For awhile now I’ve wanted to put some sort of saying on our front porch. We have a little lip around the top that would be perfect for resting some letters on, and I wanted a fun upbeat saying for us/other people to see when we/they are leaving. I thought and thought…
“Have a great day!” – cheesy, I don’t want people to feel like they are leaving a gas station.
“It’s a beautiful day” – fantastic U2 song, but not feeling it.
“Smile” or “Be Happy” or something like that – too impersonal, and frankly, a little bossy. Back off sign.
A great bible verse – perhaps, I’d just have to pick one.
And then, one night many months ago, Adam and I were watching the last episode of the best show ever…Friday Night Lights. In one of the final scenes my TV husband, Tim Riggins, clinked his beer bottle against his brothers and said “Texas Forever.”
And I knew what I wanted my porch to say.
I ordered the words off of Pick Your Plum. If you don’t know about Pick Your Plum, you should. They are one of my sponsors, and it’s an online store that sells super discounted craft supplies. Trick is, they only sell one thing a day, so you should check back daily. So when I saw custom cut words come on for really cheap, I jumped on them.
I really liked the look of my stenciled table and wanted to do something similar with my letters. I decided to stain it first though…and I wasn’t quite sure how it would turn out, because the letters are MDF and not wood. So if your curious, this is what stained MDF looks like…
Not bad.
I didn’t want it to look too busy or be hard to read, so I chose to put a single large paisley on the beginning of “Texas”.
There are a few ways to stencil, and roller and a flat brush. I’d never tried the flat brush, so I figured since it was a small project I would give it a whirl.
I think I’ll stick with the roller…
Luckily you can’t tell that it’s smudgy from far away!
After I took all my pictures and wrote this post, I decided that the white was a little to busy. I added another coat of stain and like it much better. We don’t want the paisley distracting people from the message or anything.
So that’s my porches message to all our visitors! I know, some of y’all don’t get it, but Texans love Texas. I don’t think there is another place in America where people have as much stateriotism. Sure there are places with much more beautiful landscape, summer temps that don’t feel like the surface of the sun, actual trees, regular sized bugs, real winters and far less poisonous snakes…but still, there’s just something about Texas .
If you’ve never seen Friday Night Lights (no, not the movie) you really should watch it. You know your favorite shows are all on summer break right now so go ahead and watch all five seasons before your shows come back on. Then try and tell me that you don’t what to put “Texas Forever” on your front porch, even if you live in Ohio :)
I love it!! (and Tim Riggins)…. :)
You just amaze me. Now I want a saying that expresses the whole aura of my house! Just a small one because some day the big one I want is Psalm 91:11 (and He will cause my eyes to feast upon his salvation) to be somewhere in my house.
*Psalm 91:16
LOVE! And I think I need to copy it …. thanks for the inspiration!
I loved both the original movie and the series. When my son started playing football in middle school (I was still in exile in Arizona at the time), I would talk about how crazy Texans are about their high school football. We rented the movie, and I told him that it wasn’t exaggerated (much); he didn’t believe me. We moved back for his senior year in high school, and he was able to see first hand ;-)
I liked Kyle Chandler since I first saw him in “Pure Country” and “Home Front”, but LOVED him in FNL. I taught high school in Dripping Springs and would hear about KC sightings, but alas I never saw him.
Patty
I just discovered your blog this week and have looked at all your projects and already bookmarked it to check back regularly. I am so impressed that you and your husband paid off you house so quickly, live within your means, and are not consumed with keeping up with the “Joneses.” Your home is lovely and I love how real your blog is…you share your successes but are very frank about the projects that are not so successful. Keep it up and I will keep reading.
I totally understand your “Texas Forever” attitude. We are Texans–my husband is a native Texan. I was born in Oklahoma, but my family moved to TX when I was six. I often say, “I wasn’t born in TX but I got here as soon as I could.” ha
btw…I seldom make comments on the blogs I read, but wanted to share with you that I think you and your husband are wise indeed–in a world where wisdom seems to be lacking.
