*affiliate links used

Happy weekend! We are so glad it’s here at our house! The first couple of weeks of a new school year are always a little exhausting aren’t they!? Getting back into the swing of the routines, activities, homework, bed times, wake times, ALL the times. All the things. We’re tired. :) It’s crazy hot on the coast this week but that hasn’t stopped me from lighting my new spice pumpkin candle and pulling out all things fall. Decorating for fall is so therapeutic isn’t it!? The warm colors and coziness of it all.. I’m excited!  I shared our living room decked for fall in July when the new Target/Studio Mcgee line came out and just wanted to let you all know a lot of the items that were sold out are back in stock! Really cute things for fall at great prices.

{sideboard table/sunken treasure art/stetson table lamps}

Ok.. 5 things Friday! Or Saturday. Or whenever you’re reading this. :) First up – a few things I’m putting away and rounding up.

Good-bye summer dishes!

And good-bye summer flowers.

{spice pumpkin candle/faux oversized bleached oak branch/faye linen textured pillow cover/reed striped lumbar pillow cover/mixed pinecone vase filler}

Why hello new spice pumpkin candle. Aren’t you smelling fabulous. :) PB has so many cute things in for fall right now! I couldn’t resist picking up a few new pillow covers and the most beautiful faux oak branches. Below are other faux florals from PB that caught my eye and are stunning for fall!

1- autumn oak branch  2- burgundy eucalyptus bundle   3- aspen tree branch

4- faux autumn tree branch  5- bleached oak branch  6- sumac branch

1- eucalyptus leaves   2- tera cotta autumn leaves   3- pampas grass

 4- plum ramosa leaves   5- japanese maple leaves   6- cimicifuga fall leaves

Afloral has beautiful options this year too!

I’m especially smitten with the plum ramosa leaves. :)

1- broom with light   2- crystal spider web   3- floating candles string lights

4- spider candy bowl   5- wreath with bats   6- bats light up doormat

I’m not a huge Halloween person (never have been!) but if you are going to do Halloween.. leave it to PB to make it cute. While still spooky. :) Above are my favorite PB picks for Halloween and below are the cutest pumpkins! So many festive options this year!

1- glass amber pumpkin   2- black jack-0-lanterns   3- pumpkin pillows

4- rattan pumpkins   5-rattan glass pumpkin   6- terracotta jack-o-lantern

I also thought these pumpkin shaped bowls were adorable.

You can see the whole collection here with this large tureen and a serving platter. So much fun it almost makes me want to cook! Almost. :)

The pumpkin bowls I just bought from Walmart are another cute option. Bring on the fall soup! As soon as the temps go back to normal around here. Anyone else decorating for fall this weekend? And swimming? :)

2) I ordered this WOW hair product from Amazon a few months ago (heard so many good things about it) and I have to say that it really is so good! It takes the humidity out of your hair and makes it so silky and smooth. 10 out of 10! I’ve loved it and I’m so grateful for it during this crazy humid heat wave.

3) I’ve been doing a little organizing here and there. Always nice to get lost in my thoughts while tidying up a drawer. Especially this drawer. Love my graphic tees. :) Most of my side of the closet is now organized.

My husband’s side is a different story! I did get him to go through his shirts and jackets and it felt so good to donate this pile. I’m trying to work on his side for 15-20 minutes every night because it’s driving me crazy and clearly he isn’t going to do it on his own. I don’t feel like my closet organization box can be checked off until both sides are equally clean! Wish me luck.

{black Vuori performance joggers/sunrise crop tank/halo performance tank/bts mascara/crest white strips/zone perfect bars/T3 blowdryer}

