From the Front Porch: Dining Room Details

Happy Thursday from the front porch sweet friends and welcome to the dining room details edition.

We appreciate you being here and making us a part of your day!

We’ll be on Spring Break next week, but before I sign off I wanted to share an email I received about the post, On Expectations and Letting Go…

It was a post I wrote just before Lent season ended.

In the email a reader asked, “This might seem like a silly question, but how do you know it’s time to declutter your life? I work from home and have lost my boundaries completely.”

It was such a relatable question I wanted to share my answer with you in case you’re in the same situation.

Personally, there are three ways I can immediately tell it’s time to declutter:

I can no longer put things (groceries, laundry, Amazon orders, etc.) away with ease.

90% percent of the time I can put things away quickly and efficiently.

But that 10%?

It’s a beast that forces me to reassess the systems we have in place because I know they’re no longer working.

I start to see little stacks piling up.

If you’ve read any of Dana K White’s books you know she defines “slob vision as not seeing the mess as it grows, only after it’s grown, spread, and completely taken over.”

Put another way, “When clutter becomes such a normal part of your life, that you don’t see it anymore.”  

As soon as you start seeing things piling up in your entry area, dining room, bedroom chair, the arm of the treadmill, kitchen counters…you name it…it’s time to figure out why so you can take action.

My calendar is filled with more obligations than with the 7 types of rest I know I need to create a healthy lifestyle.

This one is probably the biggest “red flag” for me and the hardest to control at times.

Especially, when I’m not prioritizing the 7 types of rest outlined by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith in her book Sacred Rest.

I’m working on it though.

Part of what helps is being aware of your triggers so you can use that “best self” feeling (you know when you’re in the zone and crushing it) as a guidepost.

It can be really easy to ignore or explain away signs of stress and burnout and having that guidepost will help alert you to make the necessary changes and set better boundaries too.

Make no mistake, decluttering your home and your life takes time.

But the sooner you address it, the easier it will be to create a life you love.

As always, I’ll be cheering you on.

A Few of Our Favorite Things from Around the Web This Week…

Beautiful Home and Garden Tours:

• The portfolio of Elizabeth Garret Interiors is fabulous but Ramblewood the project she did for her parents is one of my favorites.
• This Oak Hill Drive project by W Design Collective is filled with cozy details.
• Martha Stewart’s Most Beautiful Gardens and How She Curated Each One (via Martha Stewart)

Seasonal Inspiration:

• Rachel of The Ponds Farmhouse was so kind to include my summer grapevine wreath in her post, 20 DIY Spring & Summer Wreaths: Stunning Budget Door Decor which is filled with fabulous spring to summer ideas.
• Speaking of stunning, have you seen this post, How to Make an Abundant Floral Centerpiece by Mary of Life at Bella Terra yet? It’s great if you have any graduation, bridal, shower, or dinner events coming up.
• If you’re new to painting or flipping furniture Anna from Sky Lark House shared this post, “Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Refurbishing Furniture,” filled with helpful tips and tricks.

Health and Wellness Inspiration:

• 40 Ways to Romanticize Your Life This Spring (via The Everygirl)
• The 9 Rules of Longevity: Here’s Why You Need to Follow the “Power 9” (via Vogue)
• How to Genuinely Be a Good Listener (via Self)

Style and Travel Inspiration:

• The Best Ideas for Cute and Casual Summer Outfits (via My Chic Obsession – so many fabulous ideas)
• This Nancy Meyers Kitchen Playlist on Spotify is such a good one.
• The 15 Best Mother Daughter Trips (via Veranda)

Simple Pleasures and Little Luxuries:

• Have you seen this collaboration yet? It feels like the perfect spring to summer mix.
• I don’t need another bed but if I did, I would get the Barlow bed from Serena and Lily, it’s perfection.
• I can’t believe this is at Walmart. They’ve definitely been stepping up their home décor game lately!

If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog or the Archives Recently, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…

A Beginner’s Guide to Embroidering Napkins and Handcrafted Society Blog Hop

Dining Room Buffet Makeover

8 Easy Tips for Styling a Dining Room Hutch

Dining Room Makeover Reveal

You Can Find Last Week’s From the Front Porch here, if you missed it…

Late Spring Inspiration We Spotted Online at Amazon This Week…

(Amazon 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)

• Branches (easily use these from spring to fall)
• Foldable Hat (the ribbon detail gives this hat a feminine feel)
• Dress (comes in so many pretty colors)
• Jewelry Organizer (easy to use at home and take on trips. I have the green but it comes in other colors too)
• Sunglasses (I love my J Crew sunnies but I’m so tempted by these pretty pink ones)
• Dress (this comes in a ton of colors and can easily be dressed up or down)
• Placemats (great for adding a bit of texture to spring and summer place settings)
• Puzzle (would be fun to take on vacation)
• Herb Leaf Stripper (this makes cooking with herbs a lot easier, great for herb infused water creations too)
• Tote (I don’t need another tote but I love how many pockets this one has and it comes in lots of other colors)
• Pillow Cover (another easy spring to fall decor item to love)
• Dry Brush (a simple way to prioritize healthy skin)
• Dividers (I can’t decide if I should get individual drawer dividers or these, will report back)
• Rug (thinking of using this rug in the bathroom or the entry)
• Blanket (an easy gift idea or pop of color in a reading nook)
• Shirtdress (hoping to get this dress in navy or black for vacation, currently looking for a belt)

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