Fall Inspirations

Good morning!  :-)

Although it is still lingering around the 100-degree mark here in Arizona, I have come to realize that Fall is a state of mind.  Do you agree with me?  I'm not saying that I am quite ready to hop on over to Starbucks and order my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season...yet.  But I am itching to head to my local HomeGoods to see what Fall goodies (candles, decor, etc.) they have out!  And I am definitely needing a new wreath on my door, so this weekend I am planning on crafting a bit and seeing what I come up with.  ;-)

I am so very happy that September is here, and that my most favorite season is here, too.  And so, I thought that I would gather some Fall inspiration for you today and share it with you -- because that's fun, right?

Warm Fall colors...displayed in a bouquet of flowers.

An outdoor dining experience, complete with an abundance of crispy leaves.

Pretty and simple porch decor.

An easy apple centerpiece.

An elegant and color-coordinating Fall tablescape.

Soft, chunky coats to keep the chill off of your skin.

What is your favorite thing about Fall?

love,

maria

*Inspirations*

Happy Thursday!  The weekend is almost here...  I only have two more classes, and then I am free for four whole days.  :-)  I am so looking forward to it! 

Some things that are inspiring me...

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...A lovely color scheme.

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...Interesting flower decor.

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...Morning sunlight, streaming through a bare window.

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...This stylish image from one of my favorite Disney movies.  :-)

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...A pretty up-do perfect for both casual and dressy occasions.

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...An array of colorful and glittery dots in fun, bright colors.

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...Tiny, almost-bite-sized cupcakes with a smidgen of sprinkles.

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...A fabulously elaborate hat.  Just because.

What's inspiring you lately?

love,

maria

Pretty Summer Photography

August is here, which means there are only a few weeks left until the beginning of Fall.  For all of us in Arizona (and other parts of the world/country, too) the beginning of September does not necessarily mean cooler temperatures or layered clothing.  Usually by the beginning of October it is finally starting to feel nice outside, and I look forward to that first brisk day of Fall where a Pumpkin Spice Latte is a must-have (as my sister-in-law likes to say, the first "jacket-worthy" day; she is right!).

I have made great strives within myself to enjoy the months that do not have to do with Christmas trees and Holiday cheer...  I used to have a really terrible case of the after-Holiday blues once January 3rd rolled around, and those sad feelings would stay with me for a long time and only grow worse once the days began to get hotter.  This year, I promised myself I would find the beauty in each season... spending more time outside and feeling grateful to live in such a beautiful state with amazing weather and scenery for most of the year.

I can actually say now that I have begun a love affair with the summer months, and it feels amazing to be content and excited for what's to come, but not anxious.  I am looking forward to starting school in a few weeks -- a journey that I have wanted to continue for so many years but couldn't get up the courage to do so.  I thought that for today, I would gather up some summer inspirations, if you will; these pictures are a little snippet of what summer means to me.

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What does summer mean to you?

love,

maria

DIY Coffee Table Books

Last week while perusing one of my favorite blogs, Centsational Girl, I came upon a post that she had written about what to do with the "dog-eared pages" in your life.  You know -- the magazine photos that you tear out of House Beautiful and Dwell and save for inspiration.  I happen to have a problem with this.  I save, save, save, then forget, forget, forget.  I even had a family friend gift to me many of her favorite tear sheets and provide me with a binder full of amazing inspiration from a real interior decorator's perspective.  I hadn't gone through those pages yet, but I decided to take a look.

The first thing I did was go through all of the sheets and decide what was relevant to my design and decorating tastes and what wasn't.  This was a great exercise for me -- really taking a look at a photo and deciding if it just appealed to me, or if I would want it or an aspect of the pictured design for my own home.  I figured that anything that I like to marvel at from afar but not use within my own home, I would recycle.  

I made three categories with my tear sheets -- Interiors, Vacation Cabin, and Details -- and realized that these would make great coffee table books, full of all of the pictures that I love to look at.  Grey and I dream to have a cabin in a woodsy area someday, and I have tons of ideas for that, so I'm really glad that I included our hopeful home in the categories.  The Details book was to hold many things -- ideas for place settings, holiday decorating, how-to's, color schemes...  Anything detail-oriented.  

I found a beautiful canvas book at Michael's, and I decided to start on that particular afternoon with my Interior tear sheets.  I'm sure you can guess how this went...  You just need a glue stick and a book of your choice, and, of course, your inspiration.  :-)

There is still a lot of room left in the book to fill as more inspiration falls into my lap, and I have two other books in the works.  I have already flipped through this many times while waiting for my husband to get ready for a date, or passing the time between appointments.  It just makes me happy to see all of the aspects of what makes my decorating style unique in one place.  :-)

love,

maria

Friday Send-Off

Well, friends -- it's that time of the week.  Time for me to sign off and start my weekend.  I plan on doing some serious crafting tomorrow since I am finally finished with the decrapification of our apartment.  Things have been reorganized and donated, and I feel great about starting new projects now and ending the glorious time I have had with Spring Cleaning.  Now, it's time to move forward and create!  I am very excited.  :-)  Tomorrow should be a great day for crafting, too -- it's supposed to rain!  Nothing better than a heavy dose of DIY on a rainy day.  ;-)

In case you missed out, here are some of my favorite things that happened this week on All Things Luxurious...

Our little bathroom updo.  We are so excited about this!

All Things Luxurious was given the Yostie Blog Award, and I chose to honor a great blog, Laid Off Mom, in response!

We were also awarded the Versatile Blogger Award, and I passed that on to fifteen of my favorite bloggers!

And, we talked Tolix chairs and their pure awesomeness.

Here's some inspiration to start your weekend.  :-)

Amazing corner cupboards in a lovely traditional kitchen.

A great neutral office with a dreamy eclectic mirrored side table.  I dig.

Spring crafts are in full swing -- love this mossy letter for your front door.

Something that made me laugh out loud.  BOOP!

Some inspiration for our *Someday* Woodsy Vacation Home -- orange candle votives for a warm glow.

A lovely home with an abundance of windows.  Yes, please.

Have breakfast in bed daily with a delicious breakfast comforter.  Because, well, why not?

Some puppy love.  Sweet, right?

Some lovely words for you and yours.

A cutie pie room for the kiddies.  That chandelier is amazing!

Some fabulous bedding.  Seriously.  Excuse me while I melt.

A recipe for Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake.  Perfect for a Spring brunch.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  :-)  I'll catch ya back here in Monday.

love, maria