I know it isn’t quite fall yet; it won’t be fall until the 22nd. However, after the year we have had, I am into doing whatever brings me joy these days. Fall decorating brings me joy- our home is the most beautiful to me when it’s decorated for fall and Christmas. So I decided to decorate early…and I am so glad I did it.
I’m not going to show you every single room in our home, nor am I going to show you every fall decor item. Consider this our highlight reel.
Our living room is one of my favorite rooms to decorate, now that we built the fireplace. I love the orange pillows against the navy plaid chairs. We topped our mantle off with a fall garland, pumpkins, simple white candlesticks and candles, and a fall wreath from my family.
Here’s a close up of our fireplace mantle. Fall pillows and a cozy throw on the couch, pumpkins and fall flowers on the coffee table. Here is our side table in the living room. Here is another view of the living room.
We also have fall pillows and a throw made from my dad’s T-shirts on our family room sofa.
Family room couchA fall throw and comfy pillows make our family room cute and cozy. The family room coffee table also includes this adorable fall vignette with a lantern, vase of fall flowers and acorns.
Our two bathrooms have these pipe shelves, and we have decorated both of them for fall.
Our kitchen, which is under renovation, has a tiny bit of fall decor as well. This pitcher belonged to my great grandmother and I bet she’d love to know I am using it.
Lastly, our dining room is particularly lovely this time of year. My favorite things in the room are this fall runner I bought last year and a set of pretty placemats my grandmother gave me.
Daisy is trying to blend in and appear part of the decor. She is pretty enough to be decorative. Our sidebar has a little fall treatment too.
I hope you have a blessed day, and I will see you again this Friday for a post from a special guest.
I love having a pretty wreath on my door. Sometimes I buy wreaths from a friend at church who makes beautiful wreaths, but sometimes when I have a little more time, I make simple wreaths myself. I am going to share a few of my own creations but also a few from around the Internet. Enjoy!!
1. Simple hydrangea wreath
I made this one a few years ago from an oval wreath and some very realistic hydrangeas.
We’ve been blogging here for a good five years now, and in that time, we’ve had a lot of questions from readers. One question we’re often asked is this: “You all seem to always be doing something to your house. How do you do so much?” Today I’d like to share how we prioritize our projects.
1. Do projects a little at a time
We just did a small remodel of our master bathroom. We replaced mirrors, hardware and light fixtures. We eventually plan to replace the bathtub and surround and flooring as well, but it simply isn’t in the budget right now. So we started with the cheapest, easiest items on our “master bath to-do list” and we completed those.
2. Find cheaper options for the things you want to do
We love carriage house garage doors, but we neither need nor want to buy a $2,000 garage door at the moment… so we took to Amazon and ordered faux Coach house door hardware and a faux window kit for $50. We spent far less money something that looks like the real deal.
3. If you can DIY it, do it.
Custom closets are expensive, but my dad and I built this closet organizer ourselves for $100. It only took one day and it was a fairly simple project. We saved a lot of money by doing it ourselves AND it was a lot of fun.
4. Before you do any part of the project, ask yourself these questions:
1. Who will it benefit?
If it’s something that will benefit everyone in the home, bump the project up higher on your to do list.
2. Can I do the project in phases, or must I do it all at once?
If a project must be done all at once, but it’s small, it’s probably OK to raise it on your list. If it’s a big project and you can’t do it in phases, it’s probably expensive and should be lower on your priority list.
3. Do I need to do it, or just want to?
Projects that you want to do, no matter how much you want to do them, are never as important as the projects you need to do.
5. Save money for the things you can’t afford right now
Even if you can’t afford the things you want at the moment, save money until you have what you need.
Are you planning a New Years Party but you’re struggling to find the perfect decoration? Look no further than Organized and Simplified! Today, I am offering two brand new, completely free New Year’s Printables just for you.
First, we have this simple, gold Happy New Year print. You can print this up to 11×14, but I think it would make a fantastic postcard to send out to your friends and family. You could have it printed and put a picture of your family on the back.
This second one is a take on the traditional song “Auld Lang Sine” and it’s pretty simple and elegant as well. I could see this framed and hanging on someone’s mantle.
For best results, right click and save to your device. It is always a good idea to have these Printables professionally printed by a copy house or print shop (I like to use Staples Copy and Print). They will often print an 11×14 for less than $5. I would not recommend printing these designs larger than 11×14.
Happy New Year! Join us on January 2 for our New Year’s Resolutions.
I absolutely love antique stores, resale stores and thrift shops. I love looking for specific things, but I also love finding random treasures too.
Recently, I found this pretty and unusual desk in a Habitat for Humanity store. For a split second, I considered buying it.
Then, I spotted this pair of French toile chairs that would be darling in a little girls’ room.
It made me wish I needed them. In the end, I said goodbye to the cute desk and the darling chairs and walked away.
But, I digress. I mentioned that I sometimes go in a store searching for specific items. On this trip, I was in search of a new large piece of art for our living room.
I didn’t find what I wanted, but I did find these two neat paintings.
There are a handfull of items I am always on the lookout for in a resale shop or flea market. There are a few things I love to collect and I almost never pass up. Today, I’d like to share those lovely treasures with you.
1. Milkglass
I have several pieces of Fenton milk glass, and while most of my collection has been passed down to me from my grandparents and great grandparents, I also frequently purchase small pieces when I encounter them. I have passed on milkglass pieces just as often as I’ve purchased them, in an effort to keep my collection small.
2. Seagrove Pottery (especially blue)
I was raised in Central North Carolina, so I’m very familiar with Seagrove pottery. I remember being absolutely gobsmacked by how expensive the pottery is on Ebay, so I am always excited to find a piece for sale in a flea market or resale shop. I’ve emassed a decent collection from yard sales, thrift stores and family members.
3. Vintage tea cups and tea sets
You can often find one or two matching cups and saucers. You can do so many cool things with these- decorate with them, make bird feeders from them, make candles with them, gift them to a friend with a box of their favorite tea…the list is endless. I use mine beside my kitchen sink to store my rings while washing dishes.
4. Vintage quilts
Quilts often cost a pretty penny. If you find a nice vintage quilt that is still in great shape, buy it! That’s what washing machines are for! If it has a small tear, you can fix it. If it’s faded, use it for a picnic blanket. Vintage quilts also make great wall hangings.
5. Vintage picture frames
Have you ever seen vintage picture frames with the glass removed and painted with chalk paint? I’m telling you right now, you should do this! These frames would be lovely in a little girls’ room painted pink. They’d also make a lovely statement wall on a staircase. Or just a cute collage wall in a hallway. Hang them up empty or with photos in them.
Other things I love to search for are antique signs and advertisements, household items like wash boards, and old license plates. What do you love to buy from resale stores and flea markets?
