Making it Lovely – Page 10 – A design blog about living a stylish life and transforming the so-so.

Summer Suits

A pink suit had been on my wish list. Well now I have one! It is here and it is wonderful. I’m so smitten with it, I want to add the white suit below too. I already have one in black, and my wardrobe will be pretty well covered between the three, keeping the matching pieces together or as separates.

I sometimes wear suits to client meetings, styling them on the casual side. Colorful shoes, a fun bag, glasses (or sunglasses), and interesting jewelry are part of my usual go-to for styling. Or red lipstick, but that’s a lot of look all at once!

OK, a quick try-on! Doing a little #housetwinning here (tassel sconce, tassel earrings; pink wallpaper, pink suit; white trim, white top). The pants just arrived and need to be hemmed, but I’m very into the high waist. These jeans too! They’re possibly my new favorite, which is saying a lot to edge out the Madewell jeans I’ve loved so much.

May 29, 2019

Creating an Insta-worthy Backdrop Outside

This is the third post of three sponsored by RISE’s AND not OR home and garden program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun one! With kind of a funny behind-the-scenes bit of info, but more on that in a second. First, how cute is this little setup?

Creating an Insta-Worthy Backdrop Outdoors | Nicole Balch, Making it Lovely

I’ve been working on various updates outside. More shrubs, a couple of planters over here, a pair of chairs over there — that kind of thing, all with the help of AND not OR. These new goodies will be moved to their intended destinations, but first I gathered them up to create an Insta-worthy seating area.

You’ve seen these planters already. Do you recognize the setting? I was going to stage my seating in front of the back fence but the ground was muddy so I moved everything to our parking pad on the other side. Just beautifying the alley temporarily, like that’s a totally normal thing! (I hope my antics brightened your day, neighbors.)

Initially, I had planned on a pair of arborvitae to anchor the grouping, surrounded by a mix of flowering perennials and annuals in containers. It wasn’t as full as I’d like though, so a couple of Weigela joined the mix, along with more planters borrowed from out front and pillows for the chairs.

I used to think of potted annuals as a waste of time and money. Is that terrible to admit? ‘Why would I want to plant something that’s going to die,’ I thought, ‘when I could choose perennials that are come back every year?’ Well, perennials don’t always bloom a lot the first year or grow much. Annuals like petunias and geraniums are like The Little Engine That Could of the garden; they’re ready to go and keep on going all season long. I now happily include them each year.

Some popular plants (geraniums included) are prone to problems. Starting with a good quality potting mix is helpful, especially when container gardening. If you find yourself with plants that aren’t doing well though and you’re giving them the sun and water they need, you may have garden pests. The AND Approach can help you find, solve, and prevent future problems.

Arborvitae and Wine & Roses Weigela in Planters | Making it Lovely

This look can be easily recreated with any substitutions you like (either items you prefer or already have). Two large planters, four tall urns, four smaller urns, and a colorful pot contain all of the greenery. I think these chairs are pretty much the cutest around, but any pair of chairs, a bench, or an outdoor sofa/loveseat would be work. The decor consists of a pair of pillows, an outdoor rug, garden stool (as table), string lights, and a few lanterns.

A Mix of Annuals and Perennials in Planters and Containers | Making it Lovely

Planting everything in containers made it easy for me to move things around for photos (ahem, Instagram, this was kind of made for you). They do require more plant food and water though, in addition to pest control.

You can find more quick and easy projects like this from AND not OR, and I hope this photo-ready seating area can give you some ideas! It works if you have a blank backdrop you’re looking to fill, whether you’ll be container gardening or planting directly in the ground!

Create a Cute Backdrop with Seating and Plants in Containers | Making it Lovely

May 24, 2019

Reviving the Front Yard For Spring

This is the second of three posts sponsored by RISE’s AND not OR home and garden program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The great spring garden cleanup of 2019 has come to completion! I’ve pulled the weeds and have been assessing the garden after our particularly harsh winter. I like most of the garden to be self-sustaining and easy to take care of, but I do enjoy my time working on it! AND not OR has tips tailored to all kinds of gardeners to help you get a game plan together.

The perennials are thriving! I was able to split some of them to use along the wrought iron fence. We have a lot of the varieties from RISE’s list of plants that work well in this area, and looking at it again I’m thinking I’d like to have hollyhock too. Doesn’t that sound like a charming addition to the front of a Victorian?

I monitor our dwarf Alberta spruce throughout the year for spider mites and have to treat it periodically (they’re prone to pests), but it’s fine right now. I’ll be trimming the boxwoods later this month and I cut back as much of the yew as I could reach. It’s probably time to bring in somebody that can lop off the top half and bring it back to a reasonable size. I remember my grandparents yews getting cut down to bare wood and bouncing back beautifully; yews are like that.

The fence borders were filled with creeping charlie. I found the best technique for removal was to take my Japanese garden hoe and run it beneath their shallow roots. This is just one example of how I use The AND Approach to find, solve & prevent using a combination of solutions that work for me based on the problem at hand. Based on peoples’ responses on Instagram, creeping charlie is tenacious! Look at that beautiful weed-free bare dirt. I need to get something planted there before it gets overrun again.

Front Garden in Spring | Making it Lovely

I’ve filled the planters flanking the front walkway and lined up on the stairs with annuals. Sometimes I’ll arrange my own combinations of flowers, and other times I take the easy route and buy the ones that are ready to go. This year I mixed some flower fertilizer into the soil, planted the refill, and called it good.

Scalloped Planters on a Victorian Porch | Making it Lovely

The yews and Annabelle hydrangeas out front continue to fill in nicely! Still babies, but they’re growing.

I’ve added creeping phlox, and a new lily to the yard. I split some of the allium, phlox, and lamb’s ear that was growing on the left side in the flower bed and planted it on the right. Please please please don’t let me forget to add tulips and/or daffodils in the fall so that we have some spring color next year. The houses that have them are so cheery! I want in.

I also added foxglove, again, which I know is a biennial (and poisonous) plant. I keep trying, but I’ve never had any luck with them reseeding to come back. I think this is the fourth year I’ve planted them. I continue to love them, even if they don’t seem to love me and my garden back. Is there a trick to this that I don’t know?

Everything has come together so nicely, but what should I plant in the newly bare section along the fence? I like the idea of a mass planting like the Annabelle hydrangeas on the other side, but they seem too big for this spot.

It’s in full sun. Roses or hydrangeas? Our street sees a fair amount of foot traffic and I worry about thorns at the fence line snagging passers by. Does that push me definitely toward hydrangeas though? The fence will be covered in sweet autumn clematis come late August or September with prolific tiny white flowers, but it’s so empty until the clematis takes off. Lavender was a popular suggestion too. What’s your pick?

May 17, 2019

Tween Boys’ Bedroom

One of the requests from last week’s Tween Girls’ Bedroom was to do a version for boys. Easily done! I started with the same base and switched it up again with a few key pieces.

Here’s the side by side of today’s version and the bolder version of a girls’ room from last week. Of course, you could further mix and match from the two and create a look all your own! Those tall headboards would look amazing with the geometric wallpaper to liven things up, and either chair would work in either space. The wooden dresser would be cute with the curvy gold mirror, and the scalloped bedding would be charming on the upholstered beds.

Tween Boys' and Girls' Bedroom Designs | Making it Lovely

The Tween Girls’ Bedroom post has all of those details and direct links to everything, plus another version that’s more pastel and sweet. I loved that Chinoiserie mural, but going more graphic was fun too!

May 9, 2019

Planning a Secluded Garden

This is the first post of three sponsored by RISE’s AND not OR home and garden program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We have a whole new space in the backyard to work on! Our new cedar fence went up in December (yes, odd timing), and we sectioned off the yard like a series of outdoor rooms.

I worked on the garden last spring, and the hostas and other new plants are just now starting to push back up through the soil. We’ve covered the new dog run with mulch and while we’ll have to continually refresh it over time, I think it’s the best solution for that area. Two mature shade trees keep the yard from being able to grow grass.

The new blank space that I’ve been planning and working on is the one labeled “lounge and kids’ area.” I’d like it to feel secluded and special.

RISE has a helpful list of perennials that do well in the Midwest. We’re working with shade, so a lot of the same plants from last year’s backyard project will be used again. I’ll be planting mostly bushes and perennials so that the garden will grow and fill in over time, but I’ve picked up a couple of Boston ferns and might go back for begonias to fill some of the pots.

We have a garage full of flagstone that matches our existing dining patio. Brandon brought some over to create a tiny area off to the side because we found a bottleneck situation happens sometimes at the gate, and it’s better to have a paved surface to step onto than mud/dirt. We’re thinking of adding a proper patio with bushes all around for privacy and that secluded feel I’m after.

I’m also patiently waiting for the orangey new cedar to weather and gray. Below was my initial vision from a few months ago — hydrangeas and boxwood. There are hydrangeas that will grow with the limited sun our yard sees, but I’m open to other possibilities. Something a little taller could be nice!

Some of our existing boxwoods are not looking so great right now, probably from the miserable polar vortex we had this winter. Do I want to add more? I’m hoping it’s winter damage that we’re seeing and not boxwood blight, which is becoming a problem here.

I spoke with Eric Wenger from Complete Lawn Care, Inc. to get some garden tips, and I asked about the boxwoods. In general, you always follow the same steps in your garden: inspection, diagnosis, and then treatment (matching the right solution to the problem). In other words, follow the AND not OR approach. Keep an eye on the plant material to discover problems before they become bigger problems, then treat only when you need to. In certain cases, the recommendations are starting to shift in regards to pervasive issues like boxwood blight, and it may be time to consider a preventative spraying treatment. I’m taking out the worst of the dead branches and watching to see if our boxwoods green up or require more help. Fingers crossed for recovery, but I feel prepared either way and excited to be gardening again!

May 8, 2019

Honor Roll

Vintage Diamond Edwardian Engagement Ring from Erstwhile

I’ve been wearing rings more often lately — mostly costume jewelry, but I’m having fun with it. My new fascination for the real deal though is now with Erstwhile. They have the prettiest vintage and antique engagement and cocktail rings, including Edwardian and sapphire rings that remind me of my own.
• If you’re looking for a couple of inexpensive rings, this bold band and stacking set are recent favorites, and this surreal pearl and hands ring is on my wish list.
Lisa Eldridge’s vintage gold 1920s makeup tutorial is pure artistry. Bonus shoutout to MAC scene, a perfect shadow color.
There’s still time to apply to be a “Color Explorer!” Behr is looking for someone to travel North America looking for color inspiration. Hello, dream summer job.
Are you over the photos against a colorful wall and seeming perfection of popular Instagram influencers? Is the Instagram aesthetic over?
We’re still making mathematical advances even in areas you would think we’ve got all sussed out, like multiplication.
Ologies is probably the podcast I most look forward to. Have I professed my appreciation of Dad (Alie) Ward? She’s the best. The kids like her too on Brainchild.
And giant scissors! Just because.

May 3, 2019

Design Services

Sources & Paint Colors

Tour Our 1891 Victorian

Blog