I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment! I appreciate your kind words and am glad you ditched Oklahoma for Texas :)
I love this!! Although I am not a native Texan, I did live there for 7 years and I have 2 daughters that were born there, hence we will always have Texas with us forever!! Plus, how can you not love Tim Riggins. I watched the first 2 or 3 seasons and now I feel I must go rent the last ones, we loved it! Thanks for your inspiration. I have been following you for a bit now, I stumbled across your blog while looking for other young(ish) :) people who live debt free as well. We just made a move and we were able to buy our house for cash and well, it’s just plain awesome. And now you referenced one of the greatest shows of all time, and I must admit, I feel we would be kindred spirits :) Thanks for your ideas and creativity!
You bought your house for cash straight out? That is amazing! Congrats! Yes, you really must finish the series…just remember that I have dibs on Tim ;)
LOL! Yes, we moved across the country to an area we could afford to buy a house cash, plus we had family nearby, double bonus! Now, it ain’t pretty on the outside, and needs a lot of work, but hey, no mortgage is a pretty awesome thing!!!
Personally not feeling much love for Texas right now. Too darn HOT. Just kidding. We have lived here for so long that Texas will always be home. I have lived all over the country (military wife) and I loved some of the other states because of the weather. In the area I live in, (Austin) it is so hot, so dry, so humid that it is miserable to be outside after about 10:00 am.
Your Texas Forever is very nice. I love it on your porch. I have a nice front porch that needs a bit of a ‘redo’ now. When it cools off just a bit I will paint it and give it a nice face lift.
Seriously, the heat is ridiculous! Elijah want’s to play outside all day everyday and I just can’t do it!
Yes, we all have Texas pride in Texas! I know the people previously owned my house did. Not only did they put up rustic awesome paneling (real wood) in the living room and kitchen, but the master bedroom was painted bright enchilada red, with dark blue trim/wall sockets. I saw the house with their furniture still in it, and they also had a coordinating red bedspread with TEXAS written on it! Now, I love my state, but that color scheme was the first to go!
Wait, your saying that enchilada red ISN’T a relaxing bedroom color? Lol, that room sounds horrid… I’ll take my Texas stuff in rustic woods and muted colors, thank you!
I like the paisley on the letters, especially once you stained it. What a cool thing to do with the little “lip” on the porch. Right now I”m about to try stenciling for the first time on some furniture I’m painting for our new tenant. Furniture – free, paint – we already had, stencils…I had to buy. And they are not as nice as Cutting Edge ones. However, they will do for starters! If mine turn out half as well as yours I will be thrilled!
You will love stenciling. It’s really easy and quick on furniture, but it looks like you spent forever on it! Good luck!
You Texans are so loyal. Here in Illinois, our state is soooo corrupt we all just want to leave. The letters are porch PERFECT!
We had a family reunion here several years ago and everyone that came was from the Carolinas, West Virginia and Georgia. One of my Uncles commented about all the Texas stars on the homes here and asked why everyone did that? I just said because we are so proud to be a TEXAN!!!
Just love your sign. Great idea with the stencil – it just sets it off perfectly!
In my humble [Texan] opinion this is pure perfection! I love it and I defiantly need one for my house! Thanks for sharing!
Ps.. just read your about me section and I loved it! We are pretty close to each other.. Im in Corpus :)
The paisley makes it something fab!
You had me at “Texas”! Love the stained MDF, and your choice of stencil is great! Love love love it!!
I’m a TX gal too!
FNL one of the best shows ever on Tv!! Love Texas and have great memories of times spent there in college :) Texas Forever. – oh yeah. !
As a fellow Texan, our pride is like no other. I love my grand ole State but these summers are killing me. I live near the bay and boy has it been humid. I want to put this sign on my new, coming soon, privacy fence.
Awesome! Loved Friday Night Lights and wished it would go on forever.
And love your Texas Forever! So clever!
Ashley, It’s so perfect! And how you thought to put the paisley on, which is absolutely just the right thing, is beyond me. You did it up right! But then, you’re a Texan, what did I expect!
