Here Comes FALL!

Fall truly begins at the end of this week and we have had a tease of less humid days here in the South. I love Summer so I let go of that season slowly. I have never decorated for fall before October 1 because Mollie's birthday is September 29th and I always wanted our decor to be all about her birthday party theme and not fall. She is now an adult and has informed me that I'm sticking to an "out dated" rule! So I might start pulling a few touches out next week. What about you? Do you wait for October or go by the equinox at the end of September? Or maybe you started being "fallish" weeks ago? 

Here are a few of my favorite early fall touches (pictures from last year.)

I always ask for a big mum for my late September birthday and the first thing I buy myself is always the little white pumpkins. I can't stop myself. They are my favorite decoration. I prefer my mums in purplish tones, coral, peach or white. What about you? 

Some years my greeter guy gets orange jack-be-littles if the white ones are hard to find. Putting the little pumpkins in my greeter guy by the front door is a favorite touch. Sometimes I call it my squirrel feeder because they run off with the little pumpkins. 

Last fall I couldn't stop marbleizing my faux pumpkins! It was a fun addition to our fall look and I think they'll be back this fall. What's your favorite fall decor item? 

I'll be sharing this years fall decorating on my Instagram account. 

Happy Fall!

Decorating Trends for Spring 2023

I am not a trend follower, per se, BUT when a prediction falls in line with my aesthetic I like to embrace it. I've shared my thoughts on the whole what's in and what's out thought process before (if you like it in your home and it works for you then trendy or not - you do you!!)

I piled one of my huge blue and white fishbowl planters with shells and coral last summer and I enjoyed walking past it in my entry way many times a day. A nod to the sea doesn't have to be a whole themed look. It can be a few shells (or a bowl full!)

BUT the reason I'm excited about this Spring trend forecast is that Veranda mag has predicted "Under the Sea" as a major design player moving in to Spring 2023. I am here for it. Already. And it isn't seasonal for me. I've shared my nod to coastal and shell decor many times before here and here. We can count on Veranda to share some beautiful, elevated coastal looks to inspire us. 

I can't stop looking at this amazing room from the May/June issue of Veranda. It has so many amazing details and confirms my thought that you don't have to live at the beach to embrace your love of the ocean. This home is in the French countryside and belongs to designer Thomas Boog and his wife. 

via Veranda

So many great design ideas to use in your own space. Another great source of inspiration for me is Amanda Lindroth. I just finished her Create Academy course and I can't wait to go through it again. She has just decorated a show house room that has everyone oohing and aahing. I wish I had seen it in person. 

via Veranda

This pile of shells was on a concrete boat dock in the Bahamas about 10 years ago. I couldn't stop looking at the colors, textures and the sheer beauty of these rather large conchs. The meat had been harvested by divers (this was their livelihood) for the restaurant industry and the shells were a by-product they were hoping to sell for extra income. Yep, I helped them out. It cost me some overweight luggage fees but I have enjoyed those shells every day for over a decade. Pretty good investment if you ask me. I knew "under the sea" wasn't a trend for me so the investment was worth it. 

I have moved them around through the years. They are currently lined up on top of some bamboo cabinets in my family room. The cabinets are filled with blue and white, coral that I've thrifted and some lighthouse replicas including Morris Island Light in Charleston.

Vintage shell boxes are a favorite of mine. I rarely see them when thrifting but I snatch them up if I do. The marbled clay pot is holding some pieces of a large vintage coral piece that I accidentally dropped and shattered. It was so fragile. I rescued the bits and I'll enjoy them this way now. 

I'm slowly reclaiming the porch from the pollen and that is where I love to use seashell decor year round most of all. I've sorted a lot of my shells in to this old and worn three tiered silver serving piece. I had this one and it had a few worn places in it so I didn't mind putting it on the porch. I see pieces like this at thrift stores all the time. I love the juxtaposition of the silver and the textured shells. 

Shells and palm tree and sandcastles. All thrifted. 

As always I am a big fan of using items that are personal and memorable and not just purchased. Most of my shells have come from trips we've made. I have shells that I collected as a child mixed in with all the others. I've been a beachcomber since day 1!

What about you? Are you a shell collector?

Easter!

 Happy Easter!

I'm sharing a few favorite Easter images from my Instagram below and linking a few Easter-y blog posts below that. I hope your day is blessed with sweet memories and time with people you want to celebrate a glorious Sunday with. Happy Easter!

Chinoiserie Easter Tree

Favorite Easter Images through the Years

A Perfect Punch for Easter

Gather Up All the Pink and Red!!

Valentine's Day is about telling people you love them. I think it should be sweet and filled with kindness not stress about spending money on over the top gifts or flowers. I also decided a long time ago that I did not want to wait in lines or eat in overly crowded restaurants that night either. Valentine's celebrations, for us, have always been family events and simple but fun.

When Mollie was young she decorated with hearts she made and taped everywhere. We made hearts from wax paper and crayon shavings like my mom did with me and we often ate heart shaped pizzas we made at home. I would buy cannolis or a special dessert at the bakery because that is not my strong suit!

This year I pulled out everything pink or red and put it all together! On Valentine's Day it just works. I did create DIY red and pink marbleized chargers from some thrift store finds. Everything else (except the candy) I had on hand and most of it has been thrifted over time. 

I didn't buy any fresh flowers but I did pull out a family heirloom glass compote that I fill with roses that I let dry when I do buy them. I love fresh flowers and I do believe you should treat yourself when you are able. 

Tie a gingham bow on your every day items and suddenly they are fun!

