Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Here's a few quick photos of this year's Halloween décor!

My Fall Wreaths...thus far!

With the flowers fading, I've been spending more time locked away in my craft room working on wreaths for my upcoming craft shows.

I am doing three shows this Fall, and I am trying to figure out the magic number of wreaths I will need for all of them! After analyzing my sales from last year (I used to work in retail management, if you couldn't tell!), I've noticed that my Fall wreaths were my best sellers. So, with that in mind, I am currently focusing on putting the finishing touches on my Fall Collection right now. Christmas will come later, and I'm okay with that because who wants to be thinking about Christmas right now anyways?!? :)

Here is the Sweet Home Indiana 2018 Fall Collection as it stands right now! I will do a final reveal of the complete collection once I've gotten them all done next month.

If you see one you want and live in the Fort Wayne area, let me know on Facebook @ sweethomeindiana1.

Enjoy and Happy Fall!!!

You can also follow me on Instagram @ sweethome.indiana

Decorating Above The Fridge

How many of you decorate the top of your refrigerator? I feel that it's an overlooked area to decorate since I never see anyone on Instagram showing off the top of their fridge. Well, except me!

Until this Spring, I've had the same old Crate and Barrel mixing bowls and orange metal colander up there for years (like 10 plus - yikes!) I liked those items and it never really occurred to me to change them out. That is, until I started acquiring cakestands and wanted to display them in my kitchen.

I have a soffit above my cabinets so I wasn't able to display anything up there, but above the refrigerator ended up being the perfect spot for my cakestands! There was nothing hindering the height and there was no fear of anyone knocking over my "display" (or should I use the fancy design term, vignette?) I started with just the cakestands and my Rifle Paper Co. Recipe Box and have been slowly adding to it and rearranging it over time.

Currently, I've got a sort of vintage Farmhouse vibe going on on top of my fridge. Joining my two cakestands is my copper colander that I got for super cheap on clearance at Target and three vintage blue mason jars. I recently stuck a few little faux lemon tree branches in one of my mason jars, just for the heck of it, and I liked it so much that I kept it. My green "Jadeite" cakestand is a reproduction piece that I got at World Market and the little pink one is a Martha Stewart without it's bunny dome. 

It's just another little area for me to decorate and in a few weeks, I'll probably be adding some Fall touches. But for now, I love it just the way it is!

Follow me on Instagram @ sweethome.indiana for more!

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Side note: When I lived in my apartment, I would keep my bread on top of my refrigerator too, but it kept it getting moldy really fast. After complaining to a coworker how quickly my bread kept molding, he asked me if I kept it on top of my fridge and told me that the heat rising from the refrigerator was what was making it mold so fast. So don't store food up there! I've never had a moldy bread problem since!

The New Garden: One Year Later

Around this time last year, I started a new flower garden on the side of my garage. 

We had just finished siding our garage and I had a vision for a garden that went along the side of it, based on a photo that I saw on Pinterest. I stocked up on retaining blocks and last Fourth of July we laid the border of the garden. I then set out to plant as many perennials as possible.

A lot has changed in the garden within the past year as I have been slowly and very selectively filling it up with all kinds of flowers. Most of the plants that I've planted in this garden were ones that I got on clearance! You gotta be thrifty when planting a garden - your budget can get out of control fast! Especially when you walk into a garden center and get hypnotized by all the pretty flowers! I seriously have to talk myself out of a lot of plants, otherwise I'd be completely broke! I've said it before and I'll say it again...I could seriously spend all my money on flowers alone!

I love cottage gardens with their seemingly random assortment of colorful flowers and that was the look I was going for in this new garden. The more variety, the better and so far it's worked very well. Especially with me getting so many random clearance plants. 

At this stage of the garden, I am focusing mostly on perennials since they come back every year. You get more bang for your buck that way! But, I've also added in a few annuals here and there. I've come to find out that annuals are a great way to add continuous color to your garden, since perennials only bloom for a short period of time. Mix in annuals between your perennials and you can't go wrong!

Next year, I think most of my focus will be on annuals in this flower garden since most of it is already filled with perennials! Petunias are a favorite and I've just discovered Moss Roses, which also like to spread out and are just too cute for words.

This was the garden last year around this time. (You can see the full transformation from ratty old garage to garden here!)

And here it is today! I cannot believe how much the Purple Coneflowers and Black-eyed Susan's have grown in just one year!

Annuals and perennials, oh my! This garden is only half done. I've only got it half mulched since I was waiting to see if I was going to add anymore flowers this year.

I've actually edited this garden already by getting rid of my gigantic Forsythia bush that was on the far right end. It started out as a tiny little bush that I got on clearance for $4 at Walmart, but this Spring it exploded and got out of control quickly. I moved it to the back of the garage.

Purple Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susans...the perfect mid-to late Summer flower combo!

New to the garden this year, these pink Veronicas. So unique, so cottage garden, and such a pretty color! They come in purple too, which I just may have to get next year!

