Celebrate The Season

Decorating for the fall season is my absolute favorite.  Pumpkins and gourds always stay out until Thanksgiving, and fall scented candles burn well into December in our household.  

This year, I'm sort of starting from scratch with the fall decor.  Back in June, when we were moving into our new condo, my husband "accidentally" threw away a huge plastic bin that contained the majority of my fall decor.  Yeah.....insert major eye rolling emoji there.  Lucky for him {or perhaps, unlucky for him!}, I'm pretty darn good at online shopping, and have been scouring the depths of the net in search of what our new place needs.  

Here's what I've bought so far, plus a few other items that have been on my radar.

Shop These Items:

The coziest cable throw blanket {under $100 here} //  I have a standing tradition of buying olive leaf wreaths during the holidays, and have my eye on this dried olive + eucalyptus beauty {reasonably priced here} //  I recently bought my first "crackle sound" candle, and I love the soothing sound that it produces - it's like a wood burning fire! {the scent that I bought is amazing for fall, get it here} //  Marble + copper is a huge trend that I'm seeing everywhere for Thanksgiving, and this stunning wine chiller needs to make its way into my kitchen asap {available here} //  How perfect are these "thankful" stemless wine glasses?  Even though they are back ordered, I just placed an order for a set of 8 of as they should arrive in early November {on sale! here} //  Want a collection of fresh miniature pumpkins & gourds to arrive at your door in an adorable wooden crate?  Such a cute and easy way to add small touches to your mantel or tabletop display! {available in 3 color coordinating colors hues here} //  Brass accents are another easy way to add in elements of the fall season.  These brass lanterns would be gorgeous when paired with a rich berry colored pillar candle {found here} //  I prefer the quality of Staub cocottes over Le Creuset, and this pumpkin cocotte is absolutely gorgeous in person.  I bought it 2 years ago, and I look forward to pulling it out every year.  Definitely an investment piece that you'll own for years to come {now available in 3 colors! here}


Happy shopping! xx

Scenes From Around The House

Happy Friday!  Thank you so much to everyone who left such kind comments on yesterdays bumpdate!  Your comments mean so much to me, and you guys sure know how to make this mama to be feel good :)

Today I wanted to share a few images of scenes from around our house; home decor projects {I've gotten on a home decor kick lately!}, snaps of my pups, and life's little moments.

^^  Adam & I have a little standing tradition: every Friday if we don't have plans to go out to dinner, we indulge in a little cheese plate before we light our Shabbat candles.  I love little traditions like these, and hope that we continue them for years to come.

Cheese board //  Candle //  Julep cup/vase

^^  We installed some sheer linen curtains this week {for pure aesthetic reasons, we already have custom pull down shades installed}, and I'm so happy with the texture that they added to my living room! 

Curtains //  Couch //  Coffee tables //  Moroccan beaded pillows

^^  Cherry season makes me a veryyyyy happy girl :)

^^  I received these glass hurricanes in the mail this week.  I love the natural rope detailing on them, and now just need to figure out where I'm going to put them.

^^  We take nap time very seriously in this household ;)

^^  I love sending thank you cards + snail mail.  These thank you cards are so cute & summery, and are currently on sale!

^^  You guys, I'm so embarrassed to admit this but I forgot that we had this gorgeous Restoration Hardware area rug still rolled up, wrapped in plastic from when we moved to our new home..... in September.  It was hiding under the bed in our guest bedroom, waiting to get cleaned {it was in the living room in our condo when we were potty training Lulu...you get the idea}, and I honest to goodness forgot all about it.  I had it professionally cleaned, and now it lives in front of our bookcase!

Bookcase //  Stools

^^  Peonies are so trendy now, but they still get me every time!

^^  I picked up this decorative wooden bowl for our entertainment console, and filled it with various shells & scented potpourri that smells amazing!

Wooden bowl //  Potpourri

^^  These little muffins ♡  They're going to be the best big brother & sister to Isla!

