Adventures in Antiquing: New Waverly, Texas

New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.
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Boy, did we have a great time yesterday! The weather was BEAUTIFUL! I cannot recall another May when we’ve experienced temperatures in the 70’s after a cool front moving through, here in Texas. It was the perfect day to travel up to New Waverly and walk around that charming little town, visiting all the spots that were taking part in their special Mother’s Day Event.

We began our day with breakfast at Honey’s Coffee and Biscuits.

Honey's Coffee and Biscuits, New Waverly, Texas
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We’ve actually been wanting to try Honey’s ever since we saw their menu being printed at our local UPS Store. I knew I wanted to try their Spinach, Egg, and Feta Biscuit Panini, for sure. I ordered it in one of their Brunch Boxes. They are so cute, and it comes with House Potatoes and fresh fruit. Great way to start our adventure!

Spinach, Egg, and Feta Biscuit Panini in a Brunch Box from Honey's Coffee and Biscuits in New Waverly, TX. acrossthelake.blog

After our brunch, we walked across the street to New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles. We have been here before, and really enjoy visiting.

There is so much history to browse through here.

Check out their milk glass collection in white. We have a few pieces at Royalview from their stash.

Milk glass collection at New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.
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And look what I found for our antique cabinet in the dining room. I was thrilled to find this miniature wooden table and chairs dining room set. I thought it would be fun to paint these white and have a little vase of flowers on top. Christine and Mary both helped me look for a vase, and Mary was the winner with this little cutie, and she even put some little flowers in it. Such a fun time here for sure.

Miniature wooden table and chairs set from New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles.
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Our next stop was next door at the New Waverly Feed Store. They had a Farmer’s Market going on with vender’s tents all set up in the parking lot.

New Waverly Feed Store Farmer's Market.
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We looked around here for a bit and then took a stroll across the Railroad Tracks to another favorite spot, Rosey Opals.

Railroad tracks in New Waverly, TX
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Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX
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Rosey Opals was hosting a Mother’s Day Market and had vendors outside, as well as special sales going on inside, plus the Red Bird Ice Cream Parlor was open. That’s such a fun feature in this antique mall.

The very first booth upon entering is one of my favorites. The aesthetic is definitely my vibe. How gorgeous is this Mora Clock?

Mora Clock at Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX
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Do you spy the little white bird just to the left of the clock? I’ve been eyeballing this beautiful wooden hand carved bird on several of our visits. He was 50% off during their event, so he came home with us.

Wooden hand carved bird from Rosey Opals in New Waverly, TX
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The real highlight of our entire day came when we decided to venture outside to the vendor’s tents. I spied some cute little birdhouses, so I went directly there and we met two of the most wonderful ladies ever. Mary from The Rusted Crow, and Gloria, from Good Vibrations Furniture.

The Rusted Crow's tent at Rosey Opals' Mother's Day Event in New Waverly, TX
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This is Mary’s Booth (The Rusted Crow). She has a lot of wonderful home and garden pieces that she makes with love and whimsy. She and I talked for quite a while, as did Willie and Gloria. I feel like we became instant friends. These two ladies are what make this type of adventure so worth while. Willie and I love going out and about in our new hometown and nearby surroundings, meeting people, supporting all the local artists and vendors that we can, and hopefully beginning some very valued new friendships.

Vintage steampunk style picture from The Rusted Crow.
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Gloria specializes in restoring vintage furniture and giving them a new groove. She’s pretty groovy herself!

Gloria's Good Vibrations Furniture.
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Gloria's Good Vibrations Furniture restored table.
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Check out the paint colors on those table legs. So beautiful. And a gorgeous bumble bee decoupage table top.

Bumble Bee decoupage table top by Gloria's Good Vibrations Furniture.
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After such an exciting day, we were very hungry, so we headed to another new family owned fave in Willis, Pizza Shack.

Pizza Shack in Willis, Texas
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After living in this area almost 5 months now, I am beginning to feel like a local, as we’re starting to get recognized here and there. This has been a dream of mine and Willie’s for quite some time. Small town life.

The food at Pizza Shack is pretty, and yummy too.

House salad at Pizza Shack.
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I got the Classic Margherita Flat Bread. Mwah!

Classic Margherita Flat Bread from the Pizza Shack, Willis, Texas.
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The perfect ending to a perfect day.

And here’s our little stash of goodies from our antiquing adventure.

We got the hand carved wooden bird plus that cute little “Queenie” bird, as I’m calling her, with her golden crown. The little miniature wooden dining room table and chairs set with the miniature vase (flowers included, thanks to Mary) and a couple of lace doilies.

Stash of goodies from antique shopping in New Waverly, TX
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I also spied some faux lavender bush stems at Rosey Opals that are perfect for a project I actually dreamed of while I slept the other night. I woke up with the idea to paint a basket that we brought with us from our former home (it’s in our back room with the rest of our stuff to be unpacked), and to lay some lavender in the basket as if someone had been out in a field picking it and putting it in the basket.

Faux lavender bushes in a basket
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You can imagine when I saw these lavender bushes, I knew it was meant to be. Plus these little beauties sparked our conversations with Mary and Gloria outside. Double blessing!

I know I say it on every post. And it’s because it is really true. God is truly good!

Till next time, and new adventures, be safe and please always follow your joy!

Johanna and Willie

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The Rusted Crow Group on Facebook

Gloria’s Good Vibrations Furniture on Instagram

Rosey Opals on Facebook

New Waverly Antiques and Collectibles on Facebook

Honey’s Coffee and Biscuits on Facebook

The Pizza Shack, Willis, TX on Facebook

Antique Shopping, New Waverly, Texas, Willis, TX, Antique Finds, New Hometown, Craft Vendors, Farmer’s Market, Antique Mall, Antique Shops, Making New Friends, Small Town Life

May 4, 2025 0

DIY Home Decor Paint Project: Large Salvaged Wooden Frame + Antique Furniture Move-In

Let’s get this dining room decorating party started!

This all began with bringing home items from Willie’s family’s woodturning shop. Sadly, everything is being shut down and closed, including his parents’ former residence and the family business.

But from this big life-changing event, we hope to keep and restore items and let them carry on memories with us and our branch of the family.

Willie recruited our Son, Brennen, and his Nephew, Roger to help bring home a couple of antique items that he had requested from the family estate. First is a wooden cabinet that his Dad made when he (his Dad) was in his twenties. Second, an antique RCA Victrola.

Bringing home antiques.
acrossthelake.blog — Roger (left), Brennen (right)

I really admire the craftmanship of this cabinet. Truly a one of a kind with hand turned wooden detailed accents. I love the fact that he (Willie’s Dad, Clyde) put red Christmas lights in the cabinet for illumination. This was probably made in the early 1960’s.

Antique cabinet with glass and handturned features.
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Then, this beautiful Victrola.

Antique RCA Victrola.
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Isn’t that something?

It still has a record on the turn-table, and there are very old records in the cabinet below.

Antique RCA Victrola Talking Machine.
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Very thankful to have these 2 family heirlooms here at Royalview.

Willie and I recently took a drive into Houston to visit the shop, as we’re attempting to get things cleared away, and I happened upon an old picture that was hanging in his Dad’s former office, and asked if I could bring it home. Willie said I could, and the thing that caught my eye about the picture, is the very ornate frame. I thought this would be a great salvage project, and a way to give this beautiful frame a new life in our home.

Old frame before pic.
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This frame is so beautifully detailed. You can see why it caught my eye.

Old frame up close, before pic.
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I knew immediately upon seeing the frame, that I wanted to give it a white-wash paint effect.

Willie and I visited our local Ace Hardware and picked out a lovely shade of white and a few paint brushes for this project, as well as some other projects that I worked on at the same time. I’ll show you those as well in an upcoming post.

Benjamin Moore Satin Water Based Paint.
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This process is really easy, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, by any means. I just had a lady ask me how I did this, or what type of mixture I used. I only use a water based paint. I keep my paintbrush pretty “dry” and do not load too much paint at one time. With this being a water based paint, it’s very easy to remove any excess with a damp paper towel or cloth. It’s just a matter of lightly adding almost a dry coat of paint, especially to the raised areas, which, on some of the higher point details, I did go heavier on the paint so they would really stand out.

White wash paint project: Old salvaged wooden frame.
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DIY White wash paint project: old salvaged wooden frame.
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I eye-balled it basically, and decided as I went along, how much I wanted the old paint to show through and how much white I wanted. At first, I thought I would do almost a full coverage of white, but since there is so much detail on this frame, I wanted some of the brown undertone to show through to really enhance the details. Plus, with there being white and brown tones in our dining room, this will be a great piece to bring it all together.

I did not put a top coat on, so that it would have a very old, rustic look.

And even though it has an old, rustic look, I believe it also has a very elegant look.

Once it was dry, I couldn’t wait to see how it looked hanging in our dining room, over the antique cabinet. We had to be very careful. This frame is very heavy.

Willie did a great job getting everything measured and put some heavy screws in the wall to hold it up safely.

Hanging up a large picture frame.
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The tall lamp you see in the above photo was designed by Willie’s Dad, and made by Willie. A lot of family history and craftmanship in this one room. Which, we also brought home a white lamp that looks just like this one, and put it in a corner in our bedroom. I just need to find a new lampshade.

I love the look of an empty frame on the wall, but for this, I wanted to add a little detail. While we were shopping at Hobby Lobby one day, I saw this wooden leaf cutout and knew it would be the perfect touch, since I also wanted to place a floral arrangement (that I had just put together) on top of the wooden cabinet, and since the arrangement is in a stemmed bowl, I knew the florals would look like they were in the frame.

White washed wooden frame with wooden leaf cutout inside.
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So what are you thinking…? I’m loving it! But wait, there’s more… Stay with me…

Completed white washed paint project; salvaged picture frame.
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And the full dining room wall view with our new arrivals:

Dining room decor including antiques and salvaged wooden frame.
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It’s really beginning to look and feel cozy to me. I love how everything is coming together to feel more like home. I am such a nester by nature.

With the look of the antique cabinet, I wanted to bring in some playful elements to lighten the mood. One thing that came to mind was that I would love a white bicycle to put in the cabinet. When Willie and I were at Hobby Lobby, I went to the clearance section, and almost hidden from view, was that cute little bicycle clock you now see sitting on the cabinet. It was broken and the metal was black. We brought it home to fix it up. I was so tickled that I found a little bicycle. I’ll show you it’s story in an upcoming post with the other paint projects.

You just never know what you can find to elevate. I love finding items that I can salvage and bring back to life, that then bring fun new memories and loveliness to our home.

Till next time, I hope you always follow your joy. God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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DIY Home Decor Paint Project, White Wash Paint Project, Salvaged Wooden Frame, Dining Room Decor, Antique Decor, Lakehouse Decor, Conroe, Texas

May 1, 2025 0

Fun and Easy DIY Project: Making Aroma Beads at Home

Aroma beads displayed in antique style white metal candle holders.
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Another fun crafting project at Royalview! I am certainly making up for lost time.

This project really takes me back… Not that I’ve ever made aroma beads, but I was an artistic candle maker and perfumer for nine years, so in the same wheelhouse for sure.

This all began as I’ve been looking for candles, and in particular, candle aromas for Royalview. We’ve tried several brands and scents since we’ve lived here, but nothing has quite fulfilled the aroma(s) that we’re craving. I have been on a specific hunt for Creme Brulee scent. Creme Brulee is our absolute favorite aroma. I worked with Creme Brulee a lot in the past and it is (in my humble opinion) the best smelling, best lasting, and for sure a favorite in terms of a wonderful and lasting scent throw. Our second favorite aroma is Cinnamon, and it has to be a true Cinnamon with a great scent throw as well.

So after searching and trying others’ candles, I decided I may just have to take a whack at it again to get the scents that we’re longing for. I turned to my trusty candle making supplier that I used for years, and hooray, they still carry my favorite Creme Brulee and Cinnamon aromas.

Thank you Lone Star Candle Supply.

Aroma beads supplies have arrived from Lone Star Candle Supply.
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The good news about ordering from Lone Star Candle Supply is that you do not have to be a business. I couldn’t remember if I would have to be in the candle making business to order or not, but nope, it is easy to order in a small quantity.

I ordered a small amount of the aroma beads (one pound), and a few one ounce bottles of scent to give this project a try.

Aroma bead making supplies.
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Since I have not made aroma beads before, I was very happy that Lone Star Candle Supply has instructions on their site. The only other items that I had to order were a very specific type of plastic bottles, which I found on my favorite shopping site, Amazon. Here’s a link.

I got all my aroma bead making supplies together, and decided to mix these on my kitchen counter, but on an old thick towel, in case of spillage.

Aroma bead making supplies, ready to mix.
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This is very simple to do, and without having to melt anything, bravo. I measured the amount of beads I wanted using a measuring cup. They (Lone Star) recommend weighing the beads, but I do not have a scale, so I did what I could with what I have on hand, just to give it a try. The instructions say that one pound of aroma beads can hold two ounces of scent. So, for my project, I went with 8 ounces of aroma beads to one ounce of scent. One ounce of scent in this regard is one, one ounce bottle, so again, very easy with no measuring of the liquid scent. Lone Star Candle Supply also indicates that these aroma beads can be dyed. I decided not to, since I know that both of these particular scents have a tint all their own. The Creme Brulee has a cream tint, and the Red Hot Cinnamon also has a cream tint leaning on the pinker side. I can definitely tell them apart based on their color, and of course their aroma.

I poured 8 ounces of beads into each plastic container, and then in one container I poured a (one ounce) bottle of Creme Brulee scent, and in the other, a (one ounce) bottle of Red Hot Cinnamon Scent. With the Red Hot Cinnamon scent, I know from experience to be very, very careful, and possibly wear gloves for this one. It can burn really bad. That’s why the scent is so good. It is very strong. So if you would ever want to give this a try for yourself, please use caution when pouring this scent, and wash your hands immediately. I would not recommend children handling this scent.

Once everything was in the bottles, I closed the lids tightly and shook each one very good, and for quite a little while. There was still scent puddling at the bottom, but Lone Star Candle Supply’s instructions said that the beads are very absorbent, so I knew it would probably just take a little time for them to absorb everything. I kept them on the towel, and all through the evening I would give them a little shake/toss to be sure all the beads had a chance to absorb the scent.

Making aroma beads in plastic bottles.
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I did this for a couple of days, until all the scent had been absorbed, and they seemed dry.

When I knew for sure that I was going to try this project, I specifically looked for little decorative holders, so that I could put them out into my decor. I found some really cute and original items at New Waverly Antiques & Collectibles, as well as at Rosey Opals Collective Market.

Cute little holders for our aroma beads.
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I shopped around for decorative items that would hold the little aroma beads, and that would be pretty sitting out with our decor.

This trio of vintage style votive candle holders grabbed me immediately. What could be more perfect?

Aroma beads in antique, vintage style metal votive candle holders.
acrossthelake.blog — Creme Brulee Aroma Beads

These are from a booth at Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX (not sponsored, we just really love these shops we’re featuring and love supporting local businesses).

I’ve placed these on a shelf on our entertainment center.

Aroma beads displayed in vintage white metal votive candle holders.
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And I forgot to mention, they smell AMAZING!! Willie came in while I was pouring the aroma beads into their holders, and said he could really smell them. My hope is that our home is continually filled with these delicious and welcoming scents, and we are greeted with these aromas upon entering our home.

For the three votive candlestick holders, I put Creme Brulee in all three, so that there would be a good amount of Creme Brulee in the living room area.

Here are the other three decorative holders filled with their aroma beads. You can see the color difference in the beads here. The back two are filled with Red Hot Cinnamon, and the little porcelain basket is filled with Creme Brulee.

Aroma beads in pretty decorative holders.
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I love the slight hint of color on the beads. It’s just enough, and has an elegant look.

Aroma beads close up pic.
acrossthelake.blog — Red Hot Cinnamon Scented Aroma Beads

And here’s the cute little porcelain cherub, on our entertainment center as well.

Aroma Beads in cute porcelain cherub holder.
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Such a fun and rewarding project. I’m really happy with the results. I’ll most likely get more supplies and keep an eye out for more small decorative bowls to place all around our home. Such a beautiful way to have our favorite scents always present, and I’m thinking in the long run, most probably more economical as well. I plan to keep these scents and the bottles on hand to recharge the beads when needed.

Win, win, win!

I hope this post brought a little DIY scent inspiration your way today.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Making Aroma Beads at Home, Creme Brulee Scent, Red Hot Cinnamon Scent, Easy Scent DIY Project

April 27, 2025 0

Creating Faux Floral Arrangements for Royalview

Faux Floral Arrangements in White, Blue, and Purple.
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It’s craft day at Royalview! I love it! I’ve not dabbled in any sort of craft in quite a while, so I am very happy to be at a point where I can play, and have fun decorating our new home.

As you may have seen from previous posts, Willie and I have been enjoying shopping at our local antique and home decor shops, and I’ve found some really cute items that I thought I could easily use as vases, as well as some actual vases.

The cute blue vase (with the wording Blooming Flowers, Sweet Home) pictured above is one that I found on Amazon a couple of months after we moved in. There was already a pretty blue floral arrangement included with the vase that we’ve enjoyed for a little while now, but with it being floral craft day, it’s getting in on the party too.

We found the stemmed white milk glass bowl at Sweet Magnolia Emporium’s booth at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis, TX. This is one of my favorite spots to shop. Kelly has a very good eye for home decor items, and she is a joy to talk with. She has stayed in touch with me, and lets me know if she finds anything that will be perfect for Royalview. Check out the very tall, black plant stand above. That’s from her booth as well. I was so ecstatic to find that there.

Now, here’s what the blue vase’s arrangement looked like before (it was pretty as-is), as well as 2 white milk glass vases and 2 vases with yellow arrangements from Yesterday’s Treasures.

Floral arrangements redo, before pics.
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I of course knew that the yellow flowers would not be staying. When I shop, I always like to envision how I can work with an item that I like, that may not automatically fit in with Royalview’s aesthetics.

You may notice that the background in these pictures do not exactly match. There were actually (2) floral craft days and some additional decor added during the interim between, like the black plant stand. It’s all a continuous work in progress, that Willie and I are enjoying very much.

This is the first haul of faux florals that I picked up at Michaels in Conroe.

Doing faux floral arranging in white milk glass vases. Faux floral haul from Michaels in Conroe, TX.
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And, my second faux floral haul was from Hobby Lobby in Conroe.

Making faux floral arrangements in white milk glass stemmed bowl and clear glass apothecary style jars.
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Here’s a closeup of the stemmed white milk glass bowl that I got from Kelly (Sweet Magnolia Emporium), and the 2 super cute apothecary style glass jars that I got from Rosey Opals Collective Market in New Waverly, TX. Another new fave shopping spot! And, they have an ice cream parlor inside. I’ll have to do a post on all these super fun shops that we’ve been finding lately.

White milk glass stemmed bowl and two clear glass apothecary style glass jars. Antique shop finds in Conroe and New Waverly, TX. acrossthelake.blog

You can see that I love making a mess when I work.

Faux floral arranging mess.
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It’s a happy mess. When you see this, you know I’m in my happy place.

It even extended out to the kitchen counter. Happy, happy arranging!

Faux floral arranging mess in kitchen.
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The color tones I am using here at Royalview lean heavily toward white, and denim hued blues, with a few added purples. I do have background/furniture combos in gray/white and brown/white, and some bits of black here and there. I carry these color tones throughout our home, and the whites, blues, and purples in our gardens as well. And green, I suppose, with all the greenery.

And here are some of the completed faux floral arrangements. You saw these two already, from the first pic. These are two of my favorites.

Two faux floral arrangements in white, blue and purple.
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Do you remember the two yellow floral arrangements? Here they are now in blue. They are now residing on each side, atop our entertainment center.

Two floral arrangements in blues.
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And, the super gorgeous black plant stand from Kelly at Sweet Magnolia Emporium. You can also see one of the blue floral arrangements at the top of our entertainment center.

Beautiful floral arrangements at Royalview.
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The blue vase arrangement now has a home on our dining room table.

Faux floral dining room table centerpiece.
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Here’s a cute little purple arrangement that went in one of the smaller white milk glass vases.

Purple and white faux floral arrangement in white milk glass vase.
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This now resides on our coffee table.

Purple and white faux floral arrangement in a white milk glass vase.
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I love how the purple helps break up all the blue and white, just a bit.

I’ll show you where the arrangement in the stemmed milk glass bowl, and the two clear glass apothecary glass jar arrangements now reside, in a future post. That’s a whole new story to share. We’ve had some beautiful new antique furniture additions in the dining room.

Do you enjoy making your own floral arrangements as well? What are your favorite color choices? Please feel free to leave a comment.

I hope my floral arrangement ideas inspire ideas for you, and what you may want to design for your home, from both vintage and new finds.

Till next time, stay safe and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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Faux Floral Arrangements, Blue Florals, White Florals, Purple Florals, Making Flower Arrangements at Home, Lifestyle Blog, Lake Life, Conroe, TX

April 26, 2025 0

Royalview’s New Outdoor Furniture

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Patio Furniture Set from Amazon in White Metal with Beige Cushions.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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Woo Hoo! We finally have outdoor seating at Royalview!

It’s been a few months in the waiting, but it is all coming together now.

Here’s our before photo. We’ve had a couple of plastic chairs to suffice during our wait. We had, I believe, 7 projects that needed to be completed before we could set out any nice furniture. Let’s see… first there was power washing of the entire house, gutters installed (full house), whole house generator installed, propane gas tank installed, whole yard major landscaping project, septic tank pumping (that was a curve-ball), and outdoor ceiling fan replacement. Yep – that’s 7!

But hey! We made it! Hooray!! Now we get to relax outdoors in comfort and joy.

Firstly, I knew I wanted an outdoor rug to go with our indoor theme, so I chose this pretty Nicole Miller New York Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug in the color Blue/Gray.

Nicole Miller Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug in Blue/Gray.
https://amzn.to/42AiRXH
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The rug arrived very nicely rolled and wrapped in plastic.

