Wednesday Wish List - Fall Things

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Fall.  It’s almost here, you guys.  It’s almost here. 

I have professed my undying love for fall since I began blogging back in 2015, so if you have been reading for a while, you probably already know that September through December is my favorite time of the whole year.  There is nothing better.    

There’s just something about that first chill in the air, the crunch of colorful leaves under brown boots, the scent of sweet cinnamon pumpkin wafting through the air, the crackle of that first warm fire, the sound of college football humming on the TV, and snuggling up with a warm drink and the ones you love under a big, cozy blanket. 

I just got chills typing this. 

Fall (and the beginning of winter, because – Christmas!) has always been and probably will always be my favorite time of the whole year.  I have the fondest memories of those four months dating all the way back to when I was just a wee tot jumping gleefully in the fall leaves at the park.  I started my very first (and favorite) job ever back in September of 1998 and those were some of my favorite months of my whole life.  Not to mention Brian and I started dating right at the end of August in 2003 and those first few months of dating that fall were some of the best months of my life as well.  Oh, and our wedding took place on December 1 back in 2007.  And then, after a long summer of struggle in 2010, we got pregnant with Jacob, our sweet rainbow baby, in fall 2010.  See?  Many, many of my favorite memories are wrapped up in these four little months. 

Anyway, enough with the jibber jabber.  I wanted to put together a fun list of some of my favorite fall things, some I already have, some I would love to add to my collection, and I wanted to share them with you today so that you might get in that fall spirit, too.  Join me, won’t you?

All items listed below are clickable, shoppable links.

Thankful Sign – Handmade home décor is all the rage right now and I adore this sign.  It would be the perfect addition to a fall mantle.

Mini Pumpkins and Gourds – I have been wanting some mini white pumpkins for years so I can scale back on some of the orange in our décor.  I love this set because it also comes with gourds.  These would be perfect on a mantle or in a decorative bowl for a table centerpiece.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Candle – It wouldn’t be fall in my book without this candle from Bath & Body Works.  I remember being in Athens for game day about ten years ago and stumbling upon it.  We walked into a little boutique on College Ave to get out of the cold, and upon walking in I smelled the best scent I’ve ever smelled in my entire life.  I knew I had to have it.  I walked up to the girl at the front desk, asked her what it was, and she pointed at the orange candle sitting on the counter.  I noted the name in my phone and the rest is history!  We had one in our home just a mere two days later. 

Pumpkin Spice Top – Y’all know I’m a huge fan of graphic tees and if this one isn’t just perfect for me then I don’t know what is!  My name is Lindsay and I’m basic.  I love fall and leggings and Target and pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks.  And I’m not ashamed to admit it.  And yes, I would wear this shirt all the time.

Mini Orange Pumpkins – I have an idea for my mantle this year that involves lots of mini pumpkins.  Stay tuned…

Pumpkin Spice Mug – Another staple for a basic girl like me!  I could drink my basic pumpkin spice coffee out of this basic pumpkin spice mug while I wore my basic pumpkin spice top. 

Rae Dunn Inspired Thankful Sign – Yes, I realize that I have two different signs on here that say “Thankful” but I love them both so much.  And this one is for all of you Rae Dunn lovers out there!  You know you need it!  And it’s perfect for those of you who love neutral décor. 

Buffalo Plaid Throw Blanket – Remember how I was talking about snuggling up under a fuzzy blanket with your favorite people?  How adorable is this one?  All I know is that I’m hoping that buffalo plaid is still in style this season because I’ll be wearing it (and cozying up under it) whether it is or not!

Throw Pillow Cover – Love these because they are covers that you can throw on your everyday pillows to spruce them up for the season. 

Outdoor String Lights – Yes, yes I am putting these on the blog again.  I will continue to sing the praises of these lights because they make me so darn happy.  We have been using ours for a couple of years now and they are still just as special as they were the day we got them.  Fall means cooler weather which means… lot of dinners on the back porch.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  P.S. These are now half the price of what we paid for them!  You can't beat it!

Fall Foliage – This is one of my favorite fall décor staples because it’s so versatile.  You can string it across the mantle, roll it up around a basket, arrange it in a vase, lay it across the coffee table with some fall trinkets tucked in it… so many possibilities!  Plus, colorful leaves are the epitome of fall.

Fall Door Mat – Fun door mats are all the rage right now, and this one is perfect to get you through September, October, and November. 

Oh fall, how I love thee.  I am counting down the days until you are here. 

T-minus eight days until I decorate our house!

*Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I What I Wore, Pumps & Push Ups for Oh, Hey Girl! Link-Up, The Mummy Chronicles, Tucker Up, Shopping My Closet for Style Me Wednesday, Classy Yet Trendy for Trendy Wednesday Link-Up, The Blended Blog and Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday.

Simple & Stylish Way to Organize Hair Accessories

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Moms of little girls, raise your hands if you are constantly finding elastics, bobby pins, hair clips, and other tiny hair paraphernalia everywhere! 

Goodness gracious, I always knew that a little girl would be more high maintenance than having a little boy, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer volume of hair accessories that little girls have.  (Although you would think that I would know since I am a girl.)

Olivia has been sporting hair accessories since the day she was born, and in the beginning it was pretty simple – she either wore an elastic headband or a bow.  Easy peasy.  To keep those in check I made this organizer to wrangle all of them, and that was sufficient for the first couple of years of her life. 

However, as her hair grew longer, her hair accessory collection grew bigger and the bow organizer alone was no longer cutting it.  With all of that extra hair came tiny elastics, medium elastics, bobby pins, head bands, and other various clips and hair ties, so it was time to come up with something else.

Enter this gorgeous two-tiered tray.

Some of you may remember that I was longing for a tiered-tray back at the beginning of the year, and I finally found and purchased the perfect one on Amazon with my gift cards leftover from Christmas. 

Well guess what?  That item that you see listed there?  When you purchase it, you actually get two of them.  Yes, you get two of those two-tiered trays that you see pictured.  I had no clue that was the case until they showed up at my doorstep, but I sure was excited!  I still can't find anything on the website that says there are two of them, so I have no clue if it was a fluke or what!  

I purchased the original tray to use in our kitchen, so when I found out that I had actually received two, I knew that the second one would be perfect to use in Olivia’s room to hold her ever-growing hair accessory collection.

I knew that I wanted all of the different types of elastics and clips to be separated, so I set out to find some kind of containers to separate them. 

These glass jars from Hobby Lobby ended up being the perfect fit.  I found that six of them nearly fill up the bottom tier without wasting any space, and they are the perfect size to hold small things.  I also like that you can see through them… that makes it easy for Olivia to see which jar to pull from since she can’t see over the tops of them.  These would also be a great option.

We are currently using them to store the following:

Big elastics - we like the Goody Ouchless ones

Small elastics - we like these because her hair is so fine

Snap hair clips - we love these

Scrunchies

Elastic hair bands

Chap Stick

Yes, I know that Chap Stick isn’t a hair accessory, but she had one jar that was left empty so until we have something hair-related to put in there we are keeping her ever-growing Chap Stick collection in there.  ;o)

The top tier holds her hard head bands, and it also serves as a resting place for her brush, which I also cannot rave about enough!  What did we ever do without the Wet Brush? 

The best part about the tray is that it is extremely versatile so we can change it up and customize it to our needs as she gets older.  And when she no longer needs it for her hair accessories, she can use it for something else – makeup, trinkets, little picture frames, school supplies… the possibilities are endless!  

And to see how I'm using my second tray (the one that I bought for the kitchen originally) here it is!  Right now it's holding my Gulp mug (a Marshall's special), a couple of other mugs, my fake succulent, my favorite candle, and our collection of shells that the kids have brought home on all of our beach trips.  Isn't it cute?

What unique storage system are you using to store your little one’s hair accessories?

And now it's time for the Tuesday Talk Link Up!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Another Three-Day Weekend

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We had a three-day weekend and it flew by as all of them do.  B and I took Friday off to make the trip to Atlanta for my final treatment.  We dropped both kids at school, grabbed a couple of donuts, and then hit the road.  My appointment was quick and we were out of there just before lunch time so we headed to our favorite place, Tin Lizzy’s for some guac, queso, salsa, and the very best chips that you will ever eat.  Seriously.  I had a grilled chicken taco as well, but the highlight is and always will be the chips and dips.  Goodness gracious I have no self control around them. 

After we finished lunch, we stopped by Trader Joe’s again since we don’t have one at home.  We loaded up on all the things we could that didn’t have to be refrigerated.  I grabbed a tub of their mini chocolate chip cookies, some organic chia seeds, some granola bards, fig bars, and a few other things that we wanted to try. 

