Happy Sunday! I hope you’re enjoying the weekend! Things are feeling extra cozy at my house and I’m so happy about it. I’ve been in a little bit of a slump since El left for college and decorating for fall cheered me up immensely. I have lots to share this week but just a quick post today with some simple fall bathroom decor!
I started with this cute new bath mat. It will be perfect for fall and perfect for January after the holidays. The diamonds match my wallpaper. Funny thing is that I didn’t even realize that when I ordered it. I ordered it because I loved it and then when I laid it down in my bathroom and saw that I picked a rug exactly like my wallpaper I had to laugh. Guess I’m a fan of diamonds. :)
These Amazon fall branches are beautiful! I shared them in my August Amazon buys in my last post and I’m very happy with them. Almost paper like and I love the way you can shape and bend them. They come in a pack with 6 stems and that’s exactly how many I have in this white jar. A pretty round tray and a small ceramic pumpkin complete the look.
This stoneware leaf is so beautiful.. it’s a small serving platter but I’m using two of them as decor in different rooms. One in this powder bathroom and I’ll place some acorns or sticks or pinecones in it. I don’t know why this pic is making it look blue in the middle! It’s tan and with a nice glaze finish (and dishwasher safe if you use it for food!).
Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend and your week is off to a good start! I’m popping in to share a few fall favorites and other random nonsense. :) First up.. if you are looking for a beautiful, natural wreath look no further. I have found “the one!” Isn’t it stunning!? I bought it thinking I would put it somewhere on my front porch but it’s so pretty I think it’s going to have to stay inside where I can look at it more often.
Of course my candle is included (SO good) and I love this beautiful vase for fall decorating. It’s such a rich, rust color and I love the shape. I can think of 10 places it would look good!
This gold pedestal vase/bowl will be so fun to fill with touches of fall (acorns, pinecones, sticks, etc.) and then ornaments in December! Sorry I’m getting ahead of myself. Hard not to do this time of year. :) The other bowls are such fun unique shapes (perfect for entertaining and decorating) and the serving set is beautiful in salads and to display in the kitchen. I’ll share how I’m using the candles soon.. they are so tall! I love them and they come in so many colors.
Looks like my beloved fall hand soap sold out (no surprise there!) but I linked another fun option. I took a pic of these items because they make great fall gifts! I’ve shared the dish towels lots – they are favorites and are perfect to pair with the serving set OR with a candle OR with some soap for a little fall birthday gift or thank you gift or just a “happy fall I’m thinking about you” gift. :)
I love so many stores (as you know!) but I’m always especially drawn to Anthro in the fall. Funny story. I saw that fall fox puzzle online at Anthro and it just looked so fun to put together which I immediately thought was strange because I am NOT a puzzle person. At all. Ha. But I found myself thinking about it the next night so I looked it up on Amazon and they were selling it too (same price just faster shipping). I promptly ordered it with visions of working on it with the kids on a rainy day with my candle going and football on in the background and something cooking in the kitchen that smelled so good. I had such a lovely fall scene in my mind that before I knew it I was looking up other fall puzzles and putting them in my Amazon cart too. Then I sent the links to my friend who works for me to make a collage of them all for the blog. She called me immediately and I knew exactly what was coming. “Erin! WHY are you sending me puzzles!? You don’t even like puzzles. Are you ok? Has Ellie leaving messed you up that bad? Is it time for an intervention? This is worse than we all thought..” We were both laughing so hard. I told her I KNOW! I hate puzzles! Ha ha. But my fall scene was so inviting and for some reason that fox puzzle was (and still is) SO appealing to me! I can’t wait to put it together.
So here are other puzzles I found that look fun for fall in case like me, you are in the mood to just SLOW down and do something relaxing. I’m sure I’ll start my fox puzzle on a lovely fall day, but it won’t be raining. It will be 80 degrees outside and I’ll be tired of football on (AGAIN) and the only smell coming from the kitchen will be the pizza we ordered the night before and I’ll put together one ear on a fox and remember that I actually hate puzzles and then I’ll tell the kids they can do the rest or clean it up.
Here are August Amazon Buys! With my fox puzzle taking the lead. ;) The fall eucalyptus leaves look so pretty.. I’ll share them styled soon. And how cute is the mini waffle maker!? Kole will love that for October breakfasts. The pampas grass is a fall favorite from last year I’m decorating with again and so are the flameless candles and the black candlesticks. My favorite gel pens are back in stock so I ordered more! The rosehip oil was a recommendation from a friend.. she said it makes her face/skin look and feel amazing! I’ll try it and report back. The canvas print is going on my entry table for fall and the tote bag is what Ad is using to hold her books this year (apparently backpacks are out and tote bags are in). I can’t keep up, but this tote was less expensive than a new backpack so I’m rolling with it. I’m excited to use the black bag to hold my curling iron/straight iron when I travel and the AirPod protective case is GENIUS! My girls have both had AirPods for years and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times they have lost them. If I could take back the time I’ve spent looking for those things! We finally looked up a solution and landed on this protective case. We’ve already put them to the test and they work great. I just wish we would have bought them two years ago!
combined with my favorite faux cedar garland for Christmas! These two garlands ALWAYS sell out quickly (especially the faux cedar garland.. it’s already backordered!) so don’t wait if you want them! They are both amazing quality and I couldn’t love them more. Tried and true holiday favorites.
Sorry I’m getting ahead of myself with Christmas again. I’ll try not to share more. For at least a little while!
And I’ll stop ordering puzzles.
Well.. fall puzzles at least because now I have a stash.
Happy Friday! It has been raining all morning and I’m thrilled about it! It’s still so hot and humid but it at least feels like fall inside watching the rain through the windows. So cozy! I spent a little time this morning playing with pumpkins and flowers. I can’t think of a better way to end the week. :) I used a large clear vase and just set some mini white pumpkins inside. I tried to set the pumpkins toward the front of the vase so that I would have room for my flowers behind them. I picked up some white hydrangeas and baby breathe and then added a few orange flowers to bring in fall colors. All inexpensive and just from the grocery store!
It worked! Which made me so happy because I’ve never tried this before and I was worried it would be a disaster. Ha. I arranged my flowers behind the pumpkins and then just added water. The trick is using a large enough vase so that you have room for the small pumpkins AND the stems. I’ve had this vase for years but it’s identical and the same size as this glass mason jar vase in the large.
Of course once I had my pretty fall arrangement finished I couldn’t wait to style it! Not long ago I ordered this round antiqued metal tray. I have loved my large rectangle tray so much I wanted the round too. It’s such a beautiful rustic gold! I especially love these trays during the holidays. (I also just saw that PB came out with this new version of this tray with flat handles and a dark finish.. love that look too!)
Another idea is to fill another glass jar/vase with candy corn. I don’t love the taste of candy corn, but I like having it out this time of year because it reminds me of my grandma. She always had a pretty white dish full of candy corn on her coffee table when I was little. The look and taste of that candy takes me right back to her cozy living room. It feels like I have her with me when the candy corn comes out. :)
So there you go! A pumpkin and flower arrangement along with a couple of ways to style it. This arrangement would be beautiful as a table centerpiece for a special dinner too. Oh that thought just gave me a fun fall tablescape idea! I need more rain in my life. It always kicks my decorating and organizing into overdrive. Nesting big time over here. I also need more easy fall decorating ideas that include mini white pumpkins and candy.
I’m sharing my favorite fall vases today! They are actually just favorite all season vases but when you fill them with fall leaves.. poof! They instantly become favorite “fall” vases. ;) They are the vases I’ll be using to decorate this fall and into the Christmas season! Kicking things off with this beautiful santorini urn.
It’s hard to tell in this pic but it’s huge! And has such a beautiful crackle glaze texture. Long time favorite. Stems are these faux rust leaf branches. They are also huge.. and STUNNING! I just have two stems in each of the vases I’m sharing today. Each main stem has so many smaller branches off of it that you can get away with just 2 or 3 depending on how full you want your arrangement to look. I have the rust color but they also come in a beautiful yellow and green.
I’ve shared this vase many times before and use it year round, but I especially love it in the fall! It looks so beautiful with fall leaves or pampas grass. This is the “medium urn, 14″H.”
I really like the size of the opening – something I pay attention to whenever I buy a new vase! If the mouth/opening is too large you have to use more branches.
Talk about the perfect gray/black vase! Beautifully tapered.. it makes such a statement. On sale through today!
I snapped this with my phone in my kitchen quick today. Not great lighting because the sun was going down but I took it quick just to show you the size/scale of the vase with these beautiful branches.
Last large vase for today is my tried and true Quin vase! This is hands down my most versatile vase. Everything I put in it looks fabulous! Spring flowers, olive branches, fresh cedar for Christmas.. it doesn’t matter what the branches look like or what season it is. It’s the perfect size and white works with everything. It usually lives on my dining nook table. :)
I love pairing a large vase with a small vase and these are a few of my smaller favorites I’ll be using this fall. I usually leave vases like this empty so I look for fun unique shapes. That way they stand out on their own! I’m obviously a sucker for pitcher style vases. The cute handles get me every time. :) Aside from pairing vases like this with a larger vase they also look great on bookshelves.