Willie and I were able to easily unroll and place it where we wanted. It’s a nice heft, but not too heavy to move around.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set in White and Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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The patio furniture set we chose is a 6 piece set from MIXPATIO. It’s from Amazon of course. I do like to state that Willie and I are now Amazon Associates. We love ordering from Amazon so much that we thought it would be nice to be able to share our favorites with you.

The outdoor furniture set we chose, and they do have options, includes a sofa, a marbled-look coffee table, 2 chairs, and 2 rocking chairs. We opted for white metal with beige cushions.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set in White/Beige, from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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I think this set is so cute! I love how the arms curl around. Reminds me of a sleigh style. The backing is beautiful, so it looks very nice when looking out our backdoor window. They even have a lovely wicker edging/trim along the bottom sides. They are very well done, and very heavy, let me tell you. I somehow managed to help Willie tote the couch from our garage to the back porch. I did have to take frequent stops to set it down, but we made it . I love that this furniture is heavy. It’s a great quality and I will not be worried about it blowing away, I can assure you. This set is made with a steel frame.

The cushions are waterproof and very easy to maintain. We’ve not had these out very long, but I’ve already wiped off something that got on one of the cushions. From where, I do not know… but thankfully it came off easily, and we just had a very big thunderstorm last night (Easter night), and everything survived in good shape. The cushions are not wet today at all, so great news.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set from Amazon in White/Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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The tabletop on the outdoor coffee table has a lovely white/gray marble look. It actually matches our indoor countertops. Yay, bonus!

Table from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set. White marble look table top.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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So, now as our little sign says, we can sit and relax.

MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set from Amazon in White/Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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But what about the 2 rocking chairs, right? Well, I chose this particular set with a plan already in mind. I wanted cute rockers for our front porch, so we can sit out there and enjoy our view of the lake from our hilltop.

White/Beige Rocking Chairs from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set in White/Beige, from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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Aren’t these just the cutest?

Rocking Chair from the MIXPATIO 6 Piece Patio Furniture Set in White/Beige.
https://amzn.to/442UEMc
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We’ve already received compliments from neighbors, including this very special neighbor, Carlton.

He came by to see what was going on over here, and hang out with us for a little while.

I will tell you, this outdoor furniture set does require full assembly. We ordered this in March, and Willie’s had time to tinker around with it, getting all the pieces put together and then the covers on the cushions. Everything was shipped separately and received on multiple days, but it all came in, and in a timely manner. We weren’t in a hurry since we had other projects in line before we could get this all set out.

We’re both very happy with how this set can be used on both our front and back patios. We’re really enjoying it and happy to have comfy seating.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

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MIXPATIO 6 Piece Outdoor Furniture Set: https://amzn.to/442UEMc

Nicole Miller New York Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug: https://amzn.to/42AiRXH

MIXPATIO Outdoor Patio Furniture Set, Metal Frame Outdoor Furniture with Waterproof Cushions, Nicole Miller New York Country Danica Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug, Lake House Outdoor Decor, Conroe, Texas, Lakeview Home

April 21, 2025 0

Royalview Decor: Main Bedroom

I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am that Willie and I are beginning to get our bedroom decorated. Certainly now feeling more like home here at Royalview.

Blue Rustic Floral Patchwork Quilt from Amazon. Associate Link.
https://amzn.to/4clJdkA
acrossthelake.blog — Blue Rustic Floral Patchwork Quilt from Amazon – Associate Link

We’ve been searching for a little while now for the bedding that we wanted to have here at Royalview. We love the look that we’ve achieved in our main living/dining room areas, and want to keep our theme going throughout our home, but without being too matchy. We came across this rustic quilt set while at the dentist’s office, actually , and thought this could be the one. This quilt/cover is lighter than a comforter, so it will be perfect for us now, going into the warmer months ahead.

It’s really quite lovely. It has the look/feel of a quilt, and I do love how the blue and white patterned pieces look very similar to the area rugs in our living and dining rooms. (See previous post re: Area Rugs)

Rustic Blue Quilt from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/4clJdkA
acrossthelake.blog — Beautiful Rustic Quilt

Beautiful patterned rustic quilt in blues, beiges, and browns.
https://amzn.to/4clJdkA
acrossthelake.blog — Beautiful Patterns on this Rustic Quilt

I love that this quilt brings warmth to our bedroom, with it having not only the blue and white squares that go with our whole house theme, but also warming beige and browns. It enhances our bedroom furniture very well.

This gorgeous sheet set we chose from Feather & Stitch, really gives our bedding an overall wow-factor in pattern explosion.

Feather & Stitch 100% Cotton Sheets in Ivory Paisley:
https://amzn.to/4jmyKYF
acrossthelake.blog — Feather & Stitch 100% Cotton Sheets in Ivory Paisley

So beautiful! I love this so much!

This is really rolling out the country home theme here, but with elegance.

Here’s a peek at our dresser decor:

Bedroom dresser decor, in French Country/Lakehouse Style.
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I told you we’ve been shopping! Various pieces shown here were shopped at Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX, and Hobby Lobby.

We still have a little ways to go, especially in our bathroom, but we’re getting there, and it does feel so much more homier now. Couldn’t be happier with how everything is coming together. It’s been so much fun shopping with Willie, and then yesterday, working together to get our room decorated. That’s what it’s all about. Building a happy home together with much love.

