This year, I wanted to put something on our table that could last through October AND November, because let’s be honest. I am lucky to get a wreath on my door most years. Meanwhile my neighbors across the way put me to shame with a full on cemetery in their front yard for Halloween. That’s okay though because we have mums, and that’s really all you need to bring your front yard back to life from the dead. 😉 I am more of an autumnal versus Halloween decor, so here is what I came up with. Using real pumpkins and faux greens, this should last you for months!
Sage and White Autumn Tablescape:
3 White pumpkins varying in size
2 artichokes (will need to be replaced when they get dark)
3 mini gourd pumpkins
2 green gourd pumpkins
2 branches of faux greenery
1 Placemat or Tea Towel (mine from Pehr Designs)
Arrange however you like, but hopefully this video is a helpful guide!:
Yesterday a friend went out of her way to drive over, drop off a meal, and spend an hour with me catching up on life. Boy does a good meal do wonders for a mother of 4. I often joke about food and coffee being my love language, but really there is some truth to it, because behind the gift of food is service. Have you read the book about The 5 love languages? I highly recommend it for understanding those in your family, your friends, and even your children. I would say it is a pretty cool way to start making big changes to the way you love others too. You can download it on audible as well. To briefly sum it up, there are 5 main love languages:
Gift Giving
Quality time
Acts of service
Physical touch
Words of affirmation
It’s often the case that the way you choose to show love is different than the way you wish to receive it. I find it all fascinating. Growing up with 7 sisters and 3 brothers you can imagine all the different personality types in one household. It taught me so much about being attentive to differences and learning to love in different ways.
For instance, my sister Maria is not a hugger. We tease her about her distant back pat she calls a hug. However, she will open her home to you and feed you all you need and never expect anything in return. Quality time and acts of service.
My sister Angela loves to affirm. She will build you up with her words and back them up with lots of hugs as well. Basically, if you are feeling pretty crummy you can just show up on her doorstep, and she will change your day around. Words of affirmation and physical touch.
My brother Joe will drive 9 hours just to spend the day with you and drive 9 hours back right after. Quality time.
My husband Gabe will rearrange his schedule to help someone in a bind, and show up even after you have told him not to worry about it if he suspects you need assistance. I’ve seen him literally use the shirt off his back to help a friend. Acts of service.
My sister Tricia is more reserved with her words, but she shows her love in other strong ways. She never misses a birthday. You can expect a thoughtful hand written note and gift in your mailbox every year without fail. Gift giving.
It can be challenging to give to others what doesn’t come naturally to your personality, but it certainly yields a more life giving relationship as a result. It is worth the effort for that reason. What about you? Is the way you show love different than the way you hope to receive it?
I can’t even begin to tell you how long it took me to decide on sofa colors for our living room. In fact, we went two years with just a sofa and a toy chest in the living room. How’s that for indecisiveness? I worked with Home Decorators and All Modern for this space, so it helped me pull the trigger under pressure. ha! When deciding on style and tones for a room, I thought it would be helpful to share a few things to consider when choosing the right sofa for your space.
Shape – If you are aiming for a modern look, there are many versions of a boxier frame or midcentury style. You can add a little whimsy with a curved back, or stick with a standard traditional look. If there are two sofas in a room, it helps to have either the length or height similar so they create more visual balance for the room. Since sofas tend to be focal points, having them visually aligned will create more consistency throughout the room. You can always work your art around the sofa shape, and you can certainly mix and match styles.
Texture – Leather, Velvet, Tweed…there are so many fabrics and finishes to consider, and you don’t have to stick with just one type. Mix leather and velvet….why not? If you are using the same color sofas this is a way to keep things uniform with a little more texture variety. However, functionality has to come into play with little ones so for me, velvet was out of the question. Faux leather is easiest to clean and pretty sturdy, so #5 has been a dream. The #3 Bobby Berk sofa is dark so it is also easier to clean than most.
