a day in the life Archives

this week, it’s all about a refresh for fall. whether it be our wardrobes or our homes, fall is a great time to change things out and spruce things up—just a bit. (especially with the year we’ve had, i’ll take any excuse for a little reboot.) all week we’re building on one of your favorite series a day in the life. for our new readers, this is an opportunity to give you a little look into my daily life—my home in particular. yesterday, i gave you a glimpse of my fall porch refresh. today, i’m giving you a look at my living room refresh for fall. also, we’re sharing a book club with style update that you’re not going to want to miss.

keep it casual

i’m keeping it super casual today, because, well, i’m just in that kinda mood. i’ve got a boatneck shirt (old) paired with the same jeans we featured yesterday. (yes, ankle jeans will always be in style despite what you may have heard.) i’m such a fan of slip-ons with interesting prints and designs. i’m loving these Vince crocodile print shoes. they add some some flare to today’s OOTD that just makes me happy.

a look at my living room refresh

i get a lot of questions on where i get my home furniture, art, and home decor. i’m going to let you in on an open secret: Ballard Designs. i’ve purchased so many of my pieces from them, it’s almost a little silly. i love, love, love Ballard Designs, as well as Grandin Road. Grandin Road has such unbelievably fun holiday decorations, if you haven’t checked them out, i highly suggest that you do.

this time of year i incorporate subtle changes like exchanging the pillows. isn’t this cheetah pillow adorable? velvet is a deep rich fabric perfect for autumn and winter. and i love to clip the flowers from my hydrangea bush and dry them in a blue & white planter strategically placed in the fireplace.

there are two martini tables at my beck and call when guests arrive. they’re lightweight so can move with ease around the room.

the most reader requested item is the above painting called To See You Again. this was purchased long before mr. style was diagnosed with liver cancer. but it signified our marriage – two boats united as one.

book club

for those of you that don’t know, i’m part of an online Facebook book club called book club with style. (yes, you can join!) this month we’re reading Rhys Bowen’s Above the Bay of Angels. i’m also so, so excited to announce the new release from my book club co-host Hank Phillippi Ryan The First to Lie. Both books are highly recommended, especially if you’re on the hunt for a new book.

above the bay of angels | above the bay of angels (audiobook) | the first to lie

a day in the life

i hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my front porch refresh update. in case you’re new to the blog or missed some of our entries into a day in the life series, make sure to check all of them out below.

it’s hard to believe fall is here in full force. temperatures have dropped here in Athens. we’re hovering about 60 right now with a high of about 70. before you know it, we’ll be in holiday mode: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. and then—you said it—2020 will be over! thankfully, right? it’s been a tough year, no doubt. but if we continue to keep our eyes to the sky and our hands intertwined with the ones we love, we’ll be fine. that being said, we’re refreshed and refocused here at style at a certain age. and we’re really excited for today’s post. over the past year or so, i’ve been giving you a periodic look at my home through a series we call a day in the life. today, i’m delighted to show you my southern porch refresh for fall.

keep it preppy

today’s OOTD is a super simple, preppy fall classic: a sweater and jeans. yup, that easy. but is there really anything better when temps start to drop? i’ve kept it neutral today: beige slim ankle jeans and a mock neck sweater (old) over a perfect shirt from J.Crew. i’m loving these Vince slip-on sneakers from Nordstrom—so comfortable in and out of the house.

it’s easy to take the basic idea of this outfit and mix and match to your mood. feel like adding a color pop? swap the neutral shirt out for a red, orange, or yellow? want to mix some patterns? go bold with your sweater choice. hard to really go wrong when you establish a classic base to work with like this one.

southern porch refresh for fall

we spent the weekend refreshing my porch. we swapped out the rocker pillows and blanket, breathing fresh life of the crisp autumn air into my porch rockers.

i’m loving this adirondack basket from Ballard Designs.

and of course, it was time to swap out the flowers in my planters and window boxes. i just love the assortment of colors. what do you think? the planters look like they’re Mackenzie Childs but they are from Grandin Road. every year i add one more planter to the porch as they add a touch of whimsey.

and how fun are these heirloom pumpkins? first time i’ve ever purchased them. they were just so fun, i couldn’t resist.

a day in the life

i hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my front porch refresh update. in case you’re new to the blog or missed some of our entries into a day in the life series, make sure to check all of them out below.

it’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. in some ways, this has been the slowest summer on record, for obvious reasons; but almost paradoxically it’s been one of the quickest. it’s hard to put into words everything that’s transpired over the past six months, so i won’t even try. all i will say is this: back in the spring, we promised style at a certain age would be fashion distraction, and we remain committed to that more than ever.

as absolutely bizarre as this summer has been, there have been a few bright spots. without even going to a movie theater, i found my favorite summer movie: Palm Springs with Andy Samberg. so smart. so funny. has anyone else seen it? if you’ve seen it too, let me know what you think of it in the comments.

