Fall Nesting Ideas.

What is fall nesting some of you might ask? Well, I'm not sure if there's really an official definition that we use out here in blogland, but I loosely define it as how you create your home. Not just decorating, but every inch of home. The sights, sounds, smells, the feel of your home at any given time or season. Autumn is such a rich time in a home because everyone comes inside more, snuggles together more and you make your home a little more comfy and luxurious. Thicker, softer blankets are at hand to curl up with and a hot drink in your hand feels lovely on the crisp days. I wanted to say a big thanks to Melissa at The Inspired Room for hosting her 3rd annual fall nesting party. I'm excited to link up today! 

Here are a few of my fall nesting ideas for my home this year, some that actually are in my home, and others I just dream of:

{Martha Stewart}

 

 With all the fall wreaths out there that can sometimes be a little expected, I like this one made of feathers. Not only is the material unexpected but the texture is so fun!

{Restoration Hardware}

 

 I love antlers in a home juxtaposed next to something soft and almost girly-but not overtly so. Think of this above white slip-covered furniture, a faint gray/blue color on the walls, some sort of throw pillows with just a little ruffle and some shiny silver accessories. Wouldn't it be such a nice touch of rustic in the home? It would definitely make the Mr. happy!

{Martha Stewart}

 

Pine cone hurricanes! They look like flowers, but are so much appropriate for this season rather than spring or summer.

{Pottery Barn}

 

Decorating your home doesn't have to turn into some big Martha Stewart project if you don't have the time. A pretty piece of glassware you already own filled with washed off acorns from your backyard is cheap and simple! Maybe try pine cones {just make sure all the bugs stay outside}.

  

We're moving more into the sense of touch in our homes now. Starting with these super nice leather pillows from Restoration Hardware. I saw some faux leather ones at Wal-Mart last week that I'm seriously contemplating for my own sofa...and it is MUCH cheaper than these, but you get the same look!

I have wanted this gray fur throw for 3 years now. It is Pottery Barn, and lovely, I have held it in the store and I like the way it feels as much as how it looks. This thrown over a sofa in your home would just scream comfort.

{Pottery Barn}

 

This nubby table runner adds nice texture to a dinner table. They can feel so cold if you're not careful. Everything is shiny, fragile, clean...I like how this roughs it up a bit so that it's not too precious.

{Bridal Party Tees}

When cold weather hits, I start craving my hot apple cider in the evenings snuggling on the couch with my Mr. Make a pot of it for your family with a cinnamon stick in it. Your house will smell lovely!

{Insider Passport}

 

If we're going to have apple cider then we also have to have s'mores!! I actually got really excited last night and made me one for dessert. It was heavenly.

{Simply Crimson}

 

 I just bought some of these at the store {did y'all do the major Glade cuponing and CVS extra care bucks deal a few weeks ago too?} a few weeks ago and have been saving them until now to make my home have that rich, fall aroma. I'm telling you, half of decorating is convincing ALL your senses, not just sight. And this I consider is part of making a house a home. I can't wait to light my candles tonight and make the house smell yummy.

 So this is what is actually happening at my home for fall nesting right now as far as decorating. It's not much, since we just moved in and have bigger priorities right now like...furniture. However, I think just a little effort at least makes it feel more like fall around here. The door mat was already here and I have kept it just because we need one and I'm spending money in other places than that right now-sticking to the budget, you know! The door hanger was given to me by a sweet lady we stayed with in FL this summer named Mary Jo. One day I told her how I thought her door hanger was cute, then she ripped it off the door and forced me to take it with me back home. I tried so hard to not take it but she won. How generous! So, I'm displaying it on our new home. 

I think its a fresh take on fall. It has bright springy colors, but it's decorated with berries, pumpkins and pine cones. Fall door hanger with an identity crisis? Haha, I don't care, I think it's nice...and free!

