) is to be sure it is square to your home.

A square foundation makes the rest of the building process so much easier. Get it here.

Sample Pages and Link to Our Tutorial

Sample of our 14 page pdf showing how to square a porch or deck foundation
Get our free tutorial here





Thank You!

beautiful blue house with porch

Lastly, may you enjoy these beautiful days. Can you picture yourself sitting here on this most comfortable porch?

We hope it lifts your spirits and gives your heart a smile.

We truly appreciate you subscribing to our newsletter and we'll see you next time, friend.

We value our sponsors and the products and services they provide. They are like family to us!






You're invited to be part of our Facebook community. We share ideas with one another for decorating and using our porches. We are blessed with over 17,000 followers and would love to count you among them.


Mary and Dave Please enjoy browsing past issues of our newsletters right here. Take a few moments of chill time.

Happy porch sitting from your friends,

Mary and Dave


Life is short. Enjoy your porch.



As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn commissions from other companies where are are participants of their referral programs. Here is our full disclosure about affiliate marketing.








Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.

Our Sponsors
The Porch Store


Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.


Use the PCA Visualizer to design your screen door

End Sponsors



Helpful Links

Enjoy shopping Amazon (affiliate link)

Popular Pages

What's New

Join Our Newsletter Family

Porch Designs

Porch Ideas for Mobile Homes

Find a Local Contractor

Build a Porch | Small Porches

Porch Columns | Porch Railings

Screened Porches

Porch Curtains | Porch Enclosures

Porch Landscaping | Vinyl Lattice

Porch Decorating | Porch Ideas

Shop

Navigation Aids

Home | Top of Page

Site Search | Site Map

Contact Us

Policies

Disclosure Policy | Privacy Policy

Legal Info


Please Join Us Here Also

Join us on Facebook for porch talk Join us on Pinterest Subscribe to get our updates. Thank you!


Get in touch with pre-screened local professionals for work you need done
Find a Trusted Local Pro




Copyright© 2008-2024
Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com All rights reserved.
No content or photos may be reused or reproduced in any way without our express written permission.

At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. See our disclosure policy.
We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information.

All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.


Thank you for taking your time to stop by. See what's popular and new here.

small rocking chair



Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.

Find a Local Contractor
Get in touch with pre-screened local professionals for work you need done

Not subscribed yet?
Our Newsletter, Front Porch Appeal
Learn more!





small rocking chair
At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases. See our disclosure policy.
We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information.

All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.


Front Porch Home | Return to Top
Contact Us | About Us | Advertise with Us | Search | Site Map
Media | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | Legal Notice | What's New

XML RSS   Add to My Yahoo!  
By Mary and Dave Morris, Copyright © 2008-2024 Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com. All rights reserved.
No content or photos may be reproduced or copied in any way without our express written permission.


Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape