Magnolia Mamas : September 2022

Friday, September 16, 2022

5 Tips to Transition Your Home Decor for Fall with Casabella

We love summer around here, but we really LOVE fall. There is just something about the cool, crisp air and pumpkin spice everything that makes us excited to start swapping out decor pieces in our home. Making little changes here and there can really be the perfect way to update for a new season. We popped into Casabella in East Cobb earlier this week to grab a few things and were in love with all things fall! We got inspired to decorate our own homes, so today we are sharing 5 tips to transition your home decor for Fall.

1. Add throw pillows and blankets

One of our favorite ways to update for a new season is to use throw pillows in tones and patterns that fit the season. Just swapping out lighter colors and fabrics for darker and thicker fabrics like velvet, faux fur, or leather can instantly change the look of your space. Layer in blankets on couches, accent chairs and in baskets to near sitting areas. Opt for thicker and textured blankets to create a space that is warm and inviting.

2. Incorporate pumpkins in your decor's color palette

An easy way to add touches of fall is to use decorative pumpkins on console tables, mantles and kitchen islands. Some of you might adore a traditional orange pumpkin, but if not, Casabella has endless options to coordinate with every color palette. You can easily mix in neutral shades of wool pumpkins or go bold with blue velvet ones!

3. Tie in seasonal tablescapes

Whether its your dining room that only gets used sparingly or your eat-in kitchen table that is used multiple times a day, the centerpieces and table linens are a perfect way to dress up your home with a festive fall setup. Layer neutral items you already own with darker chargers and napkins and don't forget to add pumpkins for a complete fall tablescape!

4. Freshen the air

We know it's important to play to all of our senses so don't forget how important aromas are. With the start of autumn comes scents of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin. Candles and diffusers with these fall scents are a wonderful way to cozy up at relax at home.

5. Swap seasonal greenery

Using greenery is the perfect opportunity to mix some summer and fall colors. We love bringing nature indoors and even if it is faux greenery, it just helps bring your home to life! The great thing about greenery is that there are flowers and fruit for every season so using sunflowers, sprigs of berries and mixing in the colorful leaves that fall brings is a wonderful way to set the tone in your home.

Need help finding some inspiration? Be sure to visit Casabella in Marietta and you will be be in fall decor heaven like we were!

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Fashion Fix {Western Boots We Love}

We've had some cooler mornings around here and I am living for it!!! I know it's sort of a tease and I've lived in the south long enough to know we still have a little bit of warm weather left, but it won't be long now until we are busting out our boots and sweaters.

Western inspired boots are trending this fall and we are seeing them EVERYWHERE! I personally love this style and you don't have to be heading to a rodeo to sport this look. They look great with dresses, skirts or denim. We've rounded up some of our favorites in all different price points to help give your fall wardrobe a fresh kick.

As you can see some of these have a very western flare while others just have subtle details that give them the western look. All of these boots come in multiple colors, too!

1. SilmaWestern Booties - $150

2. Marlow Western Boots - $38

3. Nashe Western Booties - $160

4. Ellen Western Bootie - $100

5. Shana Cowboy Boots - $40

6. Silma Western Booties - $150

7. Metallic Western Boot - $70

8. Layla Western Boot - $130

9. Western Slouch Boots - $25

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Stadium Approved Clear Bag Options

Football season is officially here. Indoor Winter sports are on their way. And Concerts are back! All this means stadiums are back in business and we've all got to dust off our stadium approved clear bags from the back of the closet.

Or buy a super cute new one!

Last week we told you where you can find some super cute straps to add to your bags, but today is all about the bag itself. Luckily the fashion world has caught on that the clear bag rule is here to stay, so now there are a ton of trendy stadium approved options available.

Here's a peek at just a few ones we've found lately...

