Fall nesting

Hello everybody! Hope you had a lovely fall weekend! In between some fun I was able to get a few little things done around the house and get a bit of fall decor out as well.

I’ve actually been tackling some little projects over the past week or so – including a LOT of cleaning and organizing. Our home has felt like a mess even weeks after the construction in the family room was completed. So I’ve been addressing the piles o’ crap everywhere and finishing up small projects along the way.

I’ve been planning to paint this mirror frame for weeks now:

I went back and forth on a color and actually started painting it a brick red color – which would look GREAT for fall. But I quickly realized come spring and summer that the color would feel really off in this room.

I don’t want to add too much more gray to this room but I felt like it needed some balancing out – so I went with gray. ;) It really feels right with that color on the fireplace across the room too.

I LOVE how it looks with the finish on that table, the white walls and the green lamps:

It’s cloudy and dark here today, hence the darker photos. You’ll see I also finished up that little bit of trim on the board and batten. The trim that’s still not painted. :) But at least it’s all done and ready for paint.

By the way, I framed out that mirror myself years ago. It used to live in the chocolate brown dining room and you can see how I made it here.

A wall in the old office has been without the top trim since July – I finally got that replaced (we saved a lot of the old trim so I just reused what I had for most of it). It still needs painting as well – do you sense a pattern here? But I got some art up on one wall that is done:

Which totally makes me feel like I’m getting to the home stretch in this room! Hanging stuff signifies (almost) completion to me. :)

I focused on the upstairs too and changed up the decor on the bedroom mantel to warm it up a bit:

Those walls STILL haven’t been painted to go with the new dark gray wall – but I do love that gray/green color for fall. It feels very cozy! I also cleaned the gas fireplace glass in preparation for the colder months. Today we’re supposed to have an unusually warm day but after that it’s going to get chilly for good.

And speaking of fireplaces – when I shared the new completed one in the family room a couple weeks ago some of you suggested painting the crown molding at the top. You were so right and I seriously stared at it every. single. day. wanting that white gone.

It finally bugged me so much I got up on the ladder late last night while I watched Revenge and got it painted to match the rest of the fireplace:

Ahhhh. SO much better. Now I can quit twitching. :)

Today my goal is to get the garage cleaned out so I can actually reach the rest of our fall decor. The boy is begging for some Halloween so I must comply.

It feels SO good to get little projects like these done! I’m really wanting to focus on some other areas of the house but my goal is to get the family room done this week – I’m going to make it happen!! I LOVE this time of year – fluffing, cleaning, getting ready to host family and friends and warming up the house. I’m one of those weirdos that actually enjoys the colder months. (Until about February or so.)

Have you done anything around the house to prep for fall and winter? I can’t believe it but I’m already starting to think about the holidays – every year I’m determined not to be rushing around and every year I’m rushing around. We’ll see if this year is any different. :)

Fall table ideas

Hello my friends! I’m EXCITED – first of all because this is my first chance to show off some of the Better Homes and Gardens products (a super cool opportunity I told you about here) but also because I finally did some fall decorating!

My mission this month is to show you how to use these pretty products to get your home holiday ready – and I’m focusing on the kitchen table. I’m SO thrilled to have a big beautiful table to sit at for Thanksgiving this year! I showed you the unfinished table we purchased a few weeks ago and asked for your advice on keeping it’s natural beauty. A few folks on Instagram recommended a liming wax – something I had never tried. I looked up examples of it and LOVED the look of it. So I tried it out…and hated it. :) Wah wahhhh.

The table is too light to begin with – it just basically white washed it and I quickly realized that was not the look I was going for. In photos I’ve seen of this wax it really shows off the beauty of the wood, but it made our table look really bland. I was so disappointed.

So I sanded down the section I worked on and just went with a wax – which was my gut reaction to do anyway:

You can see there how it really pulls the grain out and shows it off!

I just used a basic furniture wax – it’s easy to do but it takes some time. I tried two methods – a rag and then this wax brush:

The brush worked much better – it was just easier to get it deep into the wood and I could get plenty on there.

