From the Front Porch: Celebrating Fall

Happy Thursday from the front porch, sweet friends, welcome to the Celebrating Fall Edition of this weekly series.

Thanks so much for being here and for making us a part of your day.

How are you?

Several weeks ago, I was praying through a situation related to our holiday plans that has gotten a bit messy.

I’m hoping with time, compassion and open conversations, we can work through it.

But right now, understandably, emotions are running high.  

I think any time you feel pressure to do something without having the desire to do the thing you’re being asked to do, it can be tough.

Even when you understand the intention, the heart behind the request, and where each party is coming from.

After a few sleepless nights, I decided I was too close to the situation to be objective.

So, I searched for a podcast on how to create objectivity and I landed on Craig Groeschel’s leadership podcast.

In the episode, 3 Unexpected Mindsets for Growth, he posed several questions that helped to change my perspective.

I wanted to share them in case you’re going through something similar, or you want to use them as journaling prompts…

• “If a great leader replaced me, what would my successor do in this situation?”
• “If no one’s feelings got hurt, what would I do?”
• “If I were advising someone else in this same situation, what would I tell them to do?”

Answering these questions helped me to create the emotional distance and objectivity I needed to see things differently.

The ironic thing, is that after weeks of struggling, the answer immediately became clear.

Since then, I’ve used these questions many times to work through hiccups and obstacles and I hope they help you too.

It doesn’t matter if the situation is related to our jobs, families, finances, friends, goals, or chasing our dreams, sometimes we’re just too close to the situation to be objective.

And when we lose objectivity, we lose effectiveness.

So, as we prepare to welcome the last quarter of the year, I encourage you to ask questions that help you let go, think higher, feel more empowered, and realize your impact.

As always, I’ll be cheering you on as you embrace a fresh mindset and all the opportunities for growth coming your way this season.

A Few of our Favorite Posts From Around the Web This Week…

Beautiful Home and Garden Tours:

• Designer Marie Flanigan created the Flanigan home and it has the perfect balance of light and airy and moody spaces.
• Touring the Season 4 Set of Emily in Paris with Lilly Collins and AD was so fun.
• Everything about Buttercup Cottage via My English Country Cottage is so charming.
• This Hampshire Garden via House & Garden filled with topiaries is positively magical.

Seasonal Inspiration:

• Loved Rachel’s post on, How to Decorate with Milk Glass for Fall, she always has the prettiest collections.
• If you use natural elements in your home to decorate for the holidays, now is a great time to start collecting and crafting things. Anna from Sky Lark House shared her Easy, Natural, DIY Christmas Ornaments this week and they’re gorgeous!
• Speaking of natural elements, this wreath from Cindy of Reinvented Delaware is still one of my all time favorites.
• Love the way Michele of Vintage Home Designs uses them in her fall tablescape and home tour too.

Health and Wellness Inspiration:

• 8 Ways to Embrace Slow Living (we’ve done this this year and via Intelligent Change
• What are Glimmers? How These Mini Moments of Gratitude Can Boost Your Mood and Change Your Life (via Real Simple)
• How to Write a Meaningful Thank You Note (via Harvard Business Review)

Style and Travel Inspiration:

• This feature on Caitlin Covington via People was a good one. It’s been so much fun to watch her influence and her family grow over the years.
• There are so many beautiful things to love about the Tuckernuck Fall Trend Report.
• Declutter These 5 Things to be Chic and Elegant Now (via the Daily Connoisseur YouTube Channel)
• The 2024 Fall Foliage Prediction Map (via Smoky Mountains)

Simple Pleasures and Little Luxuries:

• Excited for this latest drop from Sezane.
• Speaking of the latest dop, have you seen this yet? It’s just in time for baking season from Williams Sonoma.
• If you adore brown and white transferware, you’ll love these Tory Burch placemats.

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

Our Favorite Pumpkin Recipes and Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop

Simple Ways to Celebrate Fall Home Tour and Blog Hop

Celebrating Fall Porch Tour

Simple DIY Flower Pumpkin

If you missed it last week, you can find our post, From the Front Porch: The Autumn Home Tour Edition here.

A Few Things We Spotted Online at Amazon This Week…

**(Amazon and Target 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)

• Vest (This preppy vest comes in several colors. I love the blue and green striped one too)
• Dutch Oven (Currently trying to convince myself I don’t need this, it’s so cute though!)
• Book (This looks like such a fun book to snuggle up with or to display on a coffee table)
• Striped Shirt (I have a J Crew shirt similiar to this one and I wear it all the time)
• Mums (A great way to celebrate the season if you don’t have a green thumb)
• Tee (This budget friendly tee comes in so many different colors, it’s a slim fit so read the sizing guide carefully)
• Pitcher (The large size is sold out but I love the texture of this pitcher because you can use it year round)
• Pumice Stones (We use a pumice stone to clean our toilets, but I’m curious about this smaller size for the crannies around the sink faucets. Has anyone tried these before for cleaning?)
• Bag (The shape of this bag is so pretty. It also comes in additional classic colors)
• Duvet Set (This duvet set comes in multiple colors. I love the ruffle detail)
• Dress (This dress also comes in additional colors and would be an easy transitional piece)
• Laundry Hamper (The wheels, handles and compartments on this laundry hamper make it pretty and practical)
• Ribbon (Yes to velvet ribbon in the iconic Williamsburg Blue)
• Loafers (These come in so many different colors and have great reviews)
• Rug (We have the blush version of this rug and love it, the blue version is fabulous too)
• Cardigan (This cardigan comes in lots of different colors and is so easy to dress up or down)

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