1. Clear Bag with Gold Chain

2. Square Clear Bag

3. Clear Bag with Leather Accents

4. Team Color Accent Clear Bag

5. Metal Accent Clear Bag (gold & silver option available)

6. Black Trim & Chain Clear Bag

7. Gold Stud Clear Bag

8. Gold Stud with Pouch Clear Bag (gold & black option available)

9. Leather Trim with Pouch Clear Cross Body Bag (tons of colors available)

10. Circle w/Tassel Clear Bag

11. Acrylic Style Clear Bag

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Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Book Club: August 2022

Wow, it's already September! It's still really warm here in the south, but we have hopes that the cooler fall temperatures are near and that has us dreaming of curling up in a blanket, book in hand, and reading by a fire! Doesn't that just sound lovely. Actually we will probably still be listening to Audible while running our kids from one practice to the other, but we can dream, right?!

We've got lots of fun books to share this month so settle in and get ready to add some of these to your must-read lists!

WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH

I flew through some books this month and loved almost all of them!

Up first for me this month was The Royal's Next Door by Karina Halle. I usually love anything having to do with royalty so couldn't wait to give this book a try. Just as the title implies, a royal couple moves in and the girl-next-door is left to manage the media and security circus that follows them. After a few run-ins with their personal protection officer a little romance starts to grow and before they know it they are sneaking around to spend more time with each other. It was a cute story.

Next up for me was Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. I have never ready anything by this author and it was just sort of a random pick when I was scrolling options on Audible. Oh my goodness!!! I am SO happy that I decided to download it because it was SO good. I really loved this story and it was one of my favorites that I have read in a while. A big city, big time doctor who comes from a very influential medical family happens to be passing through a small town and has a chance meeting with a local bed & breakfast manager. Not only is he much younger than her, his small town lifestyle is completely opposite of what she is used to. A one night stand turns in to a secret relationship until their worlds get crossed and the bigger question of would you give up everything for true love must be answered. The emotions I felt when listening to this book were amazing. I laughed, cried and it all felt so believable. Overall it was a feel-good book, but it did touch on some heavier topics like abuse. If you love a good love story I highly recommend this one!

Because I loved my first book by Abby Jimenez so much I looked to see what else she had written and was pleasantly surprised to find a 3 part series. The Friend Zone, The Happily Ever After Playlist, and Life's Too Short. Naturally I dove into these right away. I wasn't holding my breath that I would enjoy them as much, but you know what, I did! She kept the same formula with all of them, but it works for her and I say don't fix something that isn't broken. The point of view switches back and forth between the female and male characters which I really enjoyed. They all grabbed my attention right from the beginning, had the same feel-good, heartwarming love stories, and they all wove in different serious topics such as infertility, grief, depression, and chronic illness. Each book refers to characters you got to know in the previous stories which I also really loved. Again, if you are a love story fan I would start with Part of Your World and then move to these!

JEN

The It Girl is my third book from Ruth Ware and each time she gets me with the slow twisty turn-y way she tells a novel. I listened to the audible of this one, and she has a fantastic reader. Although I enjoyed the plot of this one, it wasn't my favorite of her books.

The story follows a group of college students both during the events leading up the murder of their friend and what happens ten years later. Their friend was every bit the "it girl", and the world seems fixated on the true crime story once again when the murderer dies in jail. The whole world thinks the case is officially closed...except for the one who put him in jail.

Parts of this one seemed to be repetitive and drag on to me. Like I just wanted to speed it up and figure out what really happened. Otherwise it was an interesting take on a college suspense thriller.

Next up, Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan. This was a fun and light rom-com made for all the Hallmark movie lovers out there. Nora is a single mom who's house is over taken by a movie studio for a screenplay that she wrote about her marriage - or at least the crash landing of it. She meets mega star Leo who plays the lead in the film. He's grumpy, drunk, and high maintenance. But once things wrap up, he doesn't want to leave. Not really knowing what to say, Nora agrees to letting the actor stay. But is there more to him than meets the eye? Or is he just a really good actor?

I loved the characters of this one! The unique twist on some of the rom-coms I've been reading lately has been fun, and the fact that this one actually featured older grown-ups and a mom was a bonus. It was a little more PG, and a little more predictable at times, but the ending surprised me a bit and made me up it to a solid four star read.

The Love of My Life has been sitting on my nightstand for months now. I've been in a thriller mood, so I decided to finally dig into it. And I'm so glad I did! It's a slow burn kind of thriller that follows a very in love couple. Emma is a semi-famous marine biologist, and Leo is an Obituary writer for a big publication. They have have everything they've dreamed of until one day they wake up and Leo realizes he is married to a complete stranger.

Bit and pieces of the Emma's secrets get released over the course of the story, and all build up to a heartbreaking twist. It was one I did not see coming, and I was shocked at how much I thought the story would turn a different way. I enjoyed this one more than Ghosted, and it's definitely one I would put on my "recommend" list to read ASAP if you like thrillers on the lighter side with a romantic twist.

WHAT'S UP NEXT...

CARRIE BETH

I'm always a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and have been waiting for her newest release, Carrie Soto is Back. Can't wait to get started on this one!

JEN

Same! I am going with Carrie Beth on this one and Carrie Soto is Back is already queued up in my Audible. I love TJR books and early reviews say this one is just as good as her previous novels! So if you need me over the next few days - don't. I'm busy with all the things so I can listen to it! ;)

WHAT DID YOU READ LAST MONTH? ANYTHING YOU LOVED THAT WE SHOULD PUT ON OUR READING LISTS? SHARE WITH US!

BOOK CLUB 2022

BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2022

BEST BOOKS OF 2021

Follow along with us on Goodreads!

HAPPY READING!

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Friday, September 2, 2022

Everyday Organizing for Busy Moms {Do A Last Sweep}

Happy September! We're gearing up for football this month and love that fall is just around the corner. It's a new month and time for another post in the Everyday Organizing for Busy Moms series.

By now most everyone is back to school and in some sort of a routine with sports, homework, and busy weeknights. I've always been a night owl, but the older I get there are times that I'm ready to go to bed before my teenagers. However, I often force myself to power through and get a second wind or at least make them head up to their rooms before me because not only do I enjoy a few minutes of sitting in the quiet house alone, but before I let myself sit down I think it's so important to do a last sweep each night.

The last sweep for me is spending 5-10 minutes picking up the house, putting things back in their place, and just making sure everything is prepped and ready for the next day. Doing this helps our mornings go as smoothly as possible and helps keep the house tidy. None of my kids are morning people (and neither am I) so doing as much the night before is key for us to getting out the door on time and for myself to just go to bed with a sense of calmness.

In the evenings I always make sure lunches are packed, dishes are done, the house is picked up. I make sure the kids have their backpacks and clothes/cleats/equipment for after school practices ready. I also do a mental checklist of the next day and plan it as much as possible. If I have errands to run or things to do around the house I plan that along with the sports practice carpools and logistics so I'm not scrambling the next day.

I do make my kids put their things away and pick up after themselves on a regular basis, but during the week we are often rushing from one thing to the next and the time they are at home I want them studying or sleeping so shoes get left out, school papers end up on the counter, water bottles are everywhere and it starts to drive me crazy. A neat house makes me feel calm so me doing a quick last sweep each night and having everything in its place before laying my head on the pillow helps me tremendously!

EVERYDAY ORGANIZING FOR BUSY MOMS

January {Keep a Family Calendar}

February {To-Do Lists}

March {Time Pockets}

April {Declutter}

May {Laundry & Dishes}

June {Meal Planning & Grocery Lists}

July {Paper Planners}

August {Stay on top of it!}

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Back Porch Bed Swings

Porch living...in the South, it's a way of life. We spend the majority of our free time outside. From entertaining to watching morning news with coffee - and everything in between- "porchin" is a way of life for most. We've tossed around the idea to do a little back porch refresh, but other projects had always come first. I've had two bed swings on order since we moved into the house, but put delivery on the back burner until we got a feel for the best place for them.

As Summer rolled around, and the pollen-apocalypse that occurs each year wrapped up, I decided it was finally time.

I cleaned off the porch, sold off the existing furniture we had, and scheduled that long awaited porch swing delivery.

Once everything was put together, we were in love! The new set up is more open and has a better flow for guests than our old set up. I miss the coziness of the couch slightly, but it's a trade off because the bed swings are much easier to clean.

Here's a quick peek at all the details, and if you need a good bed swing builder let us know. Both Carrie Beth and I have used the same company and can't say enough good things about them!