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By Dave and Mary
Front Porch Appeal Newsletter
Spring is Popping Up
Issue #101 April 2019
Lovely springtime front porch
Spring is the season of new beginnings, events, and religious observances.
Your porch and yard are wonderful spaces to enjoy this time of the year.
Granted, we know that you may live in a cooler climate where an April snowfall is commonplace.
Just know that it won't be long till you see blooms and new leaves.
Our porch is ready for spring
Mary gave our porch a welcoming cleaning and decorated it for the season.
Our front porch landscaping is showing signs of growth with emerging flowers and leafing shrubs.
The purple phlox is blooming with abundance
The power of pretty plants around your porch cannot be understated.
Just by planting some seasonal flowers and perennials, you can frame your porch beautifully.
The corner of our wraparound porch
We don't do many flower pots because of the heat we get in the summer, but always love to have a pink mandevilla in the corner of our porch.
It's heat-hardy and never disappoints with blooms from spring through autumn.
The pink dogwood in our backyard is in full bloom
Inside This Edition...
- Spring Ideas We Think You Will Like
- Water Your Hanging Baskets Easier
- Make an Adorable Bunny Wreath from Grapevines
- If Only I Had a Screen Door
- Wonderful Spring Walkway Inspiration
- Hang a Porch Swing Confidently
- Check Out This Online Porch Guide
- Consider This Mother's Day Gift Idea
- Have a Safe Space from Violent Storms
- Porch Handrails: A Wonderful Investment
- Thank You As Always
Spring Ideas We Think You Will Like
Look at These Cute Bunnies
The Easter bunny on the front porch
Photo courtesy of Little Brags
Dave and I frequently walk past this adorable cottage. We enjoy their seasonal decorations.
Make a Super Cute Bunny Wreath from Grapevines
With a bunny form (or one you make from grapevine wreaths) you can have an adorable spring decoration.
Enjoy these video instructions.
Do You Like This Cute Garden Hose Wreath?
Who knew how cute a garden hose could be on your front door!
Jill's wreath shown here is so cute.
Jill is from Create Craft Love and we feature her wreaths right here.
Water Your Hanging Baskets Easier
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
If you make a purchase through affiliate links on our site, we earn a commission at no cost to you.
See our disclosure policy.
We recently discovered this neat idea and wanted to share it with you.
It's a retractable hanger for hanging baskets, bird houses, and other items and can be used on your porch, gazebo, kitchen, and other areas as well.
It can hold up to 55 pounds making it ideal for watering and caring for your hanging baskets.
These would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift too!
Plant Pulley Retractable Hanger Hooks - Hanging Plants Garden Baskets Pots Bird Houses
Amazon affiliate link
Watch this short video to see how easy they are used...
So Speaking of Hanging Baskets...
Why not take a look at these hanging basket ideas we have for you.
"If Only I Had A Screen Door"
We fondly remember the "slap" of the old screen door as children.
It signalled the beginning of spring, warm weather, backyard ball games, and lots of fun.
Although screen doors have changed over the years, they still invoke good memories and let the fresh air travel through your home.
If you need a new screen door or want to update your existing one for your home or screened porch, we can highly recommend the hand-crafted heavy duty aluminum doors from PCA Products, one of our fine sponsors.
Engineered for maximum strength and quality along with plenty of helpful design options, we believe you will be very satisfied with their products.
Screen doors by PCA Products
Look how classy this front entryway is with a black PCA screen door
We invite you to visit our sponsor's website, PCA Products, to see all of their many screen door possibilities.
Wonderful Spring Walkway Inspiration
A gorgeous tulip-lined walkway in springtime
Oh my heavens, how these tulips line this sidewalk leading to the porch - who wouldn't love to call this home...
If you love pretty walkways...
If you believe in the power of an attractive walkway, please take a look at the DIY walkway we did around our porch and the side of our cottage-style home a few years ago.
Hang a New Porch Swing Confidently
Spring is the perfect time to hang a new porch swing - makes for a fantastic Mother's Day gift too.
Mary and enjoy spending time on our swing, especially with a good cup of coffee in the morning.
We have instructions right here for how to hang a porch swing confidently.
Relax in comfort in a beautiful porch swing - photo courtesy of The Porch Company
A porch swing bed has to be the ultimate in porch swing luxury.
Relax in comfort in a beautiful porch swing - photo courtesy of The Porch Company
Our friends at The Porch Company not only build custom porches but also can furnish them with exquisite porch swing beds like the one below.
