From the Front Porch
Happy Friday from the front porch, beautiful friends. It’s great to be with you today!
Earlier this week, I got one of my favorite kinds of morning calls.
I had barely said hello when I heard, “Get your shoes on! The moon is still out and the clouds look like white caps on the water! Hurry, you HAVE to see it!”
Those words of excitement were quickly followed by an abrupt hang-up and as I put on my shoes, I couldn’t help but giggle at the pre-dawn request.
I stood outside until the sun came up that morning counting the stars as they faded into the sky, admiring the full moon and taking in the tiny puffs of fluffy clouds that seemed so close it was as if you could reach out and touch them.
It was truly such a captivating way to start the day.
And as I headed back inside I couldn’t help but be filled with immense gratitude and deep delight at all the other magical surprises on the way this week.
So often as children, we’re taught to “dream big,” to “go for it,” and to “believe” in ourselves.
Yet as young adults, we’re told to get our “head out of the clouds,” to “be realistic,” and to “grow up.”
And somewhere along the way those words followed us into adulthood and we stopped believing in the magic of everyday moments.
So, as we firmly head into the remaining weeks of October, my challenge to you is to look for those moments that make you feel seen, heard, acknowledged, loved, awed, and inspired.
They might come in a big grand gesture like a pay raise, an opportunity you’ve been praying for, the peace you feel after finally speaking up for yourself, or even an unexpected trip.
Or in small ways as they have for me this week in early morning phone calls, emails about masks that work well, an unexpected peek into a gorgeous Fall wedding, or from someone you deeply adore calling you her blogging bestie.
The beauty of everyday magic doesn’t only happen when we blow out our birthday candles, open our Christmas presents, or when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st.
Every day we have the power to give those magical moments to ourselves and to each other if only we take time to look and believe.
Cheering you on as you make and create your own brand of magic.
A Few of Our Favorite Things from Around the Web This Week…
Beautiful Home and Garden Tours:
- There is so much to love in Caitlin Creer’s Interiors Portfolio.
- I would have never thought to pair these shades of pink and blue in Claremont by Dodson Interiors but they are gorgeous.
- Wait until you see this Louisiana lake home It’s a total showstopper!
- Speaking of showstoppers, have you seen the gorgeous kitchen in this 1930s Colonial Revival by Studio Laloc? That Dutch Blue, right?
- Have you seen this amazing tour from the design team of Katie Davis Design? I seriously can’t get over it. It’s amazing!
Seasonal Inspiration:
- The ladies of the Supper Club shared Halloween-inspired tablescapes and I pinned many of them including Rachel’s Dollar Tree Halloween Table Decor Ideas.
- I also pinned Jen’s Everything Bagel Pumpkin Shaped Cheeseball which is almost too pretty to eat!
- Have you seen Michelle’s ghost garland yet? It’s super cute and totally doable!
- Speaking of totally doable, Melissa gathered 21 Creative Halloween Costume Ideas if you’re still looking for some fun ideas.
- Fall Foliage Train Rides to Book Right Now
Health and Wellness Inspiration:
- 4 Easy Smart Home Routines for Beginners
- 10 Foods to Avoid Before Bed
- How Mini Moment of Gratitude Can Boost Your Mood
Style Inspiration:
- 10 Chic Fall Pieces Every French Woman Owns
- Allure’s 2023 Beauty Award Winners
- The 10 Best Hosting Tips We Learned from Our Grandmothers (YES to all of these)
Simple Pleasures and Little Luxuries:
- If we didn’t have textured walls, I’d install this print in our laundry room ASAP.
- Speaking of papers, how pretty are these wrapping papers?
- This coffee table book would make a great gift idea.
If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog or the Archives Recently, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…
Embracing Fall Home Tour and Blog Hop
Fall Porch Decorating Ideas and Falling for Porches Blog Hop
Fall Grapevine Wreath for Beginners
How to Personalize Pumpkins with Paint
And if you missed last week’s From the Front Porch post, you can find that here…
Organizing the Week Ahead…
Words to Live By:
Dates to Celebrate:
- 10/10 – 10/11 Amazon Prime Day
- 10/10 World Mental Health Day
- 10/13 National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day
- 10/15 National Mammography Day
- 10/16 National Sweetest Day
Weekly Simplified and Organized Home Challenge Task:
- Organize Pet Cabinet and Supplies
*Now is also a great time to make sure pet arrangements like boarding or grooming, have been made and confirmed if needed for the holidays.
3 Simple Ways to Celebrate the Season:
- Attend an Outdoor Fall Antique Event
- Buy a New Sweater
- Enjoy a New Decorating Book
October Menu Ideas:
October Menu Ideas (Including ideas for Halloween!)