4) I miss Ellie. So much still. I’m doing better but still have moments of major sadness that just take over. I think I’m kind of mourning the phase of life with my 3 kids all home with me all the time. I’ve always known this transition would be hard for me. I remember writing this post 4 years ago already gearing up for it and here we are. El has been making friends and getting in a new routine but she is homesick so I worry about her too. I know it just takes time and we will both work our way through this, but until then we are texting and FaceTiming a lot. And I am sending fun care packages. :) Above are a few of her favorite things I just sent with a friend traveling her way! For years she has been borrowing and wearing my black Vuori performance joggers.  I had to make sure they didn’t accidentally slide into her suitcase when she was packing! I finally just bought her her own pair. She will want them in every color now because that’s what happens once you wear these. I sent her favorite gum and mascara and Zone bars and Crest white strips (she wanted to try them – I’ve never used them but Kenny has and really likes them!). I sent chick-fil-a gift cards because I have a feeling she’s there a lot. :) I also sent my old T3 blow dryer because I got me a new white T3 and am passing this beloved dryer down. Thick haired girls need to stick together and help each other out. ;)

{black Vuori performance joggers}

Me in the joggers that almost moved to college with my daughter. :) Kenny ran a half this summer training for the marathon he’s running in October. Wish I had half of his motivation when it comes to exercise. Although he can’t take ALL of the credit. I sit at the finish line of these races and cheer him on with my bag of chips like nobody’s business.

He’d be lost without me. Ha.

5) This post is a book so I’ll wrap it up with a few random pics from our week! Addison performed as Mae Tuck in the show Tuck Everlasting. As soon as we got home from taking El to college her tech week started. I was grateful for the distraction for her because it kept her too busy to be sad about her sister! She was amazing and I was so proud to say “yes.. I’m the mother of the mother” to anyone who asked. :)

Speaking of my runner he had a birthday this week and turned 47! Ahhh! We are getting old. Also ahhhh! I hate fish.

So of course he loves it. Grateful I have this one to keep me smiling every day. :)

Fidel’s in Solana Beach is one of my favorites for Mexican if you’re local or visiting! I’ll take enchiladas over fish any day please.

August was the month of birthdays and I think this week alone I celebrated 4! For one friend’s birthday we went to Coronado and had dinner at Hotel Del.

It was such a beautiful summer night! If you’ve never been to Hotel Del add it to your bucket list!

You can rent fire pits on the beach by the hour and make s’mores. :)

Good-bye to a wonderful summer and cheers to making this a wonderful September!

No more fish and we are off to a good start.

:)

*This post is sponsored by Walmart. All product selections and opinions are my own!  

Made it through the week! One day at a time over here. I can’t thank you all enough for your sweet comments/messages after my last post. Your words of kindness, encouragement and “I feel your pain but it does get better wisdom” were just what I needed. THANK YOU for always being such a soft spot to fall. Things will feel sunny around here again in no time.. I’m sure of it. :) In fact today was a better day. I only cried once (progress). I also cranked up my air conditioning, lit my spice candle and started dreaming of all things fall!

Then I made a fun fall treat for my crew and some friends. I ordered a set of these beautiful stoneware dishes months ago from Walmart and was saving them for fall. When I recently ordered some groceries on-line I saw that there was a matching set – pumpkin stoneware! The cutest pumpkin jar and lid along with four pumpkin bowls for just $24! I ordered two sets immediately and can’t wait to use them for entertaining and for soup! Nothing like hot soup in a pumpkin shaped bowl when the temps drop. That usually doesn’t happen until November for us so until then..

I will use them to make fun charcuterie boards. My idea of cooking! I put nuts in my cute pumpkin bowls and then just added some fun fall snacks. And by “fall snacks” I just mean anything that has warm fall colors. If you can find leaf cookies too.. bonus. :)

I added pears and various cheese options on a separate plate when it was time to eat. So fun right!? It was delicious and made us all feel excited for the upcoming season.

I also ordered this matching stoneware pitcher to hold fall leaves or grass. Such a fun set! Aside from being perfect for charcuterie boards, soup, treats and entertaining, these dishes will also look beautiful displayed in my kitchen and will double as fall decor. That’s always a win in my book!

We are taking wins pretty seriously at my house at the moment. :)

This weekend I’ll be cranking up the air and pulling out more fall! Have you started decorating yet? Once my kids get in a good school routine it is always GAME ON for me. Speaking of game on.. football is coming! I love football season because Kenny is always in the BEST mood when football is on. Which usually translates to more fall decor and pumpkin dishes for me. Below are a few more Walmart fall favorites! I love everything in this collage and already ordered the rug and baskets!

I’ll pull those out during a game.

;)

1-round jute rug   2- bamboo cutting board   3- rattan pendant light

4- candle   5- flatware set   6- floor lamp   7- stripe rug

8- round dining table   9- rattan dining chair   10-storage basket set

{POST SOURCES}

*affiliate links used

Hello friends! Also hello (and almost good-bye) to August! I’ve missed you all! I’ve missed blogging. Here’s a little (but also sort of long) re-cap of what we’ve been up to. I’m also sharing everything I bought for Ellie’s dorm room for those of you who are also sending kids to college this year or next!

August. It was the best of times.. it was the worst of times. ;) By the end of July summer was winding down with the kids so we decided to make the most of our time together during August.

We took the kids (and two close friends) ;) to Disneyland and had such a good time. Even waiting in line was fun with this crew. Our family is easily entertained.. ha.

Then the next day we packed up Ellie’s bedroom and she said good-bye to all of her friends in San Diego. Along with laughter and fun lots of tears have been shed this month. :( More on that at the end of this post.

We traveled to northern Utah and spent some time in this cozy cabin in Sundance. I knew we would be traveling for a couple of weeks and had planned to continue blogging during our time here, but the internet connection was terrible! We had lousy service and I was bummed I couldn’t post. The upside was that we had several days of uninterrupted family time which is always a good thing!

*Thank you to everyone who reached out to make sure we were ok! It meant so much to me that you noticed and missed my posts. I would have announced a little blog break if it was planned so I’m sorry about the crickets with no warning! Summer and travel and life (and bad wi-fi) ;) sort of took over this month.

Isn’t this just beautiful!? We hiked all over these mountains and watched movies and played games and just relaxed together. My husband and I live by the ocean now, but we both grew up and feel the most at home in places like this. The Utah mountains (especially in the summer!) are truly our happy place and we both dream of owning a cabin someday. Well.. truth. I dream of building or re-modeling and decorating a cabin someday and my husband dreams of napping in one. ;)

After some time in Sundance we took Addison to a summer camp for a week with a friend and picked up my nephew (Kole’s bestie) and drove to our hometown in southern Utah. We stayed at this fun vacation rental for a week to spend some time with family.

The boys spent a week living their best lives!

While Ellie and I got moving on all things college dorm.

{bath towels/table air fan/power strip surge protector w/ extension cord}

I waited to buy some things for her dorm because I wanted to see what we really needed and had space for, but these are a few things I knew she would need and bought ahead of time. Towels, a small fan, and cord for her phone/computer, etc.

{favorite sheets/nonstick pan/egg spatula/accent table lamp}

Like her mom El isn’t a big cook :) but she does love eggs for breakfast! I knew she would need her own pan and our favorite egg spatula. We also ordered our favorite Amazon sheets for her bed and this cute lamp for her desk.

{blue rope lights/clear acrylic jewelry organizer/wastebasket/mattress cover/white comforter}

El has these LED strip lights up in her bedroom at home and loves them so we picked up the blue lights for her dorm. I ordered a garbage can, jewelry box for her earrings, mattress pad/cover, and a white comforter. El picked out some posters of music groups she likes to hang on the wall.

This acrylic jewelry box ended up having 4 drawers for earrings and two drawers with large spots for bracelets and necklaces. It’s so cute I ordered another one for Addison!

{woven and glass soap pump/toothbrush holder/woven tissue cover}

I also picked up this cute soap holder, cup and tissue cover. Not for El but for my bathroom at home.. ha. Couldn’t resist!

After a fun week with family it was time for Kenny and I to divide and conquer. He had to take Addison and Kole back to San Diego to start school. I was staying with El to get her dorm ready. It was time for Kenny and the kids to say good-bye to Ellie and it was a rough night for our family. Addison and Kole are so close to their big sister. We all just cried. And hugged and cried some more. Kole couldn’t get to sleep that night he was sobbing so hard. I laid by him and hugged him and he told me “mom.. this is the saddest I’ve ever been.. it’s just too big.” I told him that we are so lucky that we are such a close family that it feels so big. That we will talk to Ellie every day and see her again before we know it. That everything was going to be ok. But tears were rolling down my cheeks and I was feeling the bigness of it too.