I just discovered these Hardy Gladiolus that you don't need to lift! Only six out of the fifteen that I planted have come up so I will definitely be getting more of these bulbs next Spring.

My husband knows me so well! This trellis was my anniversary present this year! Complete with a pretty purple baby clematis! I can't wait until it blooms!

Asiatic Lillies are so tropical looking!

They are in my "tropical" area of my garden along with my bright purple Rhododendron and Hardy Hibiscus!

My first time growing Ranunculus. This deep red one is gorgeous!

The surprise of the year! I planted a few clumps of these hot pink Dianthus as annuals last year and they came back in a major way this Spring! They may just be my favorite thing in this garden.

These awesome purple petunias will become a yearly staple in my yard from now on!

This is my newest Hardy Hibiscus, also called a Dinner Plate Hibiscus (for obvious reasons!)

"Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?" - Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail

My little patriotic corner of red, white, and kinda blue flowers!

I plant this type of Phlox every year. They always die and never come back. Hopefully, third times a charm!

My latest addition, Bee Balm! It's great for Hummingbirds and bees alike. I also got a bright purple one!

Every great cottage garden needs a little garden art!

My home is my happy place, but my garden makes me the happiest!

I'm already itching to start another garden!


If you're just starting a new garden, here's my top ten tips for a great flower garden!

Sweet Home Indiana: The Summer Collection

Summer is officially upon us and with that, today I am sharing my Summer Collection!

In case you didn't know, I make and sell high quality, upscale wreaths and home décor at craft shows around the Fort Wayne area! I started making wreaths years ago and decided to start selling them, quite frankly, because I had made too many! And I had many more that I wanted to make! It's a win-win for me. I get to have the fun of making the wreaths and then the even more fun of making money off them! Oh yeah, and it makes me really happy knowing that something that I made with love is going to a good home!

Many of the wreaths in my Summer Collection were included in my Spring Collection, but are also great for Summer. In fact, a lot of my wreaths are actually perfect for any season!

Hand Painted Terra Cotta Pots are a new item for me this Spring/Summer too. I really enjoy making them and they make a super cute addition to any home, inside or out! I've got some on my porch and even one inside since it matched my home décor so well.

This year I only did two Spring craft shows and although they went well, I honestly feel that the Fall/Holiday shows tend to have a better turn out. I decided to start selling my wares on Facebook Marketplace because I love making bright Summery wreaths and needed an outlet for them. So far it's working out pretty well! I've been thinking about selling on Etsy, but I'm not ready for all that just yet!

I have several wreaths available and am always making more so if you see something you like here, and live in the Fort Wayne area, check out my Facebook page, sweethomeindiana1! You can message or email me from there for availability too.

Also, don't forget to follow me on Instagram @ sweethome.indiana for daily pics, updates, and inspiration for all things home!

Without further ado, here is the Sweet Home Indiana Summer Collection!

I love bright, bold colors at all times, but bright and cheery is especially appropriate during Summer!

These hoop wreaths are everywhere right now and I especially love this one I made with Peonies! They are one of my favorite flowers and nothing screams Summer more than Peonies!

Pastels are another good option for a Summer wreath. And Hydrangeas. I mean, come on!

Here's another type of Hydrangea wreath. These are actually among my most popular of wreaths. They always sell out at craft shows and I've taken orders for many more! It's just a good basic wreath for any time of the year, and they come in so many different colors.

This wreath is another one that's popular with my customers. It's got that Farmhouse vibe without screaming straight up Farmhouse!

These metal Welcome wreaths are perfect for any front door!

I love Magnolias! This is a great wreath for any Fixer Upper fan! I've actually got one hanging on the door into my basement. Yep, I hang wreaths on the inside too!

I made this one because you really don't see too many blue wreaths out there. I like to be different and stand out from the crowd!

Sunny sunflowers!

Okay, so this is truly, probably my most favorite wreath! It was inspired by my wedding bouquet and I just love the bright colors. It's hanging on my front door as we speak. Well, as I type and you read!

This lovely can be used as a wreath or even on a wall in place of a picture frame! I love it because it's just so different!

This Sunflower Deco Mesh Wreath is HUGE! It would look awesome indoors above a fireplace, or on the backside of a front door!

My first ever Fourth of July wreath! This is the first time I've ever decorated for Fourth of July and I'm actually really getting into it! I love me some red, white and blue! I'm also starting to take more of a liking to deco mesh wreaths.

This Farmhouse inspired flower pot is sealed and ready for the outdoors, but my faux Ikea greenery looked so good in it, I decided to keep it inside!

These Pink Ombre Flower Pots are great for an Herb Garden. In fact, I'm going to make a Mojito Garden out of mine! What's a Mojito Garden you ask? I'm going to plant mint in each pot so I can have fresh mint on hand all Summer to make Mojitos!!! 

This Watermelon Pot is what inspired me to start painting pots in the first place. It's my favorite! And I just love the hot pink Vincas in it!

My home is truly my happy place and I love decorating it. Little things here and there, that's what makes a house a home!