Here are 3 smaller vases I recently bought that I’m loving at the moment and using for fall. First this beautiful rounded terracotta handled jug I shared in my Mcgee & Co sale favorites yesterday. Looks like it just sold out but put in your e-mail address because I bet it will come back in stock! The faux bundle is so beautiful – I can’t recommend it enough! Such a fun arrangement for fall and it comes put together (branches are attached at the bottom) so there is no styling involved! Just spread out the branches a little and set it in a vase. Perfect and done!
Another beautiful option that comes from the same family of vases as my larger Artisian vase I shared above. This is the “Short Round 10″H” and I love the soft neutral vibe it gives off. It has some yellow tones in it which also makes it perfect for this time of year. Reminds me of a wheat field in the sun! Holding more wheat. ;)
And last but not least is this stunning glazed terracotta vase. It comes in 2 sizes and this is the smaller size. So beautiful! The cool thing I’ve found with this little vase is that it looks great with smaller stems in it like the bundle above.
But it can also hold its own with larger stems. Not many small vases can do that! I’ve loved stying this vase different ways and I’m having a hard time deciding where to put it because it looks good everywhere! Another great versatile option.
*Many of the vases I shared today are on sale right now! If you missed my other weekend sale picks you can find them rounded up in this post.
So there you go! My favorite all season fall vases. I’ll share how I’m styling them all as soon as I figure that out myself.
I hope your weekend is off to a good start! I spent most of my day organizing and it felt so good! Addison and I whipped her bathroom back into shape (it was a mess by the end of summer!) and then I worked on Kenny’s office and our closet. Nothing too exciting to share yet.. just getting rid of things we don’t use/need and finding better ways to organize what we do. My mudroom is full of black bags I’m going to donate! I’m worn out but it’s the best kind of tired after a productive day.
Today I’m sharing some favorites from my home and closet that are on sale this weekend! The picture above was from February which explains the fire in the fireplace. :) But I wanted to share a pic of one of my favorite baskets! It’s on my mantel next to my mirror and I own two of them I love it so much.
It’s on sale this weekend along with these other items from my home! You’ll see #1,2 and 5 in my fall decor and I just ordered #7. Aren’t the barstools fun!? I love the curved back. The lamps are in my formal dining room and are so beautiful in person. They are a great size and really make a statement!
These are other Mcgee & Co items you’ve probably noticed in my home that are on sale this weekend (other than the candle holder and candles that are new for fall and coming soon!). :)
Beautiful items from Serena & Lily and everything is 20% off this weekend! Isn’t the scallop tray and rug fun!? I’ve never met a scallop I didn’t like. :) You can see more of my long time S & L favorites here.
My rug and favorite PB baskets are on sale this weekend! And I’m ordering the cotton/linen quilt for fall. I can’t wait for cooler weather with warm quilts layered on our bed!
The baskets I linked are in my pantry and we have them in my master bathroom too. Perfect for organizing all the things!
This top is supposed to be off the shoulder but I love wearing it this way with just a big, slouchy neck. :) It was a little tight fitting so I sized up to a small. On sale too! I’m very excited to wear this more this fall/winter.
My favorite tee is marked down in certain colors! I own three of these tops. Hands down my most worn item this summer! I just keep rotating them and mixing up my joggers. Ha.
Madewell’s sale is crazy good because new fall items are also marked down! Love my Let’s Go Outside tee.. it’s another item I’ve worn a lot this summer. Below are more cute clothes that caught my eye and are sitting in my on-line cart! I’m having a hard time choosing.. too many cute things!
Found a few fun items marked down at Anthro too. I was especially thrilled to see that my favorite pumpkin and vanilla hand soap is marked down! I ordered one for me and a few for fall gifts. My kids love the smell too and always comment on how good the bathroom soap is when I pull it out each year for fall.
My cute fruit napkin rings are also marked down. I loved using them for dinners this summer! Fancy napkins with cute napkin rings can make pizza or any take-out feel special! I know this to be true since that’s how we used them the most the past few months.
:)
Enjoy your day and I’ll be back soon with some fun fall decor. Tis the season!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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. ;)
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!
*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!
Off to college (summer travel and dorm essentials)
*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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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. :)
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.
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.
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.
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..
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!