 I bought this woven pumpkin at Target this week. It was $15 which I thought was quite a bit, but I thought about it for a few weeks before I bought it. The quality is very nice, when you hold it, you don't feel like you could crush it in your hands if you wanted. I decided if I kept it for the next 20 years, set it out every fall and packed it nicely when not in use then I was getting my money's worth. Pumpkins never go out of style for fall and this one won't rot! Even better, I saw one in the Pottery Barn catalog that looks WAY more fragile than mine and it's also a LOT more expensive than mine. Gotta love something of quality for a deal.

{Pottery Barn}

See what I mean, while charming and all, I feel much better about my purchase.

{Target}

 

So, living in a townhome, we have a little yard, but we can't make a fire pit-the landlords would NOT be happy with us. Daniel and I love a fire and we've been dreaming of having a fire at our house for years. Well, thanks again to Target, we bought this copper fire pit last week and we are sooo excited about it. You know how I said I got excited about s'mores...well it's because of this. Actually, one night this week we're going to roast s'mores and hot dogs over our fire pit for dinner. Why? Because it's fun, it's making memories! Not to mention, this fire pit was originally $120 and I got it on clearance UNDER $40!! 

Those clearance deals at the end of summer is how we were able to get a few things for our patio recently. Otherwise they can just be too expensive for something that gets rained on all the time. I can't wait to share with you all our little patio makeover in a few days. It's not much, but it will be something great little bit by little bit. 

I hope this inspired y'all in creating a warm feeling in your home for fall. Don't forget to go to The Inspired Room and check out more ideas! Happy fall nesting!

Aerie Bed & Breakfast

{The Aerie}

So, the week after we went to Topsail Island with my family for vacation, we met up with our new youth group at Camp Vandamere, about 20 minutes from New Bern, NC...still at the beach. Our 4th Anniversary was coming up and we really wanted to have a little night away to ourselves before all of our packing and moving craziness began. So we thought Beaufort because we love history and have heard so many great things about it. Well, we couldn't find anywhere we wanted to stay that was available. I got discouraged because I really wanted a night away, but my ever-optimistic Mr. saved the day. He started looking at places in New Bern. I had never been before and Daniel went once when he was really little but didn't remember much. We were game for an anniversary adventure. Then, we found the BEST bed and breakfast we have EVER stayed in. The Aerie Bed & Breakfast.

 {The Aerie}

This B&B has thought of everything! In your room is one of those new one-cup coffee makers with all the coffee brands, flavors and creamers you could want. In the rooms and the parlor you see issues of Our State everywhere for a little relaxing magazine reading about our lovely state of NC. The most luxurious robes were hanging in our closet for our use and if we liked them so much we could buy one in their gift shop along with lots of other products The Aerie provided for our comfort. 

 {The Aerie}

This was our to.die.for. room. It is called the Hidden Room-and for good reason. We had our own private entrance to this room accessible up the back deck stairs. It is connected to the house but you are not connected to any of the other bedroom walls, it is completely private without feeling segregated. Then, you open the door to this delightful room. It is stunning in pictures but when we actually walked in it took our breath away. You couldn't help but feel peaceful when you were in this room, every inch of it was kind on the eyes. 

I love the soothing palate of layered creams, whites and blues. When you keep something simple like this rather than lots of busy colors and prints it makes a room feel calm. Definitely something you want in the room you sleep and unwind in! This bed was heavenly, they sell the sheets that are on all of their beds and I have never slept in softer sheets in my life. Actually, it was Daniel who flipped out about them because he was the first to get in the bed and he was like, "Oh, my gosh! Heather, you have to feel these sheets, they're awesome!" You know when the man says that, then it's serious business. 