After applying it you’ll want to let it sit for a bit and then wipe/buff it down:

As you buff (this takes some muscle) you’ll see that shine come through – I used the light from the windows to see where I needed to buff some more. It came out SO well and at least for now I love the natural look of the table. What’s great is if I ever change my mind I can sand it down and start over. :)

Because the table is so pretty as is I wanted to go with a simpler, natural fall table setting as well. I picked up these pumpkins at Walmart and gave them a little makeover:

I’ve seen so many chalk paint pumpkins in blogland but man – it was taking FOREVER to paint them. So I went with my trusty spray paint. It never fails me. ;) I sprayed a couple coats of primer and then a very light coat of the Heirloom White color so they weren’t stark white. It warmed them up nicely.

I found this natural runner in the BHG line and knew right away it would be perfect:

I actually layered two on the table since it’s so long – a nice problem to have. :)

I took a picture of the packaging on a couple items since some of them aren’t online yet. This is what you can look for in the store: 

The runner was the perfect backdrop to the more subdued table setting. I’m OBSESSED with the BHG hobnail plates (on the bottom):

I’ve looked at these EVERY year and admired them. They were just starting to stock them in my local store so I grabbed the beige color plates (these are called Arlington) and topped them with bowls I already had. These are really beautiful – I just love them and they are SO much more affordable than the high end versions out there.

I love how BHG incorporated owls and foxes into their fall line this year – the cream owl salt and pepper shakers had to come home with me:

This pumpkin cookie jar matches them perfectly – I used it as a centerpiece to hold my fall hydrangeas:

 

You can see the cute lid to the left. It’s labeled a cookie jar but I think it would pretty holding rolls or other foods on a Thanksgiving table too.

I sprinkled some pine cones along the runner as well – they smell amazing!:

The bags came with leaves and little bitty pumpkins as well – this is the perfect fall filler:

And it can easily stick around till Christmas! Bonus.

Because I can’t ever resist a cute placemat pillow – I picked up a couple of these and made quick pillows for the parson’s chairs:

These placemats weren’t the kind you can open up and fill so I just sewed some basic muslin I had on the back and then filled them. They were less than $2 each – can you believe that? They’re not just a print either, it’s all woven. I couldn't believe the price.

I LOVE how it all came together! It makes the whole family room and kitchen feel so warm and cozy. I want to bake a turkey right now:

The plates and glasses will be put away till the big dinner but I’m keeping the rest out until then. It’s too pretty not to:

There’s still a lot that will happen in this area – the board and batten will go up on that back wall after the new doors are installed (hopefully by the end of the month?): And eventually a big window seat will sit in the bay window – can’t WAIT!:

But for now I’ll focus on the pretty, finished parts of the room – like a big table ready for big meals!:

LOVE it! Anymore I don’t like my table settings to be too fancy – I like it to feel welcoming and warm and a spot where people want to sit and stay awhile. You don’t have to spend a ton of money or go crazy with the decor in order to do just that. (You can see my fall table from last year here.)

Keep a look out online and in Walmart stores for the fall and Christmas Better Homes and Gardens entertaining items! I was able to find everything I used in my local store. Will you be hosting Thanksgiving this year? The older I get the more I like the holiday – it’s such a fun, relaxing day for us.

 

I received compensation from BHG at Walmart for my time and participation in the BHG Live Better Network. All experiences and opinions are my own. Follow BHG on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

Warm fall touches

HELLO! First up, thanks to those of you who emailed about my header missing. I noticed it Friday but thought it was just a glitch…but it’s still down. I’m checking in with the designer to see what needs to happen. I have a new design coming soon (finally!!) but it would be nice to have something up there till then. ;)

So a few weeks ago I was itching to bring some warmer colors into the family room. This time of year has me wanting to use more reds, browns and oranges – which I used to use EVERYWHERE but don’t anymore. In the warmer months I don’t mind our more neutral pallet but fall calls for some color!

I picked up these pretty napkins at World Market to make some pillows:

I’ve told you of my obsession with using table linens for pillows many times…the love runs deep my friends. So cheap and easy! But then I noticed I already had a piece of this pretty fabric in my stash:

It’s called Kalita Spice and I picked up some from Calico Corners over a year ago. I think it must have been a remnant because I had less than a yard – only enough to make one pillow. I fell in love with it all over again and knew I wanted to use this instead!

