It All Started With Paint

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springing into the dream … with a chance to win $500

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I should’ve been born in the South …

Preferably a Southern state with an Atlantic coastline …

Where the weather is warm and balmy …

… with the smell of salt water in the air.

Where I could sport a Southern accent that would make my snark sound sweet …

… and not Northern mean.

Where I would certainly overuse “bless her heart” …

… to the point where I would be tolerated in polite company, but shunned from private social circles.

But that would be okay.  Because it would leave me more time to lounge on my porches …

Swinging and rocking out front with a glass of ice team (okay, more realistically, a can of diet Coke) as I ‘Mrs. Kravitz’ my neighbors …

Retiring out back to my screen porch in the evenings with a glass of ice team (okay, more realistically, a glass of Pinot Grigio) and a good book …

But I don’t live in the South.  I grew up porch-less in New Jersey.  Though we did have a big concrete slab patio …

And when I moved to the Midwest I came to realize that porches take on a whole new meaning …

… here they are celebrated …
… cherished. 

It’s been attributed to long bouts of cold and few months of warmth.  All I knew was that, at long last, I would have a porch of my very own.

When my husband and I purchased our first (and current) home in 1995, it was the porches … as in plural … that sold us.

Porches in 1995

And when Homes.com posed the question, “What does Spring into the Dream mean to you?”  I knew right away it meant getting my porches ready for our few and fleeting months of Chicago warmth …

Now, let me take a moment to set expectations.  My “porch love” doesn’t mean I don’t have porch envy.

No, no, no.  Porch envy taunts me each and every day when I look across the street at my neighbors’ homes.

It taunts me online when you, my dear readers, pin porches on your Pinterest boards like here …

and here …

front porch #porch

So, no, my front porch doesn’t have fans or couches or a swing …

… but that doesn’t stop me from dressing it up for the seasons …

Porch 4 seasons

…  or painting a porch rug right on the landing …

Painted Porch Rug for Blog 4 (600x450) (3)

And my back porch isn’t very large …

screen porch before

It needs some serious TLC after a long winter serving as a dumping ground …

Wordless Wed backyard 5 screen porch before 2

So as I get my porches ready for Memorial Day, I’m going to share with you my front and screen porch inspiration …

… along with some “In My Dreams” porches …

… on my “Homes.com Spring into the Dream” Pinterest board here …

image

And it’s not just any old Pinterest board.  It’s a Pinterest contest board.

Homes.com Spring into the Dream Pinterest Contest_316_blogsize-01

A contest where you and I could both could win our very own $500 Visa gift cards.

You see, if I win a $500 Visa gift card you, my dear readers, could have a chance to win too.  That’s right.  If I win I’ll have the opportunity to give one of you a $500 Visa card of your very own …

… just think of all the DIY on the cheap you thrifty ladies and gentlemen can do with a $500 gift card to ensure your very own home Springs into the Dream …

And now you want to know how to get involved, right?  Right!

First of all, you don’t have to be a blogger to enter.  You just need a Pinterest account …

… and I’m pretty sure I just heard your cheers echoing through the streets.
(And if you don’t have a Pinterest account send me an email at linda@zbraden.com with your email address and I’ll send you an invite …)

Now I’m going to pose to you the question Homes.com posed to me:

“What does Spring into the Dream mean to you?  Does it make you want to rejuvenate your home for the season?  Or maybe it’s being out in the garden showcasing your green thumb?  Perhaps it’s getting the house organized to start the new season fresh.”

Got it?  Got your ‘Spring into the Dream’ theme? Good.  You’ll need it.  You see, to be eligible for the potential $500 gift card (remember, I must win first in order to award one to one of you), you need to:

Contest Entry Rules to Be Eligible to Win $500 Homes.com Gift Card Giveaway

1. Create a “Homes.com Spring into the Dream” Pinterest board; and that’s exactly how you should label your board: “Homes.com Spring Into the Dream” …

… and on this board you need to:

  • Include two repins from Homes.com’s “Spring into the Dream” board here …
  • Include two pins from articles on the Homes.com blog here …
…or the Homes.com website here …
  • And then pin any and all pins that relate to your “Spring into the Dream” Pinterest board theme …  
… and be sure to include the hashtag #springintothedream on all pins on your Pinterest board …

2. Follow Homes.com on Pinterest here … (and trust me, they are worth following.  They have some great pins to repin …)

3. Leave your “Spring into the Dream” Pinterest board link in the comments section of this post.

4. Cross your fingers and hope and pray that I win.  Because if I win, then you could have a chance to win the $500 Visa gift card from Homes.com. I should know on May 29. And then I’ll pick a winner via Random.org …


Now, if those instructions have you cross-eyed and scratching your head, then click here for super simple Kindergartener-level-for-the-busy-blogger step-by-step instructions.  As in “Step One: Create a new Pinterest board; Step Two: Name that board “Homes.com Spring Into the Dream” simple …

…

The contest opens at 9:00 a.m. (ET) on May 14, 2012, and all entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on May 25, 2012.

And if you’re wondering if Homes.com is legit … trust me, they’re legit.

Homes.com Spring into the Dream Pinterest Contest_316_270x196b

As one of the nation’s top online real estate destinations, Homes.com has close to 4 million homes for sale and rent. Each month over 10 million consumers visit Homes.com to search for real estate by location or property type. Visitors to Homes.com can also find the value of their current home, learn more about home financing, find a real estate agent and seek answers to real estate questions through the Questions and Answers community.

P.S. My Homes.com Pinterest contest-inspired front and back porch makeovers will be revealed on May 25 …

… and then linked up on May 29 at our multi-blog “The Great Outdoors”  link party.  Click on the file folder for more details …

 
 

Comments

    • In case you need to follow up (‘cuz you said I was a “no reply”) here’s an email address you could use:
      momopics.etsy [at] gmail.com

      Reply

  3. I, too, have porch envy and I am in the south. Not all of us have the porches of our dreams. I do, however, have a garden house studio, so it’s a trade-off. I am going to your board and do whatever it is I have to do. (And “southern snark?” Doesn’t exist. You’re either snark or your not in any language. What I love are these women in my ‘hood who drip with honey when they talk junk about everyone. Bless their hearts.) Luckily, there are a lot of Yanks down here. It gives me comrades-in-snark.

    Reply

  17. Oh Linda! my porch envy is even grater! I have none! 🙁 That’s not fun! I’ve been waiting patiently for 10 years to build a deck but I don’t see it coming soon!

    I’m going to pinterest to create the board!

    Reply

  27. Playing catch up……… can’t even sit long enough to read and absorb the challenge and I know I’m missing out on something fun. I’ll just have to be patient and wait to see your porch.

    ~Bliss~

    Reply

  49. I have no idea what I have done for the contest, but you told me too, so I did. I don’t know what a hashtag is either, but if making a board helps you than I did it!

    ~Bliss~

    Reply

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