Reader favorites from 2016

The 10 Most Popular Posts Published in 2016

Hello, friends! Can you believe that 2016 is almost over? It's been a strange year overall, but a good one nonetheless. I've met some of my personal goals but not all of them, and am carrying them over into 2017. And here on the blog several changes have been made including a brand new look back in August. Here's a quick roundup of the top posts published on the blog this year. Let me know which one is your favorite, and look for more like these coming up in 2017.

Salty Caramel Pecan Pie - The Best Pecan Pie Ever

Salted Caramel Pecan Pie - A new favorite family recipe 

Snowflake Christmas tree

See our cozy snowflake Christmas tree

Oh, tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum, how lovely are your branches. 

Hello, friends! Welcome to the "My Home Style Christmas tree hop", hosted by Stephanie at Casa Watkins, where 26 stylish home bloggers are sharing their Christmas trees and giving you tips on how to recreate the look. All of the links to the tree ideas are at the bottom of this post, so be sure to visit everyone and get lots of ideas for your tree.

Christmas Home Tour

Tour our Christmas home including our entry, Christmas hutch, and happy hot cocoa cart

Natural Rustic Christmas Table

Ideas for creating a natural, rustic Christmas table

Hello, friends! I'm so excited to be joining this year's Home for the Holidays blog tour sponsored by Sondra Lyn at Home! This is the 3rd year for her HFTH tour, and you'll see some of the most awesome decor, craft and recipe ideas you'll find anywhere. It has gotten bigger and better each year and I think you're going to love what you see! It's 30 blogs with a different topic each day. Be sure to visit all the blogs listed at the bottom of the post to get great ideas for your entire house.

Simple Christmas Front Porch Decorating Ideas

8 front porches with great ideas for Christmas decorating

Have you started your Christmas decorating yet? Maybe you're already finished and if you are, you're way ahead of me. I've done some areas of the house but have several spaces left to do.

Today I'm happy to be joining 7 other bloggers in a Christmas Porch Tour, hosted by Atta Girl Says. If you're visiting from one of the other blogs and are new here, WELCOME! I'm so glad you dropped by. You can get to know more about me and the blog by going HERE. If you're a regular reader, welcome to you as well! I hope you enjoy today's tour.

Artful Homestead HGTV Dream Home - Beautiful Home Tour

Tour an HGTV dream home that the owners have turned into a dream home for family gatherings

Welcome to another amazing home tour on the Sunday Open House series! This week we're visiting  jaw-dropping home that started out as an HGTV Dream Home but has been customized to fit the needs of a large family for gathering together in casual style. 

A rustic, natural Thanksgiving centerpiece

Learn how to create a simple, rustic centerpiece and tablescape for Thanksgiving

17 Simple Christmas Decorating Ideas that anyone can do

Christmas decorating ideas that are simple and beautiful

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet? It's on my to do list for later this week and I've been gathering ideas and trying to decide what I want to do here this year. I'm thinking of changing it quite a bit from what I've done the past few years but haven't totally decided yet, so you'll have to stay tuned for that. 

Hymns & Verses - Beautiful Home Tour

Tour a cozy Lancaster County, Pennsylvania home that's decked out for Christmas

20+ Ideas to make your Thanksgiving beautiful and fun

Ideas for Thanksgiving decorating, hosting, and more

Even though the food takes center stage at most Thanksgiving celebrations, there are many other ways to make the day even more enjoyable. I've rounded up some beautiful table settings, creative leftover solutions, and many more ideas that might help make your day a little more fun. 

The Happy Housie - Beautiful Home Tour

Tour a gorgeous lakeside Canadian home with fresh colors and decor that will lift your spirits. 

Welcome to this week's featured blogger home in our Sunday Open House series featuring the lovely and talented Krista from The Happy Housie. You're going to love her home. It's full of refreshing ideas and has a stunning view. Krista share lots of DIY and decorating ideas that you can incorporate into your own home. 

6 Quick and Easy Last Minute Fall Decorating Ideas

Simple ways to add last minute fall touches to your home

Our poor house is confused. It can't decide if it wants to continue celebrating fall or get a head start on Christmas. It reminds me of the weather we've been having lately. Totally confusing. We broke a record here yesterday with a high in the mid 80's. I actually considered wearing a sundress to a dinner we went to! On November 1st! It's crazy.

6 Ideas for Creating a Cozy Christmas Mood

Thank you, Pottery Barn, for sponsoring this post. All opinions and text are my own.

There's no other time of year like Christmas for feeling all warm and cozy inside. All the festivities, family, and food make it such a special time of year. We look forward to Christmas for months and even start playing Christmas music in November. Yeah, we're those people. And as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes and decorations are put away I start getting the house ready for Christmas.

Edith and Evelyn - Beautiful Home Tour

Tour a 1970's home that has been transformed into a French chateau inside!

Woohoo! It's time for another Sunday Open House tour, and you're going to be drooling over this one. Full of vintage finds and reproduction pieces, it's inspiring from top to bottom. Today's featured guest is the lovely and talented Cindy from Edith & Evelyn and her home is a slice of French-inspired heaven. So if you want to see spaces that will make you imagine that you've been transported to France, then settle in and tour her lovely home.

One thing that will reduce stress from entertaining

Thank you BISSELL® for sponsoring this post. Check out the new BISSELL® Pet Hair Eraser to erase the fur in your place!

It's always nice to have family and friends over for a visit any time of the year, and even more so during the holidays. The food, the stories, and the overall warmth of the season make it a favorite for most people. But it can also be very stressful, especially if you have any guests who are what I like to call persnickety. Although we loved her dearly, my husband's Aunt Jewel was one of those persnickety folks (middle of the photo above).

Rusty Hinge Blog - Beautiful Home Tour

Welcome to this week's edition of the Sunday Open House series. Today's feature is filled with vintage eye candy and beautiful photography and styling. Our guest is the talented Maria from Rusty Hinge and she's sharing pictures of her collection of timeworn treasures and some fall decorating ideas. I've been a fan of her style for years and am honored to have her here today. 

Benjamin Moore 2017 Color Trends and Color of the Year

Are you ready to see what the color trends for 2017 are? Benjamin Moore released their 2017 color picks earlier this week and I'm sharing them with you today. It's always fun to see what color they choose for their palette. Some of them are winners, some not so much. But there's something for everyone. See what you think and let me know your favorites.

27 genius ways to use old books

27 Creative Ways to Use Old Books

Two Bees in a Pod - Beautiful Home Tours

Tour 2 homes that are beautifully decorated with pops of color

Welcome to this week's Beautiful Home Tour! Today is doubly good because there are 2 homes on tour. The talented mother-daughter duo of Jennifer and Vicki at 2 Bees in a Pod are inviting us to see both of their lovely homes. They have similar styles and both are great at making their homes look stylish and welcoming. Both have a knack for adding little pops of color and personality to their spaces that you'll love. 

What we saw on our silver anniversary trip to Northern California

19th century Massachusetts Home - Beautiful Home Tour

Take a tour of a beautifully renovated 1800's home

Friday favorites 9.30.16

Favorite fall home decor and home improvement ideas from across the web.

See 10 wonderful white rooms that will make you smile

10 beautiful spaces painted in various shades of white

Chateau Chic - Beautiful Home Tour

Happy Sunday! It's time for another beautiful home tour as part of the Sunday Open House series and today's feature home belongs to Mary Alice at Chateau Chic. Her home is full of charm and vintage style and several dreamy collections. I started following her on instagram a couple of years ago and always love seeing her home and how she had it decorated, and you will too.

Friday Favorites 9.23.16

TGIF! This week was our Fall Ideas Tour and I'm sharing a few of my favorites with you today. Each day had a different idea or theme. To see all of the bloggers and links to their ideas, go here. You won't believe how creative everyone in this group of 28 is.

30+ stunning rugs you'll love from Magnolia Home

Have you heard the news? Joanna Gaines has just added several new rugs to her Magnolia Home area rug collection, and they're all to die for. I don't usually post about new products but I'm in love with these and wanted to share them with you. The styles range from vintage to modern to boho and I'd be thrilled to have any of them in our home. 

9 inspiring ways to make your fireplace cozy for fall

Welcome to the Fall Ideas Tour for 2016! If you're new here and visiting from one of the talented bloggers sharing their ideas on the tour, you can learn about Postcards from the Ridge here. 

Get ready for a week of inspiring fall ideas from 28 home decor bloggers, starting today with mantels.

Worthing Court - Beautiful Home Tour

Hooray for Sunday and a beautiful home tour. Today we're visiting with Suzy from Worthing Court. Her home is the tastefully decorated in classic Southern farmhouse style and is so cozy and welcoming. Go ahead and grab your coffee and settle in for an inspiring look at this lovely home.

Friday Favorites 9.16.16

So many fall home tours, so little time. My inbox has been flooded with fall tours this week and I've seen so many pretty homes! I've rounded up some of my favorites plus a tasty recipe, a DIY, a peek into a restored Washington farmhouse, and more. Let me know which of my favorites you like the best.

Friday favorites 9.9.16

TGIF! And it got here sooner this week since it was a short one with Labor Day on Monday. Who's ready for fall and cooler temps? Me. And I was inspired by several fall home tours and posts I saw online this week. Today's faves include fall decor ideas, a fall sign DIY, a Swedish eating area, fall coffee table decor ideas, and some favorite finds. 

9 fall decorating ideas that you'll absolutely love

With Labor Day behind us it's now full steam ahead for fall decor. Fall is my favorite time of the year with all the excitement of a new school year for the kids, the arrival of cooler weather, fall fashion, football season, and fall decor. And although I'm just starting to bring our fall decor items out from storage I thought I'd share some of my favorite fall vignettes from the past few years and some tips for easily adding fall touches to your home. Stay tuned for this year's version coming up in a few days. 

How to Easily Dry Hydrangeas

Thank goodness for hydrangeas that are beautiful despite belonging to me. Why? Because I'm anything but a gardener and definitely don't have a green thumb. In fact, I've said before that I have a black thumb even though my mom can grow anything. Apparently it's not hereditary. But fortunately that doesn't matter because my hydrangeas thrived this year and I even figured out (by accident) how to dry them. So if you love hydrangeas as much I do and want to preserve them to enjoy year round, read on for the simple how to.

Tiny 1890 California Cottage - Beautiful Home Tour

Hello, friends! Do you ever watch the television shows about tiny houses? We've been watching them for a while now and although they look really cute and efficient, I'm just not sure we could do it. Downsize? Yes. Micro size? No. That's why I love today's featured house so much. It's 970 square feet but has everything 2 people would need. Built in 1890, it's a total charmer. Read on for a tour of this cute cottage.

Friday Favorites 8.26.16

Happy Friday, friends! I hope it's been a pleasant and productive week for you. It's been a busy one around here but I still made time to peruse the web and find plenty of inspiration to share with you. I've rounded up ideas for fall decor, a yummy recipe, a tutorial you'll appreciate, a dreamy little house, and a big birthday celebration. Read on to see it all.

11 Must-Haves for Back to College

Essentials for college living

Starbright Farm - Beautiful Home Tour

Hello, friends! Today I have a very special treat for you on the blog as part of the new Sunday Open House series. (To see last week's tour go HERE.) It's a 3-for-1 farm tour that includes an amazing stone farmhouse plus the guest house and barn. And it's owned by a professional photographer so the photos are simply stunning. It's the stuff pinterest was made for. Get settled in a take a tour of this lovely place but be warned, it will make you want to move to Maryland!

photo by Helen Norman

Friday Favorites 8.19.16

Another week, another bunch of beautiful spaces on the interwebs. Yes, it's true. I spend way too much time looking at dreamy homes and getting inspired for our next project. But it keeps me out of the pool halls (at least that's what my dad says). Here's a roundup of eye candy found this week. There are design ideas, organizing tips, DIY advice and more. So grab your coffee and come see some beautiful images. 

Country Living

Bullet Journaling 101 - Tips for Beginners

If you've been on Pinterest, Tumblr, or Instagram recently then I'm sure you've seen bullet journaling. It's the perfect mix of artsy and organized and is a very popular trend these days. Part planner, part sketchbook, it's a way of taking your calendar and to do list and making it reflect your personality. And here's the best part - there are no hard and fast rules. My oldest daughter has been bullet journaling for some time now and I asked her if I could show off her work and get some tips for us wanna bees. Fortunately she said yes and I'm sharing that with you today.

Birdie Farm - Beautiful Home Tour

Friday Favorites 8.12.16

Once again, I've spent way too much time staring at dreamy homes and projects on the internet. Here are a few of my favorite finds from around the web this week. Let me know which one is your favorite! And go here to see last week's favorites.

Remodelista

Friday Favorites 8.5.16

Hello, friends! I'm excited to announce that I'm introducing one of two new series to the blog today. I figured since the blog has a fresh new look it would be a good time to make some changes and improvements to the content as well. Like many of you, I spend a lot of time on the internet oohing and aahing over beautiful homes. I usually pin these lovely things to my pinterest boards but am also going to start featuring my favorite finds here on the blog and also on my facebook page.

Sunflower Fields Forever

Sometimes you get lucky and find out there's a sunflower field on public property not too far from where you live. So you grab your camera and take some fun pictures. That's what happened to me a couple of weeks ago. 

9 No-Fail Neutral Paint Colors

9 popular neutral paint colors

11 Stunning Farmhouse Kitchens That Will Make You Want Wood Cabinets

As much as I like seeing white kitchens in other people's homes, I don't know if I could do it in ours. We had white cabinets in our last home and it was a challenge keeping them clean with our family of 4. I'm not totally in love with the wood cabinets in our current home but I'm not ready to spend days painting them either so I've been looking for ways to embrace the look with accessories and hardware. And I thought maybe there might be other people who love/have wood cabinets and also want some stylish ideas. I'm sharing these gorgeous kitchens that have some great ideas for adding charm and style to any kitchen, especially those with wood cabinets. Read on for some inspiring kitchen ideas!

9 Simple Ways to Add Farmhouse Charm to Any Bedroom

There's nothing like a comfy bedroom to make you feel at home and be able to relax. And if farmhouse decor is what you like don't worry, you can get the look in almost any style home. We live in a 1960's ranch style home and our master bedroom decor is cozy farmhouse style with miscellaneous bits of vintage added to the mix. The look has evolved over time as our collections have grown and as the things on our wish list have gone on sale. Read on for some simple tips on how you can add cozy farmhouse touches to any bedroom.

How to Make New Wood Look Old With Paint

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CompleteWithGlade #CollectiveBias

Aaaahhhh...summertime. The sunshine, the aromas, the flowers, the food, and the heat. I can definitely live without the heat but those other things are just peachy. Summertime for us also means more family activities and fewer projects. But I managed to carve out an afternoon for a small project recently and thought you might want to see the process and the results. I gave a weathered wood look to a pine piece and it was such a simple process. Read on for the how to!

Blue Hydrangeas and White Ironstone for Summer

It's no secret that I have a soft spot for pretty flowers, especially when I'm able to clip them from our own yard. Do I love gardening? Not really. It gets very hot and humid here in Tennessee during the summer months and I try to avoid activities that make me sweat profusely. So pulling weeds and coddling plants is definitely not my thing. But I do love pretty flowers, especially hydrangeas and peonies, which we are fortunate to have both in our yard. 

Designer DIY - Kitchen Soap Dispenser Bottle

Here's a super simple project that you can do in no time. It's a recycled, upcycled, DIY, designer project that will make your kitchen a little prettier and needs no tools or paint! Sound too good to be true? It's true, I promise!

15 Fresh Ideas for Small Entryways