Speaking of porch swings, our guest Shannon Lee speaks lovingly about her memories of the porch swing as a child.
Listen to it right here by playing below.
Look at This Online Porch Guide
Did you know that our sponsor, Vintage Woodworks, has a wonderful online porch guide?
Yes, you can see it right here.
If you want to see the power of handcrafted vintage porch parts, please stop by here to take a peek.
Consider This: A Special Mother's Day Gift Idea
Imagine a watercolor painting of your childhood home!
Mary and I had the privilege of meeting Leisa Collins, a well known watercolor artist who can capture the true essence of a home through her artistry.
If you are looking for a unique and most welcome gift for your mom this Mother's Day, we recommend you consider having Leisa paint a portrait of your childhood home.
Leisa can paint a portrait of your favorite home from a photograph, even if the photo is from the wintertime or is imperfect (car parked out front, power lines etc.).
She knows how to make it perfect for any season of the year.
Contact Leisa here and see more of her house portraits.
One of Leisa's clients wanted to capture the memories of her grandparent's home
This photo was taken before the home was taken down a few years ago.
Leisa says, "Even if your childhood home is no longer owned by your family, or worse still it has been torn down, as long as there is some form of photographic record, with your help I can reconstruct how the family home used to look.
I love to imbue all those treasured and timeless family memories into each architectural work of art I create."
Look at the portrait Leisa painted from the above photograph
Her client described her grandparent's home to Leisa - about the gardens, trees, flowers and even the farm animals.
And oh my, what a beautiful portrait Leisa created from the photograph and the memories her client described.
Want to know more? Click here please.
Need a Safe Space from Violent Storms?
Spring is upon us and the nation has already seen tornadic weather.
Here's an innovative idea using a porch to protect yourself and your family from deadly storms.
This is an excellent option especially for those in manufactured homes, homes built on slabs or homes with minimal space for a storm shelter.
A Porch That's Also a Storm Shelter?
We like this option as it can have a dual function in many cases.
Whereas traditional tornado shelters are typically used during a storm, this option called a SafePorch can double as your porch or deck.
Only seconds away from your living space, a SafePorch provides maximum security and safety while simultaneously adding usable outdoor space.
Visually appealing, the SafePorch doesn't even look like a typical storm shelter.
In fact, it can double as your porch, deck or patio if so desired. (source)
Visit our page to learn more about the SafePorch concept and to
see if it is available in your area.
Other Storm Shelter Options
Did you know you can order a storm shelter online?
Here's just one example of what we've discovered which could be an ideal solution for many.
You can find in ground shelters (like the one pictured below or units that can be installed in your home or garage.
In-Ground Tornado Shelter
see more options on Amazon (affiliate link)
This interior tornado shelter Tornado Shelter
accommodates up to 6 people (affiliate link)
Storm shelters can be a bit pricey; however, consider it as an investment in your family's safety, especially if you live in a tornado prone area.
As a minimum, make sure your family has a plan to protect themselves in case they are faced with a violent storm.
We Find These to Be a Wonderful Investment
Having cared for aging parents over the years we know keeping them safe is of utmost importance.
Most of us want to stay in our homes as long as possible; however, it only takes one mistep on a stair tread to keep you from doing so.
You may only have one, two, or three steps onto your porch, walkway, or garage and don't feel the need for a hand rail - but it only takes one mistep to fall.
And anyone of any age can call.
Installing a handrail is easy to do and can prevent falls; a leading cause of broken bones.
Here's a simple DIY solution Mary and I recommend even if you have only a few unprotected steps.
You can purchase them based on the number of steps.
InstantRail 3-Step adjustable handrail
Amazon affiliate link
Metal handrail kits make it easy to safe-proof you porch, deck, or stoop stairs.
And they look curb-appealing too.
Learn more about porch handrails on our site here.
Remember, it's the small things that get us sometimes.
Thank You As Always
Thank you for taking the time to open and enjoy our newsletter.
You are the reason we love to share porch ideas.
Mary and her sister recently visited La Grange Kentucky where they noticed these pretty violets among the blades of grass.
We hope that you, too, can take time to notice joyful things in your neighborhood too.
May you find joy, peace and solace in your everyday life.
That's what we're wishing for you today.
Delicate white flowers along the edge of the woods next to us
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.
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 and 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.
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.
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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.
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Did you know that our sponsor, Vintage Woodworks, has a wonderful online porch guide?
Yes, 
Please 
