My Cozy Fall Porch

One of my favorite spaces in my home is my back porch. It's the perfect place to sit in the evenings in front of the fire to watch TV with a glass of wine or a Moscow mule. My boys have been making s'mores every night after dinner in the fireplace, and then getting in a little trampoline time in the backyard before bed. Our Texas summers are brutal so the entire family is taking advantage of this weather.

I didn't do much this year to decorate the porch, but a little orange goes a long way. I've had this Ikea plaid throw for years and I paired it with a new outdoor pillow I found on clearance for $13 several months ago. I just added a couple of pumpkins and my little orange owl, and it was just enough fall decor for this space.

I have to admit that although I love this traditional look, I miss my light blue summer decor. I had planned on decorating with red next week for Christmas, but I think I'm going to bring the blue back out and decorate in the lighter colors I prefer. It's less seasonal pillows to store, too!

It's Getting Spooky Outside!

We're ready for trick or treaters! I just love the way the Halloween decorations turned out this year. Hanging lights outside is one of those things I never want to do, but it's the boys favorite part of holiday decorating. 

If you remember, this is how I decorated my fall porch.

I just added a trick or treat sign to the planter, pumpkin lanterns to the ceiling (Michael's), and grapevine garlands with lights to the exterior arch. I didn't want to remove any of the decor because I liked it the way it was. I like it even better now!

We also have the dreaded blow-ups in the yard. Everyone in the family loves it but me. My husband warned me he is going to decorate the front yard this year for Christmas, and blow-ups are the first thing he's going to buy. Maybe I can get the porch?

Fall Foyer and Repurposed Decor

A little pop of orange and an elegant glass pumpkin is all this room needed to welcome fall. You might also notice the new lamps!

I didn't include it on my fall post because I was debating whether to keep the lamps here. I repurposed them from the dining room because I needed more light here. We have a chandelier in the entry with absolutely no way to replace the burned out bulbs because of the height so I haven't been turning it on as much. 

I don't show this view very often because it's still really bare. I'm hoping after Christmas I can remedy that with wainscoting on the second floor wall, new chandeliers and decor that isn't borrowed from other rooms. The bench is from the bedroom and the chair is from the dining room. I think it's time the entry got it's own furniture!

The bright side is I can definitely live with the way it looks for now!

Fall Decor Inspiration at Home Bunch

The Home Bunch is one of my favorite design blogs for inspiration. There are so many beautiful homes featured and I love that the sources are always included when possible. The fall post is no exception! There are over 100 fall inspiration pictures from over 20 Instagram home decor feeds. I am so honored to be included with these talented women. Here is a peek at some of the other homes in the post.

 Blessed Momma to Baby Girls

JS Home Design

Missy at Perch

Sanctuary Home Decor

 Blount Designs

Thrifty Nifty Nest

All of these homes have also been featured on Home Bunch's Beautiful Homes of Instagram series, and you can find their accounts on Instagram for more inspiration!

Fall Fashion: Pretty in Pink

It's been so long since I've written a fashion post! We're not seeing fall weather quite yet, but I know we're going to have a mix of cool and warm days in the weeks to come. These light and neutral fall transition pieces will keep you warm in the morning, but fit in with the sunshine of the afternoons. I own several of these items, plan to buy others and can only dream about the Chloe boots!

1 I own this tee in white and love the flattering cut. It comes in petite sizes too! It's a blogger favorite and selling out fast.  

2  I wear flats most of the time and the blush color is so pretty with white jeans. The suede makes it appropriate for fall.

3 This is the top I'm wearing in my profile pic. I love it so much that I went back and bought it in black. It's on sale too!

 4 My leopard flats are completely worn out after wearing them so many times over the past several years. The modern cut on these make me them my favorite so far.  

5 I am surprised at how much I have worn my gray jeans. They've truly become a staple. The toothpick fit from J.Crew has always been the best fitting skinny jeans for curvy figures since there's a little more room in the thighs. No creasing on the backs of the legs for me! 

6 I wear this cardigan almost every morning. It's the softest and coziest sweater I own. I gave so many as gifts last Christmas because I felt like everyone just had to have one. 

 7 I am completely in love with this Chloe boot! Michael Kors makes a knock-off, but sadly only in black so far. 

8 This scarf is a blend of cashmere and silk for under $100. It comes in so many colors too and would make a great Christmas gift. Yes, I said the "C" word. Sorry!

 9 I love to wear white jeans all year around and they look great paired with darker tops in the fall. However, the gray is a good alternative if you aren't comfortable in white jeans.

I hope you enjoyed this fashion post as much as I did writing it!