Liz
Ashley, this project is simple but beautiful, I like it very much. Thanks for sharing, I love the detail of the paisley leave.
Love it! Gotta love some Friday Night Lights! I loved it when there were shooting in the Pflugerville/Austin area…It was fun to see some regular hangouts on TV! Thanks for the inspiration!
You had me at Texas too;)! I think I saw a thumbnail of this project on a linky party and clicked over. Then I realized I’ve been here before! Love your story about being debt free! We lived by Dave Ramsey for a while and felt like oddballs when we wouldn’t go out and eat with our friends and literally ate Beans and Rice a LOT! I can’t say we are still sticking to our guns at the moment but it helped us get where we are. We are in the middle of building a house and it’s fun and will be awesome but there is always a rumbling in my soul that tells me to simplify! By the looks of your surroundings I think we may be neighbors ;)
I just laughed out loud! Have enjoyed your blog for a while now but this was so funny. I just blogged recently about my trip back to Texas to visit family and I talked about those jumbo lard grasshoppers you have. Thanks for sharing your cute idea. And yes…I heart FNL as well. What a great post!!!
As a fellow Native Texan….LOVE It!!
I have lived in and loved Texas all 26 years of my life. Where else is there to live?
I was born in Texas and my son lives there now. GREAT state…GREAT sign!
Love it! I feel like “Illinois Forever” doesn’t have the same ring to it. . . plus people are always pronouncing the silent “s” – which would just ruin it. I’ll have to think of something else!! And wait for the plum to give me a good deal!
I totally get this! I heart the Lone Star State! Awesome Project, thanks for sharing!
-fork
I love Texas, too. Originally from Alabama (Roll Tide) we lived in Texas for ten wonderful years. Our son lives in San Antonio and thinks there is no other place on earth. Great sign. Maybe I should make one for our son; he’d love it.
I’m moving back to Ohio next semester to finish my last year of school. I’m missing my Texas home already. This might just be the perfect decoration for my new apartment :)
Love Love Love! This is totally Blastin’! Xo, Aimee
I love your sign…I’m going to have to think of a way to incorporate one into my home…being a native Texan and all.
I keep hearing how good Friday Night Lights was. Sounds like we need to watch it.
Sharon @ mrs. hines class
I so love the paisley on the sign. I think everyone has the “heart” of Texas, We all love our state! So glad to know you are debt free, hubs and I have been working on it! I guess I’m gonna have to love Friday Night Lights! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best!
Just to let you know this was featured at Sunday’s Best!
I Waaaaannnnnttttt it. :D This is so great I just had to feature it tonight on Motivated Monday at BeColorful.
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Well..it is official. We were meant to be great friends. There are so many similarities that you and I have..but if I listed them all out you would probably think I am a creeper because I have read so many of your blog posts. I love this Texas Forever and I love Friday Night Lights. Tim Riggins is not my TV husband..Coach Taylor is :0) Love your blog and love love love your stenciled table. This post has inspired me to paint a canvas that says “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.” Thanks for sharing all of your amazing ideas and for “tutoring” people like me!
Lol, I love it! I love Coach Taylor too, but he can’t be my husband because he’s already married. Way to be a home wrecker ;) But seriously, Coach Taylor and Tami are my favorite TV couple ever.
born on South Dakota…but have lived in Texas now 37 years…more then raised in SO.Dak..and yes love the state…..One son born in SO.Dak…and one in Texas…so what does the one in Texas do…go to the marines for 8 years…then home and decides to do school in SO.DAK. and help my Mom….lordy he finds a SO.Dak girl and falls in love with her and her two lil boys…so now all live in texas and he did the same….comes from SO.Dak and now real Texas with a lil girl born here….SO Texas Forever…for us….
We are Texans in MA due to hubby’s job in military- love this!
I know how you feel! Adam was in the military for six years and we lived in New York (Fort Drum)… I craved Texas stuff the entire time!
Just want to say thank you , am just loving it.
What Size are your words Height by Length I love this and would love to recreate something like this in our home.