with all that being said, usually at the end of the month, we round up our top 5 reader’s picks for that month. we’re going to do things a little differently. all this week, we’re going to repost our reader’s favorites from the months of May, June, July, and August. we’ve done our best to refresh all links, and in the cases where the items are sold out, we’ve provided you with similars. so without further ado, here’s your favorite post from May: a day in the life | my living room refresh.

a day in the life: my living room refresh

throughout this year, we’ve introduced our a day in the life series where we give you regular updates and tours of my home. we’ve walked you through everything from my kitchen to my downstairs basement. we love interior design and decorating over here on the blog, and given how much time i’ve had at home lately, i decided to tweak my living and dining room. i’m a big believer in change and mixing things up. and an easy way to implement change is to start at home and rearrange things a bit. it feels good, i promise. so join us today and take a tour of my living room refresh.

ruffle shell & white pants

today’s OOTD is perfect for spring or summer—indoors or out. i’ve got a pair of clean, riveria pants from Loft, i’m loving this floral ruffle shell, also from Loft. i love floral for spring and summer and have featured it extensively over the years. it never goes out of style, and it’s so easy to integrate into your wardrobe. whether through a pair of floral pants, floral dress, or a ruffle shell like the one i have on today, nothing says seasonal transition quite like floral.

ruffle shell | riveria pants | shoes

my living room refresh

i’m always tinkering with my home. i’m constantly moving furniture around and rearranging placement of everything from my art to lamps, vases, and plants. it’s amazing how even the most subtle changes to our living spaces can impact our mood for the better. a few months ago, i gave you all a tour of my living room. over the past few months, i’ve been playing around with things a bit and making a few tweaks that i wanted to share with you.

boat painting

a day in the life

the biggest change i made was rearranging the furniture, and boy has it opened things up. things feel so much more open now, and i’m really enjoying what feels like extra space. i’ve also invested in a new dining room chandelier, which i’m loving. it gives the room a new feel, which amazes me. hard to believe sometimes how a little change can have such an effect.

chairs | table | chandelier | sideboard | sideboard lamps

bookcase | cane wingback chair | louis XVI footstool | chandelier

sideboard | olive tree | lamp | heron painting | ginger jars

a day in the life

i hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my living room update. in case you’re new to the blog or missed some of our entries into a day in the life series, make sure to check all of them out below.

last week, on fridays with oscar, i gave you a view of my remodeled porch. we received so many requests for a more in depth look, so today i’m giving you a tour of my remodeled porch. as my regulars will know, my house has been an ongoing work in progress. we started slowly, and each year, try to take on one or two refresh projects. my porch is the first room i put together when mr. style and i moved to Athens four years ago. it’s a place where the family always gathers for long summer evenings and even longer conversations. so enjoy a fresh OOTD and a look at my take on a southern porch. and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below.

outfit of the day

today’s OOTD takes a page from our how to wear shorts tutorial we ran last week. i was asked by some readers whether i’d wear shorts after my knee surgery. the answer is, “yes”. i’ve got a pair of high-rise shorts from Banana today. i’ve paired them with a simple v-neck for a classic spring look. you can see how my knee is healing and progressing below.

a look prior

and now for a tour of my remodeled porch. i’ve pulled a few pictures of what it looked like a few months ago, prior to the refresh. just a little baseline and point of comparison to see where we were and where we’ve come.

boden sweater, j.crew striped cardigan, j.crew boyfriend jeans, soludos espadrilles, tory burch bracelet

a tour of my remodeled porch

no matter where i’ve lived, i’ve always gravitated towards homes with porches. like kitchens, they tend to be rooms where people naturally gravitate to. so, it’s important to me that mine is welcoming and well-decorated. as i mentioned, this is the first room mr. style and i tackled when we moved to Athens in 2015. so, it was due for a bit of a refresh. this year, we painted, recovered the couch cushions, added a new rug, and swapped out our door. we also removed the latticing from the bottom half of the screens. it really opened things up in a dramatic way i wasn’t totally expecting. the porch is already getting a lot of use—my son uses it as his second office to take meetings from!

the (similar) sectional and coffee table are both from Wayfair. the actual sectional is out of stock, but Wayfair is pretty good about restocking, so if you’re interested in it, i’d check back frequently. i’ve pulled a couple of similars (and here) though. the dining chairs and cushions are from Cost Plus World Market. and finally, the bar cart and side table are both from Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. again, i’ve pulled similars here and here. and if you scroll below, i’ve put together a list of as many of the decorations i could.

faux fiddlehead fern | dining chairs | chair cushions

i’m a big believer in using baskets everywhere. they’re a great source for storage while adding texture to your room. they work well stocking your bar inside or out.

candles are a great accessory to use indoors or outdoors. i scatter them everywhere. come nightfall we light them one by one. the candle on the side table has a delicious fragrance. the candles on the coffee table are fragrance-free. love the frosted glass candle holders.

the ceiling fan will be replaced next week along with several other light fixtures in the house.