In case you don't know, I love a pretty vignette. I also have a little obsession with birds. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw this cute little setup in the room complete with a darling birdcage. The decor makes the place so enjoyable, everywhere you look your eye rests on something beautiful. From this little moment above, to the fleur de lis door stopper, bundle of flowers on the door knob of the bathroom and the eagle door knocker. All of it has been thought of, I believe the owners truly wanted you to feel at home and not like you were in some sparsely thrown together room like so many other places are. I think it goes with the thought of "you're just staying here for a night or two, not living here". However, that is what makes The Aerie different! You are living there, for a night or two so you should feel that way.

Speaking of the owners, their names are Mike and Marty Gunhus, and they were wonderful hosts! We were always greeted with a smile and they talked to us like they had nothing else to do in their day but when we were ready to move on they didn't try to hang onto the conversation and keep you trapped there {you know how some people just don't know when to say goodbye?} . When asked they told us about the history of the house, things to do in New Bern and they gave the best restaurant recommendation ever! There will be more on the restaurant later. 

{The Aerie}

 Marty whipped up the gourmet breakfast we had and let me say, she is one phenomenal chef! We had three choices for a main course {which change everyday, by the way} and when they brought out those plates...oh my, they were works of art. I wish I brought my camera to breakfast but I wasn't anticipating something so beautiful. We were waited on by Mike and Marty very attentively, our coffee was always hot and full-the way to my heart, you know.

There are great amenities with this place including use of the local YMCA, spa services, available {and free} beverages any time you want them and a great DVD selection for your use. Every afternoon there is a social time with drinks and appetizers in the parlor which we were really excited to attend....then we accidentally fell asleep and missed it all! I was so mad at myself, but we were so tired after being at camp with the kids then going straight there. I guess we needed the rest. 

This was our private entrance. See....Hidden Room. Mike and Marty were so kind and let me walk all around their beautiful inn and take pictures of other rooms. Can you tell we loved this place and we'll be coming back?

What a gorgeous backyard! Can't you just picture yourself having coffee out here one morning or a charming garden wedding? We wanted to sit out here but it poured rain all night and was soaked the next morning. Those back steps are how we got to our room most the time but you can also enter through the front door and come out onto the back porch as well. I don't know why, but I totally forgot to take pictures of the front of the house-dumb.

Oh so charming, don't you think?

Now, as much as I've been telling you how great this place is you would think I'm getting paid for this, unfortunately no. When I find a place of high quality with great people running it then I always want to let people know so they can experience it too. We have enough evil people in the world running bad businesses so when we find the gems out there let's give them some praise for the great work they're doing! Just another testimony on how accommodating they were is when we arrived it was still a few hours before check-in and you're supposed to notify them if you're arriving early. We knew this so we just thought we would park our car and walk around New Bern for a few hours until check-in. When we asked the housekeeper if it would be alright for us to just leave our car parked there she let us check in! We told her it was ok, we didn't have to but she almost insisted on letting us get settled. How nice! That left a huge impression on us, on how Mike and Marty run their B&B and their staff. 

One more thing that made our stay fun: Banjo. There he is in all his playfulness. I know he looks like he's napping, but he had just playfully chased us up the stairs and I think was trying to fake us out here. Banjo is their 10 month old puppy and he was very well mannered but very lively. He brought smiles to all our faces when he scampered all around the house. 

Ok, I know this was a very long post, but I had so many wonderful things to share with everyone. Daniel and I summed up New Bern like a low-key Charleston. We adore Charleston, but sometimes it is so busy and crowded, so this is a perfect alternative-and closer too! There is a lot to see and do in this town and we're already dying to go back and visit our new favorite town and The Aerie. Go to their website and take a look around at all they offer. They have won so many awards and are very distinguished in their world of bed and breakfasts. This is a great and affordable getaway even for a night. I can't wait to go back!

Southern Living-good for the soul.

Who else loves this magazine? I love the homes, recipes, learning about other beautiful places to visit in the South and their encouragement to slow down your life and enjoy those whom you love with a nice outdoor dinner or cozy winter party. 

