Blog - The Lilypad Cottage

June 26, 2019 By Kelly 17 Comments

Lake House Basement Family Room

Popping in with a little lake house basement family room update today! If you’ve been following along for a while, you know we have new furniture upstairs. So, everything upstairs came downstairs in a little round of musical chairs.

Just like musical chairs, there were a few that didn’t make the cut. Specifically, the beloved white armchairs from my mom that I have had several hundred requests for the source (she had them made years ago at a local shop so sorry I can’t help you out.) They just weren’t working out in this space. They were way too formal, and not practical for my kids to use every day.

I moved one into our master bedroom, and the other went to my brother’s house for his daughter’s room. So, they are getting yet another new lease on life.

The hunt began for something to replace the chairs! I was looking for a less formal, comfy oversized chair that would be great for movie nights or curling up with a good book.

Sixpenny Home asked to partner with me to share their furniture. I was so excited because the Neva chair was exactly what I had been looking for.

Oversized. Super comfy. And slipcovered in case we have any mishaps. Although the fabric I chose is dry clean recommended, it’s nice to know that’s an option for any major stains.

This chair is available in a ton of fabric options, but I wanted a little darker tone to camouflage dirt. I went with the Lightweight Linen option in the color Ink Cap. I love the casual vibe of the linen, and the color is a nice contrast to the new carpet.

It’so comfy my kids are trying to convince me we need to buy the matching couch! If I have to break up one more fight over who’s turn it is to sit in the chair, I might just do that! ;)

Whoever does finally claim the coveted throne as their own will have to share with Charlie. He has officially claimed it as his designated napping spot, but he will begrudgingly share…provided you rub his tummy.

You can check out all the great furniture at Sixpenny here. They have a lot of beautiful options to choose from. The ordering process was simple, delivery was fast, and the white glove service was an added bonus.

Things are still a work in progress down here. I still need some side tables, a lamp, and a few more accessories before I complete the space. I’m also thinking of going with a coffee table rather than an ottoman. I thought an ottoman would be practical for the kids. However they keep spilling snacks on it all the time, so I’m thinking a hard surface coffee table may be the way to go. I love how cozy it is down here with the new chair, and it’s been a great rainy day hangout space for our family!

Lake House Basement Family Room

June 20, 2019 By Kelly 10 Comments

Summer Dresses and a Giveaway

First off, thank you all SO much for the outpouring of love and sweet comments on my last post. My readers are truly the best, and a few of you made me tear up. It really encouraged me so much!

I have a few minutes off of my mom uber duties this morning during basketball camp, so I thought I would dash off a quick post. We have a few outdoor weddings and events to go to this summer and I ordered a few new dresses to try out for the occasions. I snapped some quick iPhone shots in my mirror while I tried them on to share with you all.

This is the first of my half-arsed blog posts for the summer, so let’s all pretend I steamed all the clothes, set up the nice camera, that I don’t have 3 lbs of dry shampoo in my hair, and I took more than 10 minutes to write this – deal? Oh, and I ordered several pairs of shoes to try too, but they are living the high life with my UPS guy apparently, so also pretend I have on shoes that go a little better with these dresses. Now that everybody is firmly in make-believe-land with me, snap back to reality as I actually hit every price point from $25 – $100, so there is a little something for everyone.

This post contains affiliate links.

I love the classic feminine feel of the pleated skirt on this one and the price point cannot be beat!

This simple knit navy dress is so easy to throw on with flip flops and a jean jacket for a more casual look. Add heels and some gold jewelry like I did here for an evening out.

I love the flowy feel of this yellow maxi dress and it could definitely be dressed up or down as well. It also comes in a few other colors.

A good wrap dress is always nice for summer and this one is very flattering across the tummy area for us moms.

Aaaaand… I’m just realizing now that I forgot to snap a pic of the jumpsuit, so you will have to believe me that it’s super cute!

You can click on any of the bold words below to check out the dresses.

Oh and here is the cute Target clutch I’m holding in a few of the shots.