Sheepskin rug {2 small rugs placed together to make one large}

I'm taking the week off from Typical Domestic Babe next week since we'll be on vacay, but you can always follow along on insta {@andy_adler} to see what we're up to in St. Barths.

Have a great weekend! xx

Weekend Wish List: Home Decor Accents

Happy Friday, friends!  When we first moved into our house last September, I burnt myself out real quick focusing on home decor 24/7.  While it truly is so much fun to start from scratch and completely furnish & decorate a new space from the ground up, it can be a bit overwhelming at times, and in my case, can lead to burnout {I still don't have any art or pictures hanging on our walls!}.

Lately, however, I've really gotten that urge to pick back up and continue the design process.  I just ordered these sheer linen curtains for our living room, to layer on top of our pull down shades, and am really hoping that they add the depth that my living room needs!

Decorating your home is definitely a labor of love, and if there's one piece of advice I could give anyone, it's to not rush the process.  Only select pieces that you truly love, and that you could see adding character to your home for years to come.

Below are some pieces that have caught my eye that I've either recently purchased or are currently residing in the bookmarks bar of my computer patiently waiting for me to pull the trigger.

Click on the plus icon next to any item that catches your eye to view product info.

I love those glass hurricanes with the natural rope detailing, and just ordered them a few days ago {the price was too good to pass up!}.  That mirror would be so perfect in our entryway, and is under $50!  How gorgeous is that hammered copper & teak bowl?  I definitely neeeeed that!  The linen bench looks like it could be from Restoration Hardware, but is priced much better, and I'm in love with the adorable natural ceramic pot - it would be so cute for herbs in your windowsill!

Have a great weekend! xx

How To: Potted Orchids Displayed In A Dough Bowl

I've been in the mood to give my living room a fresh update for the spring/summer season {see this instagram picture}.  One of the great advantages to living in Miami is that we have access to gorgeous tropical foliage at an amazing price.  I saw a local farmers stand on the side of the road last week with a sign advertising orchids for sale for $10 each.  Sold!

I love my vintage wooden dough bowl, and often use that as a vessel for displaying seasonal decor around my house.  Armed with my orchids in hand, I decided to try my dough bowl out as a planter, and am SO happy with how it turned out!

Read on to see how it all came together....

Materials that you'll need:

• Wooden dough bowl, or another vessel to pot your orchids in {even an old wooden salad bowl would work for this project!}.

•  2-3 medium sized orchids, depending on the size of your bowl.  I looked for orchids that had plenty of buds that had not yet bloomed, thus ensuring that I would get about a months worth of enjoyment out of this display.

• 2-3 bags of decorative moss {can be purchased at most crafts supplies stores like Michaels}.

• 1 bag of gravel or small rocks.

• 1 medium sized garbage bag.

• Scissors.

Step 1.

Cut the bottom of your garbage bag, about 6 inches from the bottom.  Place the bottom piece inside your bowl, and spread a thin layer of gravel/rocks on the bottom.  This will aid in drainage for the orchids.


Step 2.

Nestle your orchids on top of the layer of gravel, maneuvering them until they will sit upright.  This part is a little tricky since they love to just flop right over so feel free to add more rocks or whatever will help them stay up.  I originally bought 3 orchids for this project, but felt that it looked a little crowded so keep that in mind.


Step 3.

Add moss, and really try to pack it down so that your orchids stay put and move around minimally.  Additionally, arrange the moss so that the plastic container that your orchids are sitting in is well concealed.


Step 4.

Move bowl to a sunny location and enjoy!  For tips on how to care for your orchids, check out this link.

I displayed my orchids on our recycled wood console table behind the couch.  It's flanked by two black lanterns on either side that I filled with sand, shells, and a pillar candle.  The black lanterns really compliment the black stitching detail in my new pillows on the couch.  I'm really happy with how this looks, and it's the perfect refresh that my living room needed!


For more home decor projects that I've worked on in the past, check out these posts:

•  Coffee Table Decor 
•  Spring Entryway Decor 
•  Decorating With Dough Bowls

Hoping this gives you a little inspiration to make small changes around your house to welcome in the new warmer weather seasons! Thanks for reading! xx

How To Style Your Bookshelf

Decorating our Restoration Hardware bookshelf was such a fun project for me.  From the beginning, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted; gender friendly and somewhat masculine {not overly girly}, a neutral color palette, an array of interesting antiques combined with contemporary accessories, and lots of great books in subjects that reflect both of our personalities.

Read on to see how it all came together...

From the moment that I placed the order for our HUGE bookshelf, I knew exactly how I wanted it to look and I set out searching Pinterest + the depths of the internet for a little bookshelf inspo.  It didn't take long to realize that what I was envisioning wasn't really out there {and if it was, I certainly couldn't find it}.  Yes, the bookshelf images on Pinterest are beautiful and well photographed, but I was disappointed in how overly feminine everything looked; so much lacquer with pink & gold accents....seriously how do men live in these homes!?  I wanted our bookshelf to be a statement piece that reflected both Adam's personality, as well as my own.

I just love that little zebra figurine!  It reminds me of our honeymoon in South Africa.

Sticking with a neutral color palette allows all of the decor on the bookshelf to flow together.  I also chose books that had a neutral colored spine in subjects that we are both passionate about; art, travel, cars, architecture, fashion, and history.  We both love to travel, and I've tried to get into the habit of picking up a hard covered book on the area we travel to whenever we're on vacation.  It's a nice little reminder of your travels and functions as unique home decor!

I grouped together books according to color and used them to elevate various objects of curiosity.  The small binoculars are an antique that I picked up locally, and were used during World War II.  I am fascinated by history, and have always loved the untold stories that are found in antiques.

A lot of the books + contemporary accessories were purchased through One Kings Lane which is a great place for finding one off pieces.

I tried to vary the way the books were stacked, placing some of them horizontally to use for displaying urns & unique vases, and stacking others vertically.  I also tried to vary the textures of the pieces that I displayed; an aged terracotta urn, a smooth white lacquer box, and a wooden bowl.  Since they're in the same color family, they all balance each other out.

The white lacquer box displays a brown agate on it's top, and I use the box for storing votive candles.  When we have guests over for dinner, I love to fill the bookshelf with votive candles to create a warm ambiance.  

A glass antique demijohn serves as a bookend, while the cream colored linen boxes house loose photographs.

This is perhaps one of my very favorite pieces on our bookshelf!  I found this French terracotta pot that dates back to the 1800's and just love the patina that has developed over the years.  I potted a African Violet in it for a bit of earthy greenery on the bookshelf.

The finished product!  Below, I've linked a few decorative objects that are similar to what I used and a few others that would be perfect on your bookshelf....

 Thanks for reading! xx

Set The Table: Hanukkah Edition

Hi dolls!  Some of you may or may not know that we are a Jewish household over here, so decorating our house for the holidays is vastly different than decorating for Christmas.  I grew up in a Christian home, and converted to Judaism 3 years after I met my husband.  During those 3 years that Adam & I dated I had fallen in love with not only him, but also with the Jewish way of life.  The first thing people say to me after learning that I converted was, "wow you're just like Charlotte from Sex & the City!"  Charlotte was always my favorite character so I'll take it!  Judaism is such a beautiful religion full of age old traditions and I've felt a special connection to it from the moment that I first started studying with a Rabbi prior to my conversion.  I do have to honestly say, however,  that every year around this time, a small piece of me mourns celebrating Christmas....not for the religious aspect because that was never really my thing, but more along the lines of Christmas trees, festive wrapping paper, Santa Claus, Christmas carols, decking my house out for the holidays, etc. 

The Hanukkah decor peeps really need to step up their game because when I walked into Pottery Barn over the weekend, the entire store was solely Christmas decor with one measly little table set up dedicated to Hanukkah.  Whomp whomp.  I always ask Adam if he felt like he was left out when he was growing up but his response is always the same, "Nope, because 8 days are better than just 1....."  and just to clarify, 8 days of gifting is RAD!!! :)

Since this is only my third year celebrating Hanukkah as an official Jew, I imagine that my little boohoo Christmas pity party will get easier with time.  Until then, I'm trying to fully embrace all of the traditions that come with the Festival of Lights, and that means learning the blessings for the lighting of the menorah, immersing myself in new recipes {helloooo brisket, latkes, and fried doughnuts!?}, and making a beautiful blue + white tablescape to celebrate the holiday!

