Back Porch Dreaming with Arhaus

Living in the country, for me, means living outdoors. Our front porch was somewhere I always gravitated towards, swinging on the porch swing....

Now that we have a barnyard full of animals and a seriously beautiful barn to stare at, I am finding myself (and the rest of the family) spending more and more time on our back porch. 

Each spring, I try to move things around from how I had it arranged the previous year. All the pieces have stayed the same, but rearranging them, brings them new life. This spring was our first time in years buying something new and BIG to add to our family of outdoor furniture. And it was a game changer....

This dining set is not only gorgeous, but so comfortable....it may be coming inside for the winter! Ha, kidding....maybe! 

Our back porch/ deck area is broken into 2 distinct zones. Now that I have claimed this larger deck to be our outdoor dining space, our smaller upper porch area needs to change. This is what it looks like for now.....

Things I do like are the "shutters" and hanging ferns. This little table set is no longer really needed now that we have the larger one. 

And opposite this little dining set is this lounge.....

This is more of the feeling I want in this upper area. I actually do use this quite a bit to read. However, it is lacking in the comfort level. Adding in this old rug and a blanket and pillow has helped amp up the coziness that I crave, but I've been dreaming up some other options. 

Have you ever looked into buying outdoor furniture?? It's so exhausting! There is a furniture store that I have always admired and love looking at online. However, I didn't even realize until recently that they also carried outdoor furniture! And now I am a mama on a mission! 

Have you heard of Arhaus? They are a furniture company who is designing some amazing products, that are so beautiful. From sectional sofas to the most amazing rugs (and you know I'm a rug person!) to anything else you need to complete a room. The company's commitment to our planet , by developing unique and functional pieces out of recycled natural resources, and never using wood from endangered forests is what seals the deal for me! 

I have picked out 3 items that I can't stop dreaming about.  

Starting out with that amazing rug!! Hello!?! It has fringe! And is black/ white!

 Then, I would want 2 matching sofas...I've thought about a sectional, but having 2 sofas gives me more rearranging options, and I can just picture them facing each other...what a great place to take naps!! (And it's called the Wyatt, so we HAVE to have it!!) 

And lastly, that table! I love me a table that is a signature/ statement piece all on it's own. This one reminds me of our table in the coffee room that is my favorite item we own.

These three elements remind me so much of the inside of our home. And I really like when our outdoor spaces are just like that, a reflection of our style. I would be adding in some other items that are our style also...feathers, an outdoor dreamcatcher, pillows, lanterns...  

Arhaus is currently having their Anniversary Sale, I hope some of my dream items can become a reality. Do yourself a favor, and go to their website...you can click here....and do some dreaming of your own. 

These are the last few weeks of summer, and we plan on getting the most out of them as we can. But having a cozy porch this fall is also very exciting!

Follow along on Instagram and Facebook to see all of our daily life here on the farm! And stay tuned for a late summer tour of our home. 

What Summer Looks like around here

SUMMER IS HERE! 

Since today is the first day of summer, officially, I want to document what ours looks like. Owning a small farm is always at it's busiest right now. The County Fair is next month and we are bringing 5 of our last year's calves with us. So taking care of them, to get them "show ready", is a full-time job in itself. The kids have homemade projects to complete and show in front of a judge also. 

This time of year is really fun, because BABIES....

We had a record number born at Irishman Acres this year....8! And one Mama had a set of twins!! Now Baileyhusband has the daunting task of picking out this year's baby daddies and figuring out when to breed our cows. I told him that he is a cow pimp.. HA! 

The yard, landscaping, etc has always been a huge passion of mine and has become kind of another hobby for me. Mowing our acreage, planting and watering our flowers....and making sure our porches and patios are pretty and cozy (of course). 

Our back porch/ deck has finally received some TLC in the form of fresh stain, and new furniture! (Just don't mind the broken umbrella! It still does the job of keeping us shaded :) And we've already spent a lot of time out here. Even in the morning with my cup of coffee, there is not a better view of our farm than on this porch! 

I looked high and low for an affordable, yet SOFT, outdoor rug. And ultimately used what I had stored in a closet. I've had this rug forever and was gonna throw it away, why not just use it outside? I'm not sad if it only makes it this year out here, and it was FREE! I do bring it in if it's gonna rain, but not a big deal at all. Making our back porch cozy and inviting makes me want to spend more time out here, and draws us all out to rest at night after the chores are done instead of just heading inside to watch TV. 

Our playground is next in my project list, it has not been touched this spring yet as you can see. Our annual big 4th of July Party is coming up and this will look a lot better by then. As well as our sand volleyball...the weeds sure have taken over! 

Our farm is getting something that I never knew I always wanted....a greenhouse! It's actually a gift for our son, Wyatt, he is extremely passionate about horticulture. He and dad are building this (when time allows) and I will definitely be documenting the process here on the blog and can't wait to see it completed! 

In another post, I will show our vegetable gardens that Wyatt has planted and is tending to daily. I'm so glad he is so passionate about this and getting a greenhouse will help him start his seeds even sooner. 

And soon, I will also be posting a summer tour of our home, I realized so much has changed around here and cannot wait to update our Home Tour tab at the top of this page. 

I hope you all are having a great start to your summer....