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Style Trends in 2021

Calming blue in my living room is in style!

Honestly, I have never been in style. Whether it be fashion, interior design, or haircuts, this is an area where I remain classic and traditional, not trendy. But with all the articles coming out about what’s in for 2021, I may just be in sync with the Style Trends in 2021, at least in home decor.

Grandmillenial Style

First of all, who came up with this unfortunate name? I’ve also heard it called Granny Chic? Ugh. Why not Collected Chic? Or Storied Style?

But what is Grandmillenial style? Let’s agree to just call it Collected Chic. According to Better Homes and Garden, it is a combination of traditional style adopts old-school design trends (think: skirted tables, patterned upholstery, floral wallpaper, and richly stained wood furniture) with a fresh spin for the 21st century. By mixing in a few modern elements, the style is nostalgic and comfortable without looking kitschy.

House & Home

It is a return to old fashioned comforts we grew up with and is strongly trending, especially due to COVID. Dark wood furniture is in, but mixed with some updated pieces. Traditional and classic is rising in popularity. Yay!

Color is In

Warm, welcoming colors (fabrics and wallpaper) are in. White and monochromatic is out. With people spending so much more time at home, it makes sense that we need environments that provide a sense of calm and security. Calming blues are also trending (like my library~to see more about this room, click here).

Natural Materials

Materials like rattan or cane webbing, organic fibers and live plants are continuing to be in style.

Closed Floor Plans

Our Kitchen

Throughout 2020, many families had to learn how to co-exist under the same roof from morning until night. The appeal of open floor plans, where each room flows seamlessly into the next, has greatly diminished. An article in Better Homes and Gardens states: “The pandemic has forced us to recognize how important our space is, and open floor plans aren’t always the best decision when it comes to intentionally using a room. Carving out a designated space for different activities, such as remote work or homeschooling, allows for more privacy and limits distraction.”

To see the post where we discuss Open vs. Closed Floor plan, click here.

Silver and Beautiful Tablescapes

My tea service

Sadly, silver was also neglected for years, deemed too “high maintenance” and pushed aside for bamboo flatware, goldware, etc. Grandmothers and mothers bemoaned that their heirs didn’t want their silver… and you can still purchase it for a fraction of the original cost on eBay.

But thanks to the Collected Chic generation, we are slowly seeing a return to silver, especially when creating beautiful tablescapes which has become an art form within this group.  And it’s not just the Collected Chic who have taken to the tablecloth: at the time of writing, the hashtag “tablescape” on Instagram yielded over 1.3 million results!

Home Entertaining

Once we are past COVID, the prediction is that there will be a surge in home entertaining. Many people are cooking more and setting tables for their families while being cooped up at home. Starved for socializing, entertaining will increase.

Home Offices

No surprise here as millions of people are now working virtually. And as corporations look to reduce overhead and real-estate costs, working from home is here to stay. There are so many articles on how to make your work space beautiful and personalized in your home. To see my home office, click here.

Collections

My Rosary bead collection

This is in keeping with the Collected Chic style. Antique, heirloom, or new collections tell a story and fill our homes with cherished memories. My collections range from rosary beads to sand from different beaches around the world. What do you collect? To see more about my collections, click here.

Charm Bracelets

My charm bracelet

One article I read also states that charm bracelets are back in style! One of my early childhood memories is sitting on my mother’s lap and playing with her charm bracelet. Since no one seems to know what happened to it, I decided to start one for myself. Janice Mullen @janice.mullin (or @terraceoaksantiques), finds fabulous vintage charms and has been a great resource in helping me create my unique bracelet.

The information in this post is a compilation of trends from Better Homes and Gardens, The Glam Pad, The Insider, The Washington Post, and Real Simple. What other trends do you see emerging this year?

I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend. Wishing you a merry Tuesday!

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #626




Completed Projects of 2020 and onto 2021

Washing a floor stencil

When reflecting back on 2020, is it possible that we took on TOO many projects? Perhaps for me, keeping extra busy was a way to not focus on all the world’s problems last year. I guess the good news is that several things got done, but it feels like an exhausting year on many fronts. Here is a list of completed projects of 2020 and which ones we hope to tackle in 2021.

Italian Fountain

Our outdoor Italian fountain is transformed from ugly to pretty~the rusty spouts are replaced with new ones! See post here.

Master Closet

After the embarrassing condition of our master closet, it gets good cleaning and goes from a mess to a neat and organized space. See post here.

Dining Room

With a few great yard sale purchases, I am able to upgrade the dining room with these fabulous upholstered parsons chairs. A new coat of paint helps brighten the room, too! See post here.

Windows and Screens

Being confined to home gave us the opportunity to personally wash each and every window in our home, as well as the out buildings. Not only did we clean, but repair screens, touch up paint chips and make sure our windows are in good working order.

Cooper looking out clean windows

Back Terrace

Many new upgrades are added to the back terrace. Since we entertain a lot in this space during our better weather months, it is time and money well spent. A new tile backsplash, so desperately needed, is now pretty and easy to clean. All the upholstered furniture and rugs are thoroughly cleaned; the concrete/slate floor is treated with a sealant. Broken slate is repaired at the fireplace. See post here.

A clean and refreshed back terrace

Family Room

Another room benefitting from the great yard sale scores is the family room. New upholstered wing chairs and a round table is added; a gorgeous decorative chest becomes the bar storage. To see more about our family room, click here.

Potting Shed/Well Tower

In the spring, the potting shed in the well tower gets attention. Filled with dust and spider webs, it needs organizing and cleaning. See post here. Plus I finally create a storage system for most of my wreaths. See can see that story here.

Front Porch

A lot of focus is on the front porch last year. New front door color, polished hardware, updated wreath, fresh paint on the rocking chairs and a new door mat. What a welcoming difference! See post here.

Guest Cottage

While sprucing up the front of the main house, it is time to also tend to the guest cottage. Using spray paint, the light fixtures are brought back to life (see post here). With your help and suggestions, the vintage mailbox is updated too! (another post here).

Back Staircase

Yesterday’s post is a summary on the back staircase. Though this project starts in 2019 and is completed just a few days ago, much of the work is done in 2020.

Flooding and Ghosts

2020 is a year to remember, not only for the pandemic but the series of unfortunate events we had with flooding. First a broken water heater in the basement and then the dishwasher in the kitchen. No pictures of either mess, just a blog post about Old Houses and Ghost Stories here.

Pool House Bathroom

Perhaps one of the most difficult new projects is stenciling the tile bathroom floor in the pool house. But the end result is stunning. See post here.

Closet and Storage Organization

Thanks to being part of a blog hop, the front hall closet gets completely re-organized. Nearly all of my table linens reside in this odd shaped space. See more here.

Hidden storage under the front staircase

Another storage organization project includes the hidden space under the front staircase. Slipcovers and decorative pillows are organized into bins and kept here.

Painting Furniture

Transforming an old piece of furniture into a Scandinavian style dresser at our cabin is a creative leap but with good results. To see this DIY project, click here.

Building New Things

Even the chickens have a picnic table

My husband’s creativity and handiness produces a chick-nic table for our sweet hens. A fun and easy DIY project here.

Property Maintenance

Redwood staining the well tower; painting the trim

With the help of our professional painter, John Cruz, the well tower, barn and hen house get some sprucing up. To see more before and after photos, click here.

New Projects for 2021

Our master bathroom is looking a bit tired. The tile floor is the same as the pool house, bland and dated. Debating whether to try and stencil it or just demolish and put in new tile. The countertops are marble squares ~again a dated look. It might be time for a complete renovation. To see more on our master bathroom, click here.

Create a Cutting Garden

I am just receiving my seeds from Floret Farm and am looking forward to making space for an actual cutting garden. Not sure how well this will do in our climate, but it will be a learning experience.

Update our Kitchen

Since I haven’t thought this through, I’m not sure how or to what I want to do with our kitchen. It will all depend on the budget, but it would be nice to fix a few things and update others. More to come on this.

Organize the Entire House

I want to start at one corner and make sure each and every room is the best it can be. Is that even possible? I dream about a place for everything and everything in its place.

Do you have any projects for 2021? I can assure you that there will be less projects for me this year. Instead, I want to fill my year with more fulfilling and meaningful experiences~like art, friends, family and travel. Let’s hope the world will begin to open up once again.

Happy Wednesday! Stay safe and healthy!




Living Simply and Efficiently

I recently purchased a new book, Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins. This hard cover book is a guide to creating a natural, low-waste home. The book is filled with great ideas and recipes on how to reduce what you consume and throw away. But it got me thinking about how we live. What are we currently doing that is living efficiently and reduce what we consume and what we throw away?

Composting

About 30% of our kitchen waste is recycled through composting. I have written about this before (see post here) and put every single peel, pit, skin, eggshell and other non-cooked fruits, vegetables and flowers into the composting garbage can. Grass clippings, tree branches and other brown material is also composted here on the property. This significantly reduces our waste that goes to the City’s landfill and dump.