Rustic Bedroom Decor at Royalview
https://amzn.to/4clJdkA
acrossthelake.blog

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

acrossthelake.blog

Amazon Associates, Rustic Bedroom Decor, French County Home Decor, Lakehouse Decor, Rustic Quilt Set, Paisley Sheet and Pillowcase Set

April 6, 2025 0

Royalview Home Decor: Living and Dining Room Area Rugs

Royalview Living Room Decor and Area Rug. acrossthelake.blog — 8×10 Vintage Medallion Carpet from Amazon – Affiliate Link

The task of choosing the floor coverings for Royalview has not been taken lightly. We definitely wanted blue and white area rugs to go with our Lake House/French Country Home theme, as well as something that would be easy for us to install, and care for. We looked through a lot of designs and loved this Vintage Medallion Carpet that we found on Amazon. It is a washable, ultra thin, low pile area rug that really checked all the boxes for us.

Our rug arrived nicely boxed and sealed.

Vintage Style 8x10 Washable Area Rug from Amazon. https://amzn.to/42l7G50
acrossthelake.blog — Washable Ultra Thin 8×10 Area Rug

Here’s what it looked like when we unwrapped it.

8x10 Light Weight Area Rug from Amazon. Washable:
https://amzn.to/42l7G50
acrossthelake.blog — 8×10 Light Weight Area Rug from Amazon

We were impressed right away at how beautiful it looked and felt.

Soft Area Rug from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/42l7G50
acrossthelake.blog — Very Soft Area Rug from Amazon

It is so soft. It feels wonderful under bare feet. Now, this rug is thinner than any we’ve ever owned, and at first I wasn’t sure how we’d feel about it, but you know, it was easy for us to unpack and lay down ourselves, so that was an instant plus.

It lays very well. We’ve owned this now since February, so we’ve been living with it for a little while to see how it performs, and we’re still loving it a lot. We opted to not get padding, so it’s very close to the floor, but we’ve been fine with that. It seems to keep us from having any tripping issues as well, since it is thin to the floor. We have not had any slipping or movement issues either. Win, win, win, on this one.

Vintage Style Blue and White Area Rug from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/42l7G50
acrossthelake.blog — Washable, Ultra Thin Area Rug from Amazon

We’re really enjoying the color and pattern of this beautiful area rug as well. The color tones are perfect for our furniture. This particular rug that we chose comes in different colors and patterns. This one is a Vintage Medallion Carpet in Blue-06, and we got to choose the size we wanted, which is 8×10.

We’ve enjoyed this rug so much, we decided to purchase another one for our dining room, this time in the size 6×9.

6x9 Vintage Medallion Carpet in Blue from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/42l7G50
acrossthelake.blog — 6×9 Vintage Medallion Carpet in Blue from Amazon

Beautiful 6x9 Area Rug from Amazon in Vintage Blue.
https://amzn.to/42l7G50
acrossthelake.blog

We think these rugs are really beautiful. They have a vintage, worn look, but still have vibrant color. Perfect for the look we’re trying to achieve in our home decor here at Royalview.

I wanted to also show you a closeup of our table decor. I purchased a vase with a faux floral arrangement from the brand Leftover on Amazon for our table, and we’re very happy with it.

Leftover Faux Floral Centerpiece from Amazon

I chose this arrangement for it’s vintage country style vase, and the wispy blue, purple, and white faux florals. It’s so pretty, and has some eucalyptus sprigs as well.

The big surprise in our dining room table decor is the large blue and white platter.

Would you believe I’ve had this and didn’t even know it? It’s the truth! I brought this along with us here to Royalview without even realizing it. I had some old platters that were apparently handed down to me? Given to me? by someone in my family. I was going through some of our boxes and found this with the other platters. I was so shocked. It is perfect for our home here.

Vintage blue and white platter with village lake and boats theme.
acrossthelake.blog

I couldn’t have even imagined a more beautiful or fitting piece of decor for Royalview, and apparently I’ve had this for years without even realizing.

It’s like it’s meant to be here with me now at this time, and at this place.

But, back to our floor decor, here’s a picture of how the rugs look in both our dining and living room areas combined.

Vintage Style Rugs for Dining Room and Living Room Decor, from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/43CYlrG
acrossthelake.blog — Vintage Style Rugs for Dining Room and Living Room Decor, from Amazon

I hope you’ve enjoyed our home decor post, and that it’s brought some inspiration your way.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

acrossthelake.blog

Amazon Associates, Home Decor, Area Rugs, Vintage Rugs for Decor, Washable, Thin Rugs, Vintage Style, French Country House Style, Lakehouse Style

April 6, 2025 0

Antiquing with Willie and Aunt Bunny

Hey there everyone!

Project Decorate Royalview has been in full swing around here lately. We’ve had several fun decor shopping sprees this past week, which included a fun birthday shopping spree with my Aunt Bunny at Mimi’s on Main, in Conroe, TX, and a spree at Yesterday’s Treasures in Willis, TX.

On Bunny’s birthday we traveled to downtown Conroe to visit Mimi’s on Main. Mimi’s is a very charming antique mall with so many beautiful things to see.

Aunt Bunny at Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX

This booth up front caught my eye right away with that fire engine and Flapper fashion. So fun!

Fun Antique Finds at Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX

Easter decor was in full display.

Easter Decor at Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX

So many beautiful things to shop.

Farmhouse Decor at Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX

We enjoyed visiting all the different vendor booths at Mimi’s. Bunny really liked the old books, and we came across a little child’s tea set just like the one we used to play with together when we were children (Bunny and I are only 6 years apart in age). There were a lot of things there that reminded us of our childhood. Perhaps we’re antiques too!

Tea for Two Poem, Antique Books at Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX

We had such a great time browsing, and I did find several pieces to bring home with me. Yay!