Back to school! It’s coming! Sooner for some of us than others. Our kids usually go back at the very end of August but this year they start school two weeks earlier. I’m bummed because the day Ad and Kole start school is also the first day El can get into her dorm at college. Kenny and I are going to have to divide and conquer with the kids and I don’t want to miss either event! We’re still working out travel details and who is doing what, but in the meantime I’m in full on back to school prep mode over here. That always includes tackling 4 main hot spots in our home and getting back to school clothes for the kids! I found so many fun things for Kole from Walmart this year! And I rounded up cute things for girls at the end of this post. AND I found some fun things for El for college! But first.. my hot spots. The fridge was a big one and I’m thrilled to have that project checked off my list!
I always whip my pantry into shape before school starts too.
It feels so good to start a new school year with snacks for the kids’ lunches and after school ready to go!
We always clean out closets and I had my girls start today. It’s a process. :)
Especially this year with El’s closet. (This is Ad’s above.) I knew it would be emotional for me because we are cleaning and starting to pack some of her stuff so I’m having her start and just do a little each day. I’m in denial that she’s leaving soon!
Kole’s closet is clean but I need to go through his clothes because so many don’t fit him anymore. I seriously can’t keep up with him he is growing so quickly these days. The last pair of shoes I bought him lasted 4 months and are now too tight!
The last hot spot I always clean with the kids is our mudroom. Lockers and shoe drawers get a good deep clean so they are ready for a new school year too!
I always stock up on basics from Walmart for Kole before school starts. Simple tees and athletic shorts are all he lives in! This tee comes in a pack of two (he was wearing the other top vacuuming his shoe locker) and these shorts come in a pack of 6!
If the clothes I’m sharing look a little big/long on him that’s because they are. I’m ordering everything for this child in a 14/16 even though he’s 12! The way things are going they’ll be too small for him by Christmas. Ha.
We still need to go shoe shopping and most of what I’ve bought for him so far is for the warm months at the beginning of the year, but I did get a few things for when it gets cooler! These slim knit denim pants are a great fit and come in regular and husky. Of course I love the green henley.. Kole does too because it’s soft and comfortable. If clothes are even the tiniest bit itchy they are a no go for this one! (Laughing at his sisters through the french doors – I gave up trying to get a head on smile!)
I work hard to make sure Kole is getting good mix of friend/outside time, camps/activity time and reading/learning time each summer. He works hard at making sure he gets enough iPad and “relax time” each summer.
A lot of the clothes I bought are great for summer and he has been wearing them all the past few weeks. It’s warm here through October so our summer clothes are basically our fall clothes and really can be worn all winter too since by “cooler weather” I mean that we go from 78 degrees to a chilly 70. Brr. ;) We can never have enough tees and shorts! This white tee comes in a pack of 4 – white, black and two shades of blue (there are other color options available too). Great basics and perfect to layer under vests, sweaters and jackets if you have a real winter where you live!
Getting leaves out of the pool.. one of Kole’s daily summer jobs. :)
I’m a HUGE fan of graphic tees and I love the selection at Walmart. They have so many fun Stranger Things tees! I don’t even let Kole watch Stranger Things but he knows all about the characters because his sisters and mom are obsessed. Ha. That green retro Hawkins tee is my favorite and would be mine if it came in a women’s size/cut! I still might borrow Kole’s even if it doesn’t fit quite right. :)
I asked Kole to try on this outfit for a pic and he wasn’t impressed.. came out in sunglasses and gave me this look when I said “smile” and asked how long this little photo session would last.
How cute are these fun options for girls!? I so miss shopping for mine. They do all of their clothes shopping on their own now which is so nice, but when I see clothes like this I can’t help miss the days I had my girls in matching rainbow pjs and ruffle skirts! I would have bought them everything above in a heartbeat. :)
Walmart has so many great backpack options! A lot of the solid color backpacks come in multiple colors too.
So many of you have asked me what I’m buying to get Ellie ready for college because you’re sending one off too! We are just starting to order things for her dorm and I will share everything we buy, but for now I’ve just been doing research! I’m talking to all of my friends with college age kids to see what they are using and loving. Walmart also has this awesome dorm checklist that gave me some good ideas too. Below are a few options I have in my on-line cart, but I feel like I need to see her dorm to make final decisions on a few of them. I’ve heard a clip on fan, noise machine and shower caddy are essentials! Storage bins/shelves are great too depending on what kids’ have room for in their dorms. I’m definitely getting the hanging caddy bed organizer! If you have kids in college let me know! What can’t they live without!?
