Best Of
The Best Of September 2024
Best Of
October 3, 2024
The Best Of September 2024
Can you believe that September has already come and gone? This time of year is my absolute favorite and we've been busy finishing up house projects (the mudroom is officially checked off the 2024 project list!) and launching two new product lines! It was such a surreal moment to see our wallpaper designs on the shelves at Lowes […]
October 3, 2024
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Entertaining
12 Tips for How to Host and Make Your Guests Feel Completely at Ease
Entertaining
October 2, 2024
12 Tips for How to Host and Make Your Guests Feel Completely at Ease
I recently got a question from a commenter who asked me how I entertain at home to make guests feel at ease. This question came at a great time since fall can be a natural hosting season from watch parties (there's football...or The Bach) to Thanksgiving. The truth is — Chris and I really *enjoy* […]
October 2, 2024
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North Carolina Home
Our Exterior House Tour | Fall 2024
North Carolina Home
September 30, 2024
Our Exterior House Tour | Fall 2024
This year has been the (slightly unexpected) year of our exterior renovation! And, honestly, the house has never felt more us. Let me take you through a tour of what we've accomplished this year! All the renovations we've done to our "Modern Colonial" North Carolina home feel like they represent the elements that I loved […]
September 30, 2024
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Chris Cooks
Blackberry Campfire S’mores
Chris Cooks
September 29, 2024
Blackberry Campfire S’mores
I'm even more excited to share today's recipe with you because it's more than just a dessert—it inspired a lip balm flavor! That's right, we just launched a collaboration with our friends at Poppy & Pout based on three fall desserts that I developed just for you. We love Poppy & Pout because they're just […]
September 29, 2024
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Entertaining
The Top 12 Fall Scents for Your Pura Smart Diffuser - 2024
Entertaining
September 27, 2024
The Top 12 Fall Scents for Your Pura Smart Diffuser - 2024
Everyone gets excited to decorate for fall (same!) but an often overlooked element of decorating is how a home smells. Scent is such a powerful tool in making your home feel warm, welcoming, and seasonal. When I think about fall scents I definitely want some spicy or woodsy notes in there like cardamom, amber and […]
September 27, 2024
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Design
A Change in the Dining Room: Our New Dining Chairs
Design
September 26, 2024
A Change in the Dining Room: Our New Dining Chairs
For the past few years we've had a set of vintage chairs in our dining room and I really do love them... at least I love how they look. But to be honest, they are really uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. We love to host dinner parties and game nights and […]
September 26, 2024
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product lines
Chris Loves Julia x Poppy & Pout is Live! (And the backstory is dripping with history)
product lines
September 24, 2024
Chris Loves Julia x Poppy & Pout is Live! (And the backstory is dripping with history)
Shop The CLJ x Poppy & Pout Trio Today is the day!! You can shop our limited edition collaboration of lip balms with Poppy & Pout! Each set, comes with three 100% natural, clear balms inspired by where you live AND actual Chris Cooks recipes developed for each!! Every detail is dripping with the signature […]
September 24, 2024
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North Carolina Home
Mudroom Exterior Renovation with New Pavers & Plants
North Carolina Home
September 23, 2024
Mudroom Exterior Renovation with New Pavers & Plants
Our mudroom renovation has been quite the journey... a year-long journey to be exact! One of the factors making this a more complex (and lengthy) project was that it involved significant changes to both the interior and the exterior of the space (if you remember, this was a laundry room before!). After adding an exterior […]
September 23, 2024
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Chris Cooks
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Chris Cooks
September 22, 2024
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
I'm straying a bit from our typical gluten and dairy-free theme this week, sharing one of the things I make my two daughters who don't have food restrictions. Everyone loves a good mac and cheese, but something I struggle with the number of commonplace foods that are just differently shaped combinations of grain and dairy. […]
September 22, 2024
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Fashion
The Lady Jacket: Fall 2024's It Girl Top
Fashion
September 21, 2024
The Lady Jacket: Fall 2024's It Girl Top
The lady jacket isn't exactly a new concept (think Jackie O.) but it's certainly having a moment this fall! Lady jackets come in all different styles (see below!) but typically they have a crew neckline, a slightly cropped length, and focal point buttons. Some are heavier like an actual jacket and some are more lighter-weight […]
September 21, 2024
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Gift Guides!
Housewarming Presents Your Friends Will Love | Gift Guide
Gift Guides!
