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Fall Front Porch At Night
Our fall front porch at night is one of the simple delights in life that I’m relishing right now. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy it during the daytime as well. But the glow of the porch at night is what’s really doing it for me. Full disclosure, it’s harder to see the dirt and cobwebs at night, so that’s another point in its favor. Did you notice the colored lanterns on the steps? I sure hope so because I don’t own a blog to be demure. Sharing evening photos of our front porch is a shameless opportunity for me to gush about my continued enjoyment of solar lids with…
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Witchy Halloween Mantel – No Cost Decorating Ideas
I’ve brewed up some great, no-cost Halloween decorating ideas to share with you, and they all revolve around my witchy Halloween mantel. I had so much fun decorating my fireplace for Halloween this year. It’s a challenge to come up with an idea that hits the right vibe for our house. Nothing gory, scary, or tacky. I know tacky is a particularly subjective term. Ha! You probably won’t create a witchy Halloween mantel just like mine, but here are some no-cost decorating ideas that work like a charm for anyone. Use what you already have in a new way. It doesn’t take any magic, but it does take a bit…
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Happy List: #407
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I am so happy to have you join me here on the first Friday in October. This month snuck up on me! This week on the blog, I shared the candle warmer lamps that I’m obsessed with at this moment. I delight in this sort of small comfort. I also provided a stone wall update! It has to do with the gate and mailbox. Let me tell you, we are going to be winging it with that whole situation. I say it every week because I mean it. Thank you for being here. You have an unlimited number of ways you could spend…
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Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 10, Mailbox and Gate Plan
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. When we last left off, I had shared the progress on the second section of the wall and the potential problem with road salt. You can catch up on that here. Now it’s time to share the plan for the mailbox and gate. Don’t worry. There are also progress pictures on the wall itself. I wouldn’t deprive you in that way. To put it delicately, the gate and mailbox have seen better days. They both have some rot and peeling paint. The gate requires a complicated…
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Getting Cozy With Candle Warmer Lamps
Candle warmer lamps are the emotional support item getting me through the bumpy transition from summer to fall. Yes, lamps plural. I have two. Not only did I jump on the candle warmer lamps trend, but I also decided Big Candle could have all my money. Candle warmer lamps do exactly what they say. They warm up the wax in a candle vessel, allowing the smell to waft through your home without you having to light the wick. It’s brilliant. Now, friends. I am old enough to know that melting scented wax is not a new concept. In the late aughts, I had some Scentsy wax melts and a cute…
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Happy List: #406
Hi! Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted to see you here. This week on the blog, I shared a roundup of the pretty wall pockets I found online. The joke is on me because I thought I’d only find them on Etsy and eBay. Incorrect. I also shared an update on the stone wall I’m slowly building. I was hoping to finish it this month, but that’s not going to happen. I will finish it, though. Eventually. I say it every week because I mean it. Thank you for being here. You have an unlimited number of ways you could spend your time. The fact that you…
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Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 9, The Salt Problem
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. When we last left off, I had shared the progress we had made on building the second section of the wall. You can catch up on that here. Today, I’ll share more progress (yay!) and discuss the one thing out of our control with this project – salt. Personally, I’m a big fan of salt. We need it to stay alive. It makes food taste delicious. What’s not to love? Guess what isn’t a fan of salt? Lime mortar. What are we using to build our…
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In Praise Of: Wall Pockets and Wall Vases
I recently rearranged the gallery wall in our living room and added a wall pocket. Have you heard of wall pockets? They are also called wall vases, but the term wall pocket feels much more charming rolling off the tongue in my American accent. Wall pockets are vases with a flat back that can hang on the wall. They were particularly popular during the Victorian Era. This era marked the reign of Queen Victoria over England and Ireland and ran from 1837 – 1901. Flowers were part of the romance of the Victorian Era, and nothing puts romance over practicality like flowers in a vase on a wall. Antique and…
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Happy List: #405
Hello, hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted to see you here. This week on the blog, I shared the floral witch’s hat I made for Halloween. *happy sigh* That craft is still filling my joy bucket. I must have needed a different creative outlet than building a rock wall. Speaking of that rock wall, I shared a progress update on the blog. The most important part of that update is that I haven’t quit yet. As always, thank you for being here. I hope the Happy List is a bright spot in your day and leaves you feeling inspired and encouraged! Part of the fun for me is…
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Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 8, Progress Section 2
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. When we last left off, we had built the first wall section, demoed the second wall section, and built stairs. Anyone tired yet? Ha! Now, it is time to connect the stairs to the second wall section and show you the progress we’ve made with the second wall. I’ve been working on it every day for a few hours, and the unvarnished truth is it’s a slow slog. The main reason why it is so slow is that we are reusing the rocks from the old…
