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Be the spookiest house in the neighborhood with these 10 lawn decorations from Amazon!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. Are you ready to deck out that porch and lawn with some spooky Halloween goodness?
This is my favorite time of year! I love walking around the neighborhood and seeing the creative way people add some spooky ambiance to the outside of their houses. Some people go nuts with lawn decor, creating a feast for the eyes, while others do the classic, understated look with a few simple but timeless pieces. If you’re a person who prefers a few carved jack-o-lanterns on the front step, this might not be for you…But if you’re a Halloween nut, read on!
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Get into the Halloween spirit with these 11 home accents from Amazon!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. October is upon us, and if you haven’t started your Halloween decorating yet…well…what are you waiting for?!
Maybe you just need a bit of inspiration…So here are some unique indoor Halloween decor items to infuse the Halloween spirit into those tables, mantles, counters, and other interior spaces. Whether you are just looking for a few simple pieces of decor or you’re one of those who go full-on Halloween in your home, this list has something for everyone! Surround yourself with these 12 dark and cozy items from Amazon this fall!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. What is this Dark Academia decor style that is all the rage right now? It’s certainly not a new aesthetic, having been around since Victorian times. This dark and broody decor style has now been “rediscovered” by a new generation looking for a mature design style that feels like an escape from our hectic modern world. The look can be achieved with dark woods, Victorian furniture, antique ornate frames, and bookshelves full of collegiate material and old books. Decorate the space with accents that harken back to the age of discovery, such as botanical prints, species of butterflies in picture frames, scientific equipment like scales, a world atlas or globe, and a few exotic items from around the world. If you’d like to make the space look more Gothic, use black, grey, and deep red colors. Add spookier accents like skeletons, skulls, candelabras, black crows, and books by Edgar Allen Poe. Now you’re all set for Halloween! I scoured Amazon to find a few decorative accents you could use in a Dark Academia space or serve as inspiration for recreating the style in your own home. Let me know in the comments whether you tried any of these! What do you think of this design aesthetic? Is it your cup of tea? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Check out these 10 decor items from Amazon for inspiration!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. Fall is the perfect time to bring a little hygge into your home! This decorating season can be an opportunity to create a warm, cozy interior space that lasts through the fall and winter months. Neutral earthy colors—like camel, cream, khaki, off-white, tan, taupe, beige, and white—create an interior space that is relaxed and understated for a place to unwind and retreat from the hectic rush of life.
Check out these items from my mood board for inspiration! 11 Rustic yet bright decor items for this fall season from Amazon!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. When August rolls into September, that is the cue for most of us to pull out those fall decorations to make our homes look festive for the season. Some of us love decorating our homes with bold red, orange, and yellow hues that embody the essence of this glorious season of the year. But if that’s a bit much for you, you can still achieve the look and feel of fall with a slightly less bold—but still bright—color palette. The key is to choose muted rustic tones of the typical vibrant fall decor colors to soften the look.
Here are a few ideas below to get you started! Keep things soft and understated this fall season with these 10 home decor items from Amazon!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. If experimenting with a softer color palette this fall is on your agenda, this blog article is for you! Most fall home decor and accents in stores and advertising come in the typical vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows or the Farmhouse style that pairs white with black or orange. And there’s nothing wrong with that if that color scheme inspires you or works well with your existing decor. But there are other options… Pastel decor is usually associated with spring and Easter, but Pinterest has opened my eyes to a different way of thinking about seasonal decor. You can absolutely use pastel colors in the fall! I combed through selections on Amazon to put together an inspirational mood board to help you brainstorm a look for your own space. The key is to bring in accent pieces that speak to the season, such as pumpkins, fall leaves, and a few rustic elements that add a touch of coziness to the look. Here are a few items you may want to consider... 11 items from Amazon to get you started!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. When we speak of Boho (short for Bohemian) certain words come to mind—artistic, eccentric, casual, eclectic, gypsy, hippie, carefree, and creative. And if you ask me fall is the perfect time of year to let your inner gypsy shine!
The boho look is an incredibly simple look to pull off with its mix of earthy (or jewel tones if you’re not afraid of color), textural, and slightly exotic design elements. To help inspire you to embrace this design style this season I combed through Amazon to find a few interesting items that might help get you started! Here are 10 items from Amazon to inspire you!  Images from Amazon.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. Fall is one of my favorite times of year to decorate. Once September rolls around, that is my cue to start getting creative with festive decor for the next few months. But lately, I’ve been finding the traditional colors a little…well…stale! I’m not knocking the vibrant orange, red, and yellow color palette, but sometimes you just need to shake things up a little bit. I guess you could say I’m searching for inspiration, a way to expand my horizons. I’ve always wanted to try using blue in my fall and winter decor, and one day—when the budget allows—I will gather the courage and take the plunge!
Blue can be an extremely versatile color, fitting into any season of the year, but can feel a little cold. I discovered that if you pair blue with warm creams and gold, the result can be an exciting color scheme! Blue and yellow are complimentary colors on the color wheel and go well together, creating a pleasing contrast that feels light and airy. Exchanging the yellow for gold gives your decor an upscale yet inviting appeal. As I combed through Amazon for inspiration, I found a few interesting items that could be used to create an elegant yet modern look. In my mood board below—titled Autumn Blues—you will see a collection of pieces that include a range of blues paired with gold and cream accents. The selections reflect the vibrant mood of autumn yet feel refreshingly clean and uncluttered. And the best part…All of these items together cost less than $300! Not bad in today’s economy!  Image by Lukas on Pexels. Floral arrangements uplift our spirits, brighten a room, and create a touch of natural beauty in our interior spaces. Flowers come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, each with its unique character. Some popular flowers used in arrangements include roses, lilies, tulips, daisies, sunflowers, and orchids, but don't be afraid to play with any of your favorite flowers and greenery. Creating a balanced floral arrangement is all about channeling your creativity while following (more or less) the principles of floral design. In this blog post, we'll explore the art of floral design and share some valuable tips on creating balanced and visually appealing flower arrangements for your home. So let's get started! In a previous blog, I introduced you to seven houseplants that can tolerate a bit of neglect. In today’s blog, I will share seven MORE houseplants that can take a little abuse from an absent-minded or inexperienced plant parent.