September 20, 2024
Housewarming Presents Your Friends Will Love | Gift Guide
Buying a house or moving into a rental is a really big life event that can have a lot of stress surrounding it. It's also a really big accomplishment. It can sometimes be months if not longer before you feel settled enough to have people over. But even before they're ready for guests, I think […]
September 20, 2024
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Product Tests
The Ultimate Test: The Best Waterproof Doormats
Product Tests
September 18, 2024
The Ultimate Test: The Best Waterproof Doormats
This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. If there are rainy seasons in North Carolina, it's usually the summer and winter. Summer is drenching thunderstorms and winter is just a steady drizzle on and off every other week. A coir, fabric or jute doormat is great if you want to show […]
September 18, 2024
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DIY
Can You Paint an Electrical Meter Box? (Answer: Yes!)
DIY
September 16, 2024
Can You Paint an Electrical Meter Box? (Answer: Yes!)
We're finalizing the exterior hardscaping around the mudroom and one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was the meter box. It's that pale grey color and against the red brick, it was just too loud. So I decided to spray-paint it, and the payoff was immediate! There's really only one portion that you […]
September 16, 2024
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Chris Cooks
10-Minute Tomato Salad with Red Pepper Dressing
Chris Cooks
September 15, 2024
10-Minute Tomato Salad with Red Pepper Dressing
Bowls (similar) | Platter | Copper Candlestick (similar) | Taper Candles | Wooden Serving Utensils | Plaid Tablecloth (similar) Late summer hits, and it's like the world collectively moves on to fall. But there is still an abundance of tomatoes and bright greens at the market. And it's actually the perfect time of year to […]
September 15, 2024
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Fashion
Fall Boots (And My Hot Take on Skinny Jeans)
Fashion
September 14, 2024
Fall Boots (And My Hot Take on Skinny Jeans)
There are two types of boots I'm seeing everywhere this season that create two very different silhouettes for your favorite outfits. One is a very slender boot, often with a pointed toe. Because jeans are getting wider (hello to my new favorite pair), it's great to have a slim boot that you can zip up […]
September 14, 2024
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Decor
Halloween Decor Ideas for a Traditional, Spooky Vibe
Decor
September 13, 2024
Halloween Decor Ideas for a Traditional, Spooky Vibe
I tend to go for a traditional, elegant, and spooky approach to Halloween decor rather than a cutesy vibe. I want it to feel like my house is really abandoned!! Imagine if my home had been left untouched for 150 years...that's the look I'm going for. We're talking cobwebs, spiders, bats, ugly pumpkins with warts, […]
September 13, 2024
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Lifestyle
The Best Fall Candles in 2024
Lifestyle
September 12, 2024
The Best Fall Candles in 2024
Every year, I love to revisit my favorite fall candles—I keep a lot in storage if we haven't burned through them yet. Bringing out those tried-and-true candles always evokes scent memories. Like a game night we had with some dear friends last year. Or the backdrop to an amazing fall dinner that Chris whipped up […]
September 12, 2024
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Decor
3 Areas of the House That Pack the Biggest Punch for Fall
Decor
September 11, 2024
3 Areas of the House That Pack the Biggest Punch for Fall
Faux Oak Branch | Vase | Serving Bowl | Candle | Dining Table | Chairs (vintage) (similar) | Wallpaper | Gallery Wall | Edie Two-Tier Chandelier After the busyness of summer, fall feels like a chance to really return to my roots of being a homebody. And yet, that doesn't mean I'm home alone just with my family! I love to have people over as well! There are […]
September 11, 2024
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Projects
Before & After: A Laundry Room Into A Mudroom
Projects
September 9, 2024
Before & After: A Laundry Room Into A Mudroom
Well fam, we made it. We're finally here! The mudroom is officially done. I looked back at the very first post about transforming this space, and it was one year ago, almost to the day. On the one hand, I feel a little deflated that it took us a year. And on the other hand, […]
September 9, 2024
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Chris Cooks
Crab Cakes with Easy Remoulade Sauce (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Chris Cooks
September 8, 2024
Crab Cakes with Easy Remoulade Sauce (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
I love ordering crab cakes out—they're such a treat. But if I want to make crab cakes at home, they need to cater to our food restrictions. That means they have to be delicious AND have no eggs, dairy, wheat, gluten or grains. Well these knock it out of the park, thanks to some secret […]
September 8, 2024
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