A Change in Seasons: Summer to Fall

It's time for fall! Football (Go Vols!), leaves are starting to change, a hint of a coolness in the air... and time to change decor!

You may recall our front entryway this summer...

Summer flowers, American flag, forsythia wreath... so summer-y. I love it.

But now it's time for something different. Something rustic. Something fall-y.

So we headed to my favorite nursery in West Little Rock, The Good Earth to find some fall annuals.

We found two beautiful 10-inch mums and brought them home with us.

To further fall-ify our entryway, I found a Funkin at Hobby Lobby (a fake pumpkin)...

... to set by the front door.

To replace the spring/summer wreath, I found a $5 twig wreath at Garden Ridge and used burlap ribbon from Hobby Lobby to add a little something rustic.

I learned how to make the bow watching this video, and I just attached it to my cheap-o wreath with some wire I had laying around.

I changed the American flag out for a muted monogram flag...

(just in case I forget what our last name begins with)

Et voila!

Happy fall, y'all!

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Where the Locals Go

On a rare Saturday off, Grant and I perused the Hillcrest and Heights areas of Little Rock in search of a garage sale or two. We found zilch, zero. 

We wound our way to downtown, so we decided to check out the River Market, which has local vendors and farmers on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

We've been spoiled because in Chattanooga, there's a similar market every Sunday afternoon, and it is HUGE.  The River Market isn't as large as the Chattanooga Market, but we still found plenty of interesting local goods.

The first vendor to catch my eye was AR State of Mind.  They screenprint shirts, and they do it well with witty puns and state pride.  Their items can be found at Dillard's stores here in Little Rock, or you can order from them through their Facebook page or their website.  Don't call Arkansas home? They have shirts for all 50 states. We're just proud to share their home city.

We also stumbled upon Upscaled Pallets.  They're a husband-wife duo who create beautiful, handmade pieces from scrap pallets- kitchen islands, benches, tables, wineracks- you name it.  I think they're one of Little Rock's best-kept secrets! That's why I'll feature them in a future post.  In the meantime, check out some of their work on their Pinterest page and their Facebook page.  We were charmed by this American flag...

... at just $15, we had to bring it home.  I love the variation in the colors and the little stars.

And to think, this was made out of wood headed to the landfill...

Happy hunting!

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Who Rescued Who?

We knew that picking up and moving 8 hours from home wouldn't be easy, but I don't think we were prepared for how difficult it would be.  We knew no one in Little Rock (other than the people who recruited me... and our real estate agent).  Let's also add on navigating licensure in an unfamiliar state and starting my residency. (Keep in mind what the first few months of your career were like- pretty rough, right?) Then there's also the house in constant need of fixing, which we generally enjoy. Most of the time.

I think I've painted the picture that the last few months have been... stressful.

Last Saturday, I was on-call, so I had just come home from the hospital. We were going to kill some time before tailgating for the Samford (my alma mater) vs. Arkansas game.  What better way to do so than by going to the humane society and looking at the dogs? Yeah, in retrospect, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either. 

Nonetheless, away we went.  Grant had seen a golden-lab mix named Calista on their web page, so we asked to meet here and were shown to her pin.  She came over to the gate, and I stuck my hand in.  She rested her face in my hand, and it was a done deal: she was coming home with us.

This particular pup had been part of a litter of 7 who had been dropped off with their mom.  Eventually all were adopted.  The older couple who adopted our girl brought her back because she was chewing on things. (Shocking. A puppy who chews.) 

So Callie came home. With us.

She runs with me every morning, greets me at the door, wags her tail when I say her name, and lets me hug her when I've had a bad day.

Already a Tennessee Volunteer fan!

So as much as I like to think about how we gave Callie a home, a yard, and a family who loves her, I think she's giving us something foreign in our new life so far: comfort.

And as for how Cookie likes Callie...

... I think she's adjusting just fine.

Welcome home, Callie!

Seriously? Too cute.

Here's to having dog hair on the floor and loving it!

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I hope that you'll consider adopting a pet in need.  Click here to find animals in your area that need families.

Hallway Halfway

Remember this?

The scary hallway is no more!

Well, sort of.

This weekend, I prepped, primed, and painted the door frames, two doors, and the window with designer white semi-gloss we've used on other projects.  

I've taped off the crown molding to paint it also. (It's the same yellow-y beige that we've painted over in the master bedroom and den.)

You can also see in this picture that the walls in the hallway (right) are not yet the wall color of the den (left)- Benjamin Moore "Cloud Cover."

After that, we'll paint the other three doors and the bi-fold doors on the laundry room.

I'm pretty sure the builder crammed as many doors into this tiny space as humanly possible.

Happy painting!

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Down a Long, Dark Hallway

The beginning of a horror movie? Sadly, no. 
Just the entryway from the garage.

The last remnants of dark wood hides here.  And, boy, is there plenty of it: four doors, two bi-fold doors, and all the surrounding trim. (Some of it has been painted, but it's like the previous owners just got tired and quit. Thanks for that, guys. Even the parts that have been painted are the yellow-y beige that all the other trim was.  We'll have to paint it white like we've done in the master bedroom, master bathroom vanity area, and den,.) 

The baseboards are laminate wood to match the laminate floors, so we won't paint them. We plan to eventually replace the flooring downstairs and put new white trim up in this hallway to match the rest of the house.

I'm hoping to start on my weekend off. Yay!

Happy painting!

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Something Mossy

The title intrigued you, yes?  Well, it's probably not what you were expecting.

On my habitual Friday trip to the antique store, I stumbled upon matching, moss-covered mirrors. Just reading the description probably makes you raise an eyebrow and think I've gone off the deep end. And maybe I have, but take a look at them anyway...

I've been searching and searching for the perfect pair of somethings to flank the window in our den...

See? The walls kind of look empty.

Not anymore!

Happy hunting!

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Something I've Been Looking For...

I always pine over those wooden baguette plates. And there always out of my price range. Alas...

Then, like a sign from heaven above, a reasonably priced one came up on Decor Steals.  (If you don't frequent this website, you must familiarize yourself.)

Ermergersh! I love it.

It already has a new home...

Happy decor-stealing!

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