Fall Decor // Console Styling

Year after year, as we decorate our homes for the changing seasons, we learn more about our style and perhaps ourselves.  What do we want our homes to say, what feeling do we want to convey?  If you're a funky and colorful type of person, I bet your home reflects that.  Are you more modern or traditional?  I'm sure those elements creep into your home design too.  I keep coming back to inviting and simple decor.  I lean toward uncomplicated spaces with a coziness to them.  I tried to accomplish that with the addition of some Fall decor in our dining room- not that we're seeing anything near Fall temperatures here in Houston.  I started my Fall decorating with the console table that I recently got from World Market.

I knew I wanted natural elements in the decor, so I bought some leafy branches from the grocery store.   Unfortunately, clippings from our yard aren't that pretty.  The faux feathers in a candle holder round out the trio of vases in Fall-like colors.  I like all the different heights and shapes.  I'm always fond of creamy or white pumpkins, and this ceramic one works perfectly with the cream colored lamps. 

On the bottom shelf, I used the same basket that was there before, just switching out the pillows and adding a green ombre throw blanket.  

I like the calming color scheme here and had to remind myself I don't have to do Fall with the typical orangey-reds, although I do like that combo.

A wooden bowl full of corks from wine enjoyed over the years is a personal touch I like.  

Are you pulling out the Fall decor in your house? 

Here is the SOURCE LIST:

CONSOLE TABLE // World Market 

GOLD VASE, GREEN VASE, WOVEN BASKET // HomeGoods

LAMPS, WHITE PUMPKINS // Hobby Lobby

GOLD PILLOW, GOLD VOTIVE HOLDER // Target

GREEN THROW // West Elm

RUG // Pottery Barn (similar)

CHAIRS // Restoration Hardware

GEOMETRIC PILLOWS IN CHAIR // Etsy Festive Home Decor

GEOMETRIC FABRIC FOR PILLOW IN BASKET // High Fashion Home, Dwell Studio Fabric 

WOODEN BOWL // HomeGoods???

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*Linking this post to Centsational Girl and Whipperberry.

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On Honey We're Healthy:  Essential Daily Vitamins for Women

Dining Room Decor Updates // World Market Everett Foyer Table

First things first, wishing my parents a very happy anniversary today!  Thank you for your prayers for my dad, we have had some encouraging news lately and it has felt so good.  This illness has really brought us closer together and for that, I'm thankful.  It has been a very difficult time, but I believe in the power of prayer, and from the bottom of my heart thank you for lifting my dad and family up.

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You might remember my dining room pillow dilemma awhile back when I bought a yellow pair and a brown pair and couldn't decide which I liked better for the room.  Y'all weighed in and helped me opt to use the yellow for summer and the brown come fall.  I'm hanging onto every little last bit of summer here and incorporated those yellow pillows into an updated, cheerful dining room this weekend. 

Having never had a console table that was meant for this room, this World Market one (Everett Foyer Table) couldn't be beat for the price and size.  ($254 on sale with free shipping, 70.9"W x 15.7"D x 31.9"H). Since our dining room is pretty long, I could have went with an even longer table, but I figured I can put the chairs on either side to fill in some space.  I'm also considering pulls for the two draws- an easy way to personalize the table.  

Another thing that made a big impact in the room was lowering the mirror a good 11 inches.  Thanks for the advice Cassie and Grandma.  My Grandma reads my blog daily and when I first hung this mirror, she told me on the phone, "You know, I think you've got that mirror hung too high." :) Y'all were right! It looks so much better lower and it reflects the chandelier now.

I used items from the house collected over time to decorate the table, with the exception of new melamine plates from Big Lots.  Y'all may have seen these bright aqua lamps at Home Goods and they are such a gorgeous color.  I adore the shape too.  

As much as I love and try to use real flowers and greenery often, this faux branch worked perfectly here for some added height and I like how it branches out wildly.  Mercury glass candleholders are used year round, and are so nice at Christmas.  I had yellow candles up at first but it felt like too much yellow- the pillows and tray are enough.  I much prefer these ombre aqua candles- more soothing.  

