From the Front Porch
Happy Friday from the front porch!
We hope your week has been joy-filled. Thanks so much for spending time with us today!
While we were at my baby sister’s house celebrating the 4th of July my spirited niece was beyond excited to share her parents had finally let her get a phone.
She’s truly a delightful tween who works really hard in both school and dance.
Upon hearing the news, we jumped up and down, squealed enthusiastically and hugged each other knowing the milestone was an important one.
“What are you looking forward to most now that you have a new phone?” I asked thinking she would likely say face timing her friends.
Instead, she immediately got blushy cheeks and a sparkle in her eye and said, “I’m most excited I’ll be able to take pictures of my memories while we’re on vacation.”
While it only lasted a few seconds, it was a tender moment I’ll never forget.
These past few weeks she’s been blowing up our phones with all sorts of pictures and videos from their “sea to shining sea family adventure.”
It’s been so much fun to catch of glimpse of the things she finds funny, inspiring, and important.
Most of all, it’s been a daily reminder while summer feels a bit fleeting as we celebrate the last 2 weeks of the month, there’s still plenty of time to slow down and enjoy the beauty that’s right in front of us.
A Few of Our Favorite Posts from Around the Web this Week…
It’s so hard to believe this modern farmhouse is 300 years old!
This home tour from designer Whittney Parkinson has such a timeless feel.
A Harmonious Swedish Home with a Mix of Old and New
If you like classic black and white with layers of texture, you’ll love this designer’s portfolio
A Napa Estate for the Whole Family
Before and After: A Decaying House Built in 1881 Was Transformed with a Moody, Maximalist Remodel
We have textured walls so I wouldn’t be able to do this at my own home but I’m dying to try this in the pantry at Bliss Barracks, How to Install Removable Wallpaper
3 Succession Planting Tips from Joe Gardner
Your Perfect Summer Uniform Based on Your Zodiac Sign
10 Simple Ways to Bring More Calm into Your Home
12 Things You Should Be Doing with Command Hooks
13 Energizing Habits That Can Make the Rest of Your Day So Much Better
If you’ve already started Christmas shopping, this clutch and these bracelets are super cool and customizable too.
Words to Live By…
Waching This Week….
I’ve been soaking up a lot of content creation and brand messaging inspiration these past few months thanks to the website refresh.
Carrie Green is one of my favorite business bloggers and I love the way she breaks down the basics of How to Build a Brand That Stands Out in this 10 minute video.
July Book of the Month…
**(Amazon Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz continues to be such a great resource for learning how to refocus your thought and belief patterns.
If you’re new to these ideas make sure to give yourself lots of extra grace. Creating new patterns takes time but the effort is definitely worth it!
On the Menu this Week…
07/18 Sunday – Mushroom Ravioli with Spinach
07/19 Monday – Greek Power Bowl
07/20 Tuesday – One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
07/21 Wednesday – Vietnamese Spring Roll Salad
07/22 Thursday – Summer Vegetable Soup
07/23 Friday – Pesto Veggie Pizza
07/24 Saturday – Chicken Fried Steak
07/25 Sunday – Pan-Seared Cod with White Wine and Tomato Basil Sauce
Sweet Treat to Try this Week…
Peach Ice Cream with Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookie Crumble
A Few Fun Finds We Spotted Online at Amazon and Target This Week…
(Amazon and Target Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
** Indicates additional colors or options available when this post was originally published
**Midi Dress * Sandals * Hairspray * **Serving Bowls
Coaster Set * **Tee * Hair Claw Set * **Rug
Accent Table * Decorative Chain * **Leopard Print Skirt * Cylinder Basket
Pillow * Measuring Cups and Spoons * Planter * **Shirt Dress
If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog Recently or the Archives, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…
11 Architectural Salvage Decorating Ideas
Marrying a Farmhouse Hutch and Dresser
5 Key Spaces to Organize Before School Starts
July Bucket List…
- Celebrate Independence Day
- Restart 30 Day Rest Challenge
- Continue Back to Basics Summer Season
- Surprise Porch Makeover for my Sweet Aunt
- ORC Celebration Brunch
- Make a New Peach Recipe
- Attend a Summer Yard Sale
- Christmas in July Activities
- Plan Fall and Winter Content
- Try New IG Strategy
- Photograph House Tour
- Read the Book of the Month
- Keep Sundays Sacred
July Simplified and Organize Home Challenge…
Focus of the Month: Kids Rooms or Guest Rooms & Bathrooms
- 07/03 – Kids Room or Guest Room
- 07/10 – Kids Room or Guest Room Closet & Drawers
- 07/17 – Kids Room or Guest Room Bathroom & Cabinets
- 07/24 – Back to School Supplies/ Toys & Games
- 07/31 – Clean Out/Organize Your Car
TCG Housekeeping Notes, Dates to Remember, and Upcoming Posts
- 07/18 – National Ice Cream Day
- 07/21 – National Hot Dog Day
- 07/23 – Summer Olympics Begin
- 07/31 – National Mutt Day
As always, we appreciate you more than you could ever know, and we hope your weekend is peace-filled and relaxing. We can’t wait to share even more with you next week!
Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing our Peach Ice Cream recipe. We truly appreciate the love and support. Hope you get a chance to try it <3
Cynthia & the Darling Team
You are so welcome! Thank you for making the recipe so easy to follow. It was definitely a home run and the perfect way to celebrate summer. Hope your summer has been full of all good things too, CoCo
Your weekly From the Front porch is one of my very favorite posts to read from beginning to end. Thank you for the inspiration. I need to try the mushroom ravioli recipe.
So glad you like these posts, Kim, they’re always fun to put together and I’m constantly amazed at all the creativity out there. We’re so lucky to have easy access to it all! Sending you tons of hugs, CoCo
I love your niece’s response to getting a phone. How sweet!
I also love the peel and stick wallpaper. I’m thinking about doing that to my pantry now. She makes it look so easy!
Your menu sounds delicious! Especially the chicken fried steak. Yum!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Thank you, Michelle, she’s definitely a special girl! I would LOVE to try peel and stick wallpaper too. We can’t do it at our house but I’m trying to talk my parents into it now so we’ll see 🙂 So excited you like the menu. It’s always fun trying new things. Hope your week is a happy one, CoCo
What a fun adventure your niece is having! And how sweet of her to share it all with you! I see she takes after her aunt in capturing beautiful photos! Can’t wait to check out all the links you’ve rounded up. My coffee cup is full and I’m off to be inspired! Have a fabulous week, CoCo! Hugs!
So sweet of you to say, Christine, thank you. She really is such a great kid! It just about melts me every time she sends me something new. They’ve seen some amazing sights and I know this adventure will stick with them for a lifetime. I normally turn my phone off during the day so I can fully concentrate on the task at hand but these past few weeks I’ve made sure to leave it on so I don’t miss a single moment. Hope your week has been full of unexpected blessings, CoCo