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I’m working on my porch. I hung up the first thing this weekend. A jar with battery-operated fireflies. Is that cute or what? I love porches. Especially front porches, which in today’s lifestyles often doesn’t fit well in suburban neighborhoods where privacy tends to lead the way in architectural styles. One of the big reasons we chose this house plan was for its huge wraparound porch. I’ve always wanted a wraparound porch.
I wonder what would happen if there were wraparound porches on all the houses in every suburban neighborhood today instead of big back decks? (But I digress….)
So I’m beginning to decorate the porch. Make it homey. Make it mine, not just a porch on some house.

And of course beginning to set out the bird feeders in view from the porch. I’ve been missing my bird feeders.
Then there are the rocking chairs. We bought six ($50/each at Value City, if you’re looking). We put two together a while back and it was time for more. So this weekend, I gathered the children and told them we were going to have a Fun Activity!

Princess studied the directions.

And studied the directions.
I think right after this she threw down the directions. 52 asked if he could help.
Princess: “No! I don’t want any help! Stop towering over me!”
52: “I’m towering?”
Princess: “You’re TALL!”

14 had his own chair.

And 16 had his.
Everybody got their chair put together and Princess, frustrated from the experience, stomped off the porch.
Princess: “I’m going to go upstairs and scream into my pillow now.”
I’m so glad we’re building memories. :smile:
But look!

