Do you ever find yourself not purchasing something for your home because you second-guess yourself or come up with various objections? You are NOT alone!!    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate and sponsored links.    Scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has it together, but really, they don’t. Most people have the same insecurities about home decor that you do. Why do you think that there are so many home and garden shows on TV and the checkout stands are filled with decorating magazines? Because nearly everyone, even the pros, is … [Read more...]

Welcome to Part 2 in our three-part journey of how to create a home office that's budget-friendly, serves you well, and is uniquely YOU! (You can revisit Part 1 here.) You don't want to waste time and energy getting your space just right. Let my experience save you from the pitfall of a potentially expensive mistake.   Thank you to Wayfair for sponsoring this post.   The two MOST important things your home office needs…      Let's start with the NUMBER ONE THING you need for your workspace.     Ahhh. You FINALLY get to focus on your “new” home … [Read more...]

  Every home needs to have a connection with the outdoors through the seasons... even if all you have is a small apartment with a tiny patio or balcony. Is your home summer ready? As I prepare my home for summer, one of the first things I love to do is to make my little apartment balcony both an oasis and an extension of my indoor space. No matter how large or small your spaces are, making them ready for summer enjoyment is worth the doing and I'm here to help.   Thank you to Wayfair for sponsoring this post. I loved choosing all these lovely items that make my small outdoor space so … [Read more...]

  Simple easy tips for transitioning your home from winter-weary to spring-fresh.    The trees are leafless and there's still snow on the ground. Yet soon, there will be wildflowers along our paths and a canopy of green overhead. While Mother Nature takes her sweet time transitioning her wardrobe, I'm going to jump ahead and pretend that spring has arrived and transition my inside spaces, making them fresh and happy and welcoming AND walk through the process with you.   This post is sponsored by Wayfair. All thoughts and creative ideas are my own.   What's the first color … [Read more...]

  Avoid the Thanksgiving headaches and plan for a fabulous day with these 5 tips.   How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Easy and Fun   TIP 1 ~ Keep it Simple! I can't stress this enough.  It's taken me many years and too many melt-downs to realize that I had a tendency to overcomplicate holiday entertaining. Whatever you do well and love to do... that's where you should focus your time. For me... that's setting a pretty table like this one. I'm all about the presentation.  Making everything look pretty makes my creative juices run.  Slaving in the kitchen... not so much.  That means that my … [Read more...]

  Bringing the warm simple coziness of Hygge home this Fall to create that wonderful sense of well-being we want and need. “Regardless the destination, all roads lead home.”  ― H.L. Balcomb   Home is my favorite place to be in the fall.  Looking out my window to the changing leaves, admiring my pots of mums and piles of pumpkins, and drinking a mug of hot spiced apple cider next to the fire...  that's my idea of Fall coziness. Recently I posed this question on Facebook...  What's your favorite thing about Fall? I got all kinds of answers but these … [Read more...]

  A glimpse of summer living at its finest and a peek in my summer sanctuary at home.   Picture yourself walking down the coastline with the waves lapping at your feet, the sun warming your back, and with every step, the cares of the world melting away. Wasn't it refreshing taking that brief mental break to envision yourself strolling down the shore? Those times on the sandy edges of Lake Michigan are my favorite, especially after indulging in a picnic at on beach. When we've walked as far as we can, we'll go back to our spot on the beach.  There we'll settle into our sand … [Read more...]

  The weather is beautiful and the beach is whispering, "Come!" Seize the moment with 9 EASY tips for a simple beach picnic that will be the perfect setting for fun and memories.   While standing in line at the checkout counter I opened up a popular magazine.  My eye was drawn to pictures of people picnicking in a meadow. There were heaps of food and beverages and pillows and lanterns and so much more.  So much goodness that by the time the picnic was set up I'd be too exhausted to enjoy it.  Summer is the time for a simple picnic on the beach. Don't become overwhelmed with trying to make it … [Read more...]

  Learn how to make a small space amazing with a beautiful spring container garden.     Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year!  And my very favorite thing to do is to stroll through the garden or hike through the woods looking for new growth pushing out of the ground.  The air is rife with anticipation and the earth is filled with so much newness that my heart bursts with joy! With that in mind, you're in for a treat! Today I'm going to share all my tips for getting a head start on the gardening season by creating a fabulous small space container … [Read more...]

  This year my cozy apartment is living large with a stunning new blue and silver Christmas tree courtesy of Balsam Hill.  Here are some tips for decorating a tree beautifully filled with sparkle, color, and a touch of the dramatic.     Growing up, decorating for Christmas was a big deal in my home.  My dad was all about hanging lights on our front porch and creating gorgeous swags filled with miniature lights. My mom always had a DIY Christmas decor project and could be counted on to cover our tree with lights and ornaments and garland until it looked like one huge sparkly Christmas … [Read more...]

  You might be surprised to learn this about me... but I rarely go to movies.  In fact, I rarely watch movies on TV. My husband will suggest we go to different movies, but somehow I manage to wiggle my way out of going.  I think it might be because I have to just sit and watch a screen. Asking me to go and sit in a movie theater is like asking me to go sit in a closet for 2 hours.  Yeah, I know, I'm different. All that being said, I do enjoy a good movie. (Up until now, the last movie I watched was Les Mis, which I thoroughly enjoyed, by the way.)  You've just got to get me to sit down for … [Read more...]

  Adventuring... it's my very favorite springtime activity.  There's nothing like the exhilaration of discovering tiny whorls of spring green pushing through the thick decaying blanket of brown covering the woodland floor or spying the first marsh marigolds in the wetlands or catching sight of the elusive Baltimore oriole that beckons us with his melodious song. My husband and I love to get out in the early light of the morning.  It's the best for picture taking, but it also feels like we are on a holy adventure.  There's something extraordinary about the world waking up for the day and being a part of … [Read more...]

  Last spring I picked up a part time sewing gig.  A friend of a friend has a small Etsy shop and wholesale business and she needed someone to help with some of the sewing and stuffing of pillows.  I was happy to help out and the extra money comes in handy too.   Our little workshop is on the second floor over a little retail business. It's fun listening to the hustle and bustle down on the street and in the shop as I work.   It's a fairly bright space with two super tall windows and a couple of skylights which makes it quite pleasant. We positioned my sewing machine right in front of … [Read more...]

  This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All experiences and opinions are mine alone. #SandwichWithTheBest #CollectiveBias Each year from May through October you can be sure to find me, bright and early, every Saturday morning at my local farmer’s market. It's the high point of my week. Every just-picked fruit or vegetable is waiting for me. So much goodness and I didn't have to sweat in the sun nor pull a single weed to enjoy the bounty. I confess, everything looks and smells so wonderful, that I sometimes get a little carried away with my … [Read more...]

  Are you faced with a small space in your home or apartment? These simple and do-able small space decorating tips will help you look at decorating your space in a fresh new way.     Since getting married, I've been moving around the country.  It's provided a great opportunity for learning to overcome space and decorating challenges which every home has. Our most recent move to a small two bedroom apartment has been the most challenging.  In order to make my new small space feel spacious and inviting, I implemented a few easy small space decorating tips I've learned through my many … [Read more...]

  This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Bananamazing #CollectiveBias Yummy Banana Snacks Kids and Moms will Love Growing up... my dad was determined that I would eat foods that were good for me.  Bananas were high on his list of nutritious foods and fortunately for me, I loved bananas.  Many of my after-school snacks and suppertime desserts included bananas.  Because my dad was generally the main cook at our house, he made easy to prepare snacks and desserts.... a small bowl of sliced bananas with a little sugar sprinkled over the … [Read more...]

Will you be hosting a Super Bowl party? Whether you're hosting or invited to watch the game with friends or family, you will LOVE these delicious and savory recipes that are sure to please. The next question is.... which team will you be rooting for?   28 Winning and Savory Game Day Foods   Shrimp Pesto Pizza :: Cooking With Curls Crock Pot Turkey Chili by Art From My Table via Carrie Elle Baked Tequila Lime Chicken Taquitos :: Happy and Blessed Home Asian BBQ Pork Taco Boats :: Lemons for LuLu Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Fries :: Grace and Good Eats Stromboli - Baked Italian Sandwich :: … [Read more...]