I checked in with CC but they didn’t have anymore so I ended up ordering a yard through Amazon (from Fabric.com) -- with our prime membership I avoided the shipping fee from Fabric.com. Whoot!

I dusted off the sewing machine and got to work. Here's the thing – I used to be so intimidated by my sewing machine but I PROMISE you it’s not that hard. I think the hardest part of using one is getting it set up with the thread and bobbin and all that jazz – after that all you do is plug it in and do your best to sew a straight line.

I measured the size I needed (my pillow inserts are 20 inches square but I make my pillows a little less than that) and started cutting – if you are going to do any sewing or working with fabric a decent pair of fabric scissors will save you a lot of frustration:

My cutting is never perfect, so after I lay the two pieces of fabric (face to face) together I do my best to get the edges to match up. Because my cut lines aren’t always perfect I use chalk and mark a line down the fabric:

It gives me a line to try to follow as I sew which I need. ;) And if your edges don’t match up this helps to ensure that you don’t end up with any holes in your seam as well.

A few minutes and four (somewhat) straight lines later and you have a pillow. Don’t close that last side up all the way though. You’ll need to be able to reach in and turn it right side out:

I use a marker – anything that’s skinny – to push my corners out. You’ll want to only sew up maybe half of that last side so you can get your insert in too. When you’re done stuffing it you’ll need to hand stitch it closed. My stitching never looks pretty but I promise you no one ever notices. As you know those who do get a cookie…and no cookies have ever been given:

The day that I found that fabric and decided to use it I went to HomeGoods hoping I’d find some other pillows that might work with it…and I did. That day. That never happens. I LOVE their pillows because most of them already have the feather inserts that I like to use.

The brick colored pillows go so beautifully with the new fabric – and the new pillows go together well with the blue/gray pillows I’ve had for a while:

I would never have put the blue and the brick pillows together but they all tie together nicely – I quite love it actually:

I’m still trying to figure out a color for that mirror behind the sofa – a few of you suggested an orange tone and I love that idea – I almost did it but now I’m thinking more of a brick color? And I just a couple months ago I wasn’t using reds in this room anymore. :)

I made another pillow for my “office” chair as well:

The comfiest office around, I’ll tell you what. :)

I know many of you have wanted to see more of the family room so I wanted to share this view:

The kitchen table is now behind the sectional – we were able to move that over because of all the space we now have in here.

The sectional now floats in the middle of the room:

The fireplace is to the left. This area really isn’t any bigger that it was before – we actually have less space between the sofa and the TV. It’s a long and skinny room but overall there’s SO MUCH more space now. We love it!

Now I just want to find one more of those brick colored pillows – not sure that will happen. ;) But I’m loving the warmer tones and this gets me excited to finally get some fall decor going!

Do you sew? If you're intimidated by it please don’t be! Each one of these pillows took me about 15 minutes to make and only three of those minutes were actually sewing. :)

Free fall printables

Hey all! Are you ready for a lovely fall weekend? I hope to get some more done in the family room and have some fun. I’m working as fast as I can on getting it all done in the family room by the way – I know many of you have asked to see the whole space. There’s still a lot for me to do – some of the walls still aren’t painted, there’s trim to be fixed…but it’s close and I hope to share it in the next week or two. Until then you can go here to see the progress along the way. And thank you for all the ideas on the kitchen table yesterday!

The official start of fall isn’t till next week but it certainly feels like it’s already started here. The weather here in Indiana has been GLORIOUS. Oh my goodness, I can barely stand it. To celebrate the official kick off of the season I gathered some free fall printables from around blogland to share with you. All you need to do is save them to your computer and then print from home or send them off to be printed. Either way pretty cheap – and these are all super cute.

