Sunday Morning Coffee – Living Green
Volume 10
Today I am pleased to share with you Sunday Morning Coffee. This is a place to share, learn, explain, dream, and have fun. I am sharing my weekly thoughts about entertaining, decor, crafts, and recipes. March is all about Living Green, welcoming spring colors, and planning a spring garden.
A Little Bit About Me
Living Green
March. It’s the month when we start getting hints of spring.
Maybe it’s the sign of a tiny green plant peeking up through the melting snow. Or perhaps it’s more sunny and warmer weather.
My theme for March is Living Green. It’s a combination of gardening, getting the outdoors ready for entertaining, and living responsibly.
March is the month when I always feel like I am cheating.
Half of you are dealing with ice and snow while I am gardening and worrying about sunscreen. It’s gorgeous here in Southern California and that is actually a great thing. It allows me to share all of my Living Green ideas this month so you can incorporate them into your plans for next month. (Or the month after.)
Living in Southern California has its perks and the weather is really a plus. This weekend it was 70 degrees and I am spending all of my time in our backyard gardening.
In the Garden
Two years ago we built raised wooden beds in our backyard.
Yesterday I started laying out my cutting garden and planting Old Fashioned carnation seeds.
I can tell you one thing that happened. When I picked out the tulips they looked pink. They really did. Now that they are blooming they are red! I am not sure what to do about red tulips.
I use to plant my herbs in this front raised flower bed.
But this year I moved them into terra cotta pots. The flowers will get moved to the raised beds this afternoon. I just need to get more herbs to fill all of the pots first.
You probably already saw the vintage garden pots I made from terra cotta red pots. I love them so much.
Garden Party
One of my favorite things to do is to entertain in our backyard.
I have hosted so many parties and I have loved every single one of them.
It’s still a bit chilly to dine in our backyard. Spring is the time when I concentrate on doing things to get our backyard ready for entertaining.
This month I have lots of Living Green ideas planned which include getting our lawn and gardens looking the best ever, redoing the lighting in our backyard, and planting a garden with vegetables I can use to cook with for our backyard dinner parties.
Living Responsibly
This month I am going to try even harder to live responsibly.
Last year I started composting and rid our lives of plastic bottles.
I have a lot of other things I am getting rid of this month such as single-use plastics. I promise that I will be sharing with you simple and smart things to consider to live more responsibly.
If you are enjoying my blog, you can sign up to receive my blog updates here. .
Around Our Home
Getting the Garden Ready to Plant
A lot of planning goes into our garden before I can actually start planting. Most of us have limited gardening space and I learned early on that we should only plant what we like.
I usually plant two raised beds of tomatoes because I think that you can never have too many homegrown tomatoes. I love them!
This year I am making a change in my garden and planting a few cutting gardens. I cannot wait to be able to make my own arrangements from flowers in our backyard. How awesome is that?
What Gardening Zone Am I In?
Before you start planting, there is one thing you should know. And that is your gardening zone.
You should know your gardening zone because the amount of hardiness or heat you have in your area will help you determine which plants to grow. Your geographic location will affect how successful your flowers or plants grow.
I can’t tell you how many times I wished we could grow peonies in our yard. But our gardening zone is a 10 and just too warm for them to grow. Aargh!
If you would like to know your garden zone, check out the map below.
A Tip For Your Home
Spring Colors
In fact, do you remember when it was trendy to “have your colors done”? A “specialist” would come to your home and analyze your hair, eyes, and skin color to determine which “season of colors” would look best for you.
I was only 14 (my mom had hers done and they threw in a freebie for me) and I was a SPRING. This meant I could wear and furnish my home (at age 14) with bright and cheery colors such as warm greens, yellows, orangey reds, and very peachy pinks.
Other than my obsession with sage green, I have been pretty true to my color palette. After ALL of these years.
I highly suggest you select a spring color to use as an accent in your home. I already have pink in my home. (If you are new to my blog, just scroll back a bit and you will see the color pink everywhere!) But I am going to add green to the house this month too, And maybe phase out a bit of the pink.
It won’t be all sage green. Rather, you can expect a warmer and lighter green.
How much fun is that?
What is your spring color?
Reflections on the Week
I had so much fun this week on my blog sharing lots of fun ideas. I painted terracotta pots to make them look vintage, made the best-deviled eggs, set a gorgeous Easter table, dyed Easter eggs in stunning colors, made paper daffodils, and made a carrot pillow.
