I have curated holiday lists for everything you may need to survive the shopping overwhelm of the season — prepping, organizing, hosting, gifting, and of of course… decorating! Because for some people, the idea of decorating can seem overwhelming — where to start, what to buy — I’m sharing 5 themes & color stories to get your inspired with just enough time to spare to get your decor up while enjoying your Thanksgiving leftovers… because round these parts, we decorate AFTER Thanksgiving, and never before.
Here are five holiday themes that you can shop from — mixing & matching is encouraged by the way — to get your in the holiday spirit this year.
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Y'all... I don't have the words to even begin to put together for this post... and this ain't even a full reveal or a behind the design. For the past 6 or so months, we decided to finally cross off a major task from our exterior projects to do list - our deck!
Here's the thing... working on the deck wasn't just about the deck... it was about creating an al fresco lifestyle. This project was, first and foremost, always about bringing the hygge outside. While we'd always had a deck, because it didn't feel like an extension of our interior spaces, I didn't really appreciate or enjoy it. I would always joke that I wanna do more than just sit on a folding chair... because that was literally all I could do. And after all of the work that would go into upgrading the deck & adding a pergola + so many other details, the last thing I wanted was to resume just sitting on a folding chair. So once we made the decision to tackle this project, I simultaneously began doing what I do best - shopping!
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Ya'll... this is the year I officially start gardening and I am super geeked about it. You guys have seen me talk about gardening before - both here on the blog and on Instagram - however this year work on #thehyggeranchjardin will officially begin... like with a plan. What do I mean? Up until this point the garden was (a) whatever we inherited when we bought the house or (b) a few seeds we tried out when we put out our new garden beds. There was no layout, there was seed planning... none of that. For the past 2 years now, while I have wanted to actively start gardening, other things always took precedence; however, not that we're nearing the completion of the deck reno, I feel comfortable moving forward with truly beginning #thehyggeranchjardin.
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If you recall last year, I shared my plans for the hygge ranch backyard resort. Going into this new year of projects, we made a conscious decision to prioritize exterior projects. We're extremely comfortable with the current state of the home's interior, in that we wanna spend time just living in the house, not tackling projects around the house. Summer spaces are made in the Winter, so instead, we've been spending the majority of the Fall into the Winter tackling the next phase of the backyard renovation - our deck.
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In this new digital age, just about everything is driven my technology — there isn’t anything you can’t do online nowadays! So it’s no surprise that there’s been a growing interest in smart homes — which, in lamens terms, is automation for different areas of your home for everything from lighting to climate control to your appliances. From voice activation to everyday appliances to cloud based integrations, here are 15 ways you can make your apartment smarter.
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Year 3 of sharing annual goals for our home & this might be officially be my favorite annual exercise. Finding that sweet spot between what we want to do and what we have the bandwidth to do is paramount this year. All in all, I think this year we have a nice balance of projects - needs vs wants, what we'll do ourselves vs what we'll hire out, and what'll be low lift weekend projects vs what'll be long term projects. More importantly, because so many of these projects are intrinsically linked, I am optimistic that we'll actually be able to tackle all of them alongside our lives outside of home improvement projects.
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Meet Viva Magenta.
Viva Magenta is described as a "hybrid" color - "a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength."
New signal of strength.
From this description, I can completely see how this would be apropos going into 2023. It continues...
an animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint
When I think about this past year - past couple of years actually - I think we could all use bit more of all of the above. I know I could. Viva Magenta is a visually energetic color. It's bold color from a family of hues to play with, making it an exciting color to experiment with in home decor & fashion.
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When I see this inspiration board, I am reminded of what I want the coming weeks to feel like - I want them to be soft & kind, while also allowing for endurance & assertiveness. I want this new season to be like a warm embrace... and I dunno about you, but for me, the best hugs are both strong & delicate... like this palette.
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While this is the Sherwin Williams COTY for 2023, the timing is also perfect inspiration for the upcoming Autumn season. With it's subtle warm undertone, in addition to toe hygge inspired, Redend Point very on brand for Autumn while still being a color that's an unexpected neutral.
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As more and more people tap into their inner creative and/or look to save a few coins, DIY projects is officially a thing -- from the stay at home moms to professional interior designers, and everyone in between... EXCEPT ME.
I am surrounded by it -- television, Pinterest, you name it -- especially in my world of not just design, but also being a creative and a mom. But hear me good...
I refuse to subscribe to doing any substantial amount of DIYing and I am absolutely okay with that.
Often, when it comes to seasonal decor transitions, people think they have to go all in with the theme of the season and its holidays... which is fine if that's what you wanna do; however, it's not required. You can still honor the aesthetic of your home while acknowledging the season.
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After living with our backyard for a little under two (2) years, we've experienced all four seasons at least once, which gave us time to really think about what works & doesn't work. We've spent the better part of these two (2) years daydream planning our backyard and this year, we expanded our daydreaming to include our front yard. P.S. the front yard requires a lot let work which is why it's not as much of a priority - it just needs some more TLC for more curb appeal. My original iteration for the backyard design plan included a lot of the original design elements of the space. Now, a year later, a lot of the yard has changed... and so have our design priorities.
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Working on the powder room half bath washroom gives me a bonafide excuse to do some window shopping - as if I ever need one anyway - for all the details of the space. Shopping for a bathroom is nothing like when I was doing so for other projects, because (1) it's a renovation and (2) the space is extremely small.
This kind of project really only calls for shopping renovation fixtures, storage solutions, and finishing touches.
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While plotting this reno, I've also been grappling on whether to call this a half bath or a powder room - which do you use by the way? - and I've landed on washroom: "a room with washing and toilet facilities" because that's all that's in there anyway lol.
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Going into this holiday season is the first time I am like geeked to decorate... like actually planning & designing a "holidayscape" versus just picking a color scheme and seeing where it leads me... which is exactly what I would do in the past. I knew the vibes I was looking for & I knew what colors would gimme that. From there, I would just go on a shopping spree of sorts & then figure it all out once everything is unpacked and in front of me. This year - after a year of home improvement projects, deep personal trauma, and just general exhaustion, I decided to reclaim this season. Even as a content creator, I was like I will not be rushed to create or feel forced to perform. I wanted to take my time with this. Who knew the end result would be not one... not two... but THREE holiday designs for the hygge ranch.
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