I did two different fall porches this year...

My goal was to use things I had on hand and not purchase anything additional. 

This meant no real pumpkins. So, I gathered together my collection of faux pumpkins, and a dried gourd I picked up in an antique store one year, and placed them in an antique planter - taking center stage on my front porch bench.

I added pinecones and lanterns, a splash of more fall color with the use of a piece of fabric used under the planter and I tucked in sprigs of wheat and reed grass to the centerpiece as well as other items on the bench for additional touches of fall.

I loved it.

It screamed "fall" with all of the pinecones, pumpkins and wheat.

Neighbors loved it too and it really did look pretty.

Done.

Right?

Well...something just wasn't sitting well with me. 

It didn't "feel" the way I wanted my Thanksgiving to feel.

Craving charm and simplicity with a warm welcome...

I decided to change things up.

Go see how my second attempt turned out.

Let me know which one you like best - click on the link below!

FALL PORCH - Idea No. 2

PS - Let's stay cozy + connected in-between posts...find me on Instagram for daily inspiration.

Subscribe here to have new blog posts delivered right to your inbox.

KEEPING IT REAL

When Jay came home one night and saw this fall porch decor for the first time his response was, "Wow! We've got a lot going on up here."

And with that...he solidified my own personal feelings for wanting to change it up. Lol

STYLING | Fall Front Porch

 Before we kiss our pumpkins goodbye and bid farewell to Thanksgiving + the lovely Fall season, I wanted to share our Fall Front Porch with you.

This new house of ours has all of the charm I've ever dreamed of; The front porch, the craftsman style home, the HardieTrim® boards, the shake shingles...even the subtle minty blue I would've never chosen on my own but really love. 

So, with all of that "charm" it's been fun decorating the front porch AND somewhat of a struggle. Choosing the right plant containers to use out front has been challenging because I didn't want to use anything too substantial or regal for our "cottage" home OR something so simple it would seem boring. I knew using ornate urns was never an option so I never tried those. I did however try some cute baskets and even some smaller clay pots. Although I loved the look and the idea of using baskets, they proved to be completely impractical. The baskets started to mold inside from watering - gotta love Florida humidity. The standard clay pots were just too orange and too short next to the brick columns. I was looking for height...and...well...charm.

I'm happy to say I found just what I was looking for after several visits to the garden center at Ace Hardware - and a special order...for these Les Fleur clay pots that have evidently been discontinued. So much for simple. 

They are the perfect faded clay I was looking for and with the addition of these pretty white florals, (White Knight Alyssums), that will apparently last through the Florida winter...I think they're pretty perfect. I'm happy with how it came together. Now...enough talking...I'll just let you scroll.

I have to also mention I lucked out when I found all of the pretty pumpkins you see in this post at a little general store called Andrew's Homestead. It's such a sweet little find and Andrew is such a great guy. I will be sharing more about this little local gem and the treasures Andrew carries...like Kombucha Juice on tap! More on that later.

It's Pie Day tomorrow everyone!! *wink*
And my heart is grateful.
I'll pop in quickly tomorrow to share all of my Thanksgiving desserts with you.

xoxo,
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Did I tell you how much I LOVE the pretty white flowers?
They actually stink but they're so pretty and cottagey and just my style...I can deal with the smell.
And they do shed some but the positioning on the porch allows the wind to blow the pretty little petals away. Kind of like having an invisible, personal porch Roomba®. Ha!!

HOME DECOR | Fall Home Tour 2017

Hello friends!! I'll be skipping town to head to my mom's and get Ella to her BFF's bday party this weekend but before I do I wanted to share some Fall inspiration with you.

This is the current state of my home and definitely one of my favorites as far as Fall decorating is concerned. I've kept things super simple this year by snipping some dead/broken branches from a few maple trees around the neighborhood as well as filling a bowl with some beautiful dried leaves I collected for a few days on my walks with Hamilton. I even scattered them randomly on some furniture, placed a couple of pumpkins here and there and I'm done. And I couldn't be happier.

Oh wait! This delicious Pumpkin Spice candle was a must with it's gorgeous coppery container and amazing aroma. (Thanks TJ Maxx)

I'm finalizing my Hot Cocoa Bar for this year...(look closely and you can see a peek of it in the background). And I love this new copper side table I picked up from Target. It adds the perfect touch of whimsy.

Since I had yet to share much of our new home, I sure hope you enjoyed these pictures and feel a little bit inspired. I'm still slowly...like at a snail's pace...pulling things together. Happy weekend everyone! And HAPPY FALL!!

xoxo,
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL
The yankee candle burning in the photo above is one of my very favorite candles of all time. I burn it year-round even though it's a "holiday" scent called Gingerbread Maple.  In fact, I firmly believe it helped sell our previous home because I would light the candle and turn on 3 different wax warmers with the Gingerbread Maple tarts wax melts before each showing and I got so many compliments on how wonderful the home smelled every time. (even from the inspector and appraiser too! In fact, I even ended up giving the appraiser one of my wax tarts because she loved it so much). Ha!!