FYI: Our Shop is Temporarily Closed We apologize for the inconvenience but our shop is temporarily closed while our Founders re-locate.
· · · Comments

5 Ways To Bring Summer To Your Home

· · · Comments

Words and Images by Annetta Bosakova

Summer is one of my favorite seasons as it's a time when coats are no longer needed and water is my best friend. The season brings rest: the kids are out of school and the days are long. It's an opportunity to spend time with family and friends and to make lasting memories whether at home, out camping, or on a vacation.

When we are in the middle of making memories, taking trips, and recreating our homes to make them cozy, we need to remember God through it all, as he is the creator of every season and the things we enjoy. It’s easy to get caught up in the fun and busyness of summer, but it’s very important to center our homes and hearts on Christ and his love. 

Here are five ways to bring summer to your home:

1. Cut and display florals
I am very big on bringing my garden blooms indoors where I can walk by and smile from the beauty they bring me. If I have nothing in my garden to cut that I can bring indoors, I go foraging for something pretty. When I forage, I stay out of private properties and stick to forgotten areas or back alleys with noticeable overgrowth. Wherever I go I carry some shears in the back of my car in case I see some forgotten blooms (and if they are not so forgotten, I take the time to ask permission). Bringing flowers indoors not only provides color and beauty, but also freshness and life with a beautiful fragrance. If you live in hot places where summer can be a little intense, stick some ice cubes in your vases to freshen up those flowers.

2. Bring in the summer colors
With summer come the beautiful bold colors such as reds, oranges, and turquoise. One of the most effective ways to bring signs of summer indoors is to switch out the colors in your home. Take out those blues and other winter hues, or the pastel colors of spring, and replace them with colorful pillows around your house and a throw for your couch. Or even get different curtains to bring in that bright summer palette. I personally like to repaint some of my thrifted furniture pieces every season or so as it brings in a newness to my little home without having to spend money on buying new pieces. See where you can bring some new colors to your living space to make it look fresh.

3. Paint a picture (or two or three) and frame them
There are so many beautiful things to paint in all seasons, but in the summertime it’s fun to paint and frame fruit for your kitchen or dining area. When at the local market, pick out the best-looking fruit like pears, watermelon, cherries, peaches, or lemons. Get out those watercolors and do some simple drawings of your favorite summer fruits or berries. The great thing about painting fruit in watercolor is that there is nothing you can do wrong—it should be done with a sense of exploration and adventure. Mix those colors and see what beautiful art you can come up with. When hanging those pictures on the wall, group them together or line them up for a beautiful display. If you want to go a step further, try painting them in a different medium like gauche, acrylics, or even oils.

4. Deck out your deck
There are few joys greater than a quiet summer evening on the deck. It is even better when your quiet summer evening on the deck is surrounded by simple beauty. Take a few hours out of your day to spruce up your deck. You can stick to simple decorations like outdoor pillows, stringed lights, and candles. You can also go all out and paint your deck, hang up a custom banner, add some pots with flowers, or anything else you might think will make that space special for those summer evenings of connecting after dinner, roasting marshmallows, and making memories with your loved ones.

5. Grow a citrus tree
Citrus fruits are very summery, or at least as a Seattleite I think so. They are fragrant when they bloom and bring a feeling of summer once the fruit starts to grow and ripen. They are a tender plant, but very well worth the effort. Citrus trees need at least eight hours a day of sunlight to thrive and love even more sun than that. Ideally, you should put your citrus tree in a room with two exposures—eastern and southern, or southern and western are best. In any case, place it in the sunniest spot you have. They need humidity, so set out a bowl of water so that as it evaporates they get the humidity they need. Lastly, keep the soil moist and fertilize it throughout the year. Once the fruit ripens, enjoy your labors of love!  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Annetta lives in Seattle, Washington, and is a photographer who captures all things inspirational. She blogs, watercolors, cross stitches, and art-journals. She has a thing for flowers, mugs, teacups, spoons, pastels, and lace.  Find her at inspiredbyannetta.com.