The good advice to unplug for a while came to us by way of editor in chief Lindsay Bierman in this month's Southern Living. And trust me: that lemon pie on the cover is reason enough to distract you from your duties. I served it for dessert after a casual dinner on our porch last weekend, and it's glorious.

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So when I haven't been entertaining friends or puttering in the garden this summer, I've been doing what I do best—shopping! My new column In With the Old has kept the two of us quite busy with trips to flea markets throughout the South and a series of photo shoots here at the house. Check out this pair of architectural columns I found at the Renniger's Antique Extravaganza in Mt. Dora, Florida.

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Like any other diamond in the rough, multiple lives had resulted in layers of cracked and peeling paint.

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Still, they had a great look with beaded detailing around the tops I loved. At about five feet high, I imagine they might have once stood upon bases supporting the roof over a breezy, open air porch, perfect for summer entertaining. That was just the inspiration I needed for one bright idea: standing floor lamps with durable outdoor shades to light up the night!

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To start, I sanded the pair of columns and attached simple, unfinished wood bun feet for added height. After priming and painting everything a creamy shade of white, I topped the columns with fence post caps from Lowe's and used a lamp kit to wire them for electricity. If your lamps are in a covered area (such as a porch or sunroom) where they won't get wet, a regular lamp kit will work fine. Get my step-by-step directions here.

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To give the columns a stylish, more decorator look, I had our good friend Susan Schneider of Shandell's create custom, porch-appropriate drum shades using outdoor fabric from Quadrille, water-resistant adhesive and vellum plastic frames. I had her railroad the fabric (apply it horizontally) to echo the column's fluting.

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When it comes to outdoor living, deep comfortable seating is a must, and ours is from Hayneedle. To finish the look, I paired airy, Bohemian-style napkins from World Market with solid linen for inexpensive custom throw pillows.

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After a serendipitous visit from new neighbors during the shoot with their adorable yellow lab Jasper, here's how it all turned out!

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Huge thanks to photographers Miki Duisterhof and Ralph Anderson, together with all the editors at Southern Living for their contributions to the story. Now—if I could only put down my cocktail and pick up my laptop more often…