For this tablescape, I wanted our beautiful silver menorah to be the main centerpiece.  I dressed up the rest of the table with lots of mercury glass candle holders with bright white candles.

I layered two table runners to add a bit more texture to the table.  In front of each place setting, I added a few pieces of "Gelt" which is gold foil wrapped chocolate coins that are typically given to children during Hanukkah.

Each place setting contained a metallic silver charger, our basic white everyday plates, and layered blue & white napkins finished off with a simple napkin ring.

I just love mercury glass.  Most of these are from Pottery Barn or West Elm that I've picked up over the years.  The silver Star of David candle plate & mirrored round candle are new this year from Crate & Barrel.

Our menorah is nature inspired by Michael Aram and was a wedding present that we received last year.

I kept my buffet simple with a beautiful bouquet, more mercury glass candles, and a small glass container featuring more chocolate coins.

Happy Holidays! xx

Favorite Spaces Around The House

I have received SO many requests to post pictures of our new home and I wanted to give you all a little new casa update.  We moved into our new place just over a month ago, and I still feel like there is SO much to do!  We have furniture that has yet to arrive, and I haven't hung a single picture or piece of art on any walls {waiting to see how the furniture looks in the rooms once it arrives before working on wall art}.  I've been trying not to rush this process, and only purchase furniture/ home decor that I truly love, rather than purchasing stuff to simply fill up empty spaces.  

Decorating a new house is definitely a labor of love, and while I'm not yet ready to showcase it on the blog via a home tour just yet, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite spaces around here.

Hope you enjoy!

I've been so paranoid about ruining my marble countertops that I purchased a couple of huge butcher block cutting boards and placed them around the kitchen as little work stations.  I love how this one turned out!

cutting board / olive oil bottles / marble salt bowl / utensils crock

A few of my favorite cookbooks displayed with some fresh pomegranates & pears.

marble fruit bowl / marble & glass cloche

I love the look of mixing rustic serving boards against the marble.

large serving board / marble & wood board / spice cellar / pumpkin candle / mercury glass vase

My bookshelf is basically complete {full post on how I styled it will come later}.  This was such a fun project for me to work on.

bookshelf / bench

I love the character & untold stories found in antiques.  I found this French terracotta pot that dates back to the 1800's, and love the patina that it has developed over the years.

And the small clay jar that is sitting on top of the Cars book was found underwater in an area of China that was destroyed by a flood.  I love objects that have a history :)

I ended up switching out the console behind our couch to this one which features reclaimed wood, and placed two large baskets underneath which I filled with throw blankets & pillows.

reclaimed wood console / basket / throw blanket

A little fall decor around the house.

glass hurricanes / candle snuffer

I filled this basket weave tray with travel related books for our guest bedroom.

basket tray

Pretty bedside table vignette in the guest bedroom.

jewelry box

Our hallway is SO long, so instead of having one long runner made, I ordered 2 of the same runners and added a little space between them.  This added a bit of visual appeal to the space and draws the eye to the gap between the two which seems to break up the hallway.

runners

Cheery flowers on our entryway console table.

console table / wood medallions / horn & brass catchall / crystal vase

I took old books, tore out the pages and created fake scrolls.  Kinda fun :)

coffee table / large display bowl

I like to collect books of matches from hotels that we have traveled to.  I love this look of the matches in a small wooden bowl we picked up in Zambia combined with one of my favorite Diptyque candles under a cloche.  Glass cloches make just about anything seem more interesting! 

candle / glass cloche

Thanks so much to everyone who has reached out to me requesting pictures & home updates.  I am beyond flattered that anyone is even the least bit interested in what goes on around here :)  You guys are amazing!  Thanks for reading! xx