a summer table scene with lemons in an antique bowl, cutting board, yellow and white checked tablecloth, and lemon napkins

How I decorate for Summer Without Spending a Dime

Summer decorating doesn’t have to cost a thing. In fact, some of my favorite seasonal touches come from using what I already have. Here’s how I refresh my home each summer without spending a single dime.

1. Seashells and Natural Finds

A collection of shells from past beach trips is all it takes to bring that breezy coastal feeling indoors. I display mine in antique bowls, baskets, and even old jars.

an antique blue willow bowl filled with collected seashells, the lid to an antique cracker jack tin, a small american flag

2. Shop Your House by Color

Red, white, and blue is a classic combo that’s easy to work with if you start gathering. I pulled books, quilts, vases, and other small accents in these shades and grouped them together for an instant Americana feel.

3. Use Family Photos as Decor

I pulled out a few favorite summer photos of my kids from when they were little, especially ones where they’re wearing patriotic outfits or playing outside. Tucking these into frames I already own brings personality and memories into the room.

4. Reuse What You Already Own

I’ve saved flags, fans, and table linens over the years, and I bring them out every summer. They might not be perfect, but that patina is part of the charm. Don’t be afraid to use what you love!

5. Clip from the Yard

You don’t need a florist to make a summer statement. I clip fresh greenery or blooms from the yard and pop them into vintage jars or pitchers. It instantly freshens up any room…for free!

6. Use Fresh Seasonal Fruit as Functional Decor

Summer fruit isn’t just for eating; it can double as a beautiful, budget-friendly centerpiece. I like to display peaches, lemons, or limes in a vintage bowl or colander on the kitchen counter or dining table. It’s a simple way to add color, texture, and that fresh summer feeling, while using what you’re already buying. Bonus: it’s practical and gets eaten before it spoils.

7. Rearrange for a Fresh Look

One of the easiest no-cost ways to freshen up is to simply moves things around. Switch throw pillows from one room to another, restyle your shelves, or flip patterned pillows to the plain side for a lighter, airier look.

Decorating for summer doesn’t require a shopping trip, just a little creativity! Whether it’s pulling out old family photos, styling shells from a beach trip, or clipping hydrangeas from the yard, the most meaningful decor often comes from the things we already own.

Which idea will you try first? Leave a comment and let me know how you’re decorating for summer on a budget!

Abby2 Comments

How to Create a One-of-a-Kind Father’s Day Gift from the Antique Store

If you’re looking for a thoughtful Father’s Day gift that’s as unique as Dad, head to your favorite antique store. With a little creativity and a touch of nostalgia, you can create a meaningful gift that feels personal, useful, and memorable.

Step 1: Start with a Container

Look for a piece that can hold the other items—a vessel that becomes part of the gift itself. Think beyond traditional gift baskets. Great choices include:

  • A vintage wooden toolbox
  • A retro tin
  • An enamel dishpan
  • A metal tray
  • A wooden crate or drawer

Step 2: Find a Feature Antique

This is the item that gives the gift its character. Try to find something with history or a bit of charm that fits Dad’s interests. A few ideas:

  • A cocktail shaker for the home bartender
  • An old fishing lure or gear for the outdoorsman
  • A vintage pen for the journaler or writer
  • Records from his favorite artist
  • A metal sign for his garage or workshop

Step 3: Add Something New

Tie it all together with a small, new item that complements your finds. This bridges the gap between vintage charm and modern practicality. Try:

  • A bottle of bourbon
  • A new set of grill spices
  • A local coffee blend
  • A gift card to a tool or record store
  • A fresh notebook
Cigar Box + Vintage Shaker + Bartenders Book + Whiskey

Gift Combinations to Inspire You:

  • Bar-Inspired: Metal tray + antique shaker + favorite bourbon
  • Fishing Fan: Tackle box + vintage lures + local bait shop gift card
  • Grill Set: Old ammo box + cast iron branding iron + spice rubs
  • Coffee Crate: Vintage tin + enamel mug + fresh ground beans
  • Writer’s Box: Wooden cigar box + vintage pen + new leather journal

The beauty of this idea? It supports small businesses, gives new life to old treasures, and creates a gift that can’t be duplicated.

So this year, shop with heart. Celebrate Dad with a gift that’s built on history, thoughtfulness, and a little antique magic.

Abby2 Comments

Essential Elements for a Beautiful Entryway

It’s the beginning of a new month, which means it’s time to release another designed space. This month’s design plan features an entryway 3 ways: casual, formal, and transitional.

This article contains affiliate links and ads. You can find the products I recommend by clicking on the links throughout and at the bottom of this page. These are designs that you can pick and choose which elements to bring into your own spaces. They’ll be saved here on my website, or you can save them on Pinterest. You can come back and add pieces to your spaces as time and budgets allow.

This month I am sharing what I consider to be the perfect recipe for a successful entryway design. The best entryways have the following essential elements in common:

  • a functional piece of furniture
  • a lamp
  • artwork
  • a mirror
  • storage/catchall
  • something alive/fresh
  • a rug
  • a clock
  • and a place to set a wet umbrella.

Not only do these items create a beautiful space, but they are functional as well. For example, the mirror allows residents and guests to check their appearance before coming and going, as well as reflecting light into the space. A lamp allows residents to find their way inside on a dark night, as well as helping guests find the door on their way out.

Below you can see a colorful and vibrant entryway design. Since the entryway is the first impression of your home, it’s an opportunity to create a space that reflects your personal style. This design leans more towards casual and bohemian. It is full of visual interest and layers of texture. Combining two separate pieces, like the green and white plate and the pink framed artwork, you can create a one-of-kind, original piece of art in your home that no one else will have. Try using Command brand hooks to mount the plate on top of the pink art before hanging it on the wall.

Click the photo to shop for these exact items.

Traditional decor thrives on symmetry. The design below uses symmetry to create balance by flanking the mirror with matching lamps and plates from the same series. While the first design is considered modern and casual, I would consider the design below to be formal.

Click the photo to shop for these exact items.

Entry Table

Below you will find the final entryway design for this month. Notice how similar metal tones and a soft ivory color are carried throughout. Natural materials like wicker, marble, and wood counterbalance the glamorous gold and brass to create a sophisticated but approachable space. This design is a midway point between casual and formal.

Click the photo to shop for these exact items.

In many cases, the front door to the home opens directly into the living space without a designated foyer or entryway. In these situations it’s possible to create an entryway by grouping specific items on a wall next to the front door. Are you missing any of these essential items in your entryway? Do you have any items in your entryway that you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

Never miss a design release in the future by subscribing using the box at the bottom of this article.

You can find many of these items in my LTK Storefront HERE.

AbbyLeave a comment

Transforming Our Breakfast Room: A Makeover Journey

Today I am sharing some before and after pictures of the breakfast room in our 1939 home. This is the casual dining space in our home that we use for our everyday meals, playing board games, and doing puzzles.

Our breakfast room is off of the kitchen, and has also has a door to the center hallway on the main floor. One of the things we love about living in a house that is not open concept, is that we can dedicate rooms to the functions we need and completely close the room by shutting the doors to it.

Before, the previous homeowners used this space as a family room.
After, we restored the space to its original purpose, a breakfast room.

The previous owners were using this room as a family room. They were using a sectional sofa that took up the entire room. The walls were painted a sherbet orange color with a lighter orange color on the ceiling. The only light in the room was a pendant fixture that was so dark we couldn’t tell if it was on unless we opened the yellow glass shade.

Before, a large sectional filled the entire room.
After, the space is restored to its original purpose, a breakfast room.

We transformed this space by painting the walls Benjamin Moore “Pale Oak” and the ceiling “White Dove.” Our general contractor gave us a handmade stained glass shade that his father had made. The shade is far from perfect and a little uneven on the edges, but we loved it for this space. I found a pendant online that could accommodate the shade.

The orange paint colors on the walls and ceiling were not appropriate for the room. The windows have south and west sun exposure, which means direct light comes into the room for most of the day. As a result everything in the room took on an orange glow. Combined with a light fixture that wasn’t functional, this was a space that no one in our family wanted to be in.

After I corrected the color on the walls and installed a functioning light fixture, the breakfast room was completely transformed. The total cost was around $250 for the paint and a pendant fixture. The breakfast room isn’t completely done. We’re on the hunt for a very specific table and chairs. I’m also deciding what to put on one of the walls. But I wanted to share how simply changing the paint and lighting can completely change a room.

I’d love to see how you transform your own spaces with paint. Be sure to tag me on Instagram or comment below to share your photos!

AbbyLeave a comment

Valentine’s Day: Top Hygge Gifts for Her and Him

In the dark, cold winter when Valentine’s Day arrives, it’s the perfect time to embrace the hygge experience. What is hygge? Merriam-Webster defines hygge (pronounced hoo-guh) as a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable. I don’t think there’s a better way to describe how I want the person I love to feel on Valentine’s Day than content and comfortable.

What types of hygge gifts can I give to my Valentine to make them feel content and comfortable? I’ve rounded up a few ideas to get you started. This article contains commissionable links and ads. You can find the exact hygge gifts I recommend by clicking on the links below.

Hygge gifts for Her

Ladies, take the guess work out of what your Valentine should give you for Valentine’s Day. Here are a few ideas to keep you warm and pamper you. Send him this link to give him a direction of where to start.

Hygge gifts for Him

Finding the perfect Valentine’s gift for a man is easier said than done. The stereotypical Valentine’s gifts of flowers and chocolates aren’t what men typically want to receive on Valentine’s Day. Here are a few cozy and comfortable hygge gift ideas for your man this Valentine’s Day.

When couples focus on how they want their partner to feel on Valentine’s Day, the gifts become more sincere and appreciated. Choosing hygge-type Valentine’s gifts to make your partner feel content and comfortable, warm and relaxed, or just plain cozy will express to your partner that you truly care for and love them.

Need to save these ideas for later? You can save this post to Pinterest or bookmark this page. Be sure to follow me on Instagram or LTK for more ideas in the coming days. Do you have another hygge Valentine’s gift idea – share it in the comments below!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

AbbyLeave a comment

Vintage Book Shopping: Themes, Genres, and Gifts

This article contains commissionable links and ads.

The first antique I ever bought was a book. As a young teenager my family stopped into an old bookshop that used to be in historic Stone Mountain Village in Georgia. The shelves were absolutely crammed with books, and although I was an avid book lover from a very young age, I was a little overwhelmed with where to start browsing. I noticed there was a shelf marked “antique,” and for some reason, that’s where I started. I decided to look for the oldest book that I could afford. I walked out of the bookshop that day with my very first antique, a book called, “Reveries of a Bachelor.”

People often overlook buying vintage and antique books on their thrifting and antiquing adventures. Today I am sharing six things to consider when shopping for antique books: theme, genre, use, author, personalized gifts, and color/pattern.

Theme

Books can be a wonderful conversation starter, and grouped together they can become decorative accessories of interest. For example, one of our guest bedrooms has evolved into a red, white, and blue theme. On a nightstand in that room I stacked a group of books that evoke the feeling of “American government.” I currently have books in this stack with subjects like government, democracy, and America. If I want to grow this themed collection, while I am antiquing, I will look for both fiction and non-fiction books that fit with this theme. An example would be a book about American presidents, or maybe a murder mystery book with Washington, D.C. in the title.

Other themes that would be easy to search for are things like art, wild west (cowboys, western expansion), the region you live in (Southern U.S., the beach), cooking/food, gardening, or travel. Just remember not to limit yourself to either fiction or non-fiction; they can be mixed! (Check out these old gardening books HERE!)

Genre

I have wonderful memories of consuming books as a child. The characters from these books are often remembered fondly. I’ve put together a group of sentimental titles that would fit into a genre that an adolescent girl would enjoy. Books like The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and Pollyanna all make sense when grouped together in a display, because they’re all from the same genre. I’ve grouped my set on a shelf in our bedroom.

Other genres that would be fun to collect are early textbooks, British classics, poetry, music books, and hymnals. (Check out these antique poetry books HERE!)

Use

One of the best reasons to collect old books is because you’re actually going to use them. Years ago churches started throwing away all of the hymnals that used to be in stored the back of the pews. They moved to showing lyrics on screens instead of reading them from hymnals. However, many people prefer to use a hymnal to sing or play hymns on a piano. When I see a stack of old books for sale, I go through them to see if there are any old gardening books. I like to use them as references for plant problems or inspiration for things that I’d like to add to my garden.

Other books to look for if you want to actually use them are books on woodworking, cookbooks, or other types of how-to books. (Check out these old song hymnals HERE!)

Author

When people collect old books, they often choose them because of the author. One of the authors whose books I collect are those written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. My family name is Lytton, and some relatives speculate that we are distantly related to the Lord Lytton. Another, more modern, author whose books I specifically search for is Martha Stewart. I find Martha Stewart’s books to be helpful resources for many topics that I’m interested in. Martha published her first book 43 years ago in 1982, so many of her books definitely fall into the vintage category.

Other authors that interest people are Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dickens, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, just to name a few. (Check out these vintage Martha Stewart books HERE!)

Personalized Gift

Another reason to consider buying vintage and antique books is for personalized gifts. Around the holidays I like to give a little something extra to people like our hair dressers and our dentist. If I was giving them a gift card or a tin of cookies, it would be fun to package their main gift with an antique dentistry book or a book on old hair styles. If you have someone in your life that is interested in wild life or travel, finding an antique book to give them on their topic of interest shows that you took a little extra effort in the thought that went into it. Be sure to look for these types of gifts all year long and set them aside for when you need them. (Check out these vintage hairstyles books HERE!)

Color and Pattern

Finally, another thing to consider when shopping for vintage and antique books is the cover. People have started using old books as decorative objects in their home. They can make an impact as decor when grouped by color. One side of my husband’s ancestry is largely found in Scotland. I have recently started collecting Scottish themed books for our bookshelf that have beautiful tartan patterned covers. These tartan decorated books are also beautiful in Christmas displays.

The next time you are thrifting and antiquing, don’t forget to look for books. Decide on a theme, a color, or even someone to buy a gift for. Recycling old objects in these ways puts them to use and keeps them out of a landfill. Happy Hunting! (Check out these vintage books with tartan covers HERE!)

Abby2 Comments

Achieve Your New Year’s Goals: Tips for Success

Happy New Year! It’s our human nature to bookmark the chapters of our lives in terms of years. We begin today on a fresh new page for a wonderful new chapter. I prefer to set goals for myself to achieve new things, rather than to set “resolutions” to change things I don’t like. It sets a positive outlook for something new, rather than a negative outlook to change something old. Today I am sharing some common New Year’s goals. I have found that to achieve success with my goals, it is essential to set myself up for success with the necessary tools to do so.

This article contains affiliate links and ads. You can find the exact products and services I recommend by clicking the links and photos below.