The next morning Ellie and I woke up with puffy eyes and tried to re-group and get excited about organizing her room. When we pulled up at the building the football team was lined up to help kids move into the dorms. So much fun! They were all pumped up and playing music and tossing bags and suitcases into big bins to take up the elevators. We got everything moved into her room, snapped a couple of pictures and then got to work!

{extra large moving bags/luggage}

We ordered these extra large moving bags to move all of her things from San Diego and they were perfect! Strong and durable and easy to carry. We packed a lot into each bag. El is in a dorm with 6 girls and 4 of the rooms are private! One room is shared with 2 girls and then they have a common living area with a couch and a little kitchen. We got on the list early so she was able to get her own room. It’s tiny but so nice and new! I only had a day and a half before I had to head back to San Diego so our goal was to get everything moved in and organized. The decorating could wait! We started decorating but plan on adding some things over the next few months. Ellie is a minimalist and didn’t want much in her room and really it’s so small that it will feel cluttered quickly so we kept things pretty simple! After lots of sweat (it was SO hot), hard work and multiple trips to a near by Target we went from this picture above..

to this. We ended up just putting the blue lights around her window and she loves them at night!

{white comforter/mattress pad}

Simple white bedding (always a good thing) and we will add an accent pillow or two later. Her floors are beautiful! We didn’t want to cover them much or have a rug that got in the way of the desk chair so we went with this small faux fur rug to just add a little something and give her a soft spot to step on when she wakes up. I also bought her this faux fur blanket to match and use when it cools off.

We organized her clothes and packed the drawers that came in her room pretty full! I lined up her shoes on top of the drawers.

We had a little extra space under her bed so we added this white 4-drawer tower for extra storage and this white laundry hamper to hold her bags. The laundry hamper rolls so it’s easy to get in and out of the corner when she needs something.

{artificial grass plant/natural frame/green frame/green bowl/clear acrylic jewelry organizer}

Her shelf is a work in progress but we found a cute faux plant (I had to give it a haircut to fit!) and a green bowl and a couple of frames we need to get pictures for. We didn’t have another spot for her jewelry box (she didn’t want it on her desk) so up it went! I ordered a step ladder for her so she can reach things easily.

She has a large wall space between her desk and shelf. We measured it so that we can find something cute for that space. Maybe some art or a wall of pictures. I suggested a bulletin board of some sort but she’s not feeling it so we’re still tossing around ideas.

Ellie has loved her stuffed animals her whole life and couldn’t leave home without a few that are especially sentimental. :)

{water bottle/accent table lamp/table air fan/plant in plant stand/make-up mirror}

Her desk turned out cute with a few essentials! In a month or two she can move the fan (did I mention how hot it was!?).

This plant in a plant stand is too cute! She brought her favorite make-up mirror from home. I left that note in her car two years ago before a football game. She put it on her mirror and hasn’t taken it off since. :)

It was so hot on moving day (did I mention that? I think I did.) ;) and El loves the sound of a fan at night when she sleeps so we ended up buying this 5-speed tower fan in addition to the small fan on her desk. It’s awesome and I was so grateful to have it on while we were working in her room! It’s going to be perfect for her because it packs a big punch but doesn’t take up much space. She’s planning to leave this fan up all year but will move the desk fan when it cools off.

We hung some of her posters on the wall above her fan. More posters are coming in the mail so she can cover a lot of that wall with favorite musicians. Blue painters tape for the win once again! :)

I bought this cute green striped bag for her laundry. So great because it has straps and can be worn as a backpack when it’s full! Perfect to toss on her back to take when it’s time to do laundry.

{medium gray W-weave storage basket/half medium gray W-weave storage basket}

Her closet is open to the room and took a few hours to put together but we were so happy when it was done! Hoodies, tops, tanks.. everything is organized. We folded her jeans on the shelf in-between her clothes. She has quite a bit of closet space for a dorm! So nice. I bought some cute gray storage bins to set on top for extra random items.

Like I said the decor it’s still a work in progress, but we were so happy to get all of her things moved in and at least put away and organized!