Click on any of the photo titles to see more.
My Favorite Things
In the Craft Room
My friend Janine at Happy Happy Nester made these Decoupage Easter Eggs With Cupcake Liners.
Make this Plastic Easter Egg Wreath with Dollar Store materials. Head to the Better Homes & Gardens site to learn how.
Martha Stewart shared Nineteen St. Patrick’s Day Crafts and Decorations
Accounts I Love to Follow on Instagram
Michael at InspiredbyCharm
Liz at DesertDecor
Melissa at TheInspiredRoom
Marian at MissMustardSeed
Things I Love Under $30
This cookbook from The Lost Kitchen, a gorgeous chenille blanket, and the Deviled Egg tray are all wonderful and under $30.
Good Things From Martha
Martha Stewart shared some awesome tips on how to live green on a budget.
What’s Ahead
Next week is going to be fun! I am making some spring napkins with my favorite paint roller and making some fun Easter table place cards. I am sharing Five Tips for Planting a Vegetable Garden and some Easter Brunch Recipes. Plus I will be featuring some really fun Spring Tables and a few favorite drinks for St. Patrick’s Day!
It feels like a party week!
Catch up on Sunday Morning Coffee
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 9 – My 100 Year Old Home Remodel Photos
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 8 – My Instagram Tips and Journey
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 7 – Why I Love to Entertain
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 6 – February is All About Living Beautifully
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 5 – Our Beach House in Ventura, CA
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 4 – The Story of My 100 Year Old Home
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 3 – I Think I Might Be Martha’s Biggest Fan
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 2 – A Tribute to My Mom
- Sunday Morning Coffee Volume 1 – How Chip and Joanna Influenced My Life
Pin the image below to your decor boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!
For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome
Leslie,
It’s wonderful to read about what you’re doing to get ready for spring. My guess is that you’re at least a month ahead of us, so if gives me a little time to prepare for some of your ideas before I can actually do them. We Live in zone 6.
I love the Fresh Baked Pie sign that sits in your kitchen window. I looked for one on the internet and the one closest I found was sold out. So I made my own. There is a nice woman on Etsy that I ordered the transfer from, and I found a cute frame to paint and distress. Then I had a piece of glass cut to size, applied the transfer and I now have a cute Pie sign of my own.
Thank you for all of your inspirations to go just one step further to beautify my home!
Wow, you are one talented and very busy lady! Do you sleep? 😊 I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to reading your blog and looking at your creations every day. I have made a few of your crafts and love them. Looking forward to making some more before the weather warms up here in Massachusetts and I’m outside working in my gardens most of my time🌷🌹🌺 Peonies are one of my favorites, I have at least 20 plants, 10 varieties. I’m in zone 6b. I belong to several peony groups on FB, I’m going to research and see if any will grow in your zone. You need peonies 😊
Leslie, I would think sage green works for “Springs”. Like emerald green would work for winters like me. 😀
I just want you to know how very much I love your posts and everything you share. Your home and yard are so gorgeous, as is every single thing you touch!!! I’m obsessed with finding out what your new post or latest craft is for the day!!! You keep me going and I appreciate you so much!!! Thank you so much for sharing your marvelous talents with all of us! You truly make life just a little sweeter!
Leslie,
I just love Sunday morning coffee!! I do look
Forward to it !! It’s relaxing and informative as well as inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing this with us .
Annmarie Taylor
Oh my gosh Annmarie, I so appreciate that you reached out to me! I am so happy that you are enjoying Sunday Morning Coffee. When I started it in January, I wanted it to be relaxing, informative and inspiring. I am so happy that it is all of those things to you!
Thanks for sharing! Love the ideas. Did you post the dimensions and what wood was used for those awesome raised garden boxes?
I did Gilda. If you go to the post on my blog about all of the instructions and dimensions are included in the post! You can search the blog for How to Build Raised Vegetable Beds or go to the link here: https://my100yearoldhome.com/make-it-yourself-how-to-build-raised-vegetable-beds/
The floating pool lanterns …. LOVE them !!!
Aren’t they amazing Kathie? I thought about buying them and then thought, no I can make them!
Yes I remember when it was popular to get your color done. My mom had friends who had theirs done, but Mom and I couldn’t get it done because it was too expensive. However, we talked about the colors and tried to figure ours out. I thought is was the greatest! My mom and I live in Alabama and we love decorating and gardening too. Can’t wait to read more of your blog!