And my shoes.

Ok, now for that giveaway! I’m so excited to share these pretty jewelry pieces from Amelia Lawrence Jewelry. And excuse the up close and personal selfie, but I wanted to show you up close how pretty these pieces are on. PS – I get asked for my secret all the time when I’m “tan” – if you need a good self-tanner this is the one I use!

Amy reached out to me to ask if she could send me some jewelry and I was immediately drawn to her simple and delicate designs. I’m not a huge statement jewelry person as I feel a little like a clown in big earrings or a bright necklace, but her pieces are SO my style and perfect for layering. I usually wear a trio of 3 simple gold necklaces together, but this one is my absolute fave.

Here is a close up of the Leyanah Arch I’m wearing.

And the Marquise Hoops are perfect to throw on for every day and they are so lightweight.

I’m actually giving away a pair of these earrings and this necklace over on my Instagram page later today. Just comment on the selfie photo on Instagram to enter! I also have a coupon code for you all if you want to snag your own. Use the code LILYPADCOTTAGE for 20% off your order. The code will be valid until July 4, 2019. Check out all her designs here.

June 12, 2019 By Kelly 69 Comments

A Little Life Update

It’s the first week of summer here in Michigan for my kiddos, and I’m so happy to have them home (and not be packing another lunch)! That said, being a work from home mom becomes just a little trickier. Especially when so much of my job is social media related and I’m constantly preaching to my kids about no electronics! Monkey see monkey do, right? It is hard to explain to my 11-year old that I’m on Instagram because it’s my job when she would like her own Instagram account (not happening!) So, that means things slow down here a little on the blog. I only get so many summers with my kiddos, and at 11 and 8 it seems like my time where they want to hang out with mom is on the way out. My oldest starts middle school in the fall and there are only mere glimpses in my day where I’m not an embarrassment to her :) So, I need to make them count!

Additionally, this summer will be challenging because the Mr. is going to be gone for most of it. He was accepted into the Stanford Executive Program after his company asked him to apply. We are all super proud of him, but that means he will be in Palo Alto, California for the summer. This program is super intense and is a sun up to sun down, Monday through Saturday kind of thing. We will be heading out for a visit for a few days, but I really want him to be able to concentrate and get the most out of this amazing opportunity. Convincing my kids that I’m really the genius all knowing one in the family is getting harder and harder with him being such a smarty pants.

Thankfully my mom is home for the summer and we are all pumped to have Gigi back at the lake. I will once again don my boat captain hat and she will be my first mate and spotter for the many tubing and skiing trips around the lake. Sidenote, the best time to take your kids tubing is when they are really hitting that last nerve. There is nothing more satisfying then tossing them all off around a curve when you are pulling them tubing ;) If you grew up on a lake you know what I mean! I understand all too clearly now why my dad delighted in tossing us off in the weedy part of the lake!

I hope you all will extend me a little grace with what is sure to be a less frequent random posting schedule over on the blog. I’m sure I will be on Instagram a lot more trying to share little snippets here and there. I’m also thinking of just doing shorter form posts for the summer? A few quick photos of what we are up to? We shall see! Oh and I definitely will be blogging about the basement redo soon as well. The new carpet was installed and it looks SO much better. Here is a little sneaky peek!

Thanks so much to all of you who have hung in here with me over the years. I started this blog 7 years ago just as a creative outlet when I was home with a toddler and a newborn. I really never expected anyone other than my mom would read it! God dropped this whole thing in my lap and it’s been such an adventure and blessing for our family. Our pastor just finished up a great sermon series about work found here. How all work matters from wiping little kids noses, to performing heart surgery, to designing a house. It made me stop and think that sometimes I feel like having the ability to run a blog or make a room pretty is a ridiculous job, but it has allowed me to connect with all of you. It has changed so much over the years and I’m so blessed you all have allowed this to become my full-time job, but with the flexible hours to work around being with my family. Truly thank you for every time you come over here to see what I’m up to, or click on one of my links, or buy something from the shop our home page. All the comments and encouragement and tips – it’s so fun to interact with this community and you all brighten my day!

Oh and for a little trip down memory lane here is how my kids looked when I started this whole thing –

and now – STOOOOOP!

Huge shoutout to my friend Kari who has been photographing our family for years. She also talked me through setting up my first website, since I hardly knew how to turn a computer on (still don’t most days!).

Our last photo shoot went a little awry when the Mr. (my biggest kid) fell into the lake mid-shoot. Yet these will go down as some of my most cherished photos ever, even if I look like a drowned rat.

Wow, I guess I’m feeling a little sentimental over here today so excuse my long musings! Happy Summer to you all!

June 6, 2019 By Kelly 3 Comments

Blood Orange Elderflower Basil Martini

Phew, it’s the last day of school – we made it another year!! These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of field trips, band concerts, and volunteering at school. Which is why I’ve been a little MIA over here on the blog. What better way to cap off a busy couple of weeks than a well-deserved summer cocktail post?! This Blood Orange Elderflower Basil Martini is perfect for relaxing out on the deck after I’ve wrangled the kids into bed.

I have to say, typically I’m pretty old school and straight forward when it comes to cocktails. Give me a dirty vodka martini, a good old fashioned (like my late grandfather), or a nice glass of wine. Normally the fussy concoctions off the specialty menu aren’t for me, but when the Mr. and I had a date night last week at a local place, it sounded too good not to try. For you local Michiganders it was at Bay Pointe Inn on Gun Lake. Such a great spot for a drink or dinner on the water in the summer.

It was the perfect summer drink with fresh blood orange juice, the sweetness of the elderflower liqueur, and the hint of spice with the basil. Therefore, I had to try and recreate it at home for you all! I think I came pretty close with this recipe.

Save Print

Blood Orange Basil Martini

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

3 ounces vodka ( I like Kettle One)
1.5 ounces Elderflower liqueur (I used St. Germain)
3 ounces fresh squeezed blood orange juice
basil leaves

Instructions

Add vodka, St Germain, and orange juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until ice cold. Strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a basil leaf or two. Enjoy!

This Blood Orange Elderflower Basil Martini is also such a pretty drink it would be great to make in a bigger batch for a dinner party or girls night too!

PS If you are looking for a good cocktail shaker set, I have this one and love it! I’ve had a few others fall apart on me but the quality of this one is great.

May 31, 2019 By Kelly 44 Comments

Lake House Landscaping

Spring has finally sprung here in Michigan, and I have had lots of requests for more pics of our yard and outside. I don’t know all the plant names, so I apologize in advance if I miss a few, but I thought I would share what’s popping up in our yard lately. Let’s start in the backyard, or on the lake, it’s technically considered the front, but that’s not where the front door is?… So, it’s all confusing – my mom and I go round about this topic! Let’s just go with lakeside vs. streetside! lake house landscaping

I’ve been waiting for some blue skies and sun to snap these, but I’ve just about given up on the weather here in Michigan.

It feels like we have had such a late start to spring this year that not a ton is blooming yet. Like these rose bushes here are pretty pitiful looking still, but they do get beautiful dark pink blooms in the summer. We did boxwoods around the patio to create sort of a privacy hedge. Well, one day they will be a hedge – they are working on it!

We flanked both sides of the patio with them.

We also have some select blue catmint, which will get blueish purple soon, and a hydrangea tree in the middle of this area.

Here’s a little bird’s eye view from the balcony off our master. Don’t mind our soaking wet rug and the fact that I have no pillows or anything out, it stormed again right after I shot these. This is definitely an unstyled quick tour of the yard! You can see the row of limelight hydrangeas we planted on the border of our yard in this view too. We flanked both sides of the yard like that, again are you sensing a theme here? You all know how I feel about symmetry :)

This little sidewalk brings you over to the deck stairs, outdoor shower, and our storage room where we keep lifejackets, skis, and kayaks. I mentioned before we went with plain old concrete back here for budget reasons, but someday I would love to lay bluestone over the top of this.