Fall Front Porch

My front porch is all decked out for fall! This is my favorite fall porch yet. I usually just throw a couple of pumpkins and mums outside without too much thought and it's fine, but this year I went all out with double wreaths and a variety of fall plants in the planters. 

Here comes Mario the minute I open up these doors!

I used crocus, kale, mum and a trailing purple vine in each planter. I just love the mix of colors. 

I only bought two small pumpkins because it's still warm here and there's a chance I may have to replace them before Halloween.

I found the wreaths at Hobby Lobby. I decided on something minimal since there are two of them and really wanted to use traditional autumn colors because they pop against the brown brick and stone. It was also nice they were 40% off!

Even though it's still warm here, the evenings have been pleasant enough to sit outside. We had the best time this weekend barbecuing, swimming and watching TV on our back porch. I just love this time of year!

Early Fall Decorating

Happy first day of fall! I love to decorate for the seasons, but it's hard to get into the spirit when it's 90 degrees outside. I opted for peach, pink, gray and white instead of traditional autumn colors. The peaches and pinks I introduced are fresh florals so it will be easy to change to darker colors if I choose once the weather turns cool. Right now I am loving these pretty peach roses with my velvet pumpkins.

More peach and gray in the breakfast room.

I used fresh eucalyptus and pumpkins in the dining room. The runner helps protect the table from the greenery. Last year I had made arrangements in urns, but I realized no one sitting at the table would be able to see each other over them so I kept this year's table a little more low key.

When I think of decorating for fall the first thing that comes to mind is adding coziness. Candles, throws, and pillows are the most important elements in my living room.

All I need now is for the weather to turn cooler so I can use the fireplace!

A Romantic Fall Tablescape

I just love this year's fall tablescape...white pumpkins, roses, fresh greenery and a bit of mercury glass for sparkle.

 

 

 

 I can't wait to re-create this look for my Thanksgiving guests!

Fall Mantel and Entry

It's finally fall! The best part is I am feeling it even in Houston. Cool mornings and evenings, warm days...ahhh! It's so nice to go outside and not melt. If we could just get rid of these mosquitos!

I pulled out my fall décor a couple of weeks ago, but it just didn't fit my style anymore or my new house. After thinking about it, I really just wanted lots of candlelight, cozy throws, pumpkins, a bit of sparkle and a fresh flowers/greenery.

 

 

 

 

I love the eucalyptus I bought at Trader Joe's for $2.99. I had so much of it I made two more arrangements from it. Crazy! I've never been into fresh flowers, but I have to have them weekly now. When I was in high school I thought the flower arranging class offered was ridiculous ( I was going to be a serious RN, which I am except the serious part), but now I'm regretting not taking it. I spent way too much time tonight arranging my hydrangeas and eucalyptus I just bought. They look good, but I keep side eyeing them and turning the vase in circles to be sure. Maybe flower arranging is not for perfectionists. FYI, if you need inspiration Carolyn Roehm is a master at flower arranging and I stalk her Instagram regularly for ideas. I'm also coveting her gardens and hope to one day have a formal garden to cut fresh flowers. Just typing that makes me feel really old. Let's move on.

 

If you've been following my chair saga, I finally decided to order a second one. I still need a small table between them and add pillows, but I just throw whatever pillow or blanket ends up in the living room. My kids are always moving them around. One day there was a plaid blanket in the living room and a couple of days later it was a faux fur throw that I found. They all seem to work fine so I just roll with it.

 

 

 



The only fall décor I added to the entry is the orange flowers and mercury glass pumpkin, which is plenty considering the front door has been piled high with mums. I'm waiting a bit to buy pumpkins since our days are still warm. Real pumpkins are nice, but not when they attract bugs. The wildlife in my new neighborhood can be a bit terrifying at times.



I'm also in full party planning mode. My younger kids are 8 and 10 so I decided if I ever want to throw a Halloween party now would be the time. I remember going to a Halloween party when I was in elementary school and it being such a blast. I hope I can re-create it for them. They are so excited, which is refreshing since things never went as planned when I tried to plan events several years ago. Sometimes they act like little adults now instead of kids with their pumpkin spice latte requests and adult observations. My 10 year old recently left feedback on Chik-fil-a's website to complain about the new zesty buffalo sauce and then decided to make it a campaign to bring back the original buffalo sauce on Youtube. I just about died laughing when he said, "The link to the feedback is in the comments." Future blogger? According to him, the money is in vlogging. Okay, Mr. 10 year old! Bloggers, take note!