All the luscious rich fertilized soil goes back into the yard~the garden, the orchard and all the bedding areas. Giving back to the land is very rewarding.

Recycling

The City of Phoenix has a recycling program so we separate our garbage into separate bins for pick up once a week. Cardboard boxes, paper, plastic, glass and cans are separated from the trash. In our kitchen we have 3 garbage cans~one for composting, one for trash and the other for recyclables.

Gardening and Chickens

Growing our own fruits and vegetables reduces the number of trips to the grocery store and farmers market. With the exception of summer, the garden is producing the rest of the year. And again, the leftovers go to the chickens or the compost bin. Though we do support local business, having a back up food supply is satisfying.

Our chickens provide us with the most delicious eggs. All the shells are recycled in the compost bin too.

Preserving Food

Growing up in a family of 7, my mother never wasted a thing. For example, leftover stale bread was turned into bread pudding. As a result, it’s hard for me to throw good food away. I just made a big batch of mole chicken and after having it a few days in a row, I will freeze the rest in individual servings for another time. Same with the big pot of chili I just made.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Abundant harvests from the garden or orchard are canned and preserved for use during another season. From fruit preserves to tomato sauce, these are either canned or frozen.

Laundry

Line drying here in Phoenix, especially in the summer, is a quick and easy energy efficient task. Not only does the sun acts as a powerful disinfectant but also has natural bleaching powers. Plus nothing smells better than slipping under freshly washed sheets that are line dried! Even my children notice when their sheets have been washed and dried outside.

Coffee

I recall a time when daily and sometimes more, we would drive through Dutch Brothers and get our coffee. The staff knew us by name and their fun, upbeat vibe was a plus to our cup of Joe. Unfortunately, that coffee location closed, but I shudder to think of ALL those paper cups and plastic tops we used. Dutch Brothers had become a line item on the monthly budget.

Now we make our coffee here at home using my favorite Nespresso machine. The coffee pods get recycled through Nespresso recycling program. Not only have we saved a boat load of money, but we are no longer excessively using paper cups and plastic tops.

Paperwork

As I mentioned in a blog post about my kitchen, there is an industrial shredder placed next to the compost garbage container. See that post here. Daily, the excessive amounts of junk mail is shredded and added to the composting bin. A good use of unwanted junk mail (and all those political flyers!)

Manage our Utilities

About two years ago, I was asked to give a lecture to a group of 7th and 8th grade students about the recent utility (electric) increase that was imposed and how that rate hike affected our neighborhood. Of course, I didn’t even realize we had a rate hike. So in order to provide an intelligent presentation, I got to work and did a thorough evaluation.

What I discovered is that we were not on the most efficient or advantageous utility plan. Once I understood that, then we started paying attention to our electric usage. The first month, we saved so much money. Over time, we saved even more.

Reminders I placed on the major appliances

The moral to this story is 1) understand your utility usage; 2) investigate the best plan for you and your family; 3) by making reasonable changes you can reduce your usage and save a lot of money.

Now, during the warmer months (trust me, air-conditioning bills can be ridiculously expensive here), we monitor our large appliance and air conditioning usage from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Water consumption

IMG_0878

Water here in Arizona is a precious resource. Rates go way up in June, July and August. By using flood irrigation provided locally, we are able to deep water the orchard and yard at a low annual cost. The well that we re-instituted many years ago, handles additional yard watering (see that post here).

Shopping with Reusable Bags

Trader Joes. Love that they used reusable bags before it was cool.-and the  designs are unique and FUN! | Trader joes, Reusable bags, Shopping bag  design

My car is the keeper of many reusable shopping bags. However, since COVID, no store is using them. Seems unfortunate however, I understand the need to be extra careful now. Hopefully, this too will pass.

Room for Improvement

Like with most things in life, I can certainly improve and lessen my waste. We have too many things that need to be sorted, organized and donated. That is an ongoing project that I need to jump start again. My goal is to reduce the items in each room by 50%. Lofty goal, but maybe I will start this effort after the first of the year. To see where I put Marie Kondo’s organizational tips in place already, see that post here.

18 health benefits of walking everyday outside instead of driving

I’d love to live in a place that doesn’t require driving everywhere. Phoenix is more car-dependent than other cities, but during the cooler weather I do try to bike and walk more.