I also finally filled all my planters this week. I like to use hanging baskets and pop them out of their baskets. This was a weird spring because we had a frost so late, so I bought plants a little later this year and I was on the struggle bus to find matching baskets! I need 4 matching for the lakeside and 4 for the pool, but I just couldn’t find any full sets. So these aren’t my fave colors, but they are still very pretty.

Around the side of the house, we have this big stone pathway up to the street. The hostas over here have gotten enormous!

Here’s a view looking down. Sorry for the photo overload, but I have had so many landscaping requests that I tried to cover every inch of the yard! I’m so happy we were able to save a lot of the mature trees in our yard even though we took down a few to build. It really feels like you are up in a treehouse on the decks.

Ok, over to the front/back/street side of the house!

Again with the symmetry, we have more roses, blue catnip, and boxwood up here. Along with dwarf patio peach trees that aren’t doing so hot this year with the frost. I can’t remember the name of the groundcover at the moment.

I’m not sure the name of the evergreen we have planted over here, but the plants in front of the boxwoods that haven’t quite bloomed are Salvia.

Here’s a little up close window box update. Along with my cute stalker who is currently giving the neighbor’s cat the stink eye… I feel like they aren’t as full as they usually are at this time because there has hardly been any sunshine, but they are coming along.

I did plant hydrangeas again with the vinca vine in my planters and they are starting to bloom a little. Again because of the hard spring, I had a hard time finding good ones this year.

Ok and a quick trip across the street to the pool house/garage – sorry this post is SO long, but it’s the only one I’ve gotten out this week so think of it as a two for one deal ;)

I just planted all of this ground cover along the driveway last year and it’s doing so well so I continued it up beneath these limelight hydrangeas. It has been hearty enough to survive the trampling it’s getting during our family 2-on-2 basketball games out here.

We also have a ton of hostas over here from the previous owner and the perfect tree for my kid’s rope swing.

PHEW! I think that covers it! If I haven’t bored all of you gardening enthusiasts to tears yet!

SOURCES:

Vinyl shake siding by Mastic the color is Natural Slate

Pergolas – they are made from Cedar and painted white to match our soffits so I don’t have a trim color for you.

Doors by Thermatru

Windows by NorthStar

Roof – Driftwood by CertainTeed

Metal roof – Burnished Slate I think by ABC Metal

Decking by Trex Deck

Outdoor furniture – you can read all about it here

Window boxes – find them here

May 23, 2019 By Kelly 9 Comments

Basement Family Room Makeover Progress

I mentioned yesterday that there are so many good sales this weekend, and the timing could not be better with the little refresh of the basement I’m working on. So, when Wayfair asked me to partner with them to highlight their major Memorial Day sale, I jumped at the chance. With over 10 million products on their site and fast and free shipping on orders over $50, it’s the perfect time to snag a few new pieces for this room.

Here are some progress shots of what I have going on down here in the basement. I mentioned the blue carpet is going bye-bye soon, next week in fact! It is getting replaced with a nice neutral greige color, which means I can finally layer it with a rug with some fun color to it! The blue toned carpet was so limiting before.

I also like the idea of having more of a pattern in the rug to hide all my kiddo’s snack mishaps down here. I absolutely love the fun colors in this one and the vintage vibe it has. I staged it over here, for now, to cover up the blue carpet but it will be moving over to the sectional area soon. We hang out in this room the most in the winter or on rainy days, so I really want it to feel cozier down here, and this soft warm rug really helps with that vibe.

Here are a few up close shots of the rug so you can really see how pretty the colors are. It has some faded detailing for a vintage look.

Next on my mission to make this space cozier and inviting were new chairs for around our game table. I snagged this table and chairs at a second-hand store for $30 and gave it a fresh coat of paint. The table is great, but the chairs were so uncomfortable that we rarely played a game or did a puzzle here like I planned on. I decided we needed something with more cushion so I went with these faux leather chairs. They are super comfortable, add a lot of warmth to the space, and are completely easy to wipe down so they are practical for snack time too. They are on sale for $120 for 2 right now.