We also decided to stop at the Old Navy that was nearby to see if they had anything that our store at home didn’t have.  We have been looking everywhere for navy uniform shorts for Jacob in a 4T and they are impossible to find.  Our local store hasn’t ever carried them and Old Navy has been sold out online forever, so we were hoping to snag some in a store elsewhere.  No luck. 

I did do a little bit of window shopping while we were there, though, because Olivia needs new fall/winter clothes and we have some Old Navy Super Cash that will be ready to use on 9/5.  There were lots of things that caught my eye for her, but this tunic was the main one.  How stinking cute is that?!  She will be getting that one in just a couple of weeks when I can use our Super Cash.  Unfortunately they don't have it listed on the website yet, but I did find this one that is very similar.

They also have some new jeggings called Ballerina Jeggings and they could not be more perfect for little girls who hate wearing jeans!  Olivia pretty much lives in dresses eight months out of the year, but during the four-ish months out of our year that it’s cold, I make her wear pants and she hates it.  I love jeans because they go with everything, but she always whines about them being uncomfortable.  Well, these Ballerina Jeggings are the softest things and they look like real jeans.  The best part is that they have the adjustable straps at the waists so I’ll be able to buy them a little bit big and hopefully she can wear them for two years.  She’ll definitely be getting 2-3 pairs!  #Winning

I also stumbled upon these leopard flats in the little girls’ section and I was crushed that they weren’t in the women’s section.  Well, I started rifling through the different sizes and I saw that the largest size looked like it could possibly fit me.  And what do ya know, it did!!  It fit perfectly!  So FYI, if you wear a 7.5/8 or smaller in women’s shoes, you can totally buy shoes in the little girl’s section at Old Navy!!!!  They are every bit as cute and substantial as the women’s shoes, but they are way cheaper!  I’m already thinking about others that I might want.  I’m in need of new gold shoes and these gold lace-up flats are darling.  They’re on sale right now, too!  This is like a whole new world, guys.  A whole new world. 

We got back in town just in time to pick up the kids from school about an hour earlier than normal, and then we had a nice leisurely evening at home.  I was in a good bit of pain from my treatment so after our pizza dinner we made some popcorn and had another family movie night – this time to watch Sing.  I dozed off for a few minutes in the middle, but all of the parts that I saw were really cute!

Saturday the kids were up playing with their marble run while B and I lazily laid around and then I made some homemade waffles for breakfast.  Jacob requested Halloween sprinkles in his (he knows that fall is coming!), and Olivia requested “pink ones” so I threw some heart sprinkles leftover from Valentine’s Day in hers.  (I have these.)  I also loaded the waffles with some of the organic chia seeds that I had gotten at TJ’s and nobody even noticed.  #WinningAgain

Saturday it was hot, it finally wasn’t raining, and our yard wasn’t too overgrown (seriously, our yard has looked like a jungle for much of this summer from all the rain we’ve had), so we finally had a chance to get out the kids’ slip-n-slide.  They both struggled to understand how to push themselves down it, so B put on his swim suit to show ‘em how it was done.  He was fine after doing it twice, but later in the day he was walking around and holding his back.  I guess he’s not as young as he once was.  Haha.  He also exceeded the weight limit maximum and about 15 minutes later the slip-n-slide busted so the kids just ended up playing in the sprinkler.  Womp womp. 

Saturday evening we went to church and Olivia went to Children’s Liturgy for the first time!  Children’s Liturgy is where the kids ages 4-8 get to leave the main church and have their own children’s church for half of the main mass, and then they come back in and join us for communion.  Olivia won’t be four until February, but one of our friends has started doing Children’s Liturgy and she told us that it was fine for Olivia to join them.  Olivia was thrilled when we told her, and she and Jacob walked down to the front of the church together for their blessing, and then they left.  B and I are loving it because it gives us a little break during church and we can pay better attention to the readings and the homily without having to tell Olivia to be quiet every five seconds/take her to the bathroom/ask her to stop climbing on the pews etc.  Haha.  And it’s good for her because she gets more out of church, too, since they explain the readings in terms that children can understand.  It’s a win-win for everyone!  When she and Jacob came running back up the aisles after it was over my heart was just bursting.  Our babies are really growing up.