Spooky Season Essentials We Spotted Online at Amazon and Target This Week…
(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon and Impact Media Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
Spooky Soiree Dress (I originally ordered the long sleeve version but it couldn’t be delivered in time so I had to order the short sleeve version – will update on fit when it arrives) * Jewelry Set (jewelry for the Spooky Soiree) * Shoes (will update on fit after the party but so far so good, tts) * Bats (currently in our entry and so fun)
Doormat (a sweet way to welcome guests) * Dress (comes in lots of other colors) * Moon Necklace (festive without screaming Halloween) * Black Pumps (an elegant pump to wear throughout the holiday season)
Trick or Treat Pail (an inexpensive way to decorate) * Cheese Serving Utensils (take your cheese board up a notch) * Bodysuit (a basic to wear all year) * Spider Necklace (if you’re into spooky and scary)
Tablecloth (love the black and orange mix) * Pumpkin (a seasonal staple) * Plate (have and love) * Skirt (comes in lots of other colors)
As always, we appreciate you more than you could ever know. We hope your weekend is peace-filled and relaxing and 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
I love the “magic of everyday moments!” I feel like I miss a lot of them though as I rush here and there. I’m going to use this as my reminder to slow down and notice!!
I can completely relate, Susan. It’s really easy to get caught up in all the tasks, appointments, and obligations that make up our daily lives so I’ve made a concerted effort to slow down and be fully present. It’s not always easy but the effort has 100% been worth it. Sending you hugs for a happy weekend, CoCo
CoCo,
Thank you so much for sharing my pumpkin shaped cheese ball recipe. I appreciate it and hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Happy weekend, friend!
You are so welcome, Jen! I’ve always wanted to learn how to make one and I can’t wait to share it with my family at our next event. They will be so excited! Hugs, CoCo
Happy Friday!! That is SUCH a cool photo of the moon!! Hope you have a lovely weekend, friend!
Thank you, Rachel, I was so surprised when it turned out. Hope you have a lovely weekend as well, CoCo
Morning Coco,
I so agree with your post about magical moments, and I think God leaves lil treasures all over the place for us to find, but we have to pay attention and look for them, as for buried treasure…….
The Lord does his best painting in the skies for sure……….and they change moment by moment, so amazing.
I just love your blog posts and all the fun links you leave for us to check out. Oh, and how are your Aunt and Uncle, think it was…….doing with their hurricane clean up?? Hope they are doing well, still praying for them.
Hope you have a lovely weekend hon,
Blessings, Nellie
I couldn’t agree with you more, Nellie! He leaves us amazing gifts all the time. We just have to stop long enough to look for them and enjoy them! I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a pink sunset in the lowcountry of South Carolina or in the Florida Keys but you would love it. They are just gorgeous!
You are so sweet to remember that my family members are still cleaning up from Hurricane Idalia. While I can’t say everything has been rebuilt and back to normal they are working each day to make sure everyone is settled before the holidays which is exciting. Thank you for keeping them in your prayers and for remembering them too. It’s so kind of you.
Hope your weekend is filled with all good things, CoCo
Hi CoCo, as always your posts make me thankful that I found such a caring blog friend. You blow me away!
Tomorrow begins an exciting week for our area, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta! We don’t always go, but we sit on the back porch and have a special breakfast outside and watch the balloons that fly into Rio Rancho! Very fun! Have a great week, and thank you! Vee
You are too good to me, Vee, I swear if I ever hit the lottery we are going to meet and hug in person 🙌 I am so excited about the balloon festival. It sounds amazing! I love that you make the day extra special with breakfast outside too. Truly, it sounds like the perfect way to relax and enjoy a fall day. Sending you lots of hugs and hoping you guys had the best time, CoCo
I’m so glad you had a wonderful week! You deserve it. I think about you all the time and do not know how you get done all you do. Organizing my day is as good as it gets around here. I like flying by the seat of my pants and being spontaneous. Well, if it’s a good hair day. If I look like a witch, not so much.
Loved all your ideas this week and I WILL be going on a fall antique outing! Not sure where but it’s definitly in the plan. I gotta get outside since we finally have crisp days. Halleluiah!
Hope your weekend is magical. XO
Thank you so much sweet friend. I’m honored to be your blogger bestie any day of the week! I love that you fly by the seat of your pants, my baby sister does the same thing. She also eats a lot of candy 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you pick up from your antique outing and I’m so excited that you guys are having cooler days. It really makes it feel like Fall. Send some our way and have a cider donut for me if you see one. I love those things! Big hugs, CoCo
Hi CoCo – I love this post – especially the part about believing in every day magic. As an aside, I always felt that fireflies should be in the category of every day magic. I am going to share this post in my SLH monthly unboxing post. Wishing you a fabulous weekend.
That’s so sweet of you, Anna, thank you. I totally agree about the fireflies too. They never cease to amaze me every time I see them! Hope you recognized your wedding mentioned in the post. You were gorgeous! Sending you hugs and hoping your weekend is a fun one, CoCo
Thanks for the reminder to look for the magic in everyday moments, not just big events or holidays! The days are going by so quickly, that I need to remind myself to slow down and appreciate what each new day brings!
I’m so thankful the temps cooled down over the weekend and I hope you’re enjoying them too!