The girls have some shelf space in their bathroom below the sink and in by their shower so I don’t think she’ll need a caddy to carry bathroom items. I had this plush shag rug as an option for her room that we didn’t use so we put it in the bathroom. I wanted to share it because it’s such a great bathroom rug! Really soft and doesn’t slip. It comes in a gray and pink too. This white will probably get dirty but one nice thing about Target rugs – you can toss most of them in the wash and they come out great!

We finished her room and had a couple of hours left to spend together. We cried a lot. And laughed. And hugged. And cried some more. Saying good-bye to my sweet girl was heartbreaking for me.

I was literally dropping her off at Kindergarten and blogging about it all 5 minutes ago! I left her dorm and SOBBED. I drove to my parents house that night and then left for San Diego the next morning. My parents walked me out to my car before I left and I was crying and said to them “I’m so sorry I married Kenny and moved to Virginia!” We were all laughing in-between sobs but really – I get it now! How hard it is as a parent when your babies grow up and move out. I waved good-bye and pulled out of the driveway with my mom yelling “drive safe and text us when you get to Barstow! Then call when you get home!” I’m 45 years old and my mom still worries about me driving home safe. I’m worried about Ellie being sad and she is worried about me being sad about Ellie being sad. Moms never stop worrying and loving their kids!

The drive back to San Diego felt longer than ever and I went through that entire box of tissues. Even my time management podcasts and audible books didn’t cheer me up (a first for me)! I’ve been home now for a few days and I’m still in such a funk. Something just feels off with her gone. I know I just need time. I know she is in such a good place and ready for this. I know she is going to do amazing things. But knowing all of that doesn’t make it hurt any less. It hurts when I pull in to our garage and her car isn’t there. It hurts when I go to the grocery store and remember to get “crunchy” grapes (El doesn’t like them too soft) and then remember I don’t need grapes at all because really she was the only one who ate them. When I check on my kids at night before I go to bed like I have every night since they were born and pass her empty bedroom with the fan turned off. It hurts. There is an ache in my heart and a lump in my throat that just isn’t leaving yet.

I’ve been trying to give myself some grace and just sit in the sadness of it all. This week I’m going to try to do the little things that always help when I’m sad and in a funk. Time outside in the sunshine, exercise, lunch/phone calls with good friends and of course.. organizing, decorating and blogging about it all. As sad as I am you can expect my house to be pretty decked for Fall this year with every drawer in tip top shape! Ha. Really though – organizing and decorating are always the best therapy for me.

To any moms going through this same thing (or to anyone reading who is going through a difficult time) hang in there. We won’t always feel this way! This hard phase of life will pass and get better with time. That doesn’t make it any less hard or sad, but it does help to remember. I wish I could meet you for lunch with a box of tissues and give you a huge hug.

Since we can’t all do that.. let’s get started on that junk drawer.

;)

*Everything we bought for El’s dorm is linked below! 

This post is sponsored by Walmart and affiliate links are used. All product selections and opinions are my own! 

I can’t believe we are nearing the end of July! We must be because this is the time of year my Crepe Myrtle trees start showing off. Isn’t this tree on the side of my backyard stunning this year!? I’ve shared pictures of a different pink Crepe Myrtle tree in my yard in previous years.. sadly that tree has gone into shock and isn’t doing well. I’m trying to save it! This tree must have known I was bummed about it and decided to cheer me up. It has never looked so beautiful! I fell in love with Crepe Myrtle trees when Kenny and I lived on the East Coast and couldn’t wait to plant them in our yard when we built our house. I just can’t get over how beautiful they are when they bloom. I could stare at them all day! But I have children to take care of and other things to photograph to share with all of you so I don’t. ;)

Sharing a few random home updates today! And a little organization because why not? :) You might remember back in March I bought this cute wicker 3 piece furniture set for my backyard. I mentioned that I originally wanted a larger set for this space, but it sold out so I ordered this set instead. Then the larger set I wanted came back in stock so I bought it. I love this little set but..

doesn’t this look so much better here!? Scale! Such a good example of how important scale is when you are putting together a room. This set fills in the space so much better and makes it feel even larger.