I also like how the black metal legs relate back to the black metal legs of our console table behind the sofa as well.

Bonus the Mr. feels like this room is on it’s way to being his man cave with the new leather chairs. Even though we have a long way to go to surviving the teen hangout years first.

I’ve been on the hunt for an oversized vase for flowers or branches from our yard, and this one from Wayfair is perfect and reasonably priced with the sale. It’s an easy centerpiece when this space isn’t covered in our current puzzle obsession.

You can shop everything we have from Wayfair in our home below, much of which is on sale! I’m also including some of my fave items from the sale which is going on right now. If you are in the market for literally almost everything, Wayfair is a great spot to find anything you need for your home. With up to 65% off all clearance patio furniture, clearance area rugs starting at just $49.99, and dining room clearance furniture up to 70% off – now is a great time to shop. Check out the entire sale on their website here.

May 22, 2019 By Kelly 30 Comments

Lake House Summer Tour

There are so many good sales this upcoming holiday weekend! The weather is supposed to be pretty rainy, so if I have to be stuck inside I might as well do a little online shopping. You all know how I want to just move myself right into a Serena and Lily store so I was happy to partner with them to share a few of my fave items from the sale. I snagged a few things to freshen up our home for summer. Lake House Summer tour

I’ve been looking for a piece of furniture to ground my new art in our dining area. I had to laugh because I shared I was on the hunt for a table for this space on Instagram and I had over 10 of you message me saying I needed this South Seas Side Cart in my life.

Great minds think alike because it was already sitting in my online shopping cart ha! Please tell me I’m not the only one with full shopping carts hanging out all over the internet? :)

The cart arrived yesterday, and it’s perfection. I just threw a few things on it and snapped a quick photo, but I will probably have some more fun styling it this weekend. I was missing the texture of the basket that used to be on this wall, so this was the perfect solution to add that texture back.

I also got a few new throw pillow covers even though I still love my old ones. I received our other Serena & Lily pillows in the fall, and they all still look brand new despite Charlie constantly burrowing into them. That’s one thing I really appreciate about Serena and Lily – everything is such great quality. I so wish I could catch a sunny day in this room, the blue chairs are so pretty with the water in the background but it has been gloomy for days here.

I’ve swapped out some of the darker cozier knit ones for some lighter summery ones.

I especially love the green details on these pillows.

I love how these pillows have lightened up the space and everything feels fresh for summer. Now if the sun would just show up!

I also got these gorgeous beach towels – I love the colors and they are so soft and thick. They are almost too pretty to use, but they are so cozy I can’t resist.

I’m sharing all of my fave Serena & Lily items from our house below along with some of their things that are on my wishlist too! Some of their items can be a splurge, so when they have a sale it’s a great time to pull the trigger on something you have been wishing for. The Memorial Day Sale runs today through May 28. Use the code SUMMERPREP for 20% off.

Serena & Lily… living well begins at home. Just click each image to shop! Lake House Summer Tour

May 15, 2019 By Kelly 20 Comments

Peppa Pig Toddler Girls Room

My brother asked me to help him decorate his sweet 4-year-old daughter’s bedroom earlier this fall. I love to do kid’s rooms, so I jumped at the chance to help his cutie with a little mini room refresh.

When I asked my niece what colors she liked for her room she replied “Peppa Pig!”

And when I asked what she wanted on her walls she responded “Peppa Pig! Peppa Pig!”

And when I asked her what her #1 must have design element was for the room, you guessed it “Peppa Pig!” – So basically your typical 4-year-old design client :)

I did not want to disappoint my adorable niece, so I set out to Peppa Pig-ify her room without it being over the top or something she would grow out of quickly. I also wanted to keep it super budget-friendly, so we kept the existing wall color, drapes, and carpet.

