After realizing that my previously owned decorations for fall filled basically half of a room in our new rental house, Ryan and I went on a mission to buy a few more festive items to spruce up our home a little bit when he got off work today.
I fell in love with those adorable embroidered pumpkin napkins at TJMaxx and didn’t let the fact that there were only four in a pack dissuade me from buying them. I just used two yellow napkins we already had on hand at the two remaining spots at our dining room table. Problem solved!
That candle smells glorious! I couldn’t get enough of it in the store and stood in the aisle inhaling all the different candle scents until that one jumped out at me.
Now I just need to head to a pumpkin patch to pick up a pumpkin and some festive gourds and I think our house will look nice and festive!
Oh and did you notice that the windows are open in our house tonight?
These are the kind of days that make living in Florida so fantastic. We deal with disgusting heat for a few months in the summer, but then the lovely slightly cool weather lasts for quite a while. I’m hoping the 90+ degree days are done for the year, but I’m not holding my breath.
Dinner
Guess who tackled the grill this evening? This girl!
Though Ryan is usually the meat man in the house, I wanted to learn how to use our new grill and grilled two teriyaki chicken breasts for us to eat.
I marinated the meat in a teriyaki marinade that I made by following a recipe on my friend Kara’s blog, Reservation for Two.
(I doubled it for two large chicken breasts.)
Kara is one of my friends from high school (we were on the diving team together) and her blog details delicious dinner recipes, perfect for two people.
Kara knows what she’s talkin’ about because our chicken breasts tasted delicious!
And grilling really was pretty darn simple! I still think I’ll let Ryan be the primary griller in our house, but it wasn’t too hard at all.
We enjoyed our chicken along with roasted asparagus and whole wheat sandwich thins, topped with a bit of butter and garlic salt.
I think the teriyaki marinade would also be great on pork, salmon or even tofu. Definitely worth a shot. I’m keeping it in mind for the future!
Off to hang with Ryan and Sadie. The Sing Off starts soon and I have to warm up my vocal cords so I can sing along with these amazing a cappella groups and make Ryan’s ears bleed put them to shame.
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You have inspired me to decorate later in the week! And DH here is cooking me some sort of Cuban Grilled Pork thing. Okie Dokie!
The Kidless Kronicles
I love the festive touch. The napkins are the cutest. I am working on being a little more festive around my house.
I know you are a Lululemon gal bc I’ve seen a post or two about that on your blog. Just wanted to share that I’m doing a $50 Lululemon giveaway on my new revamped blog, in case you are interested. 🙂
http://www.hilaryfleming.com/2011/10/welcome-50-lululemon-giveaway.html
oooh awesome!
Julie I love the new decorations, they’re so festive. Nothing like making your house feel even more warm and like YOURS. Those yellow napkins in bows ROCK. I never would have guessed you just threw them in there 😛
thanks! i got home and was like… okay, now what do i put there!?
I love your fall decorations! Those place mats are adorable!
big lots! they were less than $2 each!
looks delicious! i’ve tried a similar marinade on salmon..soo good!!
I actually love that there were only 4 in your cute napkin bundle, because it gives you opportunity to add the 2 adorable yellow napkins which gives it a “pop”. This may seem weird but I always like when things come in a small enough amount that you have to add your own little flavuh to it! The chicken looks delish, and I find it funny you make ghetto garlic bread too… it’s the best!
I am loving those napkins!! The placemats are SO cute as well 🙂 Where did you find them?
big lots!
I wish I got to decorate like that but my boyfriend keeps telling me we have to wait til we have room (i.e. not a small apartment) to store holiday decorations and since we already have TONS of Christmas stuff I am limited in space…but I love the maple leaf placemats, they are sooo cute!!!
I love your table settings! Are the leaf placemats from homegoods too? I can’t believe its finally fall time! I’m so excited!
the placemats are from big lots 🙂
I’m scared to cook chicken because I’m always afraid it isn’t done! When I finish cooking a chicken breast it always has tons of cuts in it because I keep cutting it open to see if it’s still pink!
MMM That chicken looks amazing!!! I find grilling to be the easiest and most healthy kind of meal to make!
I love the sing off!! I can hear it starting in the other room… Hurry up and eat, Hailey!! 🙂
Yay for the Sing Off! I rarely watch competition shows but these people are truely talented. Watching right now…and DVRing Terra Nova at the same time.