{4 piece wicker furniture set/light blue pillows/navy rug/white garden stool}

Because the furniture took up more room I moved the console table over to the wall by my pool towels and ta-da! Complete. Other than flowers! I added this white garden stool we’ve had for years and I’m going to buy some flowers to set next to the chairs when I have time. Isn’t this the cutest furniture!? I’m still in shock at the price for this entire set! I’ve seen similar single outdoor chairs for triple the price. Definitely my favorite summer purchase this year.

{towel rack/console table}

My favorite summer purchase of all time? My coat rack turned pool towel holder. But you already knew that. :) I ordered some new pool towels because ours were getting so faded and I love how such a practical thing that we use every day doubles as decor. Always the goal right? Why not make life beautiful?

Our yard is a busy spot in the summer with lots of friends coming over to swim and after constantly going in and out to get everyone water I finally came up with a better solution! I ordered this 3 gallon beverage dispenser, plastic tumblers, and this round serving bowl. The beverage dispenser has an ice column in the middle so you can keep things cold. Now when friends are coming over to swim I set this out with little bowls for fruit and keep everyone hydrated without 15 trips in and out of the house. Work smarter not harder right!? :) The console table is a perfect spot to set water and snacks because it’s covered (our outdoor table is out in full sun). I’ve loved having this console table for storage too!

My little pool storage closet on the side of our house had seen better days. It’s always a mess by mid summer! I took it on this week as one of my 15 minute daily organizing projects.

25 minutes later (went a bit over!) it looked like this. Much better! Floats are all in the pool at the moment and then I got rid of things that we weren’t using anymore. Going forward this closet will be for the pool floats, beach boards and chairs and for larger toys. The smaller pool toys I moved to my console!

These baskets are perfect to hold all of the squirt guns, goggles and smaller toys.

The little set I originally bought? It’s in this cozy corner for now. I might set it out on our front porch at some point, but right now I’m loving it here. We never use these french doors off of our formal living room and this spot has a pretty view of the pool and yard. Kenny and I like to go on a walk or hike in the evenings and then sit out here and chat. :) These blue outdoor throw pillows are so soft and are only $12 right now! I couldn’t resist picking up a few more at that price.

One of my goals this summer was to add more seating around our yard. Mission accomplished!

All of the outdoor furniture sets I’ve bought and love are linked below! I have been so impressed with Walmart’s beautiful but affordable options for home lately – both inside and outside.

Here are a few other home favorites I have from Walmart. Remember this marble end table I recently bought? It started in my family room..

{round marble end table}

but landed in my living room. I love it in both places. Such a great little table for the price.

{mainstays white desk/modern gold table lamp/white velvet office chair}

We’ve loved this white desk and velvet chair in Addison’s bedroom (I need to take a current pic w/o the winter art – ha). This corner in her bedroom is on the small side so it was hard to find a desk that would fit! This velvet office chair comes in a pink too. Score on both!

{rattan table lamp}

These rattan lamps in our guest room are beautiful too.

I rounded up a few other favorites I found on-line below! Enjoy your day! It’s almost the weekend. :)

1 – round marble end table   2 – larissa sofa   3 – faux agave plant

4 – round jute rug   5 – wood base loveseat   6 – rattan accent chair   7 – rattan storage basket set

1 – pleated white bedding  2 – white velvet office chair  3 – blush throw pillows

4 – modern arch floor mirror 5 – rattan table lamp 6 – rustic gray dresser 7 – outdoor wicker set

*affiliate links used

We are soaking up and enjoying the last days of summer and I’m in no rush for it to end! But fall is right around the corner and I can’t help feeling excited for that too. School supplies, routines, and a schedule.. oh my! I do love a good schedule. :) You know what else I love about fall? The decor! It’s my favorite! Ok.. Christmas decor is actually my favorite. But fall decor takes a close second. :) I’ve been wanting to give our living room a re-fresh in darker tones so it felt like time to add a few touches of fall.

Almost everything new in this space is from the new Studio Mcgee line at Target and I couldn’t love it more! The colors are so rich and beautiful – cream, mahogany, chestnut brown, moss green.. they add so much warmth and richness to this space. Some items sold out already, but I heard they are re-stocking certain items soon so keep checking back if there’s something you love!

