Countdown of Thanks

As of today, Thanksgiving is just one week away. Woohoo! I'm starting a "thankful" countdown to kick off my favorite holiday on Instagram. Want to join me? Play along with hashtag "thankful7".

Today I am thankful for LOVE. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. <1 13:7="" corinthians=""> Isn't love dreamy? xo

Reduce, Recuse, Recycle: Falling Leaves

Some are raked into piles for jumping littles. Some are bagged and tossed. Others, thanks to a handful of creative crafters, are being transformed into art...

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What will you do with your leaves? xo

*top image via fawn and forest

The Days Don't Last Forever

And just like that... the days become shorter, the nights longer. A new season has arrived. A season of calm and thankfulness. A reminder that nothing lasts forever, no matter how much it may seem that way. The promise of colder weather, more sleep, fireside cuddles and warm soups. It's all so very soothing to my soul. Just what I needed right now. xo

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A Little Can Go A Long Way

Let's talk labels. It's not something I do very often because quite frankly, I could give a rat's. But when it comes to thrift shopping, labels matter. Why? Because if it's a good label, you know it's well made. If you're under 30, chances are you may not know some of these labels... bare with me. Adrienne Vittadini. Brooks Brothers. Department Store Brands like Gianni Bini and Antonio Melani. Or the basics like Banana Republic. When an item is made well, it generally last for a long time. And when it comes to tailored items, I'm always willing to spend a bit more if the label is good.

My girlfriend Rachel and I went shopping for Fall goodies a few weeks back and she hit the mother load. Four pairs of shoes, one tote bag, two shirts, three sweaters, one pair of shorts, one skirt, one dress and three jackets. She almost walked away from two of the jackets, but I convinced her to do otherwise. (I think my exact words were something along the lines of, "if you don't get these jackets, you're crazy!") It all came down to price. Doesn't it always? And here's where you have to think it through, if the item is well made and a classic then you should put back a few trendy items instead of the classic. Trust me on this. A jacket or a pair of shoes that can be worn several times and spiced up a million different ways will always get you more milage than a trendy tee or skirt. Always!

(y'all, I almost cried when these boots weren't my size. they don't look like much here, but they are amazing on.)

You want to try and guess her total for all this? Go ahead. I dare you... A whopping $75.00. That's right. She basically got her Fall wardrobe for under 100 bucks. You guys, there are deals to be had out there. Check out your local Salvation Army or Goodwill stores. Check out resale shops of all kinds - I love Buffalo Exchange, but there are also some really great jackets and shoes at some of the "older lady" shops to be had for a steal. Give it a try and if your first few attempts are failures, don't give up. They get in new stuff daily. xo

(Side note - it's always good to go thrifting with a friend who wears different sizes or has a slightly different aesthetic than you. This prevents garment hiding and hanger beatings in the stores. It also preserves the friendship. You can actually shop for your friend and yourself at the same time - teamwork.)

Around the House: A Touch of Fall

There's just something about warm woods, soft glows and a splash of orange that screams Fall to me. As temperatures drop and pumpkins make their grand debut, I find that a simple throw or a quick pillow change can make a big impact to evoke the feeling of Fall around the home. And to be honest, it's about now that I tend to daydream about lying outside on my patio with a great book and a cup of coffee (straight up, NOT pumpkin spice). I'm seriously thinking about moving my sewing machine outdoors for an afternoon or two.

fireplace, dining room

patio perfection

throw, books (source unknown), pillow

How do you inject a dose of Fall in your home? xo

amazing rocking chair image up top via 100 layer cake

Cleaning Necessities

There's Spring cleaning and then there's Fall cleaning. For me, the season dictates the smells and the music. In the Fall, my cleaning necessities include a little dose of Ray LaMontagne, a scrumptious Anthro candle filling the house, natural cleaning products and a whole lot of sunlight. Sadly, cool crisp air flowing through open windows won't happen in Texas until November, but a girl can dream. And this girl dreams with french press coffee in hand.