Goal: Travel More

A common New Year’s goal is to travel more and to explore new places. Often people have a misconception that this is something that can only be done if they have a lot of extra cash. But traveling for little to no money is something everyone can do. Last year my husband and I took five trips, and we did it for almost no cost using credit card travel rewards. Our favorite travel rewards card is THIS ONE. The rewards can be used for hotel rooms, all inclusive resorts, and airline tickets all over the world. Our next favorite travel rewards card is THIS OTHER ONE. That one covers many of the same expenses, but also things like rental cars. Want to learn more from experts on travel rewards? Check out Travel Mom Squad. It’s our favorite podcast on travel hacking, and their website is a useful resource for learning the travel points hobby. Below are a few more helpful travel things that I recommend:

Goal: Improve Health

The health of Americans has been all over the news lately. More and more people are realizing that the food we’re eating contains ingredients that are putting our health at risk. One simple solution to taking charge of our health is to cook at home. This can seem daunting and overwhelming, but it can be easily done with some preparation and planning. I stay away from recipes that have dozens of ingredients and complicated instructions. Keeping meals simple is one way to stay on track. Another thing we do is meal prepping. Once a week we make our lunches and pack them into meal prep containers. We take our lunches to work to make sure we’re: 1-eating healthy food, 2-preventing the urge to buy fast food, 3-saving money. The last thing we do to make sure we’re consuming healthy food is something that is often overlooked; we make sure the pans our food is cooked in don’t contain harmful metals or chemicals. We’ve been extremely happy with this set we use.

Goal: Increase Fitness

Moving our bodies consistently has more benefits than I can go into detail today. A few examples often given are reducing blood pressure, increasing metabolism, and helping with bone density. My favorite ways to be active are walking (both outside and on my treadmill) and resistance training with weights. I read years ago that as we get older, working out with weights becomes more and more important in order to protect our bone density. I often hear people say things like, “I don’t have money for a trainer,” or “I don’t know what to do.” I hung these exercise charts up in my workout area. The sturdy, laminated charts show examples of exercises for all of our body parts. If I see an exercise on the chart that I’m not quite sure how to do, I just look it up on YouTube for an example. Another tip I have is to anticipate excuses I might come up with, and remove the obstacles ahead of time. For example, set out your workout clothes the night before, or maybe even sleep in them. If you plan to walk outside, buy yourself a great rain jacket and spray waterproofing on your walking shoes. Don’t let a little rain stop you from getting your walk in!

Goal: Get Organized

A place for everything, and everything in its place. I’m not the first person to say it, and it’s definitely true. Living in a historic house means that we don’t have a huge pantry or closets. Even though I had already purged our belongings several times over the last few years to get rid of unneeded things, I was worried that we were going to have to get rid of even more. Instead, I began to focus on making sure the spaces we had were being used to their best potential. I bought organizational pieces that maximized the vertical space. In any space that I had on a shelf, I used racks or acrylic shelves to make sure the entire vertical space was being used. Underneath beds we are stacking flat narrow containers to hold things like off-season clothing and wrapping paper. In closets, we added 3 tier shelves to hold shoes and purses. On shelves above closet rods, we’re using more acrylic drawers and stacking the same flat containers that we use under the beds.

Wire shelves added to our existing pantry shelves maximize vertical space for food storage.
Acrylic stacking drawers maximize vertical space in our bathroom cabinet.
3-tier shelves in our closets maximize vertical space for shoe storage.

Goal: Financial Health and Financial Literacy

Something I am very passionate about is living debt free. I’m not exaggerating when I say that if there is one thing that I could talk to anyone about for hours, it would be finances. Money is something that has always been taboo to talk about. A lot of us were raised by a generation who didn’t teach us how to budget or invest, much less how to keep a checking account or strategically pay taxes. When our kids were in high school, we encouraged both of them to take a series of 3 classes that taught them about finance and business. Our culture has become increasingly focused on consumption, with access to every store we could ever want right on the phone in our pocket. It is really important that we educate ourselves and our families on how to live a content, full life away from the choking burden of debt. My very favorite podcast is ChooseFI. This podcast has been around for a while, and I really encourage you to go back and start at some of the earlier episodes and move forward from there. (Did you know that one of the largest groups of millionaires in the U.S. is teachers? This podcast can show you exactly how it’s done.) I have so many easy-to-read favorite books on how to live financially independent, but my top choice is A Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. If you don’t have time to read, listen to the audiobook. Another essential tool that I recommend is YNAB. YNAB is an app/website for budgeting. In YNAB you link all of your accounts (banking, savings, credit cards, etc) and you categorize spending and savings in real time. It gives you the freedom to spend money and also keep track of bills. One thing I love about YNAB is that each subscription can share their subscription with up to 5 people. Those 5 people can if they want to, but do NOT have to share their budgets with you. It’s completely private.

