~take your medicine~

Hello friends!

Here's a quick dose of loveliness.

It's painless,

I promise!

xoxo

~quote of the day~

"I love thee, I love thee with a love that shall not die. Till the sun grows
cold and the stars grow old."- William Shakespeare

xoxo

~feeling blue~

Not literally!

How could I be feeling blue after celebrating 13 years with my husband?

Thank you for all of your well wishes!

No, I am feeling blue because I stumbled across these photos here and fell in love.

I think a trip to TJ Maxx is in the cards today.

I need me some blue!

Besides the blue touches in these spaces,

aren't the rooms to die for?

Like this one.

A simple cozy blue throw is all it takes!

Or you could always upgrade to a custom upholstered bed!

I love the grey in this blue bedding.

You like my porch?
Thanks, we just finished it over the weekend,



Wouldn't this be a great pre-teen room?
(complete with a fluffy white dog of course!)

sold

Even the HINT of blue in this rug is enough

this photo reminds me of a beach house.....

My kitchen,

which leads to the covered porch you saw a minute ago.

{are you kidding me??????}

Hope you enjoyed feeling blue with me!

If you haven't signed up for your FREE ugg boots yet, head on over!

One free pair is given away every month!

Let me know if you win!

Have a wonderful day friends!

xoxo

~happy anniversary~

It all started 18 years ago.

I was 16 and I had my eye on my friends older brother.

5 years later we were married.

and today we celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary!

Happy anniversary honey, I love you!

xoxo

~free ugg boots~

um................sign me up!

I live in my ugg boots, not only in the winter,

but in the summer too!

And I have the slippers!

They are so super comfy and warm.

And you can win yours free here!

Click on the word here {above} and sign up!
don't wait!
Head on over now!
Good luck!
xoxo

~boo~

perfect on your kitchen counter surrounded

by apothecary jars filled with Halloween candy! 2 just listed in my etsy shop!

xoxo

~succulents~

Loving succulents............. last year on Valentine's day we gave

these little heart succulents (found at Ikea believe it or not)

to the kids' teachers.

beautiful at Autumn weddings mixed with lemons....


gorgeous!

Isn't this wreath fabulous?

You can make it!

Follow the directions below!

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
Wire Wreath Frame
Garden Shears
Liquid Fertilizers
Sphagnum Moss
Paddle Wire
Step 1
Prepare succulent cuttings by taking pieces of established plants a few days prior to building your wreath. (A shopping bag full of cuttings should be enough to make an 8-inch wreath.) The cuttings should be at least 3 inches long. Allow them to dry for a few days to form a scab on the cut end.
Step 2
Attach the tag end of #24 paddle wire to a wire wreath frame.
Step 3
Soak sphagnum moss in a bucket until it is moist. Half a bale of sphagnum will make one 8-inch living wreath.
Step 4
Cover the wreath frame with the sphagnum moss. The brown side of the moss should face up and the sides should overlap by at least 2 inches on both sides of the frame.
Step 5
Dip the cut end of a succulent cutting into a rooting hormone.
Step 6
Lay the prepared succulent cutting onto the moss-covered frame near where the wire is attached. The cutting should lie on its side.
Step 7
Cover the cut end of the succulent with a new piece of damp moss. Wrap the overlapped moss over the new piece of moss to cover the end.
Step 8
Wrap twice with the paddle wire. Be very careful when wrapping the wire around the stem of the cutting. If you wrap too tightly, the wire will cut into the tender flesh of the succulent.
Step 9
Continue adding cuttings, covering with moss and wrapping with wire until you come to the end. Cut the wire and tie off to the back of the frame.
Step 10
Soak the finished wreath in a bucket or water with a hose to settle plants in place.

xoxo

~10 thoughts on whole living~

I saw these 10 thoughts in the latest issue

of body + soul and thought they were worth sharing!

1) For the healthiest food, eat close to the source.

2) Stay tuned in to emotions. They connect you to the moment.

3) When you feel at ease with yourself, you become truly free.

4) Stop talking yourself out of the life you want most.

5) Style has less to do with what you wear and more to do with who you are.

6) Experience the power of pure silence.

7) Every moment of suffering brings an opportunity to build resilience.

8) Don't let fear of the unknown hold you back from making a change.

9) Fall represents a return to roots. Let yourself rest and replenish.

10) Happiness doesn't just happen; it emerges.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

~fun with white pumpkins~

loving this look for Autumn!

Pottery barn has white pumpkin candles!
Cute idea, just add a little black paint, or stickers!

decorate your tables with them!

get fancy with 'em!

the look is so beautiful!

I think I have to get me some!

xoxo

~home tour~

everyone needs their own grape vines right?

Today we are visiting my friend Annie's home.

You ready?

Check out the delicious hardware on her interior doors!

Hardware can be delicious right? This is a combo dining and sitting area off the kitchen

that has french doors that lead to a gorgeous private yard!
(and that grape vine covered pergola!)
Her gardens are filled with cement and cast iron urns, overflowing with flowers!

The living room, don't you want to just sink into that couch?

A gorgeous fountain outside the front entry.

The entry.

Need I say more?

Exterior lighting.

The master bedroom.

Pure luxury!

I love her use of antiques and new items.

When they remodeled this 1970's ranch style home,

they made all the hallways extra wide and added skylights.

This is a shot from part of the kitchen to the entry.

Back in the master bedroom.

What you don't see is double doors that take you to a

HUGE walk in closet, mini kitchen, and fantastic master bath!

I would never leave!

Guest room bath.

Vintage chandeliers and sconces are everywhere!

Master bedroom fireplace.

hallway lighting, not your standard builders grade!

A larger shot of the hallway outside the master bedroom.

door to the laundry!

Dining room off the kitchen.

thanks for tagging along with me!

And thanks to Annie for sharing her home!

xoxo

~what's for dinner?~

On the menu tonight at the Thompson house:

Moroccan-style stuffed acorn squashes,

compliments of my good friend Martha.

She's just so sweet!

Not only did she give me this incredible recipe

but she included it in a jam packed magazine with other

clever ideas, recipes, and decorating tips!

She is so good to me.

So while my acorns were roasting,

I browsed through the pages of her magazine and learned how to:

throw a bewitching Halloween party,

I learned a little about vintage cast-iron baking pans,

I learned how to create charming Halloween masks and candy containers,

I read about Martha's trip to Palm Springs,

and most importantly,

I learned about Caudiciform succulents!

Wow, she amazes me so!

ha-ha!

Anyway, I do have to say the dinner turned out

AMAZING

and so I am going to share it with you!

Here we go:

2 med. acorn squashes, halved and seeded

2 t. olive oil

3/4 lb-1 lb ground chuck

ground cinnamon and nutmeg

2 t. coarse salt

1/2 med. onion, finely chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

3/4 c. bulgur wheat

2 c. water

1/4 c. golden raisins

1/4 c. parsley chopped

2 T. pine nuts, toasted

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squashes cut side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake until tender, 35-40 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in pan with a tight fitting lid. Add ground beef, and a pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg and 1 t. salt. Cook until browned and cooked through.

3) Drain fat and add onion. Cook about 5 more minutes. Add garlic. Add remaining salt and the bulgur, and stir to combine. Add water and bring to a boil. reduce heat to med. low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add raisins, parsley, and pine nuts.

4) Scrape out baked squashes, forming 1/4" thick bowls, and fold flesh into bulgur mixture. Divide among squash halves, and return to oven. Bake until warmed through and the tops are browned, 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy!

xoxo

p.s. I added fresh shredded Parmesan to the tops of mine and it was delicious!