This autumn banner is absolutely adorable – so many pretty details. The hardest part for you will be to cut them out:

 

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Of course that’s just the first two letters – there are more at the link. :)

The chalkboard look is still very much in and I love the printables that are done with that look:

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You don’t even need a frame really – this would be lovely just hanging on the fridge. ;)

I thought these tags were really sweet – they would be a great addition to a little something for a neighbor or a friend this season:

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I shared this fall printable last year:

I added to it but I think it would be pretty all on it’s own too.

I loved this one because it’s neutral and could really be used any time of year:

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But it sure does feel fall, right?

I’m not a latte girl but otherwise this one nails it for me!:

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So cute!

This one is a little more graphic and they would look really stunning hung in a trio:

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These are available individually at the link.

This one has more of a modern vibe – antlers are everywhere right now:

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That one would work for Christmas too. ;)

I thought this one was just lovely:

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And this one…Lucy is SO talented! Gorgeous:

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Isn’t that beautiful?

There you go! Ten lovely, free fall printables – make sure to visit each site to get the high resolution versions. I always like to print pieces like this off on good cardstock paper – if you use a coupon or catch them half off at the craft store you can get them for a great price.

As always, I ask that you pin these from their respective sites. (I can’t remove my pin in button from specific images.)

Have you started any fall decorating? It’s still felt too early for me but I hope to get a few things our this weekend. Have a GREAT one!!

Ready for fall!

Hello my friends!! It’s SEPTEMBER! I’m so happy – it’s the best time of the year. Well, it will be the best time of the year soon, when Mother Nature starts acting right and cools it with the humidity.

We have a couple more really hot days this week and then I’m hoping we’ll be home free – I see nothing but temps in the 70’s in the forecast after that. Whoot! And yes, I KNOW…fall doesn’t start for another 21 days. But the start of September is official enough for me. I’m burning a pumpkin candle right now to celebrate.

Because I’m so excited about this time of year I decided to share some of my favorite fall projects from years past – looking through these makes me all cozy and lovey and make me want to go put on a sweater and some boots.

I’ve made quite a few fall wreaths over the years but this simple pumpkin wreath is one of my favorites:

It’s crazy easy – stick the (half off!) fall fillers from Hobby Lobby into the wreath and you’re done.

I kept it over our fireplace in the back one year too:

I LOVE the red and orange colors together. I don’t use these colors in our home any other time of the years but I LOVE them right now.

This felt wreath took forever, not gonna lie. But I love the texture:

Next time I’d like to do it in reds, browns and orange as well – but it will be awhile before my fingers can face all that cutting again. ;)

And my all time favorite wreath was also my cheapest -- this one was made with dollar store leaves:

I made it four years ago and just had to get rid of it a few months back. :( It held up pretty darn well considering it was put into storage every year! I don’t know if the dollar store still carries these pretty leaves but I hope so. I’d like to make another one.

I always pick up a bunch of tiny pumpkins to decorate with this time of year. I shared a few quick and easy ideas here: 

They are cute, cheap and you don’t have to store them year to year!

I’m still in love with the fall tablescape I put together last year:

Those flowers are my Pee Gee hydrangeas – they start out white in the summer and are just now starting to turn a light green. They’ll be this gorgeous greenish pink soon:

LOVE them.

Speaking of tablescapes – my DIY wood trough-thingy is awesome when it comes to decorating for any season. Drop the stuff in, fluff and you’re done:

I think it would be beautiful in the middle of a dining room table!

Last year I got crafty with some fall scrapbooking supplies and created some fall art:

You can download that printable to use yourself here.

Our fall mantel was simple and pretty last year – it didn’t scream fall but that’s why I loved it:

You can see how I made that candy corn bunting here.

I made a few other candy corn crafts years back too:

I don’t like the taste of them, but I think they’re darn cute for decorating. ;)

I LOVE decorating outside this time of year too. It’s the simplest decorating ever – pumpkins and mums and a some candles and you’re done:

Oh my goodness, so lovely. I’m hard at work in the family room so I can start to focus on more fall decor in the house! I’m hoping to have the fireplace done by the end of the week – it’s a beast and is a ton of work. But I think it’s going to look amazing!!

Are you ready for fall? The older I get the more I love summer, but now that the kiddo is back in school the lazy days of summer are long gone for us. So I say, BRING IT ON. :)