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I love candles. There is something about having a candle lit in the background that instantly makes a space more cozy, scented and overall, pleasant. In a season that beckons us to nestle in and cozy up, fall seems to just scream for them. In recent years though, it feels like candles went from being the sweet little, $5 shopping treat to a full $15 or $20 gift. So, it got me thinking, why not make my own where I can determine exactly the scent and style while being less of an investment? After a bit of research and antique thrift store scavenging, I found the perfect pieces to repurpose into, not one but TWO, fall candles perfect for our home for less than $10. If you are up for a little DIY-ing this fall, try this thrift store transformation and…
Have you ever made a big move? Maybe across a state, across the country or even across the world? I can honestly say that for Charlie and I, we are about a week into the biggest move of our lives up until this point. Having never permanently moved outside the borders of South Carolina within our working memory, we have had a fun, hilarious and adventurous experience this past week as we have begun adjusting to living in Munich. From transportation runarounds to furniture shopping to our new favorite travel items, we have learned so much in the past week. While living in Munich is quite different from visiting for vacation or traveling as a tourist, I believe many of these lessons can cross over to be extremely helpful when adventuring around Munich, Germany and Europe as a whole. With that, I hope that if you are planning on moving abroad, or even if you see yourself visiting for only a week….
When Charlie and I were in premarital counseling the months leading up to our wedding, we received many great pieces of advice and had wonderful conversations surrounding blending families, daily habits and conflict resolution. But one tip in particular that has been a tremendous blessing to this day has been the EveryDollar App. You might wonder why an app would rank in the top things we gained from our marriage counseling, but studies show that roughly 20% of Americans say that they have financial disagreements with their significant other MONTHLY (1) and that 44% of Americans attribute finances as their primary stressor, even over relationships and work (2). Clearly financial affairs was a crucial topic to address as it can steal one’s joy for purposeful living rather quickly. Now, before you feel bored to tears or think I am going to give professional financial advice, please know that I am not a financial advisor and am in no way being paid to pitch this app. I am just a girl who enjoys finding easy ways to save money and plan for the future and thought you all might enjoy learning about them also. That being said, I recently was reminded of how helpful it has been to Charlie and I to be on the same page as we have been reestablishing our budget for living in Germany (in Euros! That will take me a minute to get used to), and how much we have enjoyed being able to strategically save for home projects or travel plans. So, whether you are wanting to start budgeting, become on the same financial page with your spouse, save for a home project or plan a trip, I hope that sharing my own experience with EveryDollar might help encourage you with your….
Only 1 more week!! It truly feels surreal to think that we have almost cooked through the entire Magnolia Table cookbook, but here I am on December 26th staring at only 3 more recipes to go. This journey has been such a blessing and so much fun to experience with our friends and family. We started this year hoping to branch out, try new things and complete a bucket list item. Charlie, in his sweet spirit, was happy to try a plethora of dishes along the way and I can say now, almost finished, that we both have enjoyed this process so much. We have eaten in more frequently, spent more nights around the table with family and friends and truly invested in our culinary life in a way that bled into our hospitality, home and everyday decisions. This journey has been a gift and I am so grateful to have been able to try it. In this 51st week of cooking through Magnolia Table, we had the opportunity to make….
In continuation of our celebration of the end of summer and beginning of fall, I am so thrilled to introduce painter, Sarah Jane Tart, as our third quarter artisan highlight! As I have discussed in the past two quarterly highlights, I want to feature the work, talent and journeys of artisans around us that are using the gifts God blessed them with to bless others. There is so much to learn from those who are honing a craft and I find I particularly love hearing the stories of how they got to where they are today and what has driven them there. Whether it’s a search to try something new, a desire to reflect the beauty of nature, or the hope to build something beautiful, there always is a launching point for each creation. I hope that this quarterly highlight, and each highlight, will encourage….
As this week was the first week of school for many, I thought it was perfect to showcase Joanna’s After School Banana Bread (p.69) as a first week treat. Not only was the banana bread featured this week of cooking through Magnolia Table in a year, but also Joanna Gaines’ Beef Tenderloin (p.250) and Pickled Jalapenos (p.255). Each of these recipes was surprising in its own way and most will be items….
One of my favorite rooms in the house is our dining room. The dining room is a place to gather, to celebrate meals, to start the day with breakfast and end the day with dessert. In our house, our dining room is also where we set up our Christmas tree, open gifts, welcome people into our home and share life together. While I know that many people have transformed their dining room into an office or have done away with formality in favor of eating at the kitchen island, I believe the dining room is a special place to pause and get to know those around your table. Even while schedules are crazy, we have tried to prioritize family dinner as a moment to stop the hustle and bustle and just be together. While your space doesn’t have to be designed to the nines, having it reflect your personality can be key in how you feel about coming to this spot everyday. In this vein, I wanted to provide a series of mood boards that can help to give inspiration and motivation to find your own style and aesthetic for this special room. For today, I have created two whimsical dining room mood boards that blend modern and traditional while providing pops of color….