Detail – Tufted sofas or bulleted trim are just a few ways to add detail to a space. Pairing two tufted sofas was a little busy so I went with a clean cut for the second option. If you have gold finishes around the room, you can choose a sofa that also has a little gold metal detail. Or maybe the feet of your sofa are a dark wood. Use the same tones for your end tables or coffee table. Consider the details when planning out the style of your space.
Tones – Consider all the colors in your palate. For instance, when determining the hues of the sofas, I knew I wanted blue tones. However, there were other surrounding colors to consider such as the dining room rug, wallpaper, and living room rug. I pulled the deep navy out of the living room rug and the teal out of the dining room rug. I went a shade darker so it would be more of a complimentary tone than an overwhelming one. If it helps, make a board of all the colors in the room so you can bring it with you when looking at sofas or a digital board if shopping online. This will help tremendously!
What do you look for in a sofa? I still dream about an emerald velvet one, but for now, that will have to stay put in dreamland. I love a good bold color though…
I never have a hankering for sweets more than October through December. Hold me back! Today’s dessert recipe is from the talented Lauren of Love Lola Blog.
One of my favorite fall activities involves getting in the kitchen and baking. There’s nothing like playing some soothing music, lighting a fall candle, and filling the house with the smell of pumpkin baked goods. I’m feeling happy just thinking about it! 😉
As much I love pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bread, I thought it would be fun to experiment with some other ways to incorporate that blessed pumpkin flavor. Cheesecake is surprisingly simple to make, yet feels very decadent and extravagant. If you’re planning your menu for Thanksgiving, this is a must-make dessert! Read on for the full recipe! VIEW FULL POST
I don’t know if we will be able to pull off a family themed Halloween this year, but we are brainstorming non the less! Any ideas? We might just use the best one! I realized I never posted our family Halloween costumes from last year. Veronica really wanted to be Tinkerbell and since Gabriel and Max think swords are pretty cool, we went for the whole crew…. VIEW FULL POST
A little over a year ago we visited Rosemary Beach and the Emerald Coast. It has been calling our name ever since. It lives up to its name with the clearest waters, white sand, and blue horizons. The whole place looks like it has a perpetual saturated photo filter. Needless to say we were so thrilled to head back for our dear friend’s wedding….this time to Destin, FL. We took little Rocco with us and my sister and brother in law stayed with Gabriel, Veronica, and Max. We can’t wait to bring them back here.
I don’t think there is anything that makes me feel as feminine as a dress that compliments personal style in a flattering way. I loved getting to try out the fall line from dressbarn, and find a few looks that work well with every occasion. I think these price points are more relatable and easy to style. It helps that these pieces are on trend, but classy enough to keep around for more than a trend season lasts. Here were a few favorites!
The Go-To Dress – Sometimes you need an effortless dress you can grab from your closet without thinking what to put together. This dress is savvy on it’s own. No layering required! I put on a pair of my favorite booties and a big hat to run errands for the day.
The Slinky Sweater Dress – A little edgy, and fuss-free. This soft sweater dress material is form-fitting, but doesn’t wrinkle, so it is a perfect option for travel and all day wear. I paired it with a leather moto jacket to compliment the lace and checked pattern. Swap out the heels for tennis shoes for a more sporty casual look.
The Date Night Dress – Marsala is my color choice of the season. This ultra feminine and flattering cut was begging to be pulled out for date night dress. With a bold jewel tone, you can go easy on the color compliments such as a long jacket vest, nude heels, and a monochromatic tote.
The Fit and Flare Dress – A weekend ready dress that is both comfortable and fun to layer. A neutral toned patterned makes it easy to swap jackets in and out, and works really well for both business casual or every day attire. A pair of black heels and a trench coat was my Saturday morning look for a little coffee and curb side reading (and people watching;))
So what do you think? Favorite look of the 4? You can check out all the dresses here!