These are some of the most common New Years goals. Whether you are wanting to travel more, get healthier, increase your fitness, get organized, or find financial freedom, I hope some of these tools help you on your path to success. Take one step today and another step tomorrow. In time you will find yourself closer to your goals than you were yesterday. The important part is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I wish you a happy, healthy New Year. As always, this is a community to share ideas. Please feel free to comment below if you have other tips that you would like to share!

Click the image to find most of these tools in my LTK shop.

Abby2 Comments
Styled garland showing how to dry whole oranges and use them in natural Christmas decor.

How to Dry Whole Oranges for Christmas Decor

When I think of Christmas, I am reminded of fragrant oranges, spicy cloves, and warm cinnamon. For many years I have dried and preserved orange slices to use as Christmas decor. (See this article from 2020.) This year I decided that I would learn how to dry whole oranges, instead of just slices. Today I am sharing the simple steps to drying whole oranges.

The steps for drying whole oranges are very simple, but they are somewhat time-consuming. Today I am sharing the basic things you need to know about how to dry whole oranges. I chose to only dry half a bag of oranges. I wish I had done the entire bag! While it is a little lengthy to dry whole oranges, they turned out really well. I found other spots in the house that I would’ve placed more whole, dry oranges. Next year I’ll put the entire bag into the drying process.

Step One

Turn your oven on to the lowest temperature. My oven’s lowest temperature is 170*. My oven has convection bake and regular bake. I found that convection bake was more effective than the regular bake.

Step Two

Using a small paring knife, you will begin to cut into the orange rind from pole to pole. Don’t quite go all the way to the end/pole. Leave 1/4 of rind on each end of your cut. You’ll want to make sure your cut goes all the way into the pith/rind through to the orange flesh. However, once you start drying them, if you notice that you didn’t get all the way through to the orange flesh, you can take it back out of the oven and cut deeper before putting it back in.

You can see how I didn’t cut deep enough on this orange. You can cut deeper and put it back into the oven to finish drying.

Note: I experimented on one of my oranges to see if I could cut a design other than basic stripes. This doesn’t work as well. Using the method I described above, the oranges will develop gaps and vents, exposing the inner part of the fruit to be dried out. You can experiment as well, but in my experience, basic slits are best.

You can’t see them, but the slits into the orange are there.

Step Three

Once your oranges are cut, you need to decide how you want them to be placed into the oven. My oven is new, so I decided to line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place them on top. Some people place them directly onto the racks. Other people place them onto metal cooling racks that have been put into a cookie sheet. A friend told me it would not affect drying time. You decide what’s best for you!

I used tongs to turn the oranges every couple of hours. If you notice a cut didn’t go all the way through, take it out to cut deeper before putting it back in again.

Step Four

Next you will leave the oranges in the oven to dry out until the rind is hardened and you believe that the fruit inside is dried out. I had been warned that this would take a long time, and it certainly did. On the first day, I dried them in the oven from 7 am to 7 pm. I didn’t want to leave the oven on overnight, so I took them out. The next day I dried them for another four hours. The third day, I dried them for the entire day again. All in all, I think this was about 24 hours of drying time. Which is why I wished I had dried the entire bag at once.

