It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

 While I may not particularly love dressing up for Halloween, I do love the annual tradition of carving pumpkins to light the way for our neighborhood trick-or-treaters. As soon as October rolled around, I knew that we had to start our hunt early to ensure we found the perfect pumpkin. This weekend, we hopped in the car with good company and took the trek up north for the best pumpkin picking around. Our destination? The Gordon Skagit Farm nestled in the Skagit Valley.

If you live in the Seattle area, I highly recommend making the trip. They had fields of pumpkins to pick from, a corn maze, and an apple orchard where you can pluck a treat right off the tree.

Needless to say, we found a few good pumpkins to carve.

goodbye summer

With Summer trailing out and Autumn rolling in, I'm finding myself drawn towards rich hues, warm textures, and yummy treats. Today the air is cooler, but the sun is still shining which makes me want to host a luncheon with my favorite peeps and soak up the last bit of Summer. This luncheon tablescape from Snippet & Ink says it all:

Dahlias are my favorite and something that I look forward to all year. My garden has a few popping up, although I'd love to have a whole garden to pick daily. These beauties are gorgeous shades of fuchsia and plum, and I love that they scattered a few blackberries throughout. Both beautiful and delicious!

All Photography via Jodi Miller Photography

My favorite detail has to be the use of rustic burlap coupled with the modern sillouette of the glass cloche. I am a sucker for contrasting and layered textures - both visually and for the touch.

foodies unite!

Have you heard of TasteSpotting yet? Talk about a foodies delight!

TasteSpotting is somewhat of a virtual pot-luck with a very picky host, or at least that is how they describe it.

Basically what happens is anyone can submit images and links from around the web and the editorial team reviews the submissions before posting. There is an amazing assortment of deliciousness to choose from.

Some of my recent finds (and on my 'oh how I wish i could cook all day long' list) include:

Brie & Fig Pizza

Summer Bean Salad with Arugula, Almonds, & Manchego

Blackberry Brown Sugar Marscapone Ice Cream

Dinner party, anyone?

canadian rockies wedding

When I first saw this wedding on Style Me Pretty (endless inspiration for those of you looking to tie the knot) I was absolutely awestruck and had to share. If I could marry my wonderful husband all over again, I'd envision it to be just like this.

Where do I begin? I couldn't agree with the crew from Style Me Pretty more: "Not only are the views unreal but the styling is impeccable and the couple? Completely adorable." The bride's dress and blusher veil is to die for and the grooms pale gray suit is perfectly handsome.

And pinwheels for her bridesmaids? Adorable!

If that wasn't enough, take a look at the lovely choice in flowers and decor. The perfect marriage between the rustic wilds of Canada and the softness of flowers and lace.

Last, but not by any means the least...their invitations.

All photography by Orange Girl Photographs

You can see more of this amazing wedding here!

fall is in the air

Can you feel it? The first thing I noticed this morning was the familiar scent of Fall in the air. As much as I love Autumn, with it's changing leaves, crisp air, and the smell of pumpkin bread, I can't quite let go of Summer. I'm still hoping that we'll have a few more warm days to enjoy!

Now excuse me while I go check on the status of my apple tree in the backyard...

bedroom update

Okay, remember how I posted about my bedroom makeover a few weeks back? And then I went on to share my crush on shades of gray? Well, something has been bothering me about my newly decorated bedroom and I've finally figured it out. There are three things I want to change... the wall color (which I've never really been a fan of), the bed frame color (which is currently black and overpowering), and the girlishness (it is just too girly for my taste).

I've always loved the green and slate gray combo seen here, and it was actually my original color inspiration way before I found the black bed. Isn't it lovely?

via Snippet & Ink

I'm leaning towards painting the recessed wall behind the bed a dark slate color and possibly the remaining walls a creamy white. I love the look of dark gray walls contrasted by textured whites. It may seem counter-intuitive to paint a small room a dark color, but actually, using a dark color makes the wall disappear giving the illusion that the room is larger than it is. An added benefit is that the built -in shelving behind my bed will blend in with the wall and no longer be an eyesore.

Just to show you what I mean, here is another room utilizing the same palette and with built-in shelving behind the couch. I think this room is elegant and sophisticated with just the right touch of femininity.

via DecorPad

I'd love to paint all the walls the same dark gray, but I'm a little intimidated. I know it will look gorgeous when the room is sunlit, but what about in the evenings when the sun has set and the overhead lights are turned on?

Now, what about the black bed frame? What color should I paint it? I could go with a paler version of the same charcoal gray... or maybe an antiqued white? Or I could try to strip it and stain it a dark walnut to keep it from feeling too cold?

The last issue is the girlishness. The charcoal walls will roughen things up a bit, and I've already decided to remove the green floral throw I had at the foot of the bed. I've also decided to tuck in the bed skirt so that it still covers the box spring, but the base of the bed frame can be seen. Now I just need to introduce a little masculinity to the mix. Maybe some striped sheets?

Top-left & bottom-right: West Elm
Top-right & bottom-left: Matteo

Happy Sunshiney Day!

I've been trying to soak up every bit of warm weather we've had recently in Seattle. Today is especially lovely, and I suspect tomorrow will be the same: the sun is shining and the sky is bright and all I want to do is let me feet sink into the grass. For the first weekend in awhile, I don't have any obligations which means I can do whatever I want. The possibilities are endless! I plan to do a lot of dining al fresco with the huz on our front porch, finishing the last few pages in my book, and possibly tackling some of the crafty projects I have on my list (as long as they allow me to be outside).

I hope you, too, have fabulous plans for such a lovely weekend!

