It's Good to Get Away

As I read some of my favorite blogs this morning, I was inspired to write a post - one I had planned to write earlier this month, but life got in the way.

Earlier this month, Steve, Lulu and I escaped to the beach - pretty silly for people who live at the beach,

but this little guy was our motivation.

KC and her family live a 6-7 hour drive from Ventura

so we made plans to meet in Capitola which is just a 2.5 hour drive for them with little Andy.

It was a 5 hour drive for us (had to stop for Lulu to run around) so we arrived late on Thursday and got in a moonlit walk.

KC, Jake and Andy weren't arriving until Friday afternoon so I did something really fun.

I met up with the Darrielle of D.D.'s Cottage and Design who I follow daily on Instagram - @ddscottageanddesign - at the flea market.

I bought a few things - my favorites are a bowl and pitcher I found for just $10.

I never tire of looking at Darrielle's house on IG so I forced her to take me there after the flea market.

It was fun to see this chippy door on her porch because she introduced me to the woman who sold it to her.

I got the grand tour - you'll notice a lot of green throughout the house.

Darrielle has great style and she turns chippy forgotten pieces into valued treasures.

I was a totally rude guest 

snapping photos

right and left.

It was fun to see, in real life, things I have admired in her Instagram posts.

I love how she incorporated fall into her beachy style with pumpkins and flowers.

An old stool and watering can look beautiful filled with seasonal greenery.

I have loved her old tub for years - why didn't my old house come with a claw foot tub?

Look at the great green cupboard reflected in the mirror

and the awesome job she did refinishing this dresser used to hold the sink.

Just to let you know that I didn't stalk Darrielle the entire weekend,

 we visited a few shops she said were "must sees",

 walked all over Capitola which is full of cute houses

Via

and ate at great restaurants.

But most important was spending time with our little guy who is full of life - it was good to get away.

Using the Same Old Things

Once October arrives, I add a little Halloween decor here and there.

For the most part I relied on old favorites and odd bits to create a my Halloween look.

I made a pillow out of drop cloth I had on hand

and used an old scarf to spruce up a garden bench.

I added another scarf to a chair in the guest room

and moved this table back to the space.

A sign I found on Pinterest decorates my old Underwood and I printed out labels for an old journal and glass bottles.

The colorful strand of beads was made from old bracelets

and this garland was made from a couple of old necklaces.

The dried hydrangeas are a couple of years old and are actually from my garden.

I made the felted cat and pumpkin in a workshop and the card is one I received from Vera of Rowhomes and Cobblestones.

I added a lot more Halloween decor than I originally planned and still have a box full of unused items.

But, this view when I pass the guest room makes me smile.

And now I'm wondering, do you decorate for Halloween?

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Soft Whites For Fall

Looking at this picture, I imagine you are questioning the title of Soft Whites for Fall,

but why don't you come in and see for yourself.

With so much color happening outside, simplicity reigns throughout the house.

The step back cupboard provides a nice background for the little bit of color in the entry.

You might question all the white, but fall in my neck of the woods is less about oranges and reds or falling leaves

 than it is about wide expanses of blues and greens.

An old bench on the porch,

and old stool in the entry provide a pop of blue.

In the dining room, yellow paired with the blue and white spruce up the plate racks, but the yellow flowers are just too much.

So, I swapped them for baby boos.

I did have to resort to faux greenery otherwise I would be changing the greenery daily.

Keeping with the neutral theme, I made a few pumpkins out of drop cloth that ended up in the hallway.

Now, I need to hit publish on this post, finish the mantel

and head to the pumpkin patch so I can fill the shopping cart with pumpkins.

Because like the front porch, the back yard is all about color.