If you are anything like me, you want an outdoor space where you can just sit, read and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.  There are plenty of elaborate spaces on the covers of magazines, but let's face it!  Those are not usually realistic. The house that I currently live in has a deck, however, I have had patios in the past.  One of my homes had a big beautiful patio that I loved to decorate and it was a beautiful place to escape to for sure!  I haven't always had the perfect outdoor space.  I once lived in a condominium that had a patio that I barely had room to step out on.  Maybe that sounds like the outdoor space that you have to deal with or maybe you even have a balcony in an apartment, don't let that stop you from making a spectacular outdoor getaway!  

First you have to decide whether you like to keep things formal, traditional, country, whimsical or eclectic.  I have always preferred the front of my house to be a little more formal while the back can take on a crazy whimsical eclectic look.  This is where my self expression gets to go a little nuts!

When creating your outdoor space, treat it like you would if you were decorating a room.  Look at your backdrop.  Do you have a wall that you could add something that reflects your theme? What about stringing up some patio lights?  I just did that and I put them on a dusk to dawn timer.  I love it!

Plants are an important part of an outdoor space. I like colorful flowers, but if that doesn't suit your fancy, try planting a bush or tree in a pot on your patio.  They do amazingly well and can provide your own little personal forest. I personally planted a French Lavender in a pot this spring and it has become one of my favorites!  It has grown like crazy and has a beautiful fern-like foliage that softens the area.   Don't forget that if you are a vegetable lover, patio planters can be the perfect place for veggie plants and herbs to grow!

Do you have the need for privacy?  If so, consider some bushes around your patio or a little section of privacy fence.  I like to grow a climbers in a pot and use bamboo to construct a tepee trellis.  

Find furniture that is comfortable and don't forget to grab a few outdoor throw pillows.  They can add a splash of color and keep the area inviting.

What do you hear when you are on your patio or deck?  It could be that you have beautiful music provided by cardinal like I do.  However, I also have the sound of cars whizzing by on the street that runs by my house.  You see, I live on a corner lot and it can get pretty busy around here!  I live on the edge of town so I get to deal with a little country with some city sprinkled in.  I prefer to have the sound of running water when I am in my relax place, so I created a small water garden using a half whiskey barrel, some rocks that I drilled holes in and a small water pond pump.  It was extremely inexpensive and I have actually had it around for years and couldn't imagine my deck or patio without it!  I stuck a frog on the top for fun!

These are just some fun ideas to incorporate into your outdoor living space.  I hope that you will walk out your back door, take a look around and come up with some plans to make your back area your own little retreat!

As always, we love you to hear your ideas and thoughts!  Please leave your comments in the section below!  

Inspired to create the "Well-Lived Home"

Julie Atkins

Milkweed Farms

 Treasure hunting garage sales is one of my favorite Saturday morning activities!  I have often found some of my favorite pieces of furniture or dishes on one of these excursions.  I obtained this little nightstand and repainted it to match a dresser that I already had.  Repainting isn't difficult if you take the time to do the necessary prep work on your project before hand.  Below, I am listing out the process that I used to repaint this nightstand to make it look professional.  I completed the project in a short time and spent very little money.

To begin with, I sanded the nightstand with a 180 grit sandpaper.  Be sure that you are working with real wood and not something with a paper finish as this could cause you to scuff up the paper.  After getting the wood surface scuffed up so that the paint can get a good bite, I gave it a coat of good quality satin latex enamel.  I brushed it and I always use a "Wooster","Purdy" or some other high quality brand brush.  If you are planning on doing a few projects, buying a quality brush will be well worth the money that you spend.  You can pick these up almost any hardware store including Home Depot.  After applying the first coat of latex, it is important for your enamel to have time to dry out really well.  The next step is to take some "fine" steel wool and go over the entire surface.  This makes a really great surface for the final coat of paint. After the final coat of colored enamel, a clear coat can be added for extreme durability.  I eliminated this step in my last project, however, "Minwax " makes a great satin clear coat that will make your project durable for years to come.

Don't forget to check out that hardware!  Some real "character" can be added to your treasure by finding some unusual drawer pull, hinges, ect.  

If you have never given an older piece of furniture a new face lift, I hope that this will inspire you to give it a try!  Please share your pictures, experiences and tips below.