These melamine plates are so fun for this color palette and they were only about $1 each at Big Lots.

I'm happy this console had a bottom shelf for layering more decor.  Don't neglect those opportunities to add more visual interest to your space. 

These Pellegrino bottles are as pretty as they are tasty-  I moved them from my bar.  You can find paper straws everywhere these days, I got these at Home Goods.

I made these pillows with Dwell Studio fabric.  Even though I chose the yellow pair of pillows, I snuck this brown one in there to tone down the space.  You might recognize this Home Goods basket that previously held our giant collection of bread.  Things get moved around here a lot. 

I've often thought that perhaps the "formal" dining room may soon be a thing of the past as families seem to eat mainly in their more casual spaces, like a breakfast nook or the area just off of the kitchen.  And when I seen dining rooms turned into gorgeous home offices that probably get more use, I think that this square footage is precious real estate that might not be getting much use in many homes.

Since I'm fortunate enough to have this pretty space to enjoy, I remind myself to make the most of it and eat here pretty often.  I cover James' chair with a towel so I'm not worried about the furniture.  I especially like to eat my weekend breakfast here while reading a magazine or just looking out the front window, which has a nice view.  I've considered painting the walls a darker color, but I like the light and bright feeling in the room. 

Below is a recap of where everything is from.  Are we shopping at the same places? 

World Market // Everett Foyer Table

Home Goods // Lamps, Vase, Basket, Paper Straws

Kirklands // Candles

Pottery Barn // Large White Plates (gifted), Faux Branch (gifted)

Hobby Lobby // Mercury Glass Candleholders

Z Gallerie // Mirror

West Elm // Yellow Lacquered Tray

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This World Market table is pretty popular- I love how Kate (Centsational Girl) styled it for her friends' dining room makeover.  Go here to see the full post. 

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If you'd like to enter to win a trip for 4 to Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort, click HERE or the picture below.  You can also win a year's supply of Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water.

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Dining Room Pillows (Yellow or Brown?)

Hi friends! It's good to be back from a little time off last week.  We are taking things one day at a time, and have had a lot of family togetherness, which feels really good.  I did some things around the house that I haven't shown here yet, so I plan to put together more posts this week.  It will be good to clear my head and distract from the heavy-hearted things that I cannot control.  Thank you again so much for the prayers for my Dad- they really mean so much.



We've been eating more meals in the dining room lately and especially after finding these gorgeous, vibrant lamps from HomeGoods, I wanted to start layering and styling the space more.  The "buffet" which I think is meant to be a media stand, is just a stand-in until I find something better and much longer.  It was purchased years ago at Crate & Barrel.  I'd love to put sconces on either side of the mirror too.

As you can see, there's not much going on and the room needs some fabric and pattern to tie into the drapes and bring the room together.  I had our drapes made from Dwell Studio Vintage Plumes Peacock fabric and then "no-sewed" the curtain liners using a flat sheet.  After a couple of years, I still adore the colors and pattern in the fabric.  I must like aqua and yellow together- it's the same as my blog design!

Shopping Etsy, I found Festive Home Decor, who makes pillow covers in lots of different styles and shapes for reasonable prices.  Torn between a yellow and brown pattern, I bought both because I knew I could easily change them out and move them around the house.  

The yellow pair are smaller, but look punchy and cheerful with the aqua lamps. 

I was cleaning out the media room, aka playroom, so James could have more space to play, and needed to move the large woven urns out- so into the dining room they went.  I'm liking the effect- another layer of texture and height.

The brown are nice too.  I really like the groovy geometric pattern and the 20x20 is a good size.

Which pillows do you prefer in this room?  I shared another online source for pillow covers last week in case you missed it. 

Have a great week!

An Easter Table

Can you believe Easter is almost here?  It feels like it snuck up on me really quickly this year, but I'm ready with a simple Easter table for four.  I mostly shopped our home with items purchased from past years to create a setting that is relaxed and casual.