Source Unknown

basement bound

I'm a believer that your basement should be as beautiful as the rest of your home; however, let's face it - there usually isn't much budget or energy left when you get the basement. We haven't even come close to completing our plans for the main level, but while we save up money to redo the bathroom and kitchen I have to find something to keep me busy. I've started to think about the basement and how I can make more use of the space with a very small budget.

We were lucky enough to find a house with a finished basement, complete with 2 bedrooms, a full bath, and workshop for Steve's growing collection of tools. We will likely never use both basement bedrooms, so we've decided to convert one of the "bedrooms" into more of a family den/media room. The room we chose is a long and narrow room with built in cabinetry on one end for storing my growing collection of craft tools.

Not the best before picture, but you get the idea.

As you can see from the photo above, our basement isn't exactly stunning by any means, but it works just fine for us and I think I can spruce it up a bit as time and creativity allows.

To kick things off, we recently had the opportunity to purchase a friend's sectional that they needed to get rid of to make room for their growing family. It was a steal of a deal so we jumped at the opportunity. The couch may be a tad bigger than anticipated which limits our options for the layout, but I think we can make it work. I'll keep you updated as we start moving things around to decide on the best layout.

west seattle favorite { fleurt }

I've always dreamed of owning my own papered goods and flower boutique. One with carefully selected locally made crafts, home goods, trinkets, and of course, fresh cut flowers. *sigh*

This dream may be a lifetime away, but for now I'll share with you one of my favorite new finds...Fleurt.

A couple months back this darling little shop opened up on the corner of California and Oregon near the West Seattle Junction, and let me just tell you that I am in love. This shop embodies everything I have envisioned in my head. White washed walls, pops of color and rustic elements throughout. It has that perfect blend of home grown romance and doesn't read as your typical old fashioned flower shop. And to make things even better, you can't help but adore the lovely owner. Sam is absolutely delightful and I can't help but stop in from time to time to see what her recent treasure hunting has brought in store. She pairs unique arrangements in vintage vessels, and boasts a selection of eye-catching gifts that you'd struggle to find anywhere else in Seattle. I've been coveting the hand-blown glass terrariums for some time now.

Here are just some of my favorite floral creations from her online shop:

Small Birch Buds

Medium bowl of lovelies

Pretty Posy Bouquet

chevron building?

Okay, okay. I know I shouldn't spend my Sunday mornings perusing the internet and should instead be outside enjoying the summer weather. The problem is...we don't have summer weather here today. It is cold and dreary outside and too wet for this girl. And the worst part about it is that today I'm hosting a baby shower along with three of my best girls for the lovely Kristi due late next month with her first child. I'm hoping that over the next couple hours the weather gods will change their mind and shine a little happiness down on us. In the meantime, I'll just have to dream that I live somewhere sunny like L.A. Speaking of which...check out this chevron building I ran across this morning on oh joy!

How incredible is that? We all know how I feel about chevron, but this might be a tad much for my taste. Although I do feel that if you've got it, flaunt it!

it's august

My oh my. Can you believe it is already August? Before the summertime passes by, I need to remind myself to take a few moments to...

1. Pick (or buy) fresh flowers weekly

2. Spend more time in the sun

3. Bake berry pies

4. And kiss the ones I love

All photos via here

  

What are your favorite summer pastimes?

{ smile }

Today I thought I'd share with you a few things that make me smile
(in no particular order):

1.   Early morning walks around the neighborhood when others still sleep
2.   Bailey's old man groan when I scratch his ears
3.   Homemade tomato sauce
4.   Autumn's changing leaves
5.   Lemon ice cream
6.   Ballet flats and cardigans (very audrey hepburn, wouldn't you say?)
7.   The smell of lavender
8.   Belle's (almost creepy) human eyes
9.   Seattle's cherry blossom lined streets
10. My husband's green eyes and how sneaky they can be sometimes

lovely { bedroom } spaces

I'm rather tired today so I thought it only seemed appropriate to share some lovely bedroom spaces:

Courtesy of Southern Living via DecorPad

via DecorPad

via being red

Source Unknown

Source Unknown

color crush { shades of gray }

This may seem odd to some, but I love the color gray. I prefer it to black any day. It is softer on the eyes and has a calming effect. Just take a look at my blog for instance. Wouldn't you agree that the gray text I chose is much more soothing than black text.?

When it comes to home decor, the same concept applies. Black is timeless and will always add a level of sophistication and drama (when done right).

Photo via DecorPad

However, if you are craving a softer look, I recommend taking a chance with gray. Here are some of my favorite spaces that use various shades of this underdog of a color.

Photo courtesy of Lonny via La Dolce Vita

Erin Gates of Elements of Style
bedroom via Style Carrot

Photo from Furbish Studio
via Oh Happy Day!

Photo via seesaw

Photo via design sponge

Photo via DecorPad

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's home in
the Hamptons courtesy of Elle Decor via Kelly Green 

There must be a reason I keep seeing it everywhere.

                    ~ Is gray the new black? ~

current obsession { chevron strips }

Lately I have been absolutely swooning over anything and everything chevron. I can't help but love how it draws the eye in with its hypnotic form and absolute confidence.

Just take a look at how it injects personality into each of these rooms, no matter how it is used.

As wall-to-wall floor covering in a bold, color saturated room:

Photos clockwise from top-left: Miles Redd via Domino,
Elle Decor May 2010, Domino June/July 2007, and Jonathon Adler.

As a simple accent rug:

Photo via DecorPad

As furniture:

Photo via KellyandOlive

As accents and pillows:

Photos clockwise from top-left: West Elm, Twinkle Living via all modern,

make under my life, and fabricadabra

As window coverings:

Photos via DecorPad and Lonny

As rugged and distressed:

Photo via bellasugar

Or really whatever your heart desires:

Photos via and pixelimpress on etsy and Boston Handmade