{amber glass vase/faux olive branches/ribbed glass candle/round marble end table}

I decided to bring my little marble end table into this space and love the way it ties in with everything. I added some of my favorite faux olive branches to a pretty amber vase and placed a candle next to them. Easy and done!

{oversized basketweave pillow/floral block pillow}

I love bringing a variety of patterns and textures in when I’m decorating for fall and these pillows made that so easy!

{woven geo striped pillow/green floral printed pillow/oversized woven windowpane pillow/color block boucle throw}

They are all so different but compliment one another so beautifully. Takes the guess work out of decorating!

I updated our photo wall with recent family pictures and added a fun fall print at the top. I like the little pop of something different! I might change the frame to black at some point.. always tweaking things around here. :)

{black floor lamp}

I’m also excited about this new lamp! It comes in both a black and gold and is sold out at the moment, but I’m hoping it’s one of the items that comes back in stock!

{textured striped lumbar throw pillow/green basket weave knit throw}

Cozy green throws for the win! I’m going to pull in lots of green this fall throughout my home because #1 Green is beautiful and I love it! And #2 it will make things easy to transition to Christmas decor. This throw comes in several other colors too.

{dough bowl/vintage floral canvas/footed camel ceramic vase/smoked glass vase/cream vintage vase/homebody/made for living}

My shelves aren’t done (another area I’m always tweaking!), but I’m off to a good start with a few beautiful pieces.

{large magnolia leaf potted/rattan arched wall mirror/similar hexagon mirror here & here}

I’ve been wanting a new mirror for this space and I fell hard for this rattan mirror but it wasn’t quite big enough for this mantel. My solution? Time to layer! I love the mix of the two unique mirrors together. I also love these beautiful potted magnolia leaves!

{textured striped lumbar throw pillow}

I always get excited when it’s time to pull out the rust orange. Take me to the pumpkin patch!

{dark wood bowl/handled vintage vase/large fern/woven tray with handle/landscape canvas}

 A few rich, warm accents on my shelves help complete the look!

{plum cimicifuga leaves/lid cream canister/small canister/similar gold tray}

I kept my coffee table decor simple with these beautiful faux plum cimicifuga leaves (love them!) and two cute little canisters on a gold tray.

I’ve loved my navy drapes but I’m thinking about switching them out for something more neutral at some point this year. We will have been in this house NINE years this October (can you believe that!?). I’ve been itching to update a few things and drapes are on my list!

So are light fixtures. I’ve been looking for something fun for this space and will share it as soon as I decide. I’m SLOW when it comes to decisions on items like light fixtures and large furniture because I know I’ll have them in my home for years. What will last another 9? :)

For now I’m enjoying these new fall updates that made this room feel brand new all over again!

Bring on the schedule! Fall I am almost ready for you. :)

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Happy weekend! I hope you had a good week! We’ve had lots of kids in and out and lots of outside time.. summer is in full force! We also had a fun scheduled visit by my electricians. I love my electricians. They installed every light in my house when we built it and know me well. :) I have been wanting to switch out this dining room light fixture for years! There are so many beautiful options that it took me a while to find “the one.” I can be a mix of picky and indecisive while at the same time know exactly what I want and will be happy with anything. Ha. It’s a skill I’ve perfected over time that drives my husband crazy and is why he calls me the “most low maintenance/high maintenance person he’s ever met.”

I’m tricky like that. ;)

Anyway.. back to the light. It was time for an update!

Hellooo beautiful!

{nottaway chandelier}

This nottaway chandelier is what I ultimately chose and to say I’m in love would be an understatement! It’s hard to tell in this picture just how beautiful this fixture is and how much it changed the way this space feels.

It’s tricky to photograph because of the surrounding windows and doors! It comes in a gold but I chose the bronze and I love the finish. It’s light and airy.. a mix of traditional and modern.

I love the way the bronze finish looks with my zinc table. Mixed metals has been one of my favorite design trends the past few years!

