We’ve been in our new home for 10 months now and I still am trying to convince myself that it doesn’t have to feel “done” to share snippets of it. I’ve worked diligently to bring a feeling of hygge into our home and while it’s not “finished,” I do love the progress we’ve made. I think it will be fun to share how it evolves year over year, but for now it’s pretty exciting to decorate for our first fall!

I was so hesitant to do anything to our old home (put a nail in the wall for example) because what if I changed my mind and didn’t like it? It’s a mindset that kept our previous home less than personalized. But I love a personalized home; a place you walk into and it just feels like that person. I’ve realized to create that takes some time and intention in choosing things you love, but it also takes some boldness in decisions and a mix of old and new. I’m a work in progress.

Getting to put up some fall decor has certainly enhanced the feeling of comfort and coziness I feel in this place. I hope my kids will remember the feeling of home their whole lives through: the aromas from the kitchen, the softness of blankets, the ambiance of candles and lamps, and the feeling of being loved for just who they are in a place they can be completely themselves.

Maybe that sounds a little deep for just sharing some fall decor, but it’s the heart of it for me. Leaning into the season and making my home warm and welcoming is one of my favorite hobbies. So in celebration of the kick off to fall, and the understanding that sharing this in no way means I think I am up there with Chris Loves Julia, let me show you around!

Oh, and I’ve linked anything linkable in my ShopMy Store, which is so nice because you can include products from anywhere, not just from Amazon. Ok, let’s start in the front, then walk with me into the living room and through it, to the back porch.

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Something I’ve embraced is my current stage of life. I love the look of realistic faux fall stems and gorgeous plaid pillows. My girls love a soft and fuzzy fall chicken blanket, spinning my green chairs around like a carnival game, and having the dog’s favorite octopus toy accessible to play with in the living room. For me, there is room for all of it. While I tried my best to clean up a bit for most of these pictures, I adore the signs of life in a home and right now the proof of my kids cuddling on the couch and leaving the chess pieces scattered after a game add to the feeling that this is where we do our living.

Come with me now into the kitchen and dining area, then down the hall into the scullery (where we have the coffee) and laundry room (that houses just a small seasonal detail, a framed picture of the girls from apple picking years ago- my heart!).

A lot of the dining area is still a work in progress. David is going to hang the mirror on the wall and, like much of my house, it needs art. Art is the hardest thing for me. Trying to decide on the right size and find something I love that isn’t just a filler feels like a challenge. But like I said, a work in progress.

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and that’s the bulk of it! There are some things though that I can’t convey through a blog post. The cozy fall jazz music I have playing at almost all times. The flickering of candle light. The peaks of color beginning to show on the trees through the window. The aromas of bread baking and soup simmering.

Because while I love adding to my seasonal decor (I just bought some more leaf garland yesterday to put up) and having the house cleaned up, what ultimately feels homey to me is when my kitchen counter looks like this:

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Proof of life.

Happy sigh.

Share with me- do you enjoy seasonal decor? What do you love about your home? Is there anything special you do in the fall to add to the coziness?