Mmm I love teriyaki! I bought some salmon to grill this week, so I might have to use this for them!
I love your handwriting!
I love the placemats! The place looks like it’s really coming together. Decorating is so fun!! 🙂
Love the fall decor 🙂
Don’t you just love decorating a new house?? When we did our big remodel, I went a *tad* overboard with decorating for every single season for the first year (or two. or three. oh heck, I’m still going overboard.)
PS I adore Yankee candles, especially “Autumn Wreath”. I have “Pumpkin Buttercream” burning on our coffee table right now. Yum. If you read a news story about a stupid woman in Missouri who got sick from eating her fall-scented candle, you can probably guess who that will be 🙂
I LOVE those palcemats!! Super cute. I like your idea with the yellow napkins too!
I love those napkins! So cute.. I keep picking up pumpkin/fall-scented candles and little pumpkins for my apartment, and I think my roommate thinks I’m nuts. 😉
I love your friend’s blog! Thanks for sharing, I will be following both of you now! I am always on the look our for recipes good for two since I am not a leftovers fan.
that chicken looks delicious!! so tender. i love marinades that you can actually taste… as opposed to those store bought ones that always seem to lose their flavor.
i have your t-shirt and a few halloween treats ready to send out tomorrow!
i’m so excited!!
Awww I <3 your table. The placemats and napkins are super cute!
The table settings are adorable!!
The table settings are great! I wish I was festive and craft but sadly I am not – they look adorable though!
Those are adorable! I was just thinking I needed some fun but inexpensive fall decorations. Looks like I’m headed to TJmaxx!
i love those placemats and your fall decor in general! and that marinade sounds delicious! i am definitely gonna have to try it!
<3 Jenni
Very hip, way to tackle the grill and not be intimidated by it. nice work, next is ribs im guessing? ha
ribs!? you must be crazy. 🙂
Ha. Now, Im sure with a little patients and close monitoring you would make your better half proud. You didnt think you would ever get on the grill and here we are, so why stop at chicken!
i am obsessed with the autumn wreath candle!! i love fall scents.
That chicken looks so good! And, I’m going to HAVE to go to Yankee Candle tomorrow…. Thanks for always posting awesome ideas, Julie!
I love grilling, but The Boy is the main griller in our household. He makes some AHmazing steak!
CUTE festiveness! I love it.
I am afraid of the grill….but tackled some turkey burgers the other night. They were deeeeelish! 🙂
cuteee!
Love the napkins and the decor in the dining room. You make me want to go out and buy a bunch of decorations!
What a great, simple teriyaki sauce. Looks yummy!
Your home looks so welcoming with all this decor! Thanks for the recipe link-up- it looks great and am always looking for new chicken/tofu recipes!
Your house looks so inviting!! Nice work.
Julie, I put peanut butter in my oats this morning. I am converted 🙂
Love the soft furnishings 🙂 Very jealous of the seasonal change over there! Londoner’s just don’t seem to get into it over here!
Wow, what a beautifully decorated table! That looks amazing!
I love all your decorations, they all look great! Yay, glad you finally have some cooler weather! 🙂
Congrats on using the grill for the first time! Your dinner looks delicious!! 🙂
Love your fall decorations!! We just got some gourds and Indian corn for our table. Fall candles is next on the list!
I was just thinking how great this marinade would be on salmon. Great job on dinner!
Love your new decorations. They’re so cute!
I LOVE those placemats and your dinning room table set!
Your singing is probably more enjoyable then my trying to mimic the dance moves on Dancing With the Stars 🙂
Hope Ryan’s ears are okay!
I am a candle freak too!!!
My mom would probably say the same thing about my singing!! It even makes my ear hurt! :/ LOL
I love those place mats!!! They are super wicked!
I love your new fall decor! I’m so jealous! 😉 I love fall inspired candles! My favorites have to be pumpkin scents. I’ve reccently become obsessed with the scent “Leaves” from Bath and Body Works. If you haven’t smelled it yet, you should! It’s heavenly! 🙂
I’m loving the pace mats. I wonder if I’m skilled enough to make some??? On second thought, I should probably better start looking for them in stores…
This year I bought two yellow mums and set them down in a plastic pumpkins. It was an inexpensive and a great look for my front porch!
Wow I love your decoration, the theme of fall is great! Your home sweet home looks pretty cosy!