What's on your must have list for cleaning? xo

bedroom sunlight image

Thrifty Fall Finds

Let me ask you... Did you know that thrift stores have sales and markdowns? I know. It's like having cake and ice cream. Some thrift stores offer certain colored tags at a percentage off. Meaning, each item with that particular color tag is 30, 40, or 50% off that day. Some, like my favorite, mark down items that don't sell quickly. The other day my girlfriend and I went shopping for Fall. You guys, we totally scored! I spent $25.00 and got 2 jeans, 2 pants, 1 shirt, 1 bag and 1 pair of boots. My girlfriend spent $75.00 and got her entire Fall wardrobe. (I'll show you her amazing finds later.)

This vintage tote was $1.41. It can be a tote or snap up to be more like a clutch.

Jeans were marked down, half-price. And this was a first, after washing the gray boyfriend jeans I found a dollar shoved deep in the front pocket. What? Now that's a deal! Paisley pants were marked down to $1.01 and those amazing fully lined tweed pants that fit like a glove... $3.43.

These amazing boots were just $6.76. This may sound ridiculous but I almost put them back because I thought they were $9.79. I know. But my capper on clothing is $7.00 at the thrift stores unless it's just insanely amazing.

The deals are out there to be had, that's for sure. Y'all there is no reason to spend beyond your budget or pay $75.00 for a pair of pants or jeans. This is recycling at it's best. Think outside the box and don't be afraid to get elbow deep in those racks. 

What's the best deal you've ever gotten? xo

Fall Y'all

Madewell long sleeve blouse / Zara white tank / H&M jacket  / Levi’s Made & Crafted jeans / Birkenstocksandals / Golden Goose grey leather boots / Madewell ballet flat shoes / Rag & Bone rag bone hat / Chiffon shawl

It's about this time every year that I long for Fall. Cooler Temps. Fireside chats. Loads of coffee. (Ok, let's be honest; that's pretty much year round.) Denim upon denim. Boots. And the return of scarves. Above are a few staples that create a strong Fall wardrobe foundation. Come on Fall. Please?

What's your favorite thing about Fall? xo

Around the House: Fall Mobil

Happy Monday! Happy to me because we are one day closer to Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble. Yum. Yum. But as excited as I am, I'm wiped - already! We worked on the house over the weekend: painting, cleaning, raking, digging. Whew... even my thighs and butt hurt. Digging is hard work. More on that later in the week. Today I wanted to show you how happy accidents can truly be - glorious. Glorious I tell ya.

Like thousands of others, I am inspired by Confetti System and their tissue tassels. I knew I wanted to make a mobil using a few DIY tassels. And after my little painted some gold leaves while I was working on an acorn project, I knew the two would be amazing together. Bam - right there in the midst of a little spray-paint mishap - inspiration! I love it when that happens.

Using the following materials I created the cheapest DIY I've ever made: (can I get a hellz yah for a 99 cent fall mobil?)

nature walk items - assorted leaves, stick

thread

gold spray paint

1 package of tissue paper

scissors

cutting mat

ruler

I made the tissue tassels following this DIY tutorial. (I only used one package and even have left over tissue to make more later.)

Tying various length of strings onto the tassels and leaves, I layered everything onto the stick for a longer, fuller effect. And I have to be honest, I got a little sick - read also lazy - of tying all those leaves onto string, so I ended up taping a lot of the leaves to the strings. What can I say?  I'm a hack. I don't try to hide it.

I love this sweet little mobil. It has just the right doses of cranberry, cream and gold. All perfect Fall colors. For Christmas, I think I'll add a few pinecones and maybe some sprigs of rosemary along the branch.

Now be honest, are you still working on Fall/Thanksgiving crafts or have you jumped right onto Christmas? xo

People Be Skippin'

It's Fall. One better - it's November. The month that contains my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving. Many just try to gloss over this glorious day. Don't let them do that. Fully soak this one in. Give yourself time to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for. Enjoy your family. Enjoy a good meal prepared by loving hands. Enjoy laughter. Enjoy football or whatever tradition there may be for you and yours. But don't let it slip by.

