Design: The Fall Front Porch

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I’m not one to decorate with fall colours – orange, yellow, burgundy – so I have looked around for fall decor inspiration with white and green instead. Here’s what I have found.

Stone Gable
Craftberry Bush
Enchanted Home
Blessed Ranch
Cella Jane
Tidbits
My 100 Year Old Home

I saw some white mums and white pumpkins at Farm Boy, so I may pick up a few of each and call it a day for porch decorations this year.

Fashion: Is This The Future?

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I saw this outfit on the Banana Republic site, and it made me wonder if this is going to be the future of fashion. Is work wear going to look like this mix?

Sweater hoodie plus sweater jogger plus slightly structured trench and statement flats…what do we think? It looks formal with the trench and shoes, but it’s informal because of the sweats. Do you think we’ll see more of this in the workplace?

I’m still working from home, so my daily wardrobe this fall has been a regular rotation of jeans and a black top. So boring! I don’t see myself wearing jeans and a tee in my post-pandemic work life, and I certainly don’t see myself embracing the sweater hoodie/jogger combo. But will I go back to suits and dresses? I think I’m in wardrobe limbo!

Design: Antique Furniture

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For a long while, I have been interested in mixing classic, traditional pieces of furniture with modern items into my home.

What do I mean by traditional? I’m referring to pieces made from beautiful wood, from the 18th and 19th centuries, with unique, ornate details. Think marquetry, inlay, trim, marble, and gold. (Not white!) I’m referring to pieces you see in antique stores in Paris, New Orleans, and Montreal. I’m referring to the opposite of what you’ll see at West Elm and Pottery Barn.

These types of antique pieces didn’t really seem to suit my first home – an 80s townhouse – and finding just the right pieces at just the right price was never an easy task. I don’t live in France, after all!

Now that I live in a century home, I feel that the time is right for some antiques. I don’t want a house full of precious antiques, but a few select pieces mixed in with existing pieces would suit me just fine.

Here are some examples of the styles I’m eyeing.

1820 mahogany and marquetry bureau, $3999USD, Charish
20th century marquetry writing desk, $3150USD, Charish
Italian marquetry secretary desk, $6500USD, Charish
marble topped dresser, $8039.33CAD, 1stDibs
18th century desk, $3361.06CAD, 1stDibs

What do you think of this style of furniture? Is it for you?

Marketplace: Native Union

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I recently received excellent customer service from Native Union after I encountered some issues with one of our charging cords. Their cords aren’t cheap, but they are very effective. The weighted ball on one end of the cord is surprisingly handy!

We replaced one of our old cords with this 10-ft charging cable.
key cable
smart hub bridge
travel essentials
belt cable

Native Union‘s collections come in a variety of colours, but Zebra is my favourite.

Personal: September Update of My 2021 Goals

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Obviously, I haven’t checked in with you – or myself – about my 2021 goals. Mid-way through September seems like a good time to review them – and revise them!

  1. Eat more vegetables. I’m keeping steady with this goal. I don’t eat salad every day, but I do eat vegetables regularly.
  2. Travel. Sigh. Should I just remove this from my list? I did spend a week in Ottawa in August, so I guess I did make a bit of progress with this one!
  3. Save money. Ha ha ha. Funny considering a big move in June! The good news is though that expense tracking continues! It was a useful practice for me on my own, and it continues to be useful as a couple.
  4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Yes. I have passed on so many things over the last few months. It’s been great for me and appreciated by the recipients (I think!).
  5. Crochet a blanket. Hmm…this project was put on pause as we went through the house drama. I have just a few months to finish it before winter arrives.
  6. Reduce social media consumption. I think I’ve reduced consumption without really thinking about it. Mostly, I think, I’ve reduced consumption because it’s been summer, and I’ve wanted to be outside with people instead of online.
  7. Play games. Oh yes! Bananagram tournaments galore! We played with three new people over the last couple of months, so that’s been fun! And, oh yes, that good ol’ pickle ball. I played that this summer. Once.
  8. Edit my magazine subscriptions. I’ve done well with this goal in 2021. I especially appreciate my subscription to Veranda.
  9. Read more. Yes! I have been reading. I finished Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour (really really really enjoyed it!) and I’m just starting Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. I never did finish listening to Barack Obama’s A Promised Land. I’ve also read a couple academic books: Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning edited by Susan D. Blum and Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It by James M. Lang.
  10. Blog. I’ll keep this on my goal list, but I recognize that I haven’t been reaching it.
  11. Bike ride regularly. Because of the move, I didn’t bike for much of the summer. I rode it only once in August.
  12. Cross stitch. I’m deleting this from my goal list until I’ve made more progress with my crocheted blanket.
  13. Have fun! In between some stressful days and weeks, I have been having fun. I had an awesome birthday party with a handful of friends in our new house, we took a road trip to Ottawa, we hosted friends here in Waterloo, I have enjoyed morning walks in the park (and recovered from the dog attack way back in June!), and I’ve baked new things (like peach torte from Ina Garten’s new cookbook which was gifted to me!). Let the fun continue!

Previous updates: January, February, March, April, May & June.

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