The inspiration for the table started with these adorable miniature birds nested with speckled eggs.  They are just a couple dollars at Hobby Lobby and I like how they add that Spring nature feel. 

The floral runner was purchased at World Market a few years back and used in a previous Thanksgiving table. I'm still loving my gold flatware from Amazon - they add some bling!

Bunnies certainly say Easter, don't they? Again, a Hobby Lobby find. 

This "egg" centerpiece adds a festive, pastel touch.  The large eggs are perfect!

Oh how I wish I had a yard full of blooming hydrangeas.  I don't even care what color, they are just so lush and gorgeous.  These are from the grocery store- too bad I can never get them to last very long!  Putting them in a mason jar feels more casual than using a formal vase. 

Whose ready for brunch? 

Have a great Easter!

DIY {$20 No Sew Curtain Liners}

Y'all know I'm not the greatest DIYer out there, so if I did it myself, you can too!  A few weeks ago I bought fabric to have drapes made for our dining room.  I had a seamstress make them, and she did a great job, however, in my haste, I measured wrong (too long) and did not buy fabric for her to line them with.  I guess I thought I could skip that step, but once they were hung, I realized they really needed to be lined because the fabric is a loose weave, and you could see the blinds through them during the day.

See what I mean?  Ug!

I wanted a cheap, quick solution, so I made a curtain liner out of a twin-sized Target bed sheets.  I think they were $10 each.  Last time I bought fabric liner from Joann's, I think it was $5 a yard on sale.  These sheets are thin, so if you want a heavier liner, I'd go with a thicker fabric.

The twin sheet width was wide enough to cover the width of the curtains, but about a foot too short (we have 10-foot ceilings in this room).  Since the window doesn't go all the way to the floor, you can't tell that the liner doesn't extend all the way to the floor.

I lay the sheet on top of the drapes and used no-sew tape to iron the pieces together.  I started along the top, then did each side, leaving the bottom alone. 

 Voila! 

I also "no sewed" the hem to make the drapes the proper length.  Much better!  

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If you haven't yet entered the Whimsy Lane Giveaway, go HERE to enter.

If you haven't yet entered the Pickle Doodle Designs Giveaway, go HERE to enter.

Both winners will be announced on Saturday, November 19, 2011. 

Dining Room Progress {Drapes & Mirror}

We've made a little progress on the dining room over the weekend, and although it's not complete, I wanted to show you what we've accomplished so far.  As you recall, we started with this:

The curtains are hung, but they need some work.  I mistakenly gave my seamstress the wrong measurement, so they are too long and need to be hemmed.  I have them tucked under in the photo, so they don't look that bad, but they are actually about 10 inches too long.  Also, I'm going to have her line them (what was I thinking, assuming I could skip this step since they don't cover much of the window?)  

We bought a new mirror for the space too and I'm liking the clean lines.  It's the Reflection Mirror from Z Gallerie (32x48).  I also brought in our console table that was previously in the entryway (musical furniture:)  

I haven't yet decided on a chandelier, but I'm thinking we will be replacing our current one with something that fits the room better.  You can go here to see two that I've been contemplating and I've added the source information.  But, throwing a wrinkle into the mix, now I'm liking this one too!  It was on sale last week, but sadly, not anymore.  Now that we have a mirror, I'm going to keep looking to see what works best. 

The room isn't styled too well yet, but I love the leafy green stems in the vase.  I picked them up at the grocery store.  I was looking for one of those big banana leafs, but couldn't find any.

It's coming along.  And the rug is supposed to arrive tomorrow!  Now I'm pondering: 

*Something on either side of the mirror (sconces??) 

*Art for the other walls 

*Painting the walls 

*Accessories for the console table

*Table linens (runner)

*Pillows for accent chairs 

*Chandelier

Hopefully we'll pull it together in time for the holidays! And speaking of holidays, are you getting excited???