From the Front Porch

Happy Friday from the front porch. I hope your week has been a special one.  Thanks so much for making us a part of your day!

We woke up to much calmer skies on Tuesday after nearly a month of nonstop rain and coastal weather events.

The minute I saw this beautiful sunrise I promised myself no matter what this week held or how much I got accomplished I was going to have a great week.

Things are moving along in the best possible way. 

The countertop for The Crowned Goat Cottage arrived safely, we cleared off the back patio (a project I haven’t even had the chance to talk about yet) and put together 3 shelving units for the garage organization project.

Last weekend and into the beginning of the week, we had a crazy coastal nor’ easter which led to lots of limbs, debris and clean up in the yard.

While it wasn’t planned, it was a great excuse to enjoy the firepit last night.

I also picked up a few mums for the front porch.  Like the rest of 2020, it was a lesson in “expectation management” ? Are these the tiniest little things you’ve ever seen or what he he. 

Remember all the mums we had on the front porch last year? 

I have one more place I’m going to try and then I’m going to have to get really creative because right now there aren’t even any pumpkins available in our area to help supplement the lack of mums. 

A Few of Our Favorite Posts from Around the Web this Week…

This scene had me in tears this week and proves when people show up for each other, it’s powerful. More on how Ruth Bader Ginsberg became the Notorious RBG here and find the RBG documentary here if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s such a good one! 

This design couples cottage is a gorgeous blend of vintage and modern.

A beautiful – don’t miss – before and after bedroom transformation 

How much fun would it be to stay at this retreat? 

A rustic farmhouse Fall tour that will make you want to cozy up with a good book and find a way to bring the outdoors in immediately.

Speaking of which, isn’t this wreath amazing? You could literally use it well past the holidays and into the new year too.

There are lots of pretty Fall kitchen vignette ideas in this post.

The softer side of Autumn, a French Country Fall tablescape 

This is such a fun and festive way to highlight pumpkins on the front porch.

This guy never ceases to amaze me with his talent and creativity no matter what the season.

These textured pumpkins are adorable and look super easy to make.

Ok, I give up I’m going to have to get a glue gun because I love these pumpkins too!

How cute is this countdown to Halloween calendar?

12 Home Habits of Impossibly Stylish People to Copy Immediately 

The 5 Step Guide to Inbox Zen 

Quote of the Week and Free Printable…

Self-Discovery Journey: Books We’re Reading…

**(Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

I just finished September’s book of the month, Eat That Frog: 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy and it’s been by far one of the most motivating books we’ve read to date. 

Each day I’m putting the principles into practice and while I’m still not getting everything on my to-do list completed, I’m getting all the important things done and it’s literally bringing peace to my week. 

Here’s a list of the books we’ll be reading for the rest of the year in case you want to go ahead and pick them up too:

• October – Welcome Home: A Cozy Minimalist Guide to Decorating and Hosting All Year Round 
• November – Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living 
• December – Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
• January – The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything

If you’ve missed any of our other books, you can find them here:

• August – Love Does 
• July – The Art of Showing Up: How to be There for Yourself and Your People 
• June – Get Out Of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts 
• We also added,  Be The Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation 
• May –The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming
• April – Rhythms of Renewal: Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose 
• March – The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions 
• February – The Compound Effect 
• January – You Are the Girl for the Job: Daring to Believe the God Who Calls You 

On the Menu this Week…

Week of September 28 – October 4

• 09/26 Saturday: Greek-Style Baked Cod with Lemon and Garlic 
• and Garlic Parmesan Roasted Vegetables 
• 09/27 Sunday: Eggplant Casserole 
• 09/28 Monday: Cranberry Rosemary One Pan Chicken 
• 09/29 Tuesday: Sheet Pan Nachos  
• 09/30 Wednesday: Roasted Sweet Potato, Pear, & Pomegranate Spinach Salad 
• 10/01 Thursday: Tuscan White Bean Soup 
• 10/02 Friday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole  
•  10/03 Saturday: Cinnamon and Pecan Crusted Salmon 
• 10/04 Sunday: Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes 

Sweet Treat to Try This Week…

Vermont Maple Scones 

A Few Things We Spotted Online at Target and Amazon This Week…

**(Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost for you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

Sweater * Serving Board * Basket * Wheat Wreath * 

Garland * Earrings * Accent Table * Mug * 

Glycolic Face Wash  * Pillow Cover * Dress * Lamp * 

Chairs * Flats * Print * Belt Set 

If You’ve Missed Anything from the Archives or the Blog, Here’s a Peek at What We’ve Been Up To…

The Last 100 Days…

 DIY Jarrahdale Pumpkins 

Elegant Autumn Apples Tablescape 

Outdoor Movie Night & Fall Popcorn Recipe

52 Weeks to a Simplified & Organized Home Challenge …

Here’s a look at what we’ll be working on in the month of July as part of the 52 Weeks to a Simplified & Organized Home Challenge  …

• 09/26 – Transition Seasonal Items (coats, sweaters, ski gear, sports equipment)
• 10/03 Pet Supplies
• 10/10 Garage, Attic or Basement
• 10/17 Holiday Plans (including travel plans)
• 10/24 Seasonal Decorative Items-Christmas
• 10/31 Winter Bucket List

Upcoming Blog Posts and Dates to Remember…

• 09/25 National Daughters Day 
• 09/26 National Pancake Day
• 09/29 National Coffee Day
• 09/29 First Presidential Debate
• 10/01 Shop for October Birthday and Special Occasion Gifts
• 10/04 National Taco Day
• 10/05 Fall Front Porch Blog Hop hosted by My Thrift Store Addiction

Sweet Reminders…

I know we all celebrate the holidays differently.  But if you exchange gifts, I want to encourage you to start shopping now because there will definitely be some shipping delays as it gets closer to the holiday season. 

We just had Way Days with Wayfair this week and Amazon Prime Day is rumored to be around October 8 or 13. Supposedly major retailers including places like Home Depot will also start offering Black Friday type deals starting in October to help offset any shipping delays for what is sure to be a busier than usual online shopping season thanks to the pandemic. 

Our sisters’ gift theme this year is “As Seen on TV or Ad” which will be interesting to say the least ?

That’s all for now!

As always, we appreciate you so much and we hope your weekend is peace-filled and relaxing.  We can’t wait to share even more with you next week!

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo