From the Front Porch
Happy Friday from the front porch sweet friends. Thanks so much for spending time with us today, it’s good to be home!
How have you been?
I’ve spent most of the week deep cleaning, restocking the refrigerator, putting away Easter décor, washing a mountain of laundry and linens, working on my closet makeover, trialing a new workout routine (trampolining!), finishing the last few chapters of a book, and making sure we have all our loose ends tied up by the end of April so we can fully embrace all the good things the summer season has to offer.
We’ve also been easing into a new schedule (and a new space) thanks to a recent work change.
It’s not better or worse than what we had before, it’s just different and unfamiliar right now.
So, every time I get clammy hands and start thinking we’re completely off track, I remind myself we’re simply out of rhythm and nothing more.
Besides (I continue pep-talking myself 😆), we had our old schedule for nearly 2 years. It’s only reasonable to think it’s going to take longer than 2 weeks to sort through the kinks, you know?
But that’s how sneaky perfectionism is.
It will tell you “Why bother,” or “I’ll start next week,” or “You’re not as good as ________(fill in the blank)” or “You’ve done this a million times, why is _________ (fill in the blank) any different?”
Perfectionism loves to keep us stuck and playing small.
It drains, discourages, procrastinates, frustrates, and distracts. It keeps us in an all-or-nothing mindset that holds us back from living our best life and achieving our biggest dreams.
So, if you’re struggling with perfectionism or fear of any kind this week (I’m right there with you), I want to pass along something best-selling author and speaker Jon Acuff shared with our group. He said, “Perfect is impossible but better is always available.”
Don’t let perfectionism rob you of the progress you’re making on your goals and dreams today.
As always, I’ll be cheering you on.
A Few of Our Favorite Things from Around the Web…
The beautiful portfolio of Becca Interiors.
I love the amazing portfolio of photographer Rebekah Westover too.
Have you seen these projects from designer Lizzie Cox yet?
There are so many fabulous things to love about this traditional farmhouse tour. I could move in tomorrow!
Speaking of which, don’t miss this garden – it is stunning.
22 Fragrant Roses to Plant in Your Garden This Year
These spring downloads are so pretty.
I can’t stop thinking about this classic dress.
One of my favorite collections from Pottery Barn. I swear every piece is magical!
This would be such a pretty Mother’s Day gift.
Speaking of pretty, here’s a peek at Caitlin Wilson’s book tour schedule in case she’ll be in your area.
How much fun would it be to stay here?
These would be so cute for Derby Day!
6 Green Flags You’re Becoming Your Best Life
Words to Live By…
On My Nightstand…
(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
I basically devoured April’s Book of the Month, Living Fully: Dare To Step Into Your Most Vibrant Life by Mallory Ervin.
It’s a super easy read and I appreciate how she never let her struggles hold her back from living a big and bold life or shy away from taking responsibility for her actions.
I loved it so much that I got the companion book All In before we left for Loblolly and I’m working through it now.
It’s set up almost like a workbook with prompts and pages to help you gain clarity and craft a vision for living fully each day.
You can find a complete list of the self-discovery books we’ve read here.
Menu Ideas…
French Country Bedroom Ideas We Spotted Online at Amazon This Week…
(Amazon and Target affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon and Impact Media Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
Headboard * Desk and Nightstand * Print * Light
Shower Curtain * Bedding Set * Desk and Nightstand * Pillow Cover
Bath Towels * Tray * Rug * Chair
Mirror * Urn * Bud Vases * Silk Pillowcase
If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog Recently or the Archives, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…
(Thank you all so much for supporting this post! I always feel like I need to do DIY tutorials and decorating posts to stay relevant but you prove me (and my fears) wrong time and time again. I can’t tell you how much it means to me – thank you, thank you)
Home Decor Books to Read This Spring… (27 Titles to Explore)
Wheelbarrow Container Garden Ideas
17 Easy Gifts to Make Before Mother’s Day
April Bucket List…
- Celebrate April Birthdays
- Order S’s Birthday Cake and Presents
- Celebrate Easter
- Make Easter Basket for Piper
- Spend Time at Loblolly Manor
- Meet S for Dinner to Celebrate the End of Tax Season
- Take a Photography Class
- Continue Quarter Challenge in Q2
- Establish Exercise Plan
- Begin Morning Pages
- Read the Book of the Month
- Begin Q2 Devotion
- Keep Sundays Sacred
April Word of the Month: Organize
Activities to Enjoy:
- Declutter
- Go On a Digital Detox
- Create a Capsule Wardrobe
- Donate One Box a Week to a Local Charity or Community Food Bank
- Safely Toss Expired Beauty/Wellness Products/Stained or Tattered Clothes
- Get a Wall Calendar or Magnetic Meal Planner for Your Refrigerator
- Find Ways to Automate Weekly/Monthly Tasks
- Hire a Personal Chef or Food Delivery Service
- Sign Up for a Newsletter That Motivates You
You can find our complete list of Word of the Month Ideas here.
April Focus of the Month: Linen Closets, Laundry Room, Entry, Dining Room
- 04/02 – Declutter/Organize Linen Closets
- 04/09 – Declutter/Organize Laundry Room & Simplify Laundry Day Routines
- 04/16 – Declutter/Organize Entry or Mudroom
- 04/30 – Simplify/Refresh Dining Room, Declutter/Organize Dining Room Hutch & Buffet
*You can find the entire 52 Weeks to a Simplified and Organized Home Challenge post here.
TCG Housekeeping Notes, Dates to Remember, and Upcoming Posts…
- 04/22 – Earth Day
- 05/01 – Shop for Birthday and Special Occasions Cards and Gifts
- 05/01 – May Day
- 05/04 – Star Wars Day
- 05/05 – Cinco de Mayo
- 05/06 – Kentucky Derby
- 05/06 – King Charles’s Coronation
- 05/13 – National Dog Mom’s Day
- 05/14 – Mother’s Day
- 05/20 – National Rescue Dog Day
- 05/29 – Memorial Day
- 05/30 – National Creativity 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
Thank you for sharing. As always, this is so encouraging!
You are so welcome, Susan, I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope you have the best weekend, CoCo
You always lift me. Right now I can use all you have.
Our Peanut’s not doing well. I’m so worried about her. I can’t think about much of anything else.
I’m trying to push forward with blogging. Right now it’s a very tough road.
I’m so sorry to hear about your sweet Peanut, Cindy! It’s so hard to know how to help them sometimes and it’s definitely hard to concentrate when you are worried. I’ll definitely be adding you both to my prayer list. Sending tons of hugs, CoCo
Lovely words as always, CoCo!! Hope you have a relaxing weekend!
Thanks so much, sweet friend. I hope you have an amazing weekend as well, CoCo
CoCo
You are such an inspiration. I love reading your Front Porch posts each week. Thank you.
Hi Coco,
I hear you about the perfectionism……I have to say one thing about getting older (I’m 71 now) is that perfectionism grows less and less, just cause you are too tired to keep it going! lol
I really enjoy your blog, as there is always something to see, or read, so I can come back and go thru the other things as well, when time allows. Your blog is also an uplifting respite of Beauty.
Loved your beautiful arrangement, it is so beautiful!! Have a lovely day hon,
Blessings, Nellie
Hi, Coco. I’m the daughter of a perfectionist and you are totally right, she was paralyzed and everything took so long for her to do. The frustration was awful to just watch her. Consequently, I’m one of those people who only gets miffed if we get to plan G or H. I’m fine with any success with Plan A-F. Get it done and MOVE ON…lol. Lovely photos and you definitely seem to have lots of plans!
So, I have to share a funny story with you. Along the lines of “perfection”. I finally saved up and purchased a “real camera”. Mind you, it took me 3 years because I pay cash for everything. Well, it finally arrived and I was SO EXCITED to use it. Then I quickly realized none of the buttons were the same, shooting in manual mode was entirely different, the light balance was way off. Then I decided that I made a terrible mistake and wasted my money and I am not good at photography anyway. . . (and blah blah blah).
Anyway, I stopped myself and realized that I was learning a new camera and that eventually I would take good photos but I had to allow myself to make mistakes along the way. “Perfect is impossible but better is always available”
Thank you for taking the time to put together these thoughtful posts and for doing so much research. Always a pleasure to read from the front porch. Hope the little birdies are doing well.