Here are a few tips for if you want a character themed kid’s room, but you don’t want it to look like a toy store barfed in their room.

1. Get the character sheets, not the bedding!

This paisley quilt may look familiar if you have been following along for a few years. This is my daughter’s duvet cover from a few years back. I’m so glad I saved it because it worked perfectly in this room too. Of course, there are all sorts of “attractive” Peppa Pig quilts and duvet covers out there, but this is not where you want to spend your $$$. Kids grow out of things too fast to make a big purchase like the full-on character quilt, so we picked up inexpensive Peppa Pig sheets. She was so happy because she still gets the Peppa Pigness on her pillows and sheets, but when she has moved onto Disney Princesses or whatever comes next, it will be easy to swap out the sheets and not the whole bed.

2. Hit up Etsy for cheap printables!

I found these cute prints on Etsy (I linked them below if you have a Peppa enthusiast in your family). They look like little watercolor paintings, which makes them less in your face cartoony and they only cost $9 for the set. I printed them out at Staples for a few dollars and used inexpensive frames to frame them. Also, it will be super easy to swap out this art down the road to family photos or her current obsession.

3. Use what toys you have!

Stuffed animals are your friends here. My niece (not surprisingly) already had a nice collection of Peppa Pig stuffed friends in her possession. So, I just added one to her bed and one on her nightstand to keep the Peppa going. Again, totally easy to swap out when her next phase hits.

To finish off the room, I found this dresser at a local flea market for $50. A quick coat of paint and some fun 1/2 off hardware from Hobby Lobby added storage for Peppa Pig jammies.

She also needed a bed, so I found this inexpensive one from Wayfair. A day bed is a great option for toddlers who are still getting used to the whole sleeping in a bed transition. This one has a trundle under it as well for future sleepovers, but we didn’t assemble it for the time being since my brother didn’t have an extra twin mattress for it yet.

A ready-made canopy and colorful rug made it extra cozy in here. She was thrilled with the room and it made my heart so happy. She has plenty of time for a sophisticated grown-up space, you are only 4 once, so give me all the bright colors for this sweet girl!

Almost all of the pillows and accessories were stuff I had from various projects over the years, but I’ll link a few similar items below!

May 10, 2019 By Kelly 20 Comments

Friday Feels – New Art and Upcoming Projects

Welcome to another Friday Feels where I share what I’m “feeling” this week. This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.

Sorry I’ve been light on the Friday Feels lately. The Mr. and I both got knocked out with a nasty virus 2 weeks back and last week I was battling a migraine. I decided to enjoy one of the perks of working from home and take a few sick days. My daughter was so sweet and tucked me in and put an ice pop on my forehead to help with my headache. Which miraculously helped a ton minus the fact that I woke up with orange popsicle stuck to my head, but who knows, maybe that was part of the magic healing powers? I’m keeping a box of orange popsicles on hand just in case…

I’ve got a ton of projects in the works, but nothing really complete at the moment. So, I thought I would share what I’m working on at the various stages.

First up, I ordered these beautiful prints from a Michigander artist. Her name is Katherine Corden and I think I stumbled upon her on Instagram, but instantly fell in love with the colors and style of her lakeshore paintings. Check out her original art and prints on her site here. I already have my eye on another piece for our bathroom!

I replaced the basket on my wall, and the pop of color over here feels so fresh. I framed them in these inexpensive white frames from Wayfair. I just centered the art right over the mat because it was the wrong size. That’s an easy tip to avoid an expensive custom framing job that I use often.

I’m on the hunt for a small bar cart or table beneath it to ground the space. Here are a few that are in the running below.

Shop bar cart options:

I’m also working on sprucing up the deck off of our master bedroom. I worked with JCPenney on this and they sent me some items which I shared some shots of on Instagram. I’m not quite done out here because I still need to plant the rest of my flowers. I just brought a few houseplants outside for these photos because it snowed the next day – oh the life of a blogger trying to get the shot with this weird weather. I also briefly contemplated climbing a nearby tree for a better shot – that wouldn’t be the weirdest thing my neighbors have seen me do I’m sure… So, stay tuned for more photos out here. Also, I have had lots of requests to link everything in this post, so I’ll do that below.