It also works well with our kitchen pendants which is what kept me from going with other fixtures I liked. That’s the tricky part about light selection I learned quickly when we were building. You can’t just pick out lights you love. The goal is to find a light you love that also works with/compliments the surrounding lights in your space. Sometimes easier said than done!

{Pine Brooke Diamond Rug/Abbott Dining table in concrete/similar chairs here}

I especially love how this light doesn’t get in the way of our view out of these windows. Our nook actually feels larger with the new light.. it has been such a happy update! (Right up until Addison said it reminds her of a light that would be in Vecna’s house in Stranger Things season 4.. ha ha) 

I still love it! :) I’m honestly obsessed with this style of light and have been for a while. I found so many fun options at different price points when I was looking for this fixture so I rounded them all up for you below..

1 –woodhouse iron chandelier   2- saxon  chandelier   3- bosley rattan chandelier

4- gold light fixture   5- nottaway chandelier   6– farmhouse chandelier

7- rowan 4-light chandelier   8- rohan collection 6-light chandelier   9- modern farmhouse chandelier

Can I be honest and admit that part of the reason I’ve always wanted a light like this is because I can totally picture it draped in greenery during the holidays! Can you see it too!?

Can’t wait. :)

I spent lots of time working in our backyard this past week too. We were traveling so much during the beginning of summer that I didn’t have time to get my outdoor spaces clean!

I like to pull our furniture out in this space once or twice a year and sweep the flagstone.

I ordered a new rug for this space and wanted it clean before I laid it down. It always feels so good to get rid of dirt and cobwebs! This space gets a lot of sun and I’ve learned that I have to just plan on replacing this rug every 2-3 years. Between the sun and the kids my outdoor rugs get pretty trashed! I’m over spending a lot of money on them for sure.

{navy stripe outdoor rug}

I looked on-line at so many options! I really wanted this rug to go with the smaller rugs around my yard, but it doesn’t come in a 9×12 which is what I need for this space. I finally landed on this beautiful navy stripe outdoor rug and was so excited! The right size, the right color, a great price and it works well with my other rugs and pillows.

Plus I’ve never met a stripe I didn’t like. :)

It feels durable too! And you can spray it off with the hose to clean it. Perfect for my messy crew. :)

I need to add pillows and flowers but it feels so good just to have this space clean again!

*Tips for how I clean some of my outdoor furniture cushions in this post. 

In other fun news the N sale is now open to everyone! Yea! There are still so many fun things in stock this year. My marble serving board in ebony is still in stock. So beautiful!

{marble & wood serving board/similar ebony serving board}

These beautiful boards are also still in stock and the small white marble board makes a great gift! I’ve given it lots as a gift with this favorite board book. :)

I love these small boards for decor too.. you can see another one layered on this top shelf.

My marble lazy susan is still in stock too! Looks cute in kitchen corners or next to the stovetop holding salt and pepper. :)

My bowl sold out but this beautiful marble cake stand is still in stock. I’m excited about it for cakes and decorating!

This adorable strawberry wood cutting board is one of my favorite N sale purchases this year. TOO CUTE. I love it for summer! Lighting is off on my marble because this was just delivered tonight so I took a quick cell phone pic to show you.

Isn’t it fun!? it looks cute turned sideways too.

{abstract wall art/amsterdam framed art print}

I love the fun art prints that are on sale each year during the N sale – these frames are so beautiful! This year I ordered these two prints above. I didn’t mean for them to be a pair but I’m kind of loving them stacked together like this so I might need to re-think where I’m putting them.  The warm colors will be perfect for Fall!

I rounded up some other favorites below! You might recognize several of them that are currently in my home. :)

1- Amsterdam framed art   2- island framed art

3- beach summer art   4- pineapple wall art   5- cape kiwanda art

6- abstract wall art   7- ocean dreams waves   8- tower 23 wall art

9- beach splash   10- earthly abstract   11-provincial art

If you’re shopping the N sale and want to see my favorites this year (a lot are still in stock!) check out the posts below and let me know what you got that you are loving! Enjoy your weekend!

N sale round-up

N sale try on

N sale old favorites/boys

N sale try on/rug/tops/coats jewelry/girls