Cozy Home

Why is it always true that you "need a vacation from your vacation?"

We went out of town last week for a wedding in Biloxi, Mississippi, and between that and the busiest work week of the year topped off by my birthday, I'm tired! But so thankful to have a cozy home to relax at when I get the chance.

I actually put out my fall decor during Hurricane Irma...something about hurricanes makes me want to clean and get everything pretty. I didn't add a whole lot of new fall items this year since I'll be doing a major Christmas overhaul, but it was really fun to find new locations for some of my sparkly fall faves. Follow along with my mini fall tour starting in the kitchen, going through the dining room, and ending up in the den.

Kitchen

Dining Room

Living Room

Fall Front Porch

I absolutely love having a front porch. One of my favorite memories from childhood was countless hours sitting on our front porch swing reading a book, and as I got older, rocking in the wicker chairs while talking to my mom. Someday I'd like to add a front porch swing to the end of our porch, too, and maybe a rocking chair or two. 

For now, we've got a few pumpkins and mums ushering in the slightly cooler weather. Waking up and stepping out into cooler temps each morning really helps freshen my mind and get me focused on the day. On the weekends, I'll make a pot of coffee and sit out on the front porch with the pups enjoying the breeze and the beautiful fall light. 

I don't really decorate for Halloween, but apparently we live in a big trick-or-treating neighborhood. While I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to dress up as, I have no idea if I need to add something "Halloween-y" to the front of the house? Nothing scary, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! 

Wreath: TJ Maxx | Hanging Basket Stands: Kmart | Mums in Galvanized Buckets: Home Depot 

2017 Girly Gift Guide

Monogram Necklace | Michael Kors Jet Set Wristlet Wallet | Juicy Couture Watch | Pink Bluetooth Speaker | Charleston Rice Beads | Monogrammed Duck Boots | Will & Grace DVDs|
Sparkle Slippers

September 28, 2017: The first request for the birthday/Christmas list for the year. At that very moment, I couldn't think of anything I wanted and I was just two days away from birthday month! So I spent a few days trying to curate my annual list for the fam to help guide through the upcoming holiday season. Then I realized, I might be a grown up if I really want nice slippers for my birthday, and I can only think of house stuff and Christmas decor I'd like for my Christmas presents. So this truly is an "almost 26-year-old's birthday gift guide" through and through.

A few thoughts on the list: I love Will & Grace, and am so glad they're back! Last year, my grandmother sent me the first couple of seasons, so I'd love to finish out my collection of the original series. I love popping in a DVD before bed since I don't have a DVR in the bedroom; it's downstairs where I have almost 200 episodes of W&G recorded! Shoes are always a great gift for me because I really don't buy shoes for myself that often. I'm more of a clothes girl. I wear a size 8, and my monogram for the boots {and necklace!} are now pMd.

Speaking of monograms, you may have noticed a theme. The longer I'm married, the more monogrammed stuff I really want! This necklace is the "blogger monogram" that you've seen all over Instagram. I bought an acrylic one from Marley Lilly during a flash sale as somewhat of a trial run, and loved it until it cracked down the thin part of the M. So I definitely want a "real" one now. I'd love the gold tone XL necklace specifically!

A new watch has been a staple on my gift lists the last few years, and I truly feel like it's time for a change. I've had my watch that I wear daily since my first year of college, and it's starting to look a little worn but has served me well. I'm not normally a Juicy fan, but I love the gold, mother of pearl, and tiniest hint of pink!

These Charleston Rice Beads are probably going to be my go-to girlfriend gift this year because they come in so many colors! I'd like one of each of the metal colors like in the graphic below--they can be worn together or with other pieces, which I love. Speaking of girlfriend gifts, this precious pink portable Bluetooth speaker will definitely be this year's stocking stuffer and quick gift for gals. Y'all, it's so cute and tiny, has a 15 hour playback time, over 60 foot Bluetooth range, and is such a great price! It comes in black, gold, and silver, making it a great gift for anyone on your list.

One other thing that's a portable present: the wristlet wallet. I have been carrying my Michael Kors Jet Set Tote all summer and love it! The perfect brown leather tote with great pockets, durable straps, and isn't too heavy. But sometimes you just want to grab your wallet and run into the store. While my $10 sparkle wallet from TJ Maxx gets a ton of compliments, I find my self dangerously sitting it down more and more frequently--scary! I need the strap to keep my wallet on my wrist, and I love all the card slots, and the zipper pockets for cash and coins. I'm betting I could also zip up a lip gloss or two in there as well. The "acorn" color will match my purse perfectly, and can often be found on sale for less than $100.

So there we go! Birthday/Christmas list for 2017 is complete, and with 15 days to go. I'm sure I'll need to figure out a couples gift list which is so fun, and I'm contemplating a major Christmas decor overhaul this year too which might require a list of it's own. What are some of your favorite gifts to give for birthdays?

Front Door Before & After

Who doesn't love a red front door, right? I love them, but I just wasn't sure that it was me. I really struggled all spring and summer figuring out what I could put on and around the door other than our white "M" door hanger. I love pinks {surprise, surprise} and just felt so limited by the red door. I know it can be done, but again, it just didn't quite fit.

I went to Sherwin Williams earlier in the summer and picked from three almost identical colors, landing on "Cay." I waited until a few weeks ago to actually paint the door due to the intense South Georgia humidity. The helpful associate at SW encouraged me to use a multi-surface primer to cover the red, and their front door specific paint for the color. It's a semi-gloss that works on a variety of surfaces like wood and metal. The red on the door previously was a more matte color that always looked a little dingy and was hard to clean--I like a semi-gloss because it really pops and is much easier to wipe down. 

Ta da! Blue door! The first few days, I was really unsure how I felt about it. The door was a lot brighter than how it looked on the paint chip, but isn't that how it always is? I painted a week or two before it was really time to decorate for fall, so it felt a little "naked" if that makes sense. Once I began creating the fall scene surrounding the new pop of color, I began to love it! The blue works so well with the fall colors {more to come this week!} of our decor, and is just so fresh and new. I do honestly hope it fades a little, and I may whitewash it a bit for a slightly more muted color at some point. I'm also looking forward to documenting how the color works with Christmas and other holiday decor, but especially in the spring with all the pinks and greens! 

What do you think? Do you have a "better blue" color suggestion?