Shop this space:

Next up, one question I get asked often is if I have any regrets or things I would change now that we have lived in our house for 2 years. I plan on doing a blog post on this soon. Thankfully the regrets are few, and most are easy fixes, but I’m starting with one today. The basement carpet.

I hate it.

There I said it.

I’ve mentioned before that it’s not my fave and that it was way more of a teal color than I envisioned. On the swatch, it looked more like a deep gray with a blue undertone. Again I think this is one of those things that works better in photos than it does in person. It also shows every single fuzzy and crumb, so it looks dirty all of the time.

I feel like the color really limits me when it comes to how I decorate down here. I haven’t shown this space since the upstairs furniture was moved down here and that’s because I’m switching some things up still (I’ll be sharing my plans for this soon too!). I was on the hunt for a larger area rug to cover more of it up when I decided to just head to my local flooring store and see how much it would cost to finally swap it out. I picked out another inexpensive carpet in a neutral color and because we are keeping the same pad it will be less than $300 to replace! That’s actually cheaper than the rug I was looking at, and I can’t wait to have it installed!

Shop this space:

Sometimes, it’s best to just admit a design choice isn’t working and not be afraid to start over. This carpet isn’t a loss though, we are going to put it up in the pool house loft for now so the kids have something soft to play on this summer. More on that whole project soon too.

See? So many projects coming up – I’m just waiting on a few deliveries and things to click into place! You can click on any of the pictures above for the sources. Happy Weekend!

May 7, 2019 By Kelly 10 Comments

Purple and Blue Flower Boxes

It’s one of my favorite posts of the year – flower box time! I always have fun wandering around my local nursery (I like Cherry Valley Greenhouse if you are local) picking out new flowers and color combos to try. I decided on purple and blue flower boxes this year. Typically, I wait until the week of Mother’s Day to plant (which is usually safe frost wise for Michigan) so I went for it yesterday despite the rain. We do have a few chilly night temps in the ’40s expected this week still, so I will cover up my flowers on those nights. I can even pop them out (since I plant them in plastic liners) and stick them in the garage if need be.

A fitted twin sheet happens to be the perfect size to cover my window boxes. It stretches out around it so it stays put, but doesn’t crush my flowers. Although the friendly people at the nursery assured me with the boxes being so close to the house, and not in the ground they should stay warm enough.

AND you guys will be so proud of me – for once, not only did I remember to get the names of the flowers I used for you all, but I snapped a photo of the tags so you will know the exact info! I’m like a real legit organized blogger for once ;)

Our flower boxes get sun all morning so I went with all full sun/part sun-loving plants.

Wave Petunias – White
Lobularia – Lavender Stream
Verbena – Grape
Lobelia Erinus – Sky Blue
Vinca Vine

I usually like to share my window boxes when they have had a month or so to grow out. I have gotten so many comments and emails looking for ideas this year, that I thought I would quickly share what I used.

I like the purple and blue with some white thrown in there too for contrast. I think I’m going to stick with Endless Summer Hydrangeas and vinca vine in my planters like last year. I’ll use the same blue striped pillows also. I may choose a bit more purple looking hydrangea this year. I think the purple and blue flower boxes will play nicely with them. Here’s a photo from last year –

I liked the vinca vine so much in my planters last year, that I decided to add that to the flower boxes as well.

I wanted a more organic look this year vs the more structured flowers I did last year, so I went with flowers with smaller buds that trail. We shall see what I think! It’s always fun to experiment each year.

I will be sure to post an update later this summer when they fill out. Oh, and if you follow me on Instagram I posted some stories yesterday when I planted with a few tips. They are saved to my highlights so you can check them out anytime.

Additional posts you may find helpful:

Window Boxes That Won’t Fall Apart

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