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ONE WEEK FROM TODAY I’ll be celebrating in New York with @betterhomesandgardens 😮 In the mean time I’m doing two weeks of homework and my graphic design job and what feels like one gazillion other things. I’m hoping to find some time to write a few more blog posts before I go, but we will see if that actually happens after my homework and design deadlines! I don’t think it will feel real until I’m actually in New York with my mom, but I’m getting very excited to make new friends and see what the Stylemaker Celebration is all about! #bhgstylemaker

It takes design guts to colorblock a room with a bold color, and we all agreed that Madeline @the801house did it to perfection! (Plus you guys know I can’t quit that perfect shade of blue/green she used!) She’s this week’s #standoutstyling winner! Looking good, Maddie! For your chance to be featured next week, tag your posts with #standoutstyling and follow all of us + our guest host: 🔅@hollandavenuehome 🔅@kelseylenesigars 🔅@our.home.on.a.hill 🔅@theressnowplacelikehome and our guest host 🔅@the801house . Thank you again to Wendy @thekwendyhome for hosting with us last week!

The extent of my fall decorating. One blue pumpkin placed on a stack of my favorite magazines. I have one more small blue pumpkin inside on my bookshelf, and a berry colored pot of mums on my deck. I might pick up a couple of real pumpkins in a few weeks, but I like to keep it simple around here. 🍂🍁🌾🍄 I’ve been feeling the overwhelming current of seasonal advertising. Every year around this time, advertisements and influencers say that to really enjoy autumn, you need new fall decor and new sweaters and new candles and new pumpkins and new ankle boots and new this and new that, right? Isn’t that what fall is about? New sweaters and decorative pumpkins? I don’t think so. I’m not buying it (literally). Don’t believe the marketing lie that you need more stuff to celebrate the changing of seasons. Instead of buying stuff, buy a carton of apple cider to share with friends. Buy a can of pumpkin purée and whip up some bread to enjoy with a cup of tea and a loved one. Buy yourself some time- turn off your phone and spend an evening going on a walk with your family to admire the changing leaves. 🍂🍁🌾 You don’t need more stuff to fully enjoy the new season, but if you do buy Autumn things, try to be thoughtful and let every purchase serve a deeper purpose like hospitality or connection or generosity. 🍂🍁🥧🍄🌾🌻☕️🕯

Is there a style you love but avoid because it doesn’t feel cool enough? That’s how I feel about #grannychic 👵🏻 When I see this photo of my front porch, I hesitate to share it because it doesn’t feel cool or current or hip. But then I can’t ignore the smile it brings to my face, and I decide to share it anyway. It isn’t hip, it isn’t a good reflection of the rest of my style, and I didn’t buy anything new to create this space so it feels crazy mismatched. I think that’s what I love about it, though. The color, the whimsy, and the significance of certain pieces make this little corner such a bright spot in our home. The handkerchiefs are from the centerpieces at our wedding. The quilt was hand sewn by my Granny Ruth (which is fitting for the “Granny Porch”). The yellow sofa reminds me of my favorite coffee shop from my hometown. The trunk is our toy box for when kids come over and is from my first auction experience in rural Iowa. I bought the rug for our living room when we moved in before I knew about proper rug sizing, so it lives out here now. It is random, imperfect, and absolutely cheerful, and I love everything about it. So no, I wouldn’t describe “my style” as Granny chic, and this is way more cluttered and maximalist than I prefer, but SOMETHING ABOUT IT MAKES ME SMILE so I’m sharing it with you! I hesitate to have my design aesthetic associated with a space like this, but it is part of my home and I love love love it despite all of my mental hesitations. 🌷👵🏻🏡 I think this space is the heart behind #youdoyoudecor . I’ve never seen a look like this before, and I didn’t style it for someone else’s approval. It wasn’t inspired by anything on Pinterest. It was my creativity and whimsy and imagination at work, using special pieces I already had, and that’s what makes it share-worthy. 💛💐✨ If you’re holding back some element of your style because of what other people might think, forget about it and just do what you love! It’s your home, your style, your life, so do what makes you smile instead of doing what someone else will admire. That’s my design philosophy, and I’m so happy to share it with you. Tag your photos with #youdoyoudecor to join the fun!

Swipe to see some calligraphy work I did for @thedelightfulfind ‘s special day! Everything Suzanne touches is made beautiful, so when she asked me to do the calligraphy for her envelopes I was thrilled! She curated the most beautiful collection of colorful stamps for the envelopes. They are the perfect pair for my simple black calligraphy, and the invitations are black on white letterpress goodness. 🌷 If you are getting married and want your envelopes to be as special as the rest of your wedding, I’d love to do calligraphy for you! (I also offer custom wedding invitation design if you’re looking for the full package!) If you’re interested, send me a message through the contact form on my website to get started! 💌✏️📪 And thanks again to Suzanne (@thedelightfulfind ) for allowing me to contribute to your special day!

This morning, I was sitting on the loveseat on the porch (on the other side of this window). I put the pillows on the top of the loveseat so Louie had room to lay down. One of the pillows has a squirrel on it. Just now, Louie went into the living room and started aggressively barking at something. She can’t really see out the front from this window, so I was confused. That’s when I walked in and saw the squirrel pillow on the other side of the glass. Louie’s favorite recreation is barking at squirrels, and she was absolutely convinced that the squirrel pillow was a live squirrel on our porch. It was probably the cutest thing she’s ever done. 🐿🐾

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