Green cosmetics: 6 eco-friendly or eco-friendly makeup brands not to be  missed

In addition, I need to assess my use of cleansers/detergents and investigate more eco-friendly cosmetics.

So what are you doing to lighten your footprint? Please share any ideas so we can all get better at this!

Happy Wednesday!

If you enjoy this post, please feel free to share on Pinterest.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #614




Holiday Gift Guide

For those of you who know me, I do not do anything Christmas/holiday related until the day after Thanksgiving. No decorations, no gift buying, no holiday cards. However, 2020 is a completely different year, forcing completely different behavior. Ever since the pandemic started, our supply chain has been stressed. And even though there is toilet paper back on the shelves, many other items continue to be out of stock. Inventories are low. A recent trip to Walmart had 30% of the shelves completely empty.

So what can we do differently this year in our holiday gift planning? I am teaming up with my blogging buddies as we are trying to find viable solutions to gift giving. And I do believe we must all think about it sooner rather than later. Here’s just a peek into some ideas and hopefully I will generate a few more gift guides in the next few weeks. And please check out the links to other holiday gift ideas at the end of this post.

For the cook/foodie

My son, Benjamin is our family’s foodie and he loves to cook. Here are his recommendations in the kitchen:

  • Instant Read Thermometer. Link is here
  • Good Oven Gloves. Link is here
  • Nice Balsamic Vinegar~Hands down, our FAVORITE balsamic is from a very small shop in Pinetop, Arizona. This thick, delicious balsamic comes from Modena and is called the “mamma” of all balsamic. Link is here. Their shop has limited hours of Wednesday-Saturday, but you can order online or give them a call. $18.00/bottle

For the Gardener

As a gardener, I go through many things~gloves, shears, and tools.

Gardening Shears~Depending on your budget, here is a selection of shears/pruners.

Gardening Gloves: I literally can trash a pair of gardening gloves in one day in the garden. So having a few is always recommended. This 6 pack from Amazon is a great deal. Click here.

Gardening shoes: I’ve written about my Sloggers before. These were a Christmas present from my friend, Janie and I LOVE them. I wear a typical 7.5 women’s shoe and these Sloggers are a WO S 7 and they fit perfectly…..and oh so comfortable. Here is the link.

For the Wine Connoisseur

Costco is again featuring their wine Advent calendar this year. With 24 1/2 size bottles of wine from around the world. At $99.00, it works out to be about $4.00 per bottle. Wine advent calendar from Costco. Link is here.

As we all know, 2020 has been an interesting year. There are SO many wine glasses out there with fun quotes for the person who loves wine and has a sense of humor. See the extensive collection here.

For those wine enthusiasts who like to keep track of the wines they are enjoying, this leather bound wine journal is a lovely gift. Link is here.

For the Hostess

My favorite candle is Capri Blue Volcano candle. Generally for the holidays, they change up their jar design but you cannot go wrong with this candle. If you prefer, there is also a reed diffuser.

Click the link here.

Small Prep Bowls: A gift from my friend, Connie, I use these 4″ bowls all the time when cooking, entertaining or just using them for food storage. Here is an affordable set of 16 for nearly $20.00.

I met the owner, Sherri of Mad Dash Mixes during a trip to Waco in June. So far the mixes I have tried are very good (and easy to use!). These mixes are just fabulous to have on hand if you need to whip up a dip, or a soup or dessert. Just for this blog post, Mad Dash Mixes has created a coupon for you for an additional 10% off! Any orders that you place using BELLATERRA10, will get you this discount.

Here is the link to their main page so you can peruse the numerous products they have. If you want to order the Host Bundle (Link here) it includes Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip, Cranberry Pasta Salad, Cheesy Chicken Enchilada, and Pumpkin Spice No-Bake Cheesecake. $21.00 (and don’t forget the discount code!)

Just some wonderful gift ideas:

23 and Me~for the person who is interested in real science, real data and genetic insights that can help make it easier for you to take action on your health. Especially this year, knowing more about your ancestry, genetics and health profile is a valuable gift. Link here.

My personal splurge is subscribing to the quarterly subscription to My Stylish French Box. It is such a treat to get this beautifully wrapped box filled with hand picked French items four times a year. You can also do a one-time purchase or give it to someone as a gift. I highly recommend this for yourself or someone who is extra special. My Stylish French box. Link here.

Help your local businesses as suggested by my friend Tevia on her Instagram.

As soon as I finish typing this I am going to start my holiday gift planning. I hope you enjoy today’s post and please send me any other ideas you have for holiday gifts.

And now for some other gift suggestions from my blogging friends:

Family Gift Exchange Ideas from Chas Crazy Creations|DIY Custom Gift Boxes for Christmas from Design Morsels|Holiday Gifts under $30 by Celebrate and Decorate|

Am still traveling and cannot wait to share some of my photos of this trip with you! Happy Tuesday.

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As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. If you purchase something linked through my website, it will not affect your cost, but does provide me with a small stipend for making the recommendation.




Saturday Meanderings

Thank you for joining me today as I share my Saturday meanderings. Happy Labor Day weekend! If you ask most people, they probably don’t realize why this is a federal holiday. In 1894 Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday. Labor Day celebrates the social and economic achievements of American workers. Let’s remember the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. There is nothing like the American work ethic and ingenuity, especially during the pandemic.

Wherever you are, please enjoy your time with family and friends. I’m praying for a peaceful weekend, so be safe and smart.

Let Them Eat Cake

I spent the first few days of September tackling my lengthy To Do list. You know, those nagging items that you put off until the last minute. But I did take some time and make a new recipe from The Kitchen McCabe. This Vanilla Bean Olive Oil Cake is so dense, moist and flavorful.

Somewhere in our home is my fluted Bundt pan but for the life of me I couldn’t find it. Instead, I used a plain tube pan, which in retrospect, allow more space for the icing and strawberries. My neighbor said it was one of my best cakes, so click here for the link to the recipe.

I am a fan of The Kitchen McCabe, as you might remember this gorgeous Candied Orange Olive Oil Cake with Cornmeal and Rum from a small luncheon with friends. If not, click here for that post.

Baking Bread

My least favorite time to cook in the kitchen is during the summer in Phoenix. Even though we have air conditioning, the minute you turn on the oven, it’s just too darn hot. Being teased this week by cooler temperatures in the morning, we made sourdough bread. The process is time consuming (takes all day) but the results are worth it. The yield produced two loaves of dried cranberry/walnut; one loaf of sourdough and enough dough for two pizzas.

Remember if you live nearby and want some sourdough starter, please reach out. I have happily shared it with two others so far and each are making bread with siblings of Bubbles and Hope (it’s normal to name your starter…..). Want to learn more about sourdough? Check out my Sourdough 101 blog post here.

Pumpkin Disaster

My huge fall disappointment involves my large collection of velvet and fabric pumpkins. I have literally owned these for years. Each year I store them in plastic boxes to keep them dust free. This year, I opened the box and every pumpkin is infested with bugs. Eeewwww. The critters ate into the fabric. The filling appears to be dried beans but these bugs are similar to the ones you get in your pantry?

These pumpkins are a staple in my fall decorating. Does anyone know how to prevent this? I have seen tutorials on making fabric pumpkins and rice, beans are the filling of choice. I certainly don’t want to go to the effort to make more and then have this happen again.

Happy Hens

The 14 baby chicks we acquired in the Spring are now laying…..alot! Each day we have 8-10 fresh eggs. So if anyone is in the area and would like fresh eggs, please let me know. We sell them for $5 a dozen (less than the Farmer’s Market).

Fortunately, I have a beautiful egg apron, made by my sister, Susie. Not only did she embroider chickens on the front, but the apron has my blog name on the back. Wish I took a picture of the entire apron as it is really cute. The apron has ten individual pockets for me to use when I collect eggs every afternoon. It feels like such a luxury to have something so pretty and practical.

Where Were you a Year Ago?

A year ago today, I was touring this beautiful Scandinavian home in Vail. This property has since become my inspiration for our mountain cabin. I don’t believe I have ever been in a home that is so unique, warm and welcoming.

Garden Update

My garden is always a bit stressed during the summer and especially this year, with little to no rain and record breaking temperatures. The no rain part is particularly worrisome.

This week I ripped out all the toasted plants and am adding compost to the soil in preparation of fall planting. The fountain in the middle is being repaired too! The only two plants that are still thriving are basil and my shishito pepper plant.

We’ve added new PVC structural posts over multiple beds to hold shade or frost cloth. I will be writing a new post about that soon, as it has been very helpful to protect plants through extreme weather.

Have you been making your own compost during this pandemic? It is super easy and a great way to turn your food scraps into organic fertilizer. If not, check out this great post on Composting 101. See it here.

Cute Affordable Kimono

Kimono in C Mustard Floral

You will never see my name and fashion in the same sentence. I’m just not very good at it. But I must share this great find and it is only $23.99. It is a nice long kimono and comes in numerous colors and designs. Here I have it paired with a white tank and pants with pale blue accessories. You can view it on Amazon here. Every time I wear it, I get compliments. Not bad for under $25.

We are spending the weekend (and hopefully longer) up in the mountains. It is SO quiet right now. Sox is asleep at my feet and I’m just enjoying all the non-noise. My geraniums finally look amazing! Looking forward to a weekend of R & R.

Have a fabulous 3 day holiday!

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Fun Things at Home Depot

From Home Depot’s Summer Catalog

During a recent trip to Home Depot, I found a few fun things and bargains that I want to share with you. Typically, when I think of Home Depot, lumber, plumbing and hardware comes to mind. But in the last few years, Home Depot has become so much more. Here is a list of some of the fun finds and bargains I discovered. Also, this is not a sponsored post by Home Depot, only my personal recommendations.

If you do not get their seasonal catalog, I would highly recommend signing up for it. Here is an online version of their Summer one, which is chock-a-block full of ideas on summer home decor and entertaining. Granted, many of these products are not in the actual stores, but ordering online is very easy.

If you are doing your summer canning, click this link to see all the supplies Home Depot offers.

Unique tile

Recently, I ordered this beautiful green tile for our barbecue backsplash from Home Depot. They have an extensive tile collection on their website. Their stores tend to inventory what is popular or a best-selling item, but if you are looking for something unique and different, try their website. If you missed the blog post on the BBQ project, please click here.

Lanterns

During my latest trip I picked up these fabulous outdoor lanterns. They are 22″ tall. This must be the clearance price, but the cost is $12.98 each. I purchased two and went back and bought the remaining 3. When I first checked, they were available online at the price. But I believe they are now out of stock online. However, you may only get this price at the store level. Check out the inventory in your local store too.

Think of all the different ways they can be used for fall and Christmas decorating!

Even the smaller 14″ lantern sitting next to this one on the shelf, was more expensive (regular price $24.98 reduced to $16.00). Go figure.

Right now, they are sitting outside on the covered porch of the cabin. The battery operated candle is not included, but I have several of those anyway. Isn’t this just a steal? It feels so good to get a bargain!

Halloween Items

SPOOKTACTULAR IS ON ITS WAY – COME BACK 8/1

In the fall, Home Depot also has the BEST selection of Halloween items. A few years back, I ordered several fun decorations, all done from the comfort of my home. They were ready for me to pick up at my local store~~which now with their curbside pickup makes shopping a breeze. It appears that Halloween items will be available after August 1.

Entertaining

Check out the variety of entertaining items in their catalog! Their photos are beautifully staged and they also include a recipe for Grapefruit Rosemary Cocktail.

With the holidays coming, Home Depot’s prices are so affordable for glasses, dishes and serving pieces. Check out some of the fun items here.

And look how cute these blue and white melamine plates are? Perfect for outdoor use or pretty enough for indoor entertaining too!

I’m not sure how much holiday entertaining any of us will be doing, but check out these sweet oversized red and white dish towels for $2.49 each. Aren’t they ideal for wrapping baked goods or lining a gift basket. The online price is less than the catalog at$18.00 for 8 ($2.25 each).

Another fun find is a set of ceramic dinnerware that I purchased for our cabin. This is the first time I have ordered dishes from Home Depot, and am delighted with this set. Online price is $116.12 for the 16-piece set.

Certified International-A Woodland Walk 16-Piece Country/Cottage Grey and Sepia Ceramic Dinnerware Set (Service for 4)

Outdoor Furniture Covers

Finding a good quality outdoor furniture cover is a challenge for me. They are not inexpensive and often, made of plastic, which doesn’t last more than one season. This new purchase from Home Depot is an attractive brown and beige fabric. It’s large size can accommodate a big table and 6-8 chairs.

This cover has handles and a venting system on either end. So far I am impressed with the quality and the roomy construction. Let’s see if it will survive the elements. So if you are looking for outdoor furniture covers, the collection online is rather extensive. Online price for this one is $41.98.

If you click on the links I provided, it will take you to the Home Depot website. If you decide to buy something, I may get a small stipend at no cost to you!

Home Depot’s fall catalog will be mailed sometime in August so keep your eyes open for it. Now with more online ordering and curbside pickup or home delivery, you can truly enjoy the vast number of fun Home Depot items.

This post shared with Thursday Favorite Things #450 with An Artful Mom