I hope that you get to spend time with those you love but should you find yourself alone then treat yourself because you are worth it!

What Should We Call These Planters Anyway?

I love them but we all seem unsure about what to call this style of planter! 

Bust planters, statue planters, planter heads - I've seen all of the names. Whatever name we decide upon one of the most asked questions that I get on my Instagram is where do I find them? 

There isn't a short answer except to say "Everywhere."

I'll explain... I have purchased mine all over the place, including Amazon,  and in all kinds of shops. I look at thrift stores and antique malls. Garden shops are a good source. I've found a couple there. I have also found them at backroad concrete statuary places. In the middle of nowhere. You just never know. I'm going to link some from Amazon below. If you have free shipping it's a great place to start your collection. These can be heavy! Be sure to read the dimensions and also to check if they are made for outdoor use. I have mine inside and outside but some are strictly for indoor use. 

The finish on this one is slowly chipping away but I don't mind it.

Choosing what "hair" to plant is always fun. Creeping Jenny is one of my favorites.

 

They are fun in every season. I've planted them with spring bulbs and pansies. The first bright spot in the garden.

They love a good holiday look!

 

I tuck them in everywhere. 

So now that you see how much fun they are to have in the garden, on your porch or even inside here are a few that are easily sourced:

I have this guy! 

I also have this pretty lady. 

This bust planter of a young child is so sweet. 

This one is a wall planter - so unique!

I have this one too. I didn't purchase her from Amazon but this is a good price. And these can be pretty heavy so if you have free shipping it helps!

I hope you find a planter that you like. Whatever we call them, they make great companions inside and out!

Goodwill and Me

It's no secret that I love a lucky Goodwill find. My home is filled with them. 

I think that thrifting is the very best way to create a unique and personal home on any budget.

I was very excited when someone from Goodwill of North Georgia reached out to me last fall and offered the opportunity to collaborate for a big home and garden show at the nearby Galleria. They gave me a budget of $50, a gift card and asked me to create a holiday table scape. You can find that table decor here. My trusty thrifting pal, my daughter Mollie, and I had a great time hunting for the best finds. 

Fast forward to this month and the spring home show season has begun. I'm excited to say that @goodwill_ng invited me to join in the fun again and create two table scapes. 

You can see the videos from the home show here and here. be sure to watch the IG videos to get an overall view of the completed table scapes. I wanted to share the process I use to pull together a thrifted table scape. You will have more time to collect items or to build up your entertaining basics if you wish. If space is at a premium or your event is more of a one time theme then simply donate your items back to Goodwill. I used to do that for Mollie's birthday party decorations. We had an adorable two year old birthday celebration many years ago with a 3 foot talking Big Bird stuffed animal. He cost only a few dollars and looked adorable holding a big bouquet of balloons. After we were finished we donated him back because the investment was small even though the impact was big!

The first table was an "Easter Brunch" theme. Here are a few of the things that I bought, why, and how much they cost. 

I found a pastel plaid tablecloth for $3.99. While it was bundled  up at the store I knew that if it had any stains they wouldn't be large and the table would be filled with plates and accessories so not much tablecloth would show. It only had two small ink pen spots. I washed it and it pulled the whole table together. I bought the huge bunny platter for $7.09, in perfect condition, because it's perfect for the theme and such a statement piece. I will probably donate it right back to GW because I don't have room to store it for once a year use but it was truly a great find. The punch bowl ($4.09) was a great way to display the plastic egg hunt eggs - just a little twist on using a basket. Punch bowls can be used for so many things other than serving punch. They look great filled with ornaments at Christmas or lined with moss and filled with orchids. 

I bought every bunny figurine (less than $5.00 for all of them) I found and then unified them with Rustoleum Leather Brown spray paint. Chocolate bunnies for the win.

 It was very easy to find plates and bowls ($5.09 for all of the bowls and $5.09 for the set of turquoise plates) to match the colors in the tablecloth - so many options. The wicker chargers reminded me of Easter baskets and chargers always elevate the look of a table. The crystal basket was a cute touch and the perfect way to serve jelly beans. The plastic egg plates ($1.69 each) were a great find because we have deviled eggs quite often. The find that gave us the most laughs was the HOP sign ($4.09 each letter). It was actually a set of rustic wood signs that spelled HOPE - I just left the E behind :) I had spray paint and ribbon so giving them a fresh look was inexpensive and easy. I had plastic eggs and paper Easter grass on hand but both of those are very inexpensive. 

The second table scape was a coastal, beachy theme. I found a huge basket of seashells and some very sturdy bamboo trays in perfect condition so I knew I was off to a good start with that theme. Who isn't ready for summery seafood dinners?

Next I found stacks of plastic chargers for 89 cents each and I decided that using my spray paint marbleizing technique to create a watery and unique placemat. 

I found a huge basket of shells for $3.09, a very large conch shell for $3.09 and a bag of starfish and a few medium sized shells for $2.09. That gave me a lot of shells to pile down the center of the table around a fabulous palm tree candleholder that was $5.09.

The sandcastle tea light holder was $2.09 and such a fun addition to the seashell "centerpiece."  I found two narrow blue tablecloths for $1.99 each and used those draped across the table like runners. The blue bamboo look glasses were $3.09 for all four.

But the most fun was creating the DIY marbleized chargers to go under the fish plates. The chargers look almost watery and were a perfect touch of color with all of the neutral shells and bamboo trays.

You can find step by step instructions for marbleizing with spray paint here, and here. 

I hope you try it!