So excited about today’s post! I finally got my fridge organized! Ok.. let’s talk fridge organization quick before I show you my before and after. I’m usually able to keep my fridge mostly clean. Every time I get groceries I do a mini clean out.. toss anything old/expired, wipe off shelves, place new items in their general spot. I’ve never really bought a lot of organizers for my fridge for two reasons. One – we have a Thermador fridge and the shelves aren’t very deep. I’ve struggled to find organizers that would actually fit! Reason Two – I don’t want anything in my fridge that isn’t practical. Sometimes I see fridge bins and organizers and I just know that while they make the fridge look beautiful, I won’t be able to maintain my fridge using them. I think I’ve finally found the perfect organizers that not only fit in my fridge but will also be practical for our family! The Home Edit (love them!) came out with a new line of organizers at Walmart and seriously they are SO GOOD! You can see above that I ordered lots of options to play with. :)
Remember I said I usually keep my fridge mostly clean? Well the past month has been an exception.. ha. :) Summer is taking its toll! We’ve been on the go a lot and I completely stopped maintaining our fridge. When I let areas like my fridge go my family certainly doesn’t pick up the slack! I needed groceries and the fridge was a mess and we have been eating a lot of take out. I was craving healthy food and so ready to give my fridge a deep clean! I bought groceries and then came home and got to work.
An hour later my fridge looked like this..
Ahhhh! I’m seriously giddy about this makeover!
For starters I took out the one fridge organizer I was previously using. It held our Coke Zeros but half of the time we weren’t using it and would just set the Coke’s wherever there was room. I knew I wanted to just set them on the shelf. Keeping things easier to maintain was my goal! Coke Zero’s now go on the top right shelf. Easy and done. On the second shelf I placed these narrow bins. They fit perfectly on my shallow shelves (hallelujah!) and are great to hold random items like Kenny’s protein drinks, yogurt, my balanced break snacks, feta cheese, etc. I’m not labeling anything because our groceries change so they will just hold whatever we are buying and eating at the moment!
Above and below the narrow bins are these food storage containers. I couldn’t love these more! They come in 3 different sizes and can all stack on top of each other. The lids fit and seal so nicely and I love that they are so narrow! Perfect to save space in a fridge or pantry. You can buy this 3 piece set with one of each size OR buy them in groups separately which is what I did. You can order a pack of 4 large canisters, a pack of 4 medium canisters, and/or a pack of 6 small canisters.
I know that it’s best to wait to cut up fruits and vegetables until you are going to eat them but here’s the thing with my family.. if healthy snacks are cut up and washed and ready, they will be eaten immediately! Snacks like this don’t last long in our house so I never have to worry about keeping items like this fresh or wondering when things expire. Just to be safe I did put a piece of paper towel at the bottom of each container (a little trick – they absorb moisture and will keep your produce fresh longer!).
These canisters will be perfect to always hold fruits and veggies I usually buy and I can just use as many as I need after each trip to the grocery store. The tall canisters are also perfect to hold Kole’s go-gurt. :) I always buy just one carton of eggs and I left a spot on the second shelf for them. There are so many egg organizers I’ve considered buying over the years. They are beautiful to look at but I just know me and I will grow tired of taking eggs out of their carton to put in an organizer! Also unlike the fruit/veggies, we sometimes don’t eat all of our eggs and I need to know the expiration date.
I placed one large open bin that I bought as part of this laundry organization set on the bottom shelf to hold random items. I’m making fajitas this week so it’s holding peppers at the moment, but I can use it for anything or take it out if I need room for leftovers. I ordered another set of the tall canisters to hold our spring mix and spinach so I’ll add those when they come. Those two items are staples in our fridge because Ad and I like to make salads with the spring mix and the spinach is for her bearded dragon (yes.. Peaches is still alive and doing well if anyone was wondering). ;)
I kept my bottom door shelf empty so I have another spot for leftovers or other random items that don’t fit in the fridge. I also have the two large drawers below for meats and other things. This makeover feels AMAZING. I am so happy every time I open our fridge and I know having these beautiful containers will help motivate me to keep healthy snacks washed and ready to eat. I know it will also help me to see what we’re running low on when we need groceries. Kenny and the kids are loving this makeover too and I’m hoping (fingers crossed!) this helps them see where items go so that they put things back where they belong and help keep the fridge clean. One would hope! Ha. I’ll keep you posted on that one. ;)
I also couldn’t resist ordering these thin wood hangers to try! You can buy them in black or natural and get either a pack of 30 or a pack of 12. I can’t wait to try them which no doubt will lead to ordering more. :) I’ve linked other favorites from this collection below!
Ahhh organization. Like the cut up produce in my fridge.. it just never gets old.
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!
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!
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. :)
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!
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.
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!
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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xoxo, Erin
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We had a little extra space under her bed so we added 