Rocking chairs! Five so far, one more to go. When we got all these chairs, I was thinking of those mountain lodges where there’s a huge porch with a great view and rocking chair after rocking chair after rocking chair…..
I want to live in a place where I would want to go on vacation.
And I want it to be homey and mine and full of memories. And so the children put the rocking chairs together and scratched their names on the bottoms. And went to their rooms to scream into their pillows, but let’s forget that part.
And when it was all done and we were sitting at the table after dinner, I discovered this big pile of washers and screws and…. I don’t know what all.
16: I don’t think we needed all that stuff.
Okay, who wants to come over and sit in one of those chairs? They’re just missing a few unnecessary parts, don’t worry.
And while you’re at it, tell me your favorite thing on your porch! I’m making porch plans here. I need ideas!
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on April 14, 2008Registration is required to leave a comment on this site. You may register here. (You can use this same username on the forum as well.) Already registered? Login here.
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"It was a cold wintry day when I brought my children to live in rural West Virginia. The farmhouse was one hundred years old, there was already snow on the ground, and the heat was sparse-—as was the insulation. The floors weren’t even, either. My then-twelve-year-old son walked in the door and said, “You’ve brought us to this slanted little house to die." Keep reading our story....
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5:31
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My favorite thing about my front porch is actually the quiet and the view and sitting quietly with my pets and listening…
But as to “things” that make it “mine”: I have Adirondak chairs – which I also had to assemble and ALSO had parts left over…so far (4 years) they have not collapsed. And I have little tables on which to set a mug of coffee, tea, cocoa or glass of wine. So the front porch is an outdoor room.
I don’t have feeders as there are bears, raccoons, etc. that LOVE the same stuff the birds do. In the summer I hang baskets of impatiens and fuschia – things that have lots of color and do well in the shade.
I have a beautiful Carruth plaque (I went to high school with Deb Carruth) – the plaque has an angel and a cat and it was a gift from a dear friend. I’m on my way home from that friends’ house and her husband made me a grape vine wreath from their own grape vines – that will go up by the plaque and hopefully I can weave dried wildflowers from my woods into it for color.
Hope you have lots of fun making YOUR front porch YOURS! The birthday swing is gorgeous!
6:14
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6:15
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Love your porch. I have a screened porch overlooking the creek that runs through our yard. My favorite thing on the porch, aside from the peace and privacy, is the red glider my husband made. It seats three and is a great place to drink coffee in the early AM. It is also a great place to do the daily crossword in the midafternoon.
7:12
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Love the rocking chairs, hope they hold together.
BTW, I have never heard of battery-operate fireflies! They look neat, though.
-Kim
7:13
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-Kim
7:25
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If you get cushions for the chairs and swing…look for the kind that can be left outside…you don’t want the hassle of bringing them in the house each time it rains. Try to find ones the dogs/cats don’t like (if possible) or you will be sharing your spot with a furry friend. (and the spot my be dirty)
Most of all – just enjoy the beautiful view that is a true gift of God!
7:29
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Now I have a conffesion – when I first saw the rockers on your pie porch – I thought it looked like a retirement home for bloggers!!!!! :rotfl: Pick your favorite 5 and they will all come to live with you Sue!!!! LOL
Have a great week!!!
7:35
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Lauri
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Amen!
7:52
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BTW, we used to call those mushrooms “Haystacks”.
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7:56
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I adore your porch and I love your birthday swing.
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8:39
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My favorite part of my patio (I don’t have a porch yet) is my windchimes, and the sweet scent from my lavender planted near by.
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9:30
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And what a neat idea to want to live where you would like to vacation. I’d never thought about that. I just live where I was planted many, many years ago.
9:31
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I went to Ashville NC once to stay in my friend;s house in Little Switzerland, high on a mountain, private road. the house had a large wraparound porch and it was unreal. it also had wraparound large windows too. i sat on it my first night from around 5 until 10, only stopping to make tea. it was in october and 30s there. in the distance i could see the rain coming toward me. awesome. unreal. love NC.
Enjoy the porch -
9:34
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10:00
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I have a front porch that i love, mine has a wicker love seat, and two wicker chairs with matching end tables. I have a big old house and the most charming outside thing about it is the porch. A soft tinkling windchime makes it perfect.
Enjoy your front porch!
10:02
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10:58
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Yes, we have a big back deck, but if I could get the city to move our utility meter six feet toward the street, I’d wrap my front porch around to my back deck.
We also have a flagstone patio between our big porch and our garage, so we have yet another place to hang out in the front and meet people.
11:05
am
I love those chairs, and I know just the look you’re going for. And the pretend fireflies? I so want one of those.
We don’t have an actual porch but a deck that wraps around the side and back of the lake house (which is really more than a block from the lake, but we still call it that because we want to and we’re stubborn.
Since we’re not there a lot there’s nothing permanent on it except a big redwood table that the previous owners left and which my husband restained. I’d love to put containers with flowers out there but I haven’t yet figured out a way to keep them watered during the two to three weeks we’re away at a time.
I love sitting out there, though. There are lots of big oaks surrounding the property and it’s a good place to watch the hawks soaring and the squirrels and chipmunks chasing each other and to listen to the woodpeckers that used to feast on our siding (before we resided) but now stick to the trees.
11:05
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11:25
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However, I do have memories of my grandma’s porch. I used to lie on a chaise lounge in the evening with my banket and pillow and just listen.
I know what you mean by wanting to live in a place where you would vacation at. Unfortanely, it’s not in the cards for us in the near future. We are going to the Smokey Mountains in six weeks though. Everytime we go, I personally pick out the house we’ll be renting. This one is a huge three story log home made from handcrafted lodge pole pine that was havested from Yellowstone National Park with special permission. Mountain views, fireplaces, a game room and most importantly, a sunken hottub with a panoramic view. AHHHH, I can’t wait.
Linda~
11:51
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2:12
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and refelctive glass. The chimes are actually hung out through the property too.
2:38
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My husband thinks I have a rocker fetish–three in our log room and three or four on the porch. Since I’m into antiques, my porch rockers are the old white woven (not wicker) ones. The tall backs as so comfortable.
Besides the rockers, my favorite thing on my porch is the small old washstand. It’s a great place to stash boots, and the drawer is usually full of tools we need to grab quickly.
Other favorite porch/deck things: the wheat cradle, the big stone crocks, the old cabinet, the little pines in pots, pots of flowers in summer, an old tractor seat, small rustic tables my husband made with tree branches, handwoven rugs and a table for eating outside.
Your porch looks welcoming and homey. I can imagine that any visitors will not want to leave it.
2:52
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3:35
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My favorite thing on my porch are my hummingbird windchimes.
3:59
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I love our view, too. Our front porch faces West Virginia and the Allegheny Mountains…who knows, I could be looking over your direction and not even know it!
I have a couple of birdhouses and hummingbird feeders on our front porch, wind chimes, lots of hanging plants, and a God Bless American plaque. I collect watering cans and have four sitting on each step going down my porch.
I’m enjoying all your pictures of your new home! Thanks for sharing.
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4:11
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We have hanging baskets full of flowers that the hummingbirds love, 5 bird feeders, chimes and rocking chairs.
6:25
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But I grew up with a large front porch & some of my fondest memoies were of me playing Barbie dolls or Itty Bits (little rubber animals) with the neighbor kids on that porch
6:53
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Blessings from Ohio…
7:07
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You might also like to see the recipe for our family’s bread…Flaxseed bread!
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/wannabeone/92452/
More Blessings from Ohio…
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12:03
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On my porch….sadly, ticky tacky lawn furniture from last summer. I have a Adirondack that is going up this year though..and some pretty wicker…
I really love the row of rocking chairs on the porch! So beautiful…I like that princess hunkered down with those directions doing it for herself! Way to go!
8:12
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BW
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10:58
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I feel that a vacation to your farmhouse would be one of the greatest vacations of all time. I want to come in the hot summer and sit on the porch and swim in the swimming hole with Princess. That is how my summers were spent as a child and occasionally as an adult.
Wonderful rockers!!
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-Crazy Cat Lady :purr:
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Thanks!!!! Enjoy that wonderful welcoming porch!!