We went out for margs and Mex after church with my parents and my aunt and uncle, and Jacob found another painted rock outside the restaurant.  On the way home we swung by DQ on the way home for a little treat, and then B and I watched a couple more episodes of Ozark before calling it a night.  And that show?  It’s still weird, y’all.

Sunday morning I got up early and did our grocery shopping for the next two weeks.  It was amazing because I practically had the entire grocery store to myself!  I really need to do that more often.  When I got back home, B headed out to cut the grass and the kids colored while I put the groceries away.  Jacob had to finish his star student poster and he also started on his spelling homework for the week to get a jump start!  They also played with Hot Wheels for a bit, and then it was time to go to my MIL’s for lunch.

It was 95 degrees Sunday with major humidity so we didn’t even play outside after lunch.  The kiddos just played indoors with their cousins and then we headed home for naps and quiet time.

Sunday evening I cooked to give my mom a break.  She’s had so much going on lately and she’s been spending lots of days and nights with my grandmother who is still healing from her pacemaker surgery, so she’s not had a lot of free time as she also still works full time.

I kept it simple and made baked ziti, I threw together a salad, and I baked some garlic breadsticks.  We opened one of our gazillion bottles of TJ’s wine and I whipped up some Moscow Mules for those who didn’t want wine.  My mom brought an Oreo cake for dessert, and we all treated ourselves to a good-sized piece when dinner was over.  As always, the twinkle lights were on, some cocktail jazz was playing, and I may or may not have lit my Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin candle already.  #Oops

Another great weekend in the books!

Everyone enjoy the solar eclipse today!  We’re getting 92% coverage so it should definitely be interesting!  I have my solar eclipse glasses ready and I’ll be outside with my eyes toward the sky with everyone else this afternoon!  Protect those eyes, everybody! 

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending, My Glittery Heart for Hello Monday,  More Pieces of Me for Hello Monday Linkup, and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.

Five on Friday - Date Night, Soccer, School, & Other Faves

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Before I get started on my post today, I do want to say thank you for all of your kind comments on my post yesterday.  I’m behind on responding but I have read each and every one and you ladies were all so kind to lift me up when my spirits were down.  It felt pretty great to get it all off my chest even though I hate to complain in this little space of mine.  Today is another day and I have a much, much more upbeat post for you because today we’re focusing on all of the GOOD from the week!

O N E – Date Night

B and I were on a roll with the date nights at the beginning of the year, but lately we have been a bit too busy to plan anything.  Wednesday night, however, one of our very favorite singer/songwriters was performing nearby, so we bought some tickets and headed over because we don’t ever miss his shows. 

One of Brian’s co-workers joined us for dinner and drinks at one of our favorite restaurants beforehand, and then the three of us headed upstairs for the show. 

Chances are you’ve probably never heard of him, but Paul Thorn is one of those rare amazing talents who still plays at smaller venues, but in my opinion, he should be a superstar. If I had to categorize him in one genre it would probably be blues, but some of his songs are folksy, some rock-ish, some quirky, and some are religious.  He has an incredible voice – it’s so powerful – and he writes song lyrics that are equally as powerful, plus he is an excellent storyteller.  He always has a few clever and often hilarious things to say in between songs, and he is very charismatic in an unassuming way.  In case you can’t tell, I basically adore him.  B and I have been seeing him in concert for fourteen years and I will continue to follow him wherever he goes for the rest of his career.

The majority of the shows that we’ve seen have been acoustic shows – just Paul and his guitar – and that is my favorite way to see him.  His stories are always a bit longer, his voice a bit more soulful, and his lyrics seem to have more meaning, probably because they are so stripped down without the band playing behind them. 

Last night’s show was with the full band and it was a packed house.  They played their entire first album cover to cover (which is my favorite) and then they threw in a few of their other songs afterward.  It was a really great show and they had the crowd up and dancing by the end. 

We always stop by and talk to Paul after every show, and since we’ve seen him so many times and for so many years he always remembers us.  After the show last night when I walked up to say hi, he looked at Brian and then back to me and said, “You haven’t kicked him to the curb yet?”  Haha.  He then asked about the babies and then we chatted for a couple more minutes before finally snapping a picture.  He is so nice and so humble and I just can’t gush about him enough.  If you’ve never listened to his music, you really should.  You can find all of his albums here.

