Our new house had me at the front porch. I’ve always wanted a front porch, and I really didn’t think I would get one with our very first home purchase! Naturally I’ve been talking about front porch rockers since we put in an offer, and I’m so excited to finally share our finished porch decor as my very first house project reveal here on the blog!
It’s not the world’s widest front porch, nor is it out of the line of traffic (we walk across it from the car to the front door every day), but it has room enough to enjoy the sunset and wave to neighbors on a long summer evening, and that’s good enough for me.
Given the limitations of the space, I had to really reign in my perfect porch Pinterest dreams, but in a way it’s nice not to have unlimited options. I knew I wanted these adirondack rockers, and from there I only had space for a few accents.
I’ve had these Pottery Barn lanterns for a long time, and I’ve always loved how they make any outdoor space cozier. I like to surround the (flameless outdoor) candles with seasonal items, so for summer, they have seashells. The rest of my little collection will be on the deck out back once I finish that project–which is next! I couldn’t resist adding some pops of color with the turquoise citronella candle and mini purple flowers. I also picked up a fan to pull out on sticky summer evenings to get some cross breeze going and help with those mosquitos in the swamp.
This little sitting area proves that white is a good complementary color for our exterior. That’s good, because I have grand plans to get rid of the olive drab paint and paint all the shutters black and trim white someday.
Welcome Mat // White Planters // Wreath
I’ve also always wanted a front door to decorate! For summer, I went with bright, warm colors and lots of florals. I really wanted white planters (especially for summer), and found these self-watering planters on QVC of all places! They really do seep water up from the bottom, so you can go out of town for a long weekend and not worry about them. Hydrangeas are my favorite flower, so that was an easy choice.
The doormat is from Target, and happened to coordinate well with the yellow tulip wreath I already had from Pier One. I can’t wait to expand my wreath collection and go wild with our front door decor for other seasons too (pumpkins all down the steps for fall!).
We’ve actually been eating a lot of one-bowl meals out in our rockers for dinner, and I love to sit out here and read after dinner too. Those precious moments between putting Victoria down and sunset is prime porch time. And of course, if you’re going to rock on the porch and wave to neighbors, you have to have iced tea!
I try to drink mostly water during the day, but I find that on a hot afternoon I’m usually craving something with some flavor, and this Southern Breeze iced tea is the best. The cold brew comes in four flavors (all of which I love): original, raspberry, half & half, and peach.
It tastes like the real thing without the calories (because if I’m going to be drinking this every day, it better be calorie-free) and is so easy to make. All you have to do is steep one tea bag in 8 oz of cold water for 5 minutes, toss out the tea bag, and pour over ice. It’s that easy. I remember when my mom used to leave her sun tea container out in the driveway, so this is a big improvement for busy nights when I just want something sweet to sip after Cora Jane is asleep.
Also, Southern Breeze is available in your local grocery store, or you can order it from their website with the code SOUTHERNBREEZE and get free shipping on your first order! (I recommend ordering the 4-pack, because I go through a LOT of this tea, both on the porch and in my to-go tumblers in the car.)
Last, but not least, Southern Breeze is doing a fun giveaway until TOMORROW May, 31st! You can win the full line-up of cold brew flavors, a bag toss set, a serving tray, and four mason jars by entering your email address, liking them on Facebook, and following their Instagram.
Between this guilt-free iced tea, my new rockers, and my hydrangeas, my summer dreams are pretty much coming true in the front of the house. (Don’t go in our backyard yet though, yikes!) You know where you can find me this summer, so stop on by!
This post is sponsored by Southern Breeze Sweet Tea, but of course the thoughts are all mine. Thanks for supporting the brands that help me keep this little blog going!