After Your Oranges are Dried

You can use your dried oranges in garlands, wreaths, or hanging on your Christmas tree. I have tucked dried oranges into my fireplace garland, along with pomegranates, feathers, holly berries, and pine cones. I added ribbon that resembled the colors of dried oranges and pomegranates.

When I dry orange slices, I will save them in an airtight bag to use for multiple years. Before I use dried slices again the next year, I inspect them to make sure there is no mold or anything undesirable on them. Since it is not possible to see inside and inspect whole oranges, I won’t be saving the dried whole oranges to use again next year.

Using natural elements in Christmas decor creates a rich and vibrant ambiance. Since a bag of oranges is relatively inexpensive, you really only need some time to create Christmas decor using whole dried oranges. Have you dried oranges before? Slices, or whole oranges? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below. Or, post a photo on Instagram and tag me so that I can see your dried oranges.

Merry Christmas!

Abby1 Comment

Creating a Cozy Holiday Experience for Guests

It’s less than twenty days until Christmas, and touches of holiday spirit can be felt in nearly every room in our home. One of the things we love most about the holidays is welcoming our friends, family, and neighbors into our home to celebrate the season with us. It’s important to us that our guests experience the contagious holiday excitement, while also feeling at ease. We truly want them to make themselves at home when they come through the door.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Kierra Todd with Redfin.com. Kierra asked me how we ensure a comfortable experience for our guests during the holidays. One way I do this is by mixing natural elements with conversation pieces. Today I am sharing our dining room decorated for a Christmas gathering. The vintage and antique Christmas decor we’ve collected over the years has started many conversations while gathered around the table with guests. And by collecting and foraging from our yard for decor, we ground the space and bring commonality.

Interior designer Abby Smolarsky at Belle Antiquarian, highlighted, “By mixing natural elements and conversation pieces, guests will feel the excitement of the season. In the dining room, guests will see magnolia and holly from our yard, as well as a tree sparkling with collected antique ornaments. It’s the perfect mixture for putting people at ease.”

Redfin.com

In the South we are blessed to have quite a few plants to forage at Christmastime. Our property boasts several magnolia species, abundant holly trees, and evergreen. I gather clippings and wire them together to adorn tables, buffets, and fireplace mantels throughout the house. Tucked here and there you will see some of my favorite pheasant feathers. My wonderful neighbor, Claire, gave me a bag of long-leaf pine cones that she had collected, which were the perfect finishing touch. Each region will have vegetation that can be brought inside for decor. If you don’t have anything in your yard, try asking a friend or neighbor if you can come clip a few things to add to your decor. Be sure to bring a basket, sharp clippers, and gloves to protect your hands from pointy leaves like holly.

Vintage and antique Christmas decor are among my favorite things to look for while treasure hunting. Throughout my years of selling antiques, I have collected some unusual and special ornaments. It’s fun to gaze and watch them sparkle on our dining room tree while gathered for a special meal. Part of the reason these ornaments are so special is because they were collected slowly over time and in various places. They each hold a story or memory, and they have kept the conversation flowing at the Christmas table on more than one occasion. It’s okay to start small with one or two baubles and add to them as the years go by. They’ll become part of your story as well.

The dining room feels festive, but also approachable. It’s doable. Anyone can gather foliage from their yard and bring it inside. Everyone can pick up a vintage ornament here and there. It’s how we share our space with the people we care about, sharing a little bit of our lives with theirs.

I’m honored to be featured on Redfin for this special holiday article. You can find the whole article and many more tips HERE.

No matter if you live in an apartment in Miami, FL, a rental home in Tuscaloosa, AL, or a
house in Bakersfield, CA, this guide will walk you through essential steps to declutter and clean your home, add festive touches, prepare for guests, and set the stage for holiday entertainment, ensuring your home is ready to impress and delight all season long.
Prepare Your Home for the Holidays: 7 Tips for a Festive Season | Redfin

AbbyLeave a comment

2024’s Best Books: A Personal Review

One of my goals for 2024 was to read two books each week. I didn’t quite accomplish that goal, but I did manage to read over 75 books this year. There were quite a few that I started and abandoned because I didn’t enjoy them for one reason or another. Those books are not included in my number of read books. (Who has time for bad books? Not me!) Today I am sharing my top 10 books that I read in 2024.

This post contains commissionable links. You can find the exact books I read by clicking on the titles or pictures.

In random order, here are my top 10 books that I read in 2024:

The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young

I read this book earlier in the year, and when I did I was already at the point where I desperately wanted to read something unpredictable, creative, and original. This book was it! From the synopsis, “In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.”

I think there are more layers and depth than this brief description provides, so you will have to read this one for yourself.

The Vaster Wilds, by Lauren Groff

This is truly a unique read. The main character’s voice is profoundly memorable, and I will think of this book for years to come. Several times while reading it, I thought that this would make a fantastic novel study for a high school literature class. It’s not a light read, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. In brief, “A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark of god that burns hot within her. What she finds in this terra incognita is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief in everything that her own civilization has taught her.”

This made it onto to my “Book to re-Read in the Future” list.

The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett

This is not a new release, but I just got around to reading it this year. There are several themes in this book that resonated with me. I know what it means to be in love with a house and to have strained and unconventional familial relationships. This book was a wonderful journey through someone else’s story. To summarize, “At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.”

How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood

An inspirational novel that touches on the power of redemption and forgiveness, and the impact literature can make on every life. This book shows how books can change lives, even those incarcerated with little exposure to reading. “When [three people] encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.”

The Secret Book of Flora Lee: A Novel, by Patti Callahan Henry

I loved this book for the mystery and unique story line. It touches on the strength of sibling bonds and reminds of us of events affecting children during World War II. To sum up this wonderful story, “In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.”

The Book of Doors, by Gareth Brown

Imaginative. Creative. Adventurous. Well-written. I loved this book. The story is perfectly woven and the ending is wonderful. Dear Author, if you read this, PLEASE make a sequel!! From the summary, “Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading. But this is no ordinary book…It is the Book of Doors.”

Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman

I am late to the game in reading this novel, but I’m so glad that I added it to my list in 2024. A wonderful reminder that we are all people living parallel lives with unique stories, but that our lives affect others and intersect, whether we want them to or not. We can also glean a lesson in compassion from this story. A little more about the book: “Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.”

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton

I would describe this book as a classy mystery. It’s a wonderful example of a well written, multi-layered plot. It’s refreshing to see a story written that doesn’t rely on cheap shock and gore to achieve success. I found this title because I read another of Stuart Turton’s books this year, The Last Murder at the End of the World, and I wanted to read more of his work. He writes truly unique stories, and I hope you’ll enjoy this one. A summary, “The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man’s race to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.”

The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley

This book is written from rotating points of view. In doing so, the author effectively makes the reader feel sympathetic to some of the characters with less than desirable personality traits. I enjoyed the injection of Paris culture, architecture, and ambiance while reading this multi-layered mystery. “Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.”

The Many Lives of Mama Love, by Laura Love Hardin

This is the only non-fiction book to make my top 10 list for 2024. This book is an “easy” read, but it wasn’t easy for me to read. The author discusses topics that were uncomfortable and things that I didn’t want to think about in this book. She sheds light on the realities of opioid addiction and the prison/court systems in America. While portions of this book were out of my comfort zone, I’m glad that I read it and gained compassion and understanding for the people traveling the dark journey that the author did.

If you’ve read this far you will notice that I didn’t mention what my favorite book for the year was! Based on my descriptions, I’d love to know what your guess is. Have you read any of the books on this list? Let’s chat in the comments below,

You can shop for any of these books by clicking the titles or images above. If you’d like to find them all in one place, you can find them in my LTK shop HERE. You can also save this article to your Pinterest page to find it again later.

Abby6 Comments