This month the magazine is celebrating "the Soul of the South". You know, how Southerners have a different perspective on life, the things we do may be a little more traditional, but how there is something so comforting in that. Something like writing a beautiful thank-you note {hand-written by the way, not email} is often forgotten in this busy world. However, there is a little tutorial inside their glossy pages on how to wow someone with a heartfelt thank-you note. They are also sharing homey ways to set a beautiful table, make mouthwatering sweet tea, savor small towns, read William Faulkner, and remember to count your blessings, and many more ways to slow down and savor your life.

 

These next two photos are not featured in this month's issue but I love them because they show some of the things I love most: warm, beautiful homes.To die for kitchen...hello!

I love this bedroom probably because it reminds me of the feel that my bedroom has. Of course, it does not look nearly as stunning as this one but I get the same feeling of comfortable elegance. Don't you love the mix of textures in this room? From the shell chandelier above the plush bed to the shag rug atop the hardy wood floors. It oozes comfort and I love, and I mean love a room layered in texture. 

I'm starting to look for fall nesting ideas to share with you and how I'll dress up my home for the cooler weather. Check back on Wednesday as I'll be linking up with the Inspired Room for her fall nesting party. This is a blog I love and I'm excited she's throwing this party. Will you be there too? 

Thanks, Southern Living for all your pretty, pretty pictures!

Topsail Island Vacation Pt.3

Hey everyone, well, as promised I wanted to continue the vacation posts just because it was one of the best ones I've had in years. Today I'm sharing a few photos of just some of the decor in our beautiful, 3-story beach house on Topsail Island. Now, like a lot of beach houses, the decor is very predictable, cliche' and boring. Starfish here, lots of shells over there, every piece of hardware is a clam shell and the lamps have seahorse bases. You're at the beach, we get it already. I always said if I ever were to be so lucky to own my own beach house I would never decorate it that way...it's still a home for crying out loud.

 This house had a lot of that too, but there were a few pieces that grabbed my attention. While still obviously beach-themed, some items showed more class rather than flash in their nods to nautical. If you missed the first two T.I. posts then head back to So Abram Went to get caught up on where we are now.

This was our bed for the week. The quilt and shams were Pottery Barn and were perfect for summer nights at the beach. I'm not in love with this space, but it's definitely better than other places we've stayed. I think I would take that quilt and pair it with white linen sheets for the perfect rustic/tailored pairing. What do y'all think of this?

Oh my goodness! I wanted to run out the door with this adorable little table. All week long I kept my jewelry, sunscreen and sunglasses here. I must have taken about 7 shots of just this table.

See, here's one more. This is a totally do-able DIY project. Flea market and a little paint anyone?

This was the master bedroom where my parents slept. Once again, I'm not crazy about the room, but one thing I did love was how they tied in the bed skirt, throw pillows and shower curtain in with the same fabric just different embellishments on each.

These pillows are just so adorable. Look how they live together without being matchy-matchy.

This fabric is beautiful. I think it's a classy way to do nautical in your home. Just thinking of all the ways I would use this fabric if it were in my home....lampshade, framed in glass, no mat board, more cute throw pillows!

How perfect that the master bedroom with the sailboat fabric accessories looks out onto the sound from it's own private balcony.

We had a fantastic trip this year and look forward to many more years of vacations on Topsail Island. Don't we have that nice grungy,I-haven't-showered-all-day-after-being-slathered-with-sunscreen-and-playing-in-the-saltwater, look. Well, it's because it's true...but that's what vacation is all about! And we soaked it up!

So, where did you vacation this summer? See any little pretties on your travels?

Come on in!

{Welcome to Heather at Home!}

 

For those of you that followed the link over from So Abram Went I want to fill you in on the change. I started So Abram Went back in 2008 as my husband, Daniel and I were preparing to move from Greensboro, North Carolina to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. It was to be a way to keep our families and friends clued into what we were up to all the way on the other side of the country. 

Well, since then we moved back to Greensboro and just a month ago moved to Wilson, North Carolina where my husband is a youth pastor. It's been a crazy trip, but we are so happy where we are right now. With this new change I finally wanted to kick off Heather at Home-a dream of mine for the past year while we were waiting for Daniel to find a job that would allow us to settle down again and make a home somewhere. 

For all of you who have just found your way here somehow I want to show you a little bit of what you'll see on here and tell you a bit more about myself. First of all, I love lists. I make lists all day long for things to get at the store, design ideas, songs I want to remember later, you name it, I do it. It helps me de-stress to know that I've gotten all those tiny ideas that were flying around in my head out and onto a piece of paper. Ahh, I feel better already, don't you? So, in true Heather form, here's a list of my loves in life:

- Jesus, He is my everything and I cannot go a day without his unconditional love.

- My husband, Daniel, also know by me as "the Mr.".

- Phoenix, our crazy dog. He's half Australian Shepherd and half Basset Hound.

- Coffee, coffee, coffee!

- Interior design.

- Decorating.

- DIY projects that look really, really good and not like you DIYed them.

- Cooking.

- Baking.

- French toile.

- Fresh cut flowers-white only and without all that crappy filler greenery stuff.

- Dancing.

- African music-it brings the BIGGEST smile to my face and makes something inside me come to life!

- Jewelry.

- Paula Deen.

- Farmhouse sinks.

- Farmhouse tables.

- CHRISTMAS!! Hold your horses, y'all will soon find out what a NUT I am for Christmas.

- Magazines are my guilty pleasure. They fill my house and I never want to let them go.

- Large, dark brown leather Chesterfield sofas.

- Topsail Island.

- Weddings.

- Organization-I'm not OCD, but I like to have order and have a place for everything.

- Being outdoors.

- Charleston, SC.

- Summertime is when I feel free, Autumn is when I'm inspired, Christmas is when I'm giddy all the time.

- Creating...anything!

- Snuggling in bed.

- I love great, big, booming thunderstorms.

- Gray and blue are my favorite colors. They're the colors of my favorite things in nature: dark, stormy skies and the ocean.

- Photography.

- A mix of sweet and edgy...both in my clothing and my home.

- J.Crew

- Rachel Zoe-this lady may not be my favorite person, but she challenges me the way I look at fashion and style in general. 

- Being a good wife and trying to live out Proverbs 31 the best I can.

- Southern Living.

- Loving on children.

- Messy, beachy hair.

- Snowed in days.

- Journaling.

- Great Danes.

- Cake and cupcake decorating.

- Gourmet food.

- I never leave home without my sunglasses. I think I have sensitive eyes.

- Pearls.

- Black anything.

- Acoustic music.

- Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook-I swear, It's the bible for caring for your home!

I'm sure that's way more than you wanted to know but maybe we found common ground here? Here's a taste of things you'll see on here:

 

 {Pottery Barn}

Beautiful decor that is completely doable in our own homes like this photo gallery. I'm about to put one up {hopefully} in my house this week. Don't worry, I'll take pictures and show you.

 

 {Country Living}

Pieces that I love and want to share with you like this farmhouse sink with the french toile skirt to hide not-so-pretty cleaning supplies.

{Paula Deen}

This is my girl, y'all! You may not always see her on here, but you'll see recipes that I try out and if they're good enough then I'll share them with you so you can wow your family and dinner guests too. 

{J.Crew}

 

I could live in this store and their catalogs. Especially their mix of messy tomboy, girlie flair and pops of sparkle, color and texture. That's me all wrapped up, folks! I'll post looks in fashion that are inspiring and that translate to a room and the way you live. Fashion and interior design speak the same language, it's all live-able art.

If you like what you see and think  you'll check back often then leave a comment and let me know! Everyone loves a nice comment in their day and also I can link up and put you on my blogroll as well. Comment, add to favorites, check and check! Come back later to see my last update from our vacation to Topsail Island this summer.