Welcome to my Front Porch

A few years ago, around Valentines Day, I was in a shop and noticed a door mat for sale with the biggest, pinkest heart on it.  Not inclined to make an impulse purchase, I passed it by, but could not stop thinking about what a lovely welcome it would bring to our front door.  Every February since then, I glance hopefully at the seasonal displays in various shops, hoping to spot a stack of big, pink-heart door mats... Then, just last week, I thought to myself, what am I waiting for?

I tromped down to the garage and grabbed this old coir fiber mat...

 

Cut a template out of newspaper...

Scurried to our local hardware store which sells EVERYTHING, including big bottles of hot-pink fabric paint... And set to work!

Ta-daaaa!

And now for a tour of the rest of the front porch...
There are pots of posies and a small wicker settee just out of view...

And a baby swing...

Which sometimes contains a baby!

Here is a lovely tile we picked up in Assisi on our honeymoon.  Tiles like these are cemented  beside the doorways of many houses in Assisi, and so we searched the town for a shop which sold them.  The tile says, "Pace e Bene," (Peace and Goodwill) but we joke that it says, "Peas and Beans..."

 And then there is our front door mat... Haven't you seen this before?  Isn't it lovely?  A perfect door mat to greet guests (and also a nice place for the postman to leave packages!)