Ready for more? Here we go… If you have a black thumb—or are just starting to wrap your head around buying houseplants for the first time—this blog is for you! Houseplants can be tricky, right? There’s a lot to take in—proper light, water needs, soil types, fertilizing, best trimming practices, propagating, pest control—but some plants are less fussy than others. Today, we’ll look at seven plant babies for beginners or people who want easy houseplants.  Early spring vignette free from clutter. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Let me ask you a question…What is your favorite room in your home? Why do you love that space so much? Well, okay, that was two questions! But bear with me… Chances are you don’t even realize the effect lighting has on how you react to—and interact with—your favorite room. Is it a warm, cozy room with soft lighting? Is it a light and airy space with banks of windows that let in all that precious life-giving natural light? Light—or lack thereof—creates a mood in a space. It can make you feel content, invigorated, romantic, charged…or depressed. While exploring the natural lighting in my living spaces, I addressed the black hole called my dining room. This space receives so little direct natural light that growing live houseplants is impossible, and it occurred to me that spending time in this room made me feel depressed. A makeover was overdue, and lighting would be pivotal in bringing the space back to life. But that—as I found out—was only part of the equation. 
Ponytail palm soaking up the light in a southerly front window. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.
Whether you are deciding on which types of houseplants to buy, trying to identify artificial light needs, or have concerns about fabric or artwork that may fade in direct sunlight, you will need to understand how the natural light interacts with your interior space. Consider this scenario… A couple of years ago, I got the “plant” bug and bought a bunch of houseplants from my local home improvement store. I loaded them into the back of my Jeep, transported them home, and merrily unloaded them straight into my living room. I plopped them here and there on tables and windowsills, thinking that my living room would get plenty of light. Then reality hit when some of them started dying. As it turns out, there’s not enough direct light in the space to keep some of the more fussy plants alive. That revelation started me on a quest to understand how much natural light each room in my home receives and when. So today, I thought I’d share some tips learned from this experience and my research into daylighting, which refers to using natural sunlight as passive lighting in an interior space. 
Fairy lights and table lamps accentuate floral decor. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.
What do you think of when you think of winter? For most of us, the very mention of winter makes us shiver…but there are positive ways to approach the coldest season of the year. Over the past couple of years, I have researched a curious Danish lifestyle outlook called hygge. Winters up north are long, cold, and dark…and yet the population is said to be one of the happiest in the world! What a bunch of weirdos, right?! But they seem to have learned a trick to cope with the long winters indoors. At the heart of this whole “hygge” thing is the idea that your life is enriched by surrounding yourself with simple things that bring you joy. Embracing hygge in the home means choosing cozy decor that feels safe, warm, and inviting.  Gold ornament on my tree. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. I had many trendy ideas for decorating my Christmas tree this year…and until I checked my bank balance! Lol! Jokes aside, this year has been tough financially, and there isn’t enough money left in the pot to handle gifts, food, bills, Christmas dinner, AND expensive holiday decor. So, we scaled things back a little… This year, I have challenged myself to work with what I have on hand for all my holiday decor…and it WAS a challenge. Some areas could use more “stuff”—if I wanted to go out and buy extra decor—but for this year, it has to be what it is.  DIY wreath berries and faux greens. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. If you’ve read any of my previous blogs—or follow me on social media—chances are you’ve seen this wreath base before. The vine wreath base with the “Welcome” sign has become a decor staple, providing the perfect template for an ever-changing assortment of seasonal faux floral arrangements.  Closeup of ivy, gold poinsettia, and berries on this DIY wreath. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. This holiday decorating season has seen a lot of DIY projects, including this super simple ivy vine wreath! As with another recent DIY wreath project (see below), I started with a twisted vine wreath base stripped of all its old faux florals.  Wiry garland with faux greens, pinecone, and red berries. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. This year’s holiday season has been devastated by the current chaotic economy. It’s turning out to be a very lean holiday season indeed! This year—in particular—the festive decorations have become a beacon of light in the darkness, at least for me.
But what do you do if you can’t afford to indulge in the latest trends in Christmas decorations? What if all you have to work with is cheap, wiry—and obviously fake—garland? This year, I have three cheap garlands, two hung over the top of my windows and one wrapped around the staircase railing. In this DIY, I'll share how I dressed them up to make them look festive.  Celtic knot painted on a decorative tray. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022. Welcome to part two of my DIY chalk-painted tray project! In part one, I chalk-painted a decorative tray using a “chippy” weathered effect. Now, let's go through the steps I took to design and paint a border around the vertical exterior sides of the tray. This will not be a tutorial on creating Celtic knots—that would turn this blog post into a book (which is in the works, by the way)! The goal is to help you create a simple design that can be traced onto the newly painted decorative tray for a bit more pizzazz. 
Finished diy weathered tray with some fall decor. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.
This month, I tackled a simple DIY project using an unfinished wooden tray, furniture stain, and chalk paint. The tray was one of those items that kept getting moved from cabinet to cabinet…because "someday" I would come up with an idea for a DIY project! |
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