I fully intend to live this holiday to the fullest - taking nothing for granted. I am working on a few crafts, wrestling with my boys, sweeping and raking leaves, wearing boots and scarves, and preparing for a new tradition that reminds me to be thankful year round.

 golden acorns via stacy winters

pinecones via cake events blog

(last year's thanksgiving tree)

(PS - that first image is actually from a wedding - do you die? If I could make my Thanksgiving table and surroundings that dreamy, I'm pretty sure it would be heaven on earth. For more amazing shots from that breath-taking wedding go here. You will be so thankful you did!) xo

Around the House: Mother of the Year

It finally happened... one of my most favorite days of the year...Daylight Savings Ends! One more extra hour to sleep. Woot!  You must be thinking to yourself, "but she has two young boys, how is she sleeping in late when their little bodies have yet to adjust to the new heavenly hour?" Simple. When my oldest woke up and asked for something to eat at 6:00 am, I simply told him to fix himself a bowl of cereal and watch a show. Yes, Mother of the Year. That's me. Whatever, I've convinced myself that this is teaching him a tiny bit of independence. (Sick, I know.) But look who got to sleep in 'til 8:30.

I made up for this lame attempt at independence with pumpkin choco chip pancakes and a nature walk scooter ride. The weather was perfect and the boys were stoked! We collected treasures, used our cave-man instincts to bash pecans open with rocks and checked out the garden at the end of the street.

After about 15 minutes my littles were done with our adventure (yes, world's shortest attention spans) and headed home to crush more acorns and pecans with their rocks. I continued my bike ride looking for pine cones. I found a few, but the real treasure came when I found these beauties...

Yes, everything IS bigger in Texas. Commence nut envy now. I plan on making Fall garland with our treasures and painting those ginormous acorns gold. Emmm Hmmm. 

As for the Flea Market I mentioned last Friday... bust. But... I did make a new acquaintance and one of my sweet readers popped by to say hi! (Thanks girl, your support means the world!) That made it all worth while.

So, did you get any extra sleep thanks to the time change or am I the only one up for Mother of the Year award? xo

Fab Finds Friday - Fall Sparkle

That little lovely came home with me for a mere $5.00. She is going to look killer this October and November with a t-shirt and jeans. And once I cut out the itchy sequins in the arms (hello, lining would have been nice, ha listen to me complain over a thrift store score - geeze) this sparkle jacket will be comfy and warm too.

And folks, that right there is all I've got. My attempt to form community through this series is not really working. Does this mean you'd rather I go back to the weekly challenge? I can do that, but I'd rather hear from you first. What say you? Fabulous Friday Finds, Weekly Challenge or bring back the His and Hers series I did will sweet Alli from Hooray? 

Happy Weekend! I've got family coming in from Des Moines and friends coming over for dinner Saturday. It's going to be a good one! xo

Just Around the Corner

madewell

The first day of Fall may have come and gone - but in Dallas, it's still HOT. Now I'm not complaining like I have in the past. This summer was actually pretty darn mild and I liked that a. lot. Let me rinse and repeat on that one - a. lot. But with Fall teasing me each crisp morning, I can't help but get excited for booties, jackets and jeans. Here are a few looks that are currently inspiring me... (I'd be lying if I didn't tell ya that my biggest concern with each look is the following: should an almost, nearly, okay - in 2 months, 40 year old that walks her little to school really be rockin' such frocks?)

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What do you think? The fadora's a stretch for a brisk walk to school huh? Otherwise, are these something a 39ish year old stay-at-home mom should rock? Please say yes. xo

The Table

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Now that Halloween is out of the way, my official countdown can begin. Uh-huh, the countdown to my favorite holiday - Thanksgiving. This year I will celebrate this glorious event with a Thanksgiving related post every Thursday throughout the month of November. Today, tables for the special day.

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I love it all. My absolute fave is probably the paper plate-esque setting. It's completely against my reduce and recycling nature and it's extremely faux-pas, but I would rather spend time enjoying my family and friends than doing dishes. I know - unfollow me if you must. xo