New Living Room Furniture and Fall Mantel

I know I'm a little behind with fall decorating since most bloggers are gearing up for Christmas, but I'm behind on everything these days as you can tell by my lack of updates. Some people are very particular about not decorating for Christmas until Thanksgiving is over, but that's not the case with me. I will happily eat my turkey next to a twinkling garland any other year. The only reason I'm not dragging out the tree is that I never got to really enjoy my fall décor since I just decorated my mantel last weekend. Don't worry though, I am prepping for Christmas in a big way so I will be ready to go as soon as the pumpkin pie is finished. A new magnolia garland for the fireplace, a dried boxwood wreath for the kitchen vent hood, a huge deer statue for the entry, and other goodies are waiting for me in the hall closet. I can't wait! But, first let me show you my fall mantel!

 

 

 

Yes, that's my new mirror! I got a great deal on it from Wayfair considering how large it is. Everything I'm buying is large these days because of the tall ceilings in the new house. It's definitely a different look from my former cottage-style home. The house is French country and as easy as it would be to decorate just in that style because of its popularity these days, I want a few transitional pieces included so it doesn't look like I went completely "French chateau." It's a beautiful look, but I would get tired of it after a while since I am fickle that way. That's what happens when you truly love so many different decorating styles. I blended my traditional horse and ornate candle snuffer with the contemporary candle holder from Target I'm using as a vase. It makes my heart sing... for a little while. I did tell you I'm fickle!

Now, comes what I am so excited to show you! All of the new furniture I have ordered so far has come in. I only have a few small things to buy and then I can focus on the accessories that will really pull it all together. Will I meet my deadline to have the downstairs done by Christmas? Probably not, but it will be good enough by then.

I have to apologize in advance for the terrible pictures. This house is so difficult to photograph because of the tall ceilings and large windows. I'm sure I will eventually figure it out. These shots were my third try and they are a huge improvement from the previous ones.

One the first pieces of furniture I ordered for the house was this sofa. It took forever and a day because I changed the fabric to an indoor Sunbrella that looks like linen. I know it will be worth it in the end because real linen is like kryptonite if you have kids and pets.

I'm still working on the lamp situation. The new standing lamp is from Pottery Barn. It has a bit of dark gold in it to complement the mirror over the fireplace. The gray shade on the silver lamp is what goes with it, but I was trying to see if the gray shade would also work on the silver lamp and forgot to switch them back. Unfortunately, that silver lamp just doesn't work here and will have to be replaced. I'm hoping it will find it's way into another room.

Eventually there will be drapes above the three transoms. I'm avoiding that for a while because I know it will cost a fortune.

I wasn't quite sure if I was going to place the sofa in front of the windows or put the chairs there. I've tried it both ways and they both look good, but I think it's going to stay in front of the window after living with it a few days. There's just something more comfortable about having it this way. Now, that means I get to pick a rug and coffee table based on this arrangement. It was the main reason I was holding off on both until now. If you remember, I really bought this rug for the dining room and temporarily parked it in here.

The new cream chairs are from Pottery Barn, but also covered in a Sunbrella that looks like linen. I'm still a nervous wreck I'm going to spill wine or coffee on them despite their stain resistance so I usually drape a throw over them before I sit down. I think I might be worse than the kids when it comes to spilling my drinks.

Now, on to the other side of the room. In my previous home I always avoided taking pictures of the TV wall because it was such an eyesore. This new media cabinet makes me love this view. I'm not a fan of the artwork and mirrors, but I needed something temporarily because the TV on that huge wall by itself looked terrible. Eventually, I will surround the TV with better artwork. At least it looks finished even if it makes me cringe a little. I'm not even going to mention the fake florals. Let's just pretend not to see those. Let your eye skim around them.

I absolutely adore this media cabinet from Restoration Hardware and have eyed it for a couple of years. I never bought it because I knew there was a very good chance we would move even though I didn't want to admit we were outgrowing our house. I immediately knew this was going to be in my living room when we picked this house. The best part is that hardware! I really wanted the same hardware on my kitchen cabinets, but I couldn't find a way to make them work since the doors aren't flush with the frame. Believe me I asked the cabinet maker for these kind of cabinets, but it's not something they offered. The skeleton keys are very cool too for the doors on the ends. I have to admit I take way too much joy in opening these doors.

I still have quite a few things to do for this room-coffee and end table, rug, drapes, pillows, artwork, accessories, and a chandelier. Eek! It almost seems done until I type out the list. Honestly, I'm just hoping to get the new tables, a rug and a lamp before Christmas. If that happens I will be a happy camper.

Next, I will be showing you the new dining buffet and entry table. I promise I won't take a month this time!