a glimpse of what’s to come

i hope you enjoyed the virtual a tour of my remodeled porch. in case you’re new to the blog or missed some of our entries into a day in the life series, make sure to check all of them out below. and be sure to stay tuned, as we’ll be giving you a tour of my remodeled back patio as soon as we’re finished!

back by popular demand: today we’re continuing our a day in the life series with a tour of my recently refinished basement. it’s been a longstanding project over the past year. and it all began when the basement was flooded last summer. what a mess: our carpet was ruined! but out of lemons we made, well, you’ll see in just a moment. but i gotta say, i like the finished product better than lemonade.

whenever i post an entry into our a day in the life series i get a lot of questions and comments about my home decor. i’ve tried to pull as many links to what you see here. if you like something i’ve missed, make sure to let me know in the comments below!

home office

as some of you know, my middle son came down to visit me earlier this spring from NYC before the city implemented quarantine. he couldn’t go back for obvious reasons, and he’s been working remotely from Georgia ever since. here’s a view of the home office he’s helped me put together.

simple yet effective, and i’m just loving the truck painting we picked out. for those of you who have virtually toured my home over the past few months, you’ll recognize my affinity for animal paintings, particularly dog ones.

blouse | tee | jeans | sandals

truck art | leather desk collection

living room

after the flood, we completely rethought our downstairs aesthetics. i wanted something simple and maintainable but with a contemporary feel. once the carpets were completely pulled, and all that was left was bare concrete, it occurred to me: why don’t we just refinish the concrete itself?

yup, those purple floors are in fact finished and stained concrete. and how striking they are. purple may not be for everyone, i get it. but they’ve opened up a world of decorating possibilities to me. just take a look at my cow artwork? how fun! and once that was in place, adding faux fur and leopard print pillows was easy. the cascading effect of breaking out of a design box can be profound. and i urge you to explore it in your own way.

blouse | tee | jeans | sandals

outfit of the day

on a normal spring day, you’re going to catch me in a tee and pair of jeans. i’m sporting Talbots today, and the striped tee breaks up my neutral base established by my olive blouse. it’s the perfect over-shirt for those spring days you need to layer. and it goes with just about everything.

a day in the life

i hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of my refinished basement. in case you’re new to the blog or missed some of our entries into a day in the life series, make sure to check all of them out below.

it’s Wednesday, gang, halfway through the week! that’s an accomplishment in and of itself these days. right?! many of you have asked if i am growing out the ‘mop’, and yes, i am growing it into a chin-length bob. good timing as haircuts will be few and far between for the foreseeable future. it’s definitely in that in-between stage where i typically give up and chop it all off… but there’s no acting on impulse this go around, so i’m in it to win it. or at least get it to the length it needs to be. thank goodness for trivial problems. it’s the normalcy of life that gets us through.

many of you have also asked for blog posts that share ‘what to wear when working from home’ or ‘how to work from home in style’. and i’m happy to share an outfit or two in the coming weeks on that subject. yesterday, we took a look at some timeless classics, sure to give you some fashion inspiration as you work from home. athleisure wear is definitely an option and super comfy. but i also love to wear a good pair of denim while working at home. and while i might not notice extra pounds creeping up on me when wearing sweatpants, blue jeans sound the ‘too tight’ alarm immediately. one thing we don’t want to happen while spending more time at home is weight gain. keeping a stable weight is important to our overall health and immune system. so a trusty pair of blue jeans will keep you in check if your fridge mysteriously opens once too often during the day.

how to work from home in style

today’s ootd is easy peasy to throw together and perfect for this time of year when the temps fluctuate. it all begins with a pair of dark rinse denim from Ann Taylor. next is a gray tee that can fly solo if the temps are warm. but it’s been on the chilly side in Athens the past few days, so i reached for a cashmere v-neck sweater from Everlane that’s comfy and chic. a pair of cheetah smoking slippers amp up the volume (old Madewell, similar here and here), and a black handbag (old Ralph Lauren, similar here and here) seamlessly blends in. working from home never looked so good.

a look at my bedroom

although i have a home office and spend many, many hours there, i also like to roam around the house. wi-fi makes life so much easier. so if i need a change of scenery i just pack up my laptop and switch locations. these days, it seems my first choice is my bedroom, which i’ve revamped in recent months. Marimekko bedding from Nordstrom is just so dang cheerful that i couldn’t resist investing in a duvet and shams. it sets the tone of the room. striped organic sheets from West Elm, pom-pom quilt from Ballard Designs, Euro shams (old, similar here) from Williams Sonoma and Euro size pillows (i always choose the super euro) from Bloomingdale’s complete the bedding ensemble. the nightstand lamp is Kate Spade (old, similar here).

this pink chair (old, similar here) from Wayfair used to sit in our guestroom, but when i redecorated the master bedroom, i snagged it. it’s a comfortable spot to read a book or work on my laptop. the artwork is from Art.com. all three prints are from Andy Warhol. the brass table is from Pottery Barn, and the lamp is Kate Spade (old, similar here)