I found these 2 cuties together so I purchased them together. They are now residing on our entertainment center in the living room. I love their distressed white washed look, and I’m collecting quite a few bird figurines, so perfect! I do not know what the other figurine is exactly. It reminds me of a chess piece. But it’s really pretty and ornate.

I love this next piece. Willie picked this out for me to hang my jewelry from. I almost didn’t get it, but now I’m glad I did. It’s so pretty, and makes my necklaces so easy to store and choose from. There are smaller little hooks on the inside portion where I’m hanging my bracelets. White wash distressed look – bingo!

Antiqued Jewelry Holder from Mimi’s on Main, Conroe, TX

Willie and I had another antiquing spree the next day. We invited Bunny to join us, but she had another engagement. Hopefully we can meet up with her sometime soon at Yesterday’s Treasures. This antique mall is in Willis, Texas.

This was our second visit. I found a lot that I loved on our first time around, so we went back again to spend more time there looking at everything.

Yesterday’s Treasures Antique Mall, Willis, TX

I absolutely love all the blue and white kitchenware and dishes residing in one of the booths.

Beautiful Blue and White Kitchenware and Dishes from Yesterday’s Treasures, Willis, TX

I picked up this vase and brought it home with me. I saw it previously and left it behind, but this time I got it. The big incentive was a marked down price from $20.00 to $12.00. It is huge. 18 inches in height.

I know the paint is kind of gaudy, and that’s why I didn’t pick it up the first time, but I’m thinking paint project… I have another piece (woodwork) that I brought with me to Royalview that I’ll be painting soon as well, so we’ll see what we can do with this one too.

Here are some other finds from Yesterday’s Treasures that are now residing at Royalview:

Fun Antique Finds from Yesterday’s Treasures, Willis, TX

This setting is on the top of our entertainment center in the living room. Everything pictured is from Yesterday’s Treasures except for the wood riser (Amazon affiliate link), and the worded metal plaque.

Check out these cuties we picked out for our coffee table.

That little horse caught my eye, it’s so ornate and the pattern on it’s body compliments the table runner and our living room rug so well. I’ll share our Amazon rug finds in a future post. They’re really pretty. But the table runner is from Amazon as well. This is a Blue and White Peacock print. Here is our Amazon affiliate link to that. I ordered two of these. This one’s size is 13×60. I also purchased a 13×90.

Also in the coffee table setting is an antiqued white lantern in which I placed a cute little blue bird that has rocking chair legs. The lantern was a fun surprise. There was a couple (vendors) who were packing up things in their booth, and I stopped by to ask them a question, and they asked if I would like the lantern. I said yes, and they gave me a $20.00 discount. It was priced at $35.00, and they sold it to me for $15.00.

Rounding out the Yesterday’s Treasure coffee table setting is a really pretty glass bowl. This one caught my eye as it was casting the most beautiful blue hue at the antique mall. I need to find the right lighting to get it to glow the same here. The top portion has a milky hue in which you can see the iridescence.

I just really love how I am able to find pieces that go together to create a unique look and feel in every setting. I call the setting on our entertainment center our Alice in Wonderland Setting. All the items came from different booths and I wasn’t really going for any theme, they just all ended up going very well together and had the Alice vibe to me after I arranged and set them all together.

This last Yesterday’s Treasure setting is on an end table that we brought with us. I first purchased a blue and white lamp on a previous visit to replace a lamp that we brought with us that no longer matched our decor, then on our next visit, I found some more goodies to complete the setting.

The faux books were an Amazon purchase since I knew that was something specific I needed to add some height. The ones I picked out are so beautiful and they are actually storage boxes as well as lovely decor. The larger blue book says Oscar Claude Monet, and the beige book on top says Rembrandt Paintings and Portraits. So classy. The wooden butterfly is from Hobby Lobby (yeah, those are other hauls). So I had already purchased those 2 items to go with the lamp, but it needed something else, so I had that in mind while shopping at Yesterday’s Treasures, and found the 2 bird plaques and the wooden bead garland to pull it all together. I’m really loving it now.

So, as you can tell from this post, we have been shopping decor in local small business shops, local big box stores, as well as our favorite go-to, Amazon. It has brought about a very eclectic mix of items, and I’m having so much fun curating different but complimenting looks for all the areas around our new home.

We have also purchased wall decor, but have not hung any of that as of yet. We’ll get to that next hopefully. Willie is also working on putting together patio furniture we purchased from Amazon. Looking forward to that getting all set up. We have an electrician coming out to install a new ceiling fan under our patio, so there’s a lot of things going on over here, as usual, and we are loving it!

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

acrossthelake.blog

P.S. I’ll leave you with some more fun moments from Bunny’s birthday outing!

They brought out Bacon Cornbread for her Birthday Cake

Thank you to the very friendly Manager for Bunny’s impromptu birthday cake!

Thank you First Watch Willis, TX for a very fun and delicious birthday brunch!

Antique shopping Conroe, Willis, Texas, Decor Haul, Home Decor, Lake House, French Country Home Decor

March 31, 2025 0

Entertainment Center Decor

Entertainment center with Samsung 55 Inch Smart TV (tv from Amazon) Paid Link.
https://amzn.to/4boBmCJ — Samsung 55-Inch Class 4K HDR Smart TV (Paid Link)

It’s beginning to look and feel more like home, here at Royalview!

We are really enjoying getting everything set up, and we’re also beginning to decorate here and there. Some of the decor for our entertainment center are things that we brought with us, and some are new. I suspect that this centerpiece will be an on-going project, but at least we have filled the blank spaces for now with some cute things.

The one “big” thing that had to be filled was the center tv area. We arrived at Royalview with a much smaller television, but soon realized that between the size of our living room, and the size of our new entertainment center, we had to go big in regards to tv size. Willie was very happy with this situation, especially with the Super Bowl right around the corner. This was a must get-now item.

