Neutral Fall Tablescape

Now that everyone is probably sick of fall decorating posts, I decided it was about time to post about my fall tablescape this year. Great timing. I intended to do this earlier, but oh well- it's better late than never!

One of my most popular posts that I have done was my fall tablescape from two years ago. I still love this and wish I could have just kept it in storage to pull out every year- but unfortunately pumpkins don't last so most of it had to be pitched.

   

I did not do any fall decorating last year because I was in the throes of going back to work after a new baby and all my spare time at home was spent ogling over Max-  I couldn't care less about pumpkins. But this year I decided it was time to pull the box back out and add some fall touches. 

I decided to go neutral and green for this one. The only items I bought were the white and green pumpkins. Everything else I pulled from my basement stash or it was leftover from the previous centerpiece. 

   

One of my favorite touches is definitely the sprigs. Gave it some interest, height, and a different kind of texture. Almost all of the sprigs and leaves were cut off a larger piece of fake foliage. One piece of that stuff from Michael's or Hobby Lobby can go a long way when you cut bits and pieces off. 

                   

While I prefer to decorate fall with the traditional colors of oranges and yellow, this was a fun take on the season- and the neutral scheme actually goes much better with my whole house. #Shocking

               

Same box- different take. Which do you prefer? 

 

Check out my other fall decorating post from this year- here. 

-Tricia 

The South House Files + 10.9.15

A little late, but was able to squeeze this in. Happy reading!

+ Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick featured my entry on her latest Before and After post. I've been reading her for YEARS and I couldn't believe it when I saw my picture at the top of her page. I seriously thought my computer screen froze or was faulty or something. Anywho- it was very cool to see! 

+ Did you hear Amazon has launched Handmade? It's basically their version of Etsy! I hope I'm wrong but I have a feeling this may be the beginning of the end for Etsy. ("Amazon Etsy Killer" shows up in the google search bar already...). With the way Amazon is taking over the world, I can imagine the convenience of selling/shipping for sellers and buyers is going to be hard to pass up- especially if you're a Prime customer. Time will tell. 

Amazon Handmade

+ Amber Interiors has a fun before and after of her office. Can I just say- she always has the perfect rugs. She must be hiding them all in a storage unit so nobody else can find them. Seriously.

Original Source here

+ What does your couch say about you? I did not see a category for frumpy brown sectional, but I could write an excerpt for that if they need me to.... in fact I already did. 

+ The Makerista definitely has her own style- I have been enjoying watching her transform her Colonial lately- including how she is working with her wood room. She just makes things work in a unique way. Also- her dining room is so cool.

Original Source here

+ So excited for Calling It Home's Fall 2015 One Room Challenge! This occurs twice a year and it's fun to follow the 6 week makeovers of the participating bloggers- and the bloggers who link up. This would be just the thing to get me going on certain rooms in my house.... I like deadlines. Hmmmmm.  Side note- especially excited for Honey We're Home's nursery! I'm also very blog-world excited for her that she's expecting a baby. (Another one that I've been following for years!) Basically- lots of excitement.

Have a great weekend!

-Tricia 

The South House Files + 10.2.15

I was out of town last week so I wasn't able to pull together my Friday South House Files. But have no fear- I'm back with another round-up. Most of these finds are from my blog browsing from over a week ago so you may have already come across them. Either way- Enjoy!

+ Last week, The White Buffalo Styling Company hosted her Fall installment of "Blogger Stylin' Home Tours". It's basically all of my favorite internet people back to back. You should check it out. Lindsay also just moved into her renovated home and I'm excited to watch her decorating magic unfold. She's a good one to follow.

Original Source Here

+Eleven Gables has a tutorial for a beautiful faux flower arrangement. Looks expensive and relatively easy! 

Original Source Here

+ I have a love/hate relationship with Anne Hathaway. I'm still not over the dress she wore for her Oscar win, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see her new movie "The Intern".  This looks to be an easy movie where I wouldn't have to think "too hard", and also the set design looks amazing. This article has great pics and talks about how the filmmaker actually made Pinterest boards for each set she was envisioning... which made everyone's job much easier. #PinterestForTheWin #SorryHaters

                                                          Original Source here

Original Source here

+ The Most Cliche Travel Instagrams of all time. Even I'm guilty of one or two of these. Haha! This one is called "The Moment of Reflection". I'm not going to lie though- I would totally do this pose if I were lucky enough to be where this girl is in the photo. #Reflect

Original Travel Instagrammer

+ Another Step Back to Get Where You Need to Be. Julia Ryan speaks to me every. time. Especially her last post about admitting defeat and how you should go with your GUT in your home. (Reminds me of every house choice I make) Love her honesty and her real life posts. She's one of the first bloggers I ever followed- and there's a reason she's still in my blog feed.

 + I'm a sucker for Trendy Baby Name Lists- whether I actually take them seriously or not (mostly not). Here are 17 French Baby Names prime for an American takeover. Apparently British names are on their way out? Whatever. Still love you Prince George. 

Prince George has made the blog...

Have a great weekend!

-Tricia 

Happy October: Our Fall Mantel

In honor of the first day of October, I decided to show you the only corner of my home that is decorated for fall.... and a little update on what I've been up to lately.




In the last few years, I have made a few of these kind of signs for Christmas presents, but have wanted to expand my collection for quite a while now. I decided to take one of my favorite fall quotes (inspired by this print) and smack some paint on this 30" x 33" sign that Nathan constructed and stained. This thing is huge and massive and heavy- but it's the perfect size for a statement piece on your mantel.

 

I tore into my box of fall foliage to finish off the mantel. (I have an overwhelming assortment- would hate to know how much I have spent on fake berries and leaves over the past few years). I think I would have liked real pumpkins up there, but I'm just using what I have. Not sure if I'm going to spend lots of money on pumpkins this year because I'm usually sick of them by November 1st and I'm on a #Budget.

If you're interested in a sign or canvas for your home- you can email me at 724SouthHouse@gmail.com. Mainly working with Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati area, but shipping is also an option ($$$).  The smaller version of the sign is 20" x 22". If you have a certain quote in mind- or would want something personalized for your home or wedding- I can work with you! I'm already working on a few custom orders that I'm excited about!

Below is another one that I have done- This is the smaller 20" x 22" version.

Thankfully, my friends have been very nice to me and I have not stopped painting since I posted about these last week on Facebook! Thanks Friends! Get ready for Christmas overload!

In the meantime, Happy October!

-Tricia

 

The Parts of My House That I Do Not Like

OK. So that title does sound a bit negative, but I promise this post has a positive spin! 

I'm here to let you in on the parts of my house that I just do. not. like. I'll venture to say that nobody is completely happy with their home. You may have inherited a college house with college furniture (there is literally a Led Zeppelin bar stool in our kitchen- can I just please GET IT TOGETHER and cover that thing?) or the couch you are sitting on is 30 years old and smells of your great aunt Helen or you're living in what feels like the most #basic apartment ever... For most people there are parts of your home that just make you want to curl up in a ball and cry. And while there are many spaces in my house I do LOVE-  below are some of the parts in my home that I would like to chuck to the curb and start completely over.  

+ The Astroturf front porch. Yes, I said Astroturf. My 85 year old neighbor has it as well and while we both agree it's comfortable on the feet, I could personally do without. However, the stuff is GLUED down and I don't think it's coming up in the next 20 years. We're just living with it and trying to find anything that complements what I would best describe as a "neon grass green with touches of a Hi-Glo tint".

 

 
+ My big bulky beige monster of a couch. Nathan bought this at the beginning of the house renovation because he needed a couch. It was probably a bad sign when the furniture salesman referred to the giant thing as a "Video Gamer Couch". That's all that needed to be said for Nathan and it was out the door with a "SOLD" tag. I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. I'm not going to lie... it IS the most comfortable couch in the world, but it's really hard to work with design wise. Exhibit A below.

 

 

 
+ Our guest room. Remember when we painted our guest room navy? (which I do still like) and then I painted the desk coral? Well that coral desk actually smells and is STILL tacky. I don't know if it was a bad batch of paint or we did something wrong. But I'm over the desk and over the trendy color scheme. At this point, I'm just holding out until it becomes Max's big boy room and I'm storing a bunch of junk in there in the meantime. 

+ My dining room chairs. OK this one started out as a big dislike, but they have actually grown on me and I intend to keep them a little longer... maybe eventually have them recovered? These chairs are AT LEAST 25 years old (from my aunt and uncle). I sat on them when I was like 4 and I still sit on them and I am 29. #Math

+ My kitchen floor. While it's a perfectly good kitchen floor, I wish I would have put more thought into this one. This was one of the FIRST decisions we made and we literally just bought the cheapest tile at Lowes. We didn't have the money for an entire first floor of hardwood  (and we didn't know what kind of hardwood we wanted) so we decided to go with tile for the kitchen. There are no plans to do anything with this floor, but sometimes I wish we would have done something different.

+ My entire unfinished basement/laundry room/prison toilet situation. Enough said.

Yeah there isn't going to be a picture of this one.  

I'm sure I could come up with more, but those are the main ones that basically make me want to pull my hair out. But here's the positive spin...  not only have these things made me realize what I want to avoid in a future home, but it's causing me to work with what I have. Hopefully this encourages you to do the same and to not be so discouraged with your own home.  Maybe I'll  come back with some posts about how to  work with these so called problem areas. #RealLifeHouseProbs

This post is not intended to come off ungrateful. I am blessed to call this my home and to have a roof over my head, but it's here to remind myself that there will always be aspects of my home that aren't all that great- but you just have to embrace them anyway and make the best of things... yes even Astroturf. 

Did someone say free Putt-Putt?

-Tricia 

The South House Files + 9.18.15

Here with another round of The South House Files. I'm having fun with this- now if only I could blog a little more about my actual house...

+ I'm sure we are all familiar with Nate Berkus. If you are not, please get acquainted. He's only been around for like 15 years. #ThanksOprah. Architectural Digest is showing off his new Manhattan remodel. Although some aspects are over the top for me (like that shower- woah cross eyed), I think it's generally awesome. But my favorite part of the whole feature is scrutinizing each space for the little details-  like the paintings and prints he chooses to hang with minimalistic framing and the touches of greenery in every room... And I can't fail to mention the solarium style windows in that kitchen.

Original Source here

+ Yes Emily Henderson was featured in last week's files, but I thoroughly enjoyed her "fall" living room makeover with Good Housekeeping. She really honed it in with some warmth and texture after removing a lot the blue and turquoise hues that were previously in the space. Basically- my recipe for a dream room. I want those camel leather chairs for my den STAT.

Original Source here

+ I have followed Clare Brody on Instagram for a while, but to my dismay I realized she wasn't in my blog feed. Tragic. I finally added her and checked out her archives. I love her IKEA Billy bookshelf install and styling. She also lives in a RENTAL, but she has really made it her own.

It's becoming clear to me that I need a camel leather chair...

Original Source here

+ I cannot seem to get in the mood for fall. The dip in temps the past week helped a little- which even prompted me to make a Friday night trip to Hobby Lobby. However, I left uninspired with one faux squash and some paint pens. Not sure what I have planned for that squash, but apparently I felt it was a necessary buy. Who knows. Anyway- if you are like me and just not in the mood but do have good intentions to get into the Autumn spirit- check out this post of past fall projects from Thistlewood Farms- it almost inspires me to break out some pumpkins. Almost.

Original Source here

+ If you do not watch The Goldbergs, you should. It is by far my favorite show on television. I don't know if it's because it takes me back to the actual 80s/90s while sitting with my dad eating popcorn watching the Cosby Show, but I think it's just a good ol wholesome and hilarious show that I would like the TV world to have more of. The season premiere is September 23rd. I will be watching it LIVE (no cable here) with my popcorn and La Croix in tow.

 Bev- The Original 'Smother'

Here is a great comparison of the real life Goldbergs vs the TV Goldbergs... did you know Bev on the show wears some of the ACTUAL 80s clothes from the real Beverly Goldberg? Mind blown. Also- a post about her TOP 10 fashions from seasons past. 

Have a great weekend. I'm going to attempt to be productive on the home-front! Wish me luck!

-Tricia 

The Rug That I'm Returning...

This post was originally going to be titled "We Found THE Rug!" or "Hey Look at Our New Rug!"... or something catchy like "Rug Love in Our Den"- you get what I'm saying. But I come to bare bad news and tell you that this rug just isn't gonna cut it. Please hold back your tears.

Let's backtrack.... I mentioned in last Friday's post (The South House Files) that I took advantage of the 80% off Labor Day event via Rugs USA. The rug buy was a quick decision considering the sale, but going by the picture, I thought I would really like it and it was definitely the style I have been leaning towards. I also couldn't pass up this major sale for such a good quality 8' x 10' rug. I thought it was worth the risk knowing I could still return within 14 days.

 

So it arrived last Friday- the size was perfect... the quality is excellent... it's SO comfortable... and I really loved the pattern and style... BUT it was green- a very muddy green at that. I knew I couldn't rely on the picture online because they're just never accurate, but I wasn't expecting the green that I saw. I was anticipating more of an ivory center with a green tint.

I feel like the rug is darker in person... the pictures show it to be a little lighter actually.

Before making the decision to ditch, I decided to live with it for a several days. There were moments when I was like "This is it- I DO love it. I can work with the muddy green" but then I would realize what I was saying and think "You're stupid. You just paid a lot of money for a rug and you don't even like it. Don't settle. You are overthinking this. This should not be so difficult. Please just leave the room and shut the door". So after more than a few of those moments, I have decided this rug isn't right for the room. Don't get me wrong- It really is a great rug- the pattern is awesome in my opinion- and while I do love the color green, I do not want this muddy green in my den and it would have dictated ALL of my design decisions. So back to Rugs USA it goes.

I think this was a good lesson on not settling for something just because you clicked "Purchase". I'm not going to stick with this rug for the sake of "progress" or a new blog post ... even if that means this room may not be done until 2017.  I'd rather take my time and find what I really want than to go forward feeling all "blah" about it all. And I have learned that muddy green is very blah to me....

Honestly, this is pretty typical of my process... lots of trial and error involved. Hope this post can encourage you to not be discouraged if you make the wrong, expensive purchase. You gotta go with your gut and it will eventually lead you to a space that you love. Let's hope that's the case in this situation anyway.

By the way... if there is one thing I AM certain about... it's that the black and gold around the fireplace has GOT TO GO. Can't handle it.

-Tricia