Weekend Fun

Saturday we had my in laws annual pumpkin carving party. Such a great party theme and an excuse to enjoy good food (my father in law makes the best chicken chili) and good company. Plus, what is more fun than carving pumpkins?! Ellie, of course, was the star of the party.

My carved pumpkin- ears and all

Daddy is definitely under her spell

My two loves!

Hope everyone had a great weekend, too!

I've been looking forward to this day for a while now. It's my first day off from field hockey. Yesterday was our last game and we are done for the season! I am the Varsity Coach at a local High School. It was a great season, but I am so ready to have my afternoons free again to hang out with this girl:

Making silly faces during dinner!

Today we have a play date with two of her friends. I am going to make my first batch of pumpkin muffins this afternoon. Since it's a rainy day today we'll go visit her cousins or go to an indoor playhouse, too. Have a great weekend!

Halloween Decorating

I've never been a huge fan of this holiday, but Ellie has since become obsessed with all things Halloween. She loves scarecrows (runs over to them in the supermarket to say, "hi!") and loves skeletons, ghosts (she says, "boo!"), pumpkins, etc. She loved helping me decorate- I even went out and bought more decorations, such as hanging spiders. I prefer the black and silver color theme for Halloween. Orange wouldn't go well with the rest of my decorating and paint colors, but I love it on our front porch.

Here is my silver skull (mentioned here, too):

I bought the white skeleton not realizing I had the black one, too. Next year I'll do matching black skeletons. Ellie loves saying "hi" and "bye" to them every morning and night.

 Our hanging spiders (Martha Stewart, $2)

 My $1 banner (a great Target deal!):

 This was a perfect spot for our new black cat. I like how it matches my black leopard plate.

Our dining table centerpiece: white pumpkins (purchased at a pumpkin patch) and these spider web votive holders (Home Goods on clearance, $2).

 Our second mantle: I added a couple metallic pumpkins:

I just purchased white spider webbing for our porch. I still have to pick up a few more pumpkins, then I will post a photo of our outside. Happy Decorating!

Luscious Finds at Z-Gallerie

Z-Gallerie is one of my favorite online shops for the home. I love finding inspiration here for accessories. I have often found some of these same accessories at Home Goods for a less expensive price tag. They also carry a lot of mirrored items, which I love, and modern and contemporary furniture, which is my style.

Here are my recent luscious finds at Z-Gallerie. I hope you enjoy them, too!

These sconces would be a perfect addition to my dining room, $50

Skulls seem to be everywhere these days and not just for Halloween, $30

Here in gold (silver, too). Only $15, which is a lot cheaper than I've been seeing them.

I love this starfish bowl, $25. Perfect centerpiece for a dining table or coffee table.

I purchased something very similar from Home Goods (as a pair, $40). One of these is $40

I love the shape of this vase. Add a few faux stems!

Of course I have to include a piece of their mirrored furniture. I love the scalloped detailing and hardware, $900

18 months!

My baby girl turns 18 months today! She is the light of our lives. She just started running and it's so cute how she puts her elbows in the air, she loves music and dancing (we still have dance parties every night), she just starting jumping (well, really she just bends her knees, puts her hands in the air, and propels forward...I don't think she gets in the air, but it's so cute anyway), she is very lovable- always kissing everyone goodbye and hugs me out of the blue, and she understands everything we say and ask her to do and repeats words we say every day. Her new word is "bye" and she loves saying "socks" and "shoes." She loves "socks" so much that whenever she has them in her hand or takes them off her feet she will yell out, "sooocckksss!" It is so funny and makes me laugh every time. Her current favorite thing to do is color with crayons. It's quite a masterpiece! She loves dogs, her favorite foods are pasta (anything with tomato sauce), peas, and berries. And, she loves going for walks in her "ra-ra" (her bike that she sits in and we push). I just started to keep her hair down with a clip in the side. She looks so much older than when she wears her pig tails. I love this look! I can't even describe the amount of love I have for her.

Here are a few current photos:

Favorite Items

Here are a few of my current favorite items (with no relation to each other):

This wooden chalkboard with ledge would look perfect in my kitchen:

Urban Outfitters

 I am loving this luscious navy chair. It's such a rich and vibrant color:

West Elm

I really want some faux stems this holiday season. I especially like these for winter:

Pier 1

I recently saw this gold clock on Pinterest. I've never been a person to have clocks in my house; however, my husband is, and we have none, of course. But, I love this simple, gold one:

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