We shopped on Amazon, which is our go-to, especially for items that we would like to receive quickly, and found the Samsung 55-Inch Class 4K Crystal UHD DU8000 Series HDR Smart TV w/Object Tracking Sound Lite, Motion Xcelerator, Ultra Slim Design, Gaming Hub, Alexa Built-in (UN55DU8000, 2024 Model), and said perfect!

Also perfect, (which was actually the first time we realized that Amazon had this service), was their delivery + set up package for this tv.

The guys showed up on-time, were super friendly, and got it all unwrapped and set up very quickly. We are super happy with everything! They turned on the set and explained how to get everything started, and gave us the little manual for the television as well.

The tv was really easy to set up. We followed the instructions on the screen and got signed in to all our streaming services.

Samsung 55 Inch Smart TV from Amazon. (Paid Link)
https://amzn.to/4boBmCJ — Samsung 55-Inch Smart TV (Paid Link)

We are loving it, and can now see the tv very well. Plus the entertainment center looks much better with the larger tv. It even covers up the internet wires on the wall behind it. Bravo!

Entertainment Center with Samsung 55 Inch Smart TV. Paid Link
https://amzn.to/4boBmCJ — Samsung 55-Inch Smart TV Paid Link

We also purchased a couple of cute little faux plants from Amazon to put in the middle shelves, and the most adorable little stands to go with them.

The plants came as a pair, both being in white ceramic pots, and the stands we purchased separately. These can all be used in different areas of the house, together or apart. They’re very versatile.

Faux Ivy Plant in White Ceramic Pot (stand sold separately) Paid Link
https://amzn.to/4k7D6nO — Set of 2 Faux Plants in White Ceramic Pots Paid Link

Faux Houseplant on a Decorative Pedestal Stand (sold separately) Paid Link
https://amzn.to/41lRAcb — Decorative Wood Riser Pedestal Stand Paid Link

The little stands are a perfect fit with their distressed white-wash look and darker wood legs. So cute!

Next thing on our list for the living room is an area rug to tie everything together. You can see in the delivery pics the area rug that we brought with us. It’s lovely, but no longer matches, so it will have to be utilized elsewhere.

Okay gang, till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy! God is truly good!

Johanna and Willie

acrossthelake.blog

Entertainment Center Decorations and TV, Samsung 55-Inch Smart TV, Amazon Finds, Home Decor, Faux House Plants

February 19, 2025 0

Front Porch Decor at Royalview

Artificial Topiary Cedar Trees from Amazon (Paid Link)

It’s been really fun shopping for front entryway decorations for Royalview.

I knew I wanted faux plants, and the main reason why, is because I have the opposite of a green thumb. Willie gets good laughs from this fact. I love plants so much. I don’t know what’s up with my efforts, because I certainly try…

So, artificial entryway greenery, it had to be, and of course we needed a beautiful front door mat that ties in with the colors we’re utilizing indoors.

As soon as I saw this CHICHIC Door Mat, I knew this was the one. I love the mosaic design and the colors are so gorgeous in blue and beige tones! It has a nice heft to it, and it’s been wonderful, even during some of our recent storms. The size is 24×36 and it weighs 7.2 pounds. We love it!

CHICHIC Door Mat from Amazon (Paid Link)

For our plants, I was so happy to find a pair of cedar trees. I searched for a while to find just the right look and size for us, and I really like the size of these trees (height and width). I chose 3 ft. trees, but they also come in 4 and 5 foot tall varieties. They really do look real. I already received the highest compliment from my niece, Amy, who, when I was telling her about ordering these, she replied, “They’re not real?” We’ve been interviewing landscapers recently, and they’ve commented favorably on our entryway trees. And we of course are very happy with them, so yay!

Classic Home and Garden Spartan Urn from Amazon (Paid Link)

For our pots to hold our beautiful trees, this was a more difficult decision it seems, but when I came across these cast iron look planters, we knew they would contrast well since our home is detailed in black. These are not a stark black, but have a more “worn” iron look. They appear to be very heavy, but they are not. They do have a nice heft to them, but they are easy for me to lift and put into place. These are made of a silicone, polypropylene, and stone dust blend.

The urns arrived already assembled, so we were ready to go!

The cedar trees did arrive needing to be assembled, but it was very easy. Everything was wrapped up very well. The trees are put together like a Christmas Tree, with the top part fitting right into the bottom connection. The plants came in their own pots and are set in cement, so they are a nice weight. We fluffed out the branches (they have an instructional provided to show you how). The branches need to be going upright to give them a real cedar look. It’s not difficult to do, as they look best a bit unkempt to seem more natural.

Before putting the cedar trees in the urns, Willie drilled holes in the bottoms of the urns for drainage.

Once we had placed the tree pots into the urns we added white rocks, and now they aren’t going anywhere. They are very steady and stable. We are loving the whole look together.

We are debating adding chairs to our front porch, and which type. We’ll keep you updated of course.

In our conversations with landscapers, we may add a swing or a bench or two to the bottom of our hill area, so we’ll see what kind of look comes together for everything.

Till next time, stay safe, and follow your joy!

Johanna and Willie

acrossthelake.blog

Links to our Amazon finds:

CHICHIC Door Mat

Artificial Topiary Cedar Trees

Classic Home and Garden Spartan Urn

Front Door Decor, Front Door Decorations, Artificial Plant for Front Door, Faux Cedar Trees, Faux Cast Iron Planting Urn, Beautiful Welcome Mat in Blue Tones

February 16, 2025 0