Halloween Decor: How to keep it stylish with kids around

I've always loved decorating for the holidays and now with children it's even better. They get so excited when it's time to bring out the decor! As fun as it may be though, it's challenging to incorporate kid approved decor while keeping it stylish and chic.  Over the years I've learned a few tricks I'm sharing here with you, so you don't have to stare at a green and purple witch with a frilly costume sitting in your living room {unless you like that sorta thing, which is cool too}. Here we go:

1. Black & White is always nice.

Or any color palette you choose. If you stick to a consistent color palette the decor in your home will look streamlined and not over the top.  A classic black and white palette is easy to execute during Halloween.  This year I went with black and white decor with pops of orange.  I let the kids pick out the "clown pumpkin" which is a whimsical enough for them and stylish enough for me.










Not into black and white? Any color palette will work.  Check out this beautiful and unique pastel Halloween.

Peachfully Chic 

2.  Pumpkin Overload.

Kids love pumpkins.  Stack them everywhere.  Textured pumpkins add a nice design element and you can make them with the kids.  Have them add gold glitter, black pom poms, jute string or fishnet pantyhose.  The options are endless. Just make sure you stick to that color palette I mentioned above so it doesn't look like a kindergarten class threw up in your living room.

Good Housekeeping

3.  Take it outside.

If I'm getting a lot of resistance from the family on my "fancy decor," I let them go all out with the exterior decorations.  My kids go insane over those lawn things that blow up. Outside we have spiders hanging from the windows, witches projecting on our wall and light up pumpkins. Best part, I don't have to see it unless I'm outside.

4.  Arts & Crafts.

Adding to the textured pumpkins which are so hands on for the kids, cut out ghosts, bats or witches are fun too.  You can find templates online and then just have the kids cut them out and help you hang them up.  Again, if you stick to a color palette, little white ghosts will look uber chic flying up your wall.

Beautiful Mess

5.  Keep it fun.

This is the most important thing.  If the kids want a green witch that laughs when you walk by, so be it. Make the best of it and incorporate into your decor. It's all about keeping it fun and creating memories for them they will treasure forever.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Guess how much I paid?

There's a common misconception that in order to create a beautiful space, one must blow all their savings.  Truth is, that's not at all the case. You don't need a big budget to make your home look like it belongs in a magazine {or that you spent way more than you actually did}.  Here are a few tips on how to get that that Pinterest worthy look on a small budget.

1. Upgrade Lighting

Get rid of those boob lights and upgrade to a modern chandelier or a more budget friendly flush mount.  Be sure to add dimmers, as lighting is important in setting the ambience.  Add lamps as well, to side tables, console tables and night stands.  Don't have room for lamps? Then add a sconce.  You don't even need to hard wire some of them, these modern ones can be plugged into the wall.

Fringed Haven Design

2. Mix Affordable and Expensive Pieces

Mix expensive pieces with more affordable ones.  Are you really crushing on that $3K velvet couch? Get it. Then add an area rug from West Elm, chairs from IKEA or some vintage pieces from a thrift store. You'll enjoy your luxury couch without blowing your budget and your more affordable pieces will seem as luxurious.

Domino

3.  Large Scale Artwork

You can find great artwork these days online at sites like Society 6, Art.com and even Urban Outfitters.  Opt for large scale pieces that make a bold statement and make the room seem grander. Tapestries are also a great option and can sometimes be more affordable.

Liza Marie Blog

4.  Window Treatments

This one is extremely important.  Invest in custom window treatments and drapes, or at least great quality ones. Make sure the drapes reach the floors, the curtain rods are sturdy and placed at least 6 inches above the window frame. This creates the illusion of a taller window and higher ceilings.

Copy  Cat Chic

5.  Texturize

Don't be afraid to add texture.  Incorporate textiles, metallics and patterns to give the room depth and character. Think gold frames, lush fabrics and patterns.  If that's too bold for you, stick to a monochromatic theme with different textures.

6.  Style Everything

Style every bookshelf, night table, console table or clutter corner you have.  You can use books and items from thrift shops as well as incorporating a more expensive vase or lamp.  Personalize the spaces by adding your favorite plant or family photos.

7.  Fresh Flowers

Fresh flowers are everything.  They help make a room inviting and bring it to life. They add a pop of color as well dimension.  Flowers will help you create that magazine ready space we all crave.

The Everygirl

Love Letter to Myself for the New Year

Hi friend:

I see you sitting there in your yoga pants contemplating the past, present and future.  Let it go.  It's time to focus on 2018, its all about you.  This year you're going to be selfish and you're not going to feel guilty about it.  Since becoming a mother almost five years ago, you have made life about everyone else but yourself.  You've devoted all your hours, minutes and seconds to your family.  This year, you are going to give yourself the same unconditional love you give others.  In order to love others to your full potential, you must first love yourself.  Being selfish is not going to make you a "bad" mom or wife.  It's actually going to make you happier, centered and accomplished.

First on the list, stop trying to attain perfection.  You put so much unnecessary pressure on yourself when in reality, you are the only one who notices if your rug has crayon marks, if the dishes aren't done or if you're not perfectly put together {every. single. day}.  I understand you can't help but obsess over  the "perfect lives" on Instagram but remember, its easy to play pretend on social media. There's no way that mother, with those five children, has a perfectly organized house every day. Don't be so hard on yourself.  It's completely fine to let your son eat chips off the floor or to allow your daughter to eat  Oreos for dinner. It's called survival mode and you're rocking the shit out of it.

