1st BIRTHDAY INVITE: anne lewis

Happy Friday everyone! I wanted to share a project I did over the summer for one of the sweetest little girls I know - Anne Lewis. We both share a July 4th birthday (the 2nd and 3rd) so we wanted to do a red, white, and blue cookout theme. I tied in the pink to keep them girly and feminine! I printed them on white linen stock and paired them with brown kraft envelopes. Enjoy!

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SNEAK PEEK: dining room

Look what has arrived at Melrose -

Do you remember this post? Well after hearing your encouraging comments, I decided to bite the bullet and go for it! The colors are very radiant and it brings a lot to the neutral dining room. Now I just need to put a coat of high gloss white paint on the legs of the farm table. More pictures to come!

FALL GROWTH

I wanted to share some of my recent gardening projects before everything dries up and withers away for the winter -- not that Alabama is experiencing any extreme cold conditions anytime in the near future. A few months ago I posted about my adoration for potted boxwoods, indoors and outdoors. Like I mentioned, I plated a few around Melrose and here are my boxwoods on either side of the outdoor fireplace in the backyard:

And at this same time I purchased some miniature boxwoods to sit on Melrose's front stoop. I would love to find some better pots (I don't love the carved detail in the concrete), but we all ready had these and they get the job done so I have left them. I do think they need to be re-potted in bigger containers though.

I'm pretty positive you have caught onto the fiddle leaf fig tree trend. It is everywhere. You can't avoid it. And don't try to. I'll admit, I have been debating on purchasing one for our den bay window, but I resulted to being happy nursing my baby fig trees to full growth. You will be surprised at how much they have grown! Here they are fresh from the mail, pre-planted:

And here is a picture from a few months ago ...

And, now here they are this morning! You can definitely tell the growth by seeing how much fuller they are at the top. It is fun to watch a new leaf bud form at the center stem, grow to size, and eventually sprout open. Now I just don't know where to put them when they reach my pot hanger!

Another gardening project I finally finished is filling my flower bed with rosemary and dusty miller. It took me a while to locate rosemary plants large enough for my space, but now they are planted and smelling wonderful! Here is the empty, lonesome space begging for beautiful greenery -

And here is the new space filled with new cedar wood chips -

I've been a little slacking on decorating for fall, but here is my outdoor arrangement I set up. I stole the pumpkin idea from pinterest via Martha Stewart. In my carrot bag I only ended up with one gnarly, pointy carrot so I shaved the other one down to look the same. (note to self: the carrots will deteriorate) I used the same wreath and spider stands as last year. 

What is your favorite fall decor tradition? My favorite is definitely the purchasing of the pumpkins and hanging the wreath!

WOOD YOU SIT OR STAND?

While thumbing through some of my favorite kitchen photos, I started to notice a trend in a lot of them -- rustic farmhouse tables as islands or dining in the kitchen. My dream house is an open floor plan from the kitchen, to the dining area, to the den where you can easily socialize with all your company. Everyone tends to congregate in the kitchen, and while I am happy with Melrose's current kitchen, it just doesn't provide room for gathering while cooking at the same time. I think a vintage, farmhouse table within an open kitchen is just the solution! I am really loving these beautiful, spacious kitchens with well made cabinetry, granite countertops, and striking lighting that have all been paired with a rustic, unique table. Whether it is used as island for extra space while cooking, or housing a few bar stools while sitting and watching the cook, I love the use of a farmhouse table in a modern kitchen. Here are some of my favorite examples:

 I love this simple, airy rustic table. It's size and tone is a great compliment to the clean, streamline design of this kitchen. Anything chunkier or darker could seem too heavy for this space.

This table doesn't appear to be rustic farmhouse, but it's shape and carved legs lend the idea that it is an antique. Even if it doesn't appear old, a nice, aged shape can be a nice contrast in a modern space. I'd take the glossy black and white marble pair any day!

An island + a farmhouse table, yes please. Of course you have to have ample room to house both of these pieces, and this kitchen is perfect for it.

Kirsten Buckingham's kitchen via Amber Interiors

The love seat and table make this space super cozy and inviting.

 Sage Design via The Zhush

Maybe one of my favorite kitchens of all time - I love the mis matched seating and clean backsplash and cabinetry in contrast with the dark, ebony stained floor.

A unique positioning of a table at the foot of the island. You save room by not having chairs on all sides and the flow of the kitchen is consistent.

 This designer used a counter height wooden table for working or gathering. A lot of different materials are happening in this kitchen, so the simple, streamline design of this wooden table is perfect.

Another versatile, wooden table at counter height. Again, the mint green is the main attraction here so a simple antique was the way to go.

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all other sources via

STAYING WARM

I apologize for my lack of posts lately ... I promise to get it together soon! I have a lot to share, just too little time! But, I do want to share pictures some pictures from earlier this week of us enjoying our first fire outdoors in the new fireplace. We hit a chill this week and it seemed like the perfect time to try out the fireplace. Brandon was able to pull out a pretty good fire for it's first time. We grilled fresh pizzas, warmed our feet, and enjoyed a little music. Can't wait to spend many more fall nights out here!

Please pardon the quality of the photos ...