Sincerely Seeking to Inspire For a "Well Lived Home",

Julie Atkins

Milkweed Farms

Morel mushrooms are those sneaky little curious, spongey, fungi that pop up in the spring amidst woody, loamy soil.  They are either loved or hated!  I happen to love them!  I don't remember ever not loving them even as a kid. When I was a kid we pretty much just fried them up with some flour and egg mixture.  One time my grandmother made a homemade pizza and used morels for the main topping.  It was so delicious and I still to this day make pizza if and when I get blessed with a second batch of these delicate little morsels each spring.  I just enjoyed my savory little delicacy this last week so I am excited to share the idea with you in hopes that you will try it too!  There was one crazy little twist to the morels that were on my last pizza.  They actually grew in my son's yard!  Yip!  Right under the tree in his front yard!  And.....he gave them to me!  There is no real recipe.  Just use whatever crust that you like.  I happened to use a cracker flatbread this last time and really liked it.  I would only point out that in order to fully enjoy this once a year flavor, keep your cheese light and your other ingredients simple!  So....the morel of the story is go out there and search for those Morels!  

Please don't forget to like, comment and share our page with your friends!

Until next time, Bon Appetit!

Julie Atkins

As an avid herb gardener for several years now, there are plants that are negotiable for my garden and some that are not.  The "never negotiable" plant is my inspiration for this article!  Please understand that to grow this amazing and versatile plant, you don't have to have any gardening experience and you don't even need a conventional garden!  Keep reading!  You will thank me later on this spring!

Basil comes in a vast array of varieties!  Did you know that there is Cinnamon Basil, Cardinal Basil, Thai Basil, Opal Basil, Lemon Basil, Holy Basil (sometimes known as Tulsi)? That is just a small list of all of the kinds and each one has the most distinct flavor.  The most common basil that we all think of is the Italian Basil called Sweet Genovese.

This is the pot of Sweet Genovese that I grew last summer.  I am expanding my horizons when it comes to my basil planting this year and I am here to encourage you to as well.  

Although I have never planted Lemon Basil, I have heard that it is the most delicious of all in pastas and as an addition to your glass of water.  Cinnamon Basil with its distinctive flavor can be used in pastas, salads, jellies, and dried in potpourri.  Holy Basil has many healing properties and makes a delicious tea.

In most growing zones it is now time to grab those seed packets and get those seeds into a pot, herb garden, vegetable garden and my favorite thing, my flower garden.  Cardinal Basil, as shown below, has beautiful flowering heads that are wonderful when added to any bouquet!  

So if you don't plant one thing this spring other than this, do yourself a favor and grab some seeds.  I order most of my seeds from The Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, however, for the most basic basil seeds, you can even grab a package from the dollar store!  I hope that I will hear back from you and let me know how your basil is growing!  

Alas!  Spring has sprung!  

Until next time, plant on!

Julie Atkins

Milkweed Farms

Honestly, for me, winter has drug on endlessly!  I have tried to keep my focus on getting the inside of my house cleaned and organized so that when the weather breaks.......watch out world.....here I come!  I don't care if February is the shortest month of the year, it surely seems like the longest!  I am determined to find ways to enjoy life until spring hits!

While the snow is still piled up outside my door, I decided that this was the perfect time to have a small dinner get together.  My sister in law and her husband are going to garden with us this year and this is the perfect opportunity to have dinner,  sit around the table and make plans for our summer garden.  While you may not want to throw a gardening seed party like me, having a few neighbors over for dinner is a good way to keep open communication especially if you are all parents with school age kids.  It helps the kids to maintain friendships and meet those new to the neighborhood.

Dinner plans can mean something as simple as a pot of soup and in my case, salmon, mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus are on the menu.  Dinner with some neighbors may include board games or card games. If there are neighborhood kids involved, be sure to have some activities to keep them busy.  

Keeping your menu and entertainment simple and themed will make it more inviting for your guests to return the favor!  Take a little time to invite someone to dinner this month.  It will be a great way to make the time pass until we can all crawl out of our burrows!

I have included my recipe for my salmon glaze below!

Enjoy!

Julie Atkins

Salmon Glaze

8 Tbsp Soy Sauce (I use low sodium)

2 Tbsp Chili paste (less if you want to put out some of the heat)

3 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp grated ginger (optional)

Mix in small bowl and pour over salmon.  Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and diced green onion if desired.  Bake salmon according to directions.