Second, your business is going to BOOM and not in the way you think. Fringed Haven is your passion project. You started it to inspire people, build relationships and beautiful spaces.  When something is created out of passion and authenticity, it grows on its own and that is what you've manifested.  This year strive to connect with people on a deeper level by building trust and friendships in order to deliver beyond their expectations.

Third, read, read and read some more.  Not a magazine or social media posts, actual books.  Put down the phone and pick up a book.  There are so many things that interest you - spirituality, Buddhism, architecture, design, cooking....read about it, learn about it.  Remember those corny commercials  with the stars floating across the screen and the tag line 'the more you know' popping up? Knowledge is power.

Fourth, write, write, write.  Commit to writing at least one blog post a week.  Your readers have expressed their fondness in your writing. Give the people what they want will you?  At the very least, keep a journal handy and write down your thoughts throughout the day.  Great ideas pop into your mind all the time but exhaustion at the end of the day seems to vanish them.  Don't let the next big "thing" slip your mind.

Fifth, get your ass into the yoga studio, like yesterday.  Remember when yoga was your thing?   Remember how it makes you feel?  How it grounds you, relaxes you, helps you sleep?  I'm sure you would love to feel that bliss again.  I mean, you already have your yoga pants on. Put them to good use.

Most importantly {and I stole this quote from somewhere but I can't remember where}, "stop saying YES to shit you hate."  More so, just stop saying yes to anything you really want to say NO to.  It's alright if you just want to stay home on a Saturday night, or if you don't want to schedule a play date with that mom you don't really like, or if you rather not attend the networking event.  Declutter your life and only say yes to what truly makes you happy.

2018 is going to be about spiritual understanding and personal growth.  Peace, love and happiness in New Year!

xx,

Me

Our Christmas

I almost fell out of my chair when I realized it's been 5 months since my last post.  Major props to those mom warriors that post every day.  Please tell me, what's your secret? Well, there's no time like the present, and 5 days after Christmas, to give you a look into our holiday decor and family photo shoot.  Procrastination at its finest, I know.  Clearly I'm not great at this blogging thing.

So originally, I planned on decorating #allwhiteeverything,  like a chic winter wonderland in a farmhouse somewhere in the country.  I took my daughter shopping to help me pick out Christmas decor and all went south quickly.  She wanted everything red and green, my least favorite.  I gave in of course being that she's only 4 and one day she won't really care what color I choose to decorate the house.

 I love the shelf above our TV because I treat it like a mantel.  Again, as if I were in the country and the mantel was really above the chimney.  I change the decor with the seasons.

Every year, we get tons of Christmas cards.  This year I actually purchased a little something to place the cards and we received only like 5.  Bummer.  I guess I shouldn't complain when we went virtual with ours this year sent via text.

Who else but Target would have these fabulous pom-pom pillow with Christmas trees?

This kid hates photo shoots.  I die with this photo though, that pout.

We tried a little something different this year for our shoot, thanks to our photographers suggestion.  I am in love with the way it came out.

Check out the story behind these initials on my Instagram, in case you missed it. They're extra special.

Hoping you had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.  Now, it's time to relax and enjoy the next week or so before the New Year.

XOXO

Photo cred: Aragon Photography





SaveSave

The Garden

I'm into gardening lately.  Wait, that's a lie.  I am into eating the food that's flourishing in our garden. It tastes that much sweeter knowing it's truly organic and pesticide free.  Since having our kids, I've become that much pickier as to what goes into our mouths.  Except when I'm scarfing down pizza and beer.  I mean, who doesn't NEED pizza and beer occasionally?

I've always dreamt of having a garden where I can source our food from.  Let me preface by saying I really, really, really dislike bugs {trying avoid using the word hate}. I mean, like if there's a spider in my bedroom, on the ceiling, on the other side of the room, I probably won't sleep in that room until it's dealt with.  Obviously, part of gardening is dealing with bugs.  The scary kind of bugs that hide in the dirt and jump out at you when your hands deep.  So although I've always dreamt of having a garden, part of my dream did not include me being the gardener.  Cue in the husband.  We had a little  "sit down" and I took to Pinterest to show him all the garden ideas and inspiration I'd been collecting.  I also kindly asked that he do the gardening, I would do the cooking.  Match made in Heaven.

Our space is not nearly as large as the space in the above photos, but I thought we could make it work.  Andres got to building out the garden.  We saved the seeds from the squash, green and red peppers we'd eaten and he planted those along with carrots, basil and butter leaf lettuce.  I have a confession to make, I'm a bad wife.  I didn't check out his masterpiece until about 6 months after it was done.  I know, shameful (I had an excuse, I was in 'just-had-baby' daze).  When I did go out and have a look :: dreams shattered :: nothing like my inspirational photos.  

Carrots

Green & Red Peppers

I'll admit, my inspiration photos may have been a little ambitious.  I'm actually not even mad because the man's got a green thumb.  He basically took all the seeds and through them in the dirt.  In no particular order.  We've got carrots growing next to peppers and squash just taking over the whole damn party.  We've got a few things sprouting we're not even sure what they are.  He swears he planted basil here {see below}, but it smells nothing like basil.  Somehow though, he's made it work.

Basil??

Squash {we're not sure if it's butternut, spaghetti or pumpkin} 

If you follow me on Instagram stories, you've seen us eat the red peppers and lettuce.  Truly delicious!  I can't wait to pick the carrots and squash.  We've got a big problem with the squash though, the vines are now taking over my backyard.  My daughter thinks Cinderella's carriage and the Fairy Godmother will manifest soon.  I'm just worried it will kill all the other veggies.   Husband has promised me that after everything has sprouted, he will rebuild and replant. For amateur gardeners, we're not doing that bad.  Like how I took some of the credit there?