Also, my dress is currently on clearance and you can also get an additional 20% off of the clearance price for a limited time.  That brings the price down to just $16.78!!  I love that it's dark in color because I should be able to carry it into fall with some open-toe booties!  It's currently in stock in all sizes and it also comes in green.

T W O – A Whole Day with My Little Girlfriend

Monday and Tuesday Olivia’s school was closed for teacher’s planning, so B took Monday off with her and I took Tuesday.  She and I dropped Jacob at school that morning, shared a cinnamon roll at Panera, did a little bit of shopping at Target, and then all she wanted was for us to go home and watch Moana together.  We turned it on around 10 AM and snuggled up on the couch together, and it wasn’t long until I started dozing.  I had been sick the previous day and I was still pretty exhausted, so I letting myself snuggle up with my girl and do some light napping was exactly what I needed.  The movie was over around lunchtime, so I made some sandwiches for us and then we played her Matching Game.  She is so good and always remembers where everything is, so she held her own against me even though I was trying my very best.  Her memory is excellent. 

After the game, it was nap time for her and blogging for me, and then when she got up we had a snack and then got ready for “nastics.”  I rarely get to spend one-on-one time with her, so it was a real treat to have the whole day for just the two of us.

T H R E E – Jacob’s First Soccer Practice

It’s official:  I’m a soccer mom!  One of my co-workers has called me “Soccer Mom” for years, pretty much ever since Jacob was born, so that nickname now has a lot more meaning.

Jacob’s practice was at 6 Tuesday evening, but Olivia had “nastics” from 5:10 – 5:55, so she and I had to head over a few minutes late.  Jacob was already out there doing some drills when we arrived and he was loving every second.  We met a lot of the parents whose kids are on the team, and everyone was so nice and very welcoming.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a great season!

When practice was over I asked Jacob how he liked it and he shouted a very emphatic, “I LOVED IT!”  Later that night when B asked him what he loved the most about it he replied with, “Everything!”  And then when B asked him what he liked the least about it he replied with, “Nothing!”  His first game is September 9, so we are counting down the days until we get to see our little guy in action!

F O U R – Olivia’s First Day of Pre-K3

Our baby started Pre-K3 this week.  I can’t even believe it.  This will be her last year at her (and Jacob’s old) daycare and next year she will move over to Jacob’s school where both of them will stay through twelfth grade. 

We took some first day of school pictures and then sent her on her way.  Brian dropped her off and said that she was a little apprehensive at first, but that she ended up doing great when he left her.  She came home bubbling over with excitement talking about her day and she told us she had a great first day!

Where has the time gone?

F I V E – I Snagged This Fave

Of all the items available during the Nordstrom anniversary sale, I had my heart set on one beloved top – this Lush Ruffle Bell Sleeve Blouse in white with black dots.  I am not a cardholder so by the time the sale opened up to the public it was long gone.  I checked over and over during the next week and once the returns started rolling in I was able to snag it in a medium.  I needed it in a small, but I figured I could at least try to make it work in a medium, and if I couldn’t, I would just send it back.  Free returns, so why not try?  Well, my shirt arrived on a hanger, and unfortunately one of the threads right in the middle of the front of the shirt had gotten snagged on the hanger, and it had pulled and completely ruined the front of the shirt.  Also – they had left the ink tag on it.  What?!

Needless to say I sent it back, and I was so sad because I thought I had finally gotten my hands on one.  Well, over the next few days leading up to the end of the sale, I continued to check and check and check at random times, and finally, the last day of the sale, one small popped up, and I was able to grab it! 

It arrived late last week and it is so cute!  

I. Love. This. Top.

And what do you know, now that the sale is over the shirt is fully stocked in all colors and sizes once again.  I’m on to you, Nordstrom!  ;o) 

Anyway, I’m really happy that I was able to grab one in my correct size at the sale price before it was too late, and I can’t wait for some chillier weather so I can start wearing it.  If you’re looking for a great top to wear to work, church, or even out for a date night or a night with the girls, this one fits the bill for all of that!

Before I go, if you're lounging around on this Friday and you're looking for some more blog reading, be sure to check out everyone's favorite kind of post - my A Day in the Life post from earlier this week!  I'm giving you an in-depth peek into a day in my life.  :o) 

Hello, weekend.  I’m so glad you’re here.

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites,  September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday.