Living Thankfully

As Seasons Change…

Is it just me or is it easy to miss enjoying the current season because of all the excitement and anticipation for the next? I’m trying to fight that push this year- it really is an ugly thing that brings discontentment and little to no joy. So, on the cusp of changing seasons of autumn into the winter, rather than scrambling to decorate for the holidays I am taking pause to remind myself to be thankful for what is currently around me. Today that looks a lot like fresh clipped branches, pumpkins and plaid throws. Each season brings its own beauty if we take the time to look for it and then sit quietly there for a minute. This week outside my window I see colorful trees and falling leaves- not frosted window panes and carolers out in the snow. So I clipped a beautiful red branch and put it on the mantel to remind me of that.

As tempting as it is to jump quickly into the next season (ahem, Christmas), I encourage you to join me and sit in the season you find 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫. If you live in a warmer climate this will look different than here in the midwest but it's still possible to rest in the natural rhythms of nature, whatever that may look like for you. Don’t miss out on those beautiful colored trees because you’re so distracted pulling out Christmas decor. And, don’t get me wrong, it is totally great to get that Christmas tree set up and save stress in the weeks to come. What I’m talking about is remembering to see the beauty happening outside your door, right now. Let’s not get lost in the holiday scramble just because the retail stores and social media are screaming at us to deck the halls.

Follow natures lead, not social media feeds.

The Season Indoors

Bringing the outdoors in is always my first go-to when decorating our spaces seasonally. These Japanese Maple branches are from a tree in our yard, the pumpkins were moved in from the porch where we had been enjoying them this fall. All things that I won’t need to store in the basement when the season has passed. Real, living things used as decor not only means that I won’t need extra seasonal storage but it also creates a look that is far less plastic, so to speak.

To display my Japanese Maple Branches, I’ve used floral foam in a small bowl filled with water to lengthen the life of the delicate red leaves. To recreate this look, if you need direction for your own livingroom, pull ideas from the items that I used below.

ReCreate the look:

Candle Sticks (Hobby Lobby)
Fireplace Screen (Target)
Clock (thrifted & broken but no one cares)
Antlers (thrifted)
Branch (clipped from our yard)
Pumpkins (local farm)
Vase (IKEA)
Woven Chairs (IKEA)
Throw Blankets (HomeGoods)
Throw Pillow Cases (IKEA)
Throw Pillow Inserts (Crate&Barrel)

A word on pillows…

As I mentioned before, making home a cozy place does not mean we need to bring in more stuff. Instead of having a closet full of out-of-season throw pillows, invested in down inserts and change the covers only. Then, as the seasons change, only the pillow covers will need to be swapped out to match the season. I find that this saves so much stress, tons of storage and lots of money too.

Pillow Hacks
1) Only change covers
2) Over stuff covers

Holiday Swap

When you only change pillow covers, it makes moving into the next season so simple. I just swapped out two of the three pillow covers to add a pop of holiday red.

pillow inserts…

For a fuller look and more comfortable space to sit… over stuff those pillow covers! For example, if you have a 20” pillow cover then rather then using a 20’ insert (where it will look flat and have no support when sitting against), use a 23” pillow insert for a fuller look and more support. Overstuffing makes your pillows more eye pleasing and so much more comfortable. Make sure that when inserting your pillow cover with an oversized insert that you fold the insert in half (similar to a taco) before pulling into the cover. Once inserted, release the taco fold and watch as the pillow instantly fills the cover. Using this method avoids stressing the zipper and damaging the seams.

Pillow Sizes…

For spaces that I can add throw pillows (such as on a couch or bed), I use two types of pillow/insert combos listed below. I find that anything smaller isn’t comfortable and ends up looking cluttered in the space.

20” pillow covers with 23’ inserts
23” pillow covers with 26” inserts (otherwise known as Euro size)

The Season Outdoors

Pretty much the same set up as last year. It’s so tempting for me to always want to style a NEW decorative space each year because it’s truly fun for me, but… it takes a lot of time. So I’m using what I have already and spending the extra time with my kids. They’ll be out of the house in a blink and I will have lots of time for original spaces. For now… new Fall season, same Fall porch, and a family game night. I’m equally thankful for that.

Although I have a few pumpkins sprinkled around our house, the front porch is the only place that I put energy into decorating for Fall. I do this because 1) I don't have time to do more and 2) Fall is the only time of year where we actually use our front porch on the daily (summer is too hot, winter too cold). Since the porch becomes a place we spend time, I like to make it festive. It doesn’t take much- a few pumpkins, mums placed in bushel baskets and a rug. Instantly festive!