So glad you could join us today for our first Seasonal Sentiments Newsletter!
We are so happy you are spending part of your day with us!
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Here we’ll share what we’ve been doing behind the scenes in our personal life, our most recent blog posts, favorite seasonal shopping finds, and inspirational content from around the web!
What we’ve been up to
Since we last communicated, we enjoyed a fun couple of weeks behind the scenes!
Company from Kentucky
I took the first week of August off because two of my besties were visiting from Kentucky.
We were having so much fun I didn’t want to take time away from them to post on Wednesday the 2nd or Friday the 4th!
Here are a few of the fun things we did!
We lounged around the pool!
Enjoyed a wild time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park!
We spent one day soaking up the sunshine and listening to the waves at Cocoa Beach!
Went out to dinner and shopping at Disney Springs.
The three of us had a fabulous time, and Rich took one day off to go to the beach with us!
He had to work the rest of the week to take off this week!
Here’s why!
Driving across the country
The day my besties flew home to Kentucky, Rich got on a plane headed to Montana!
When he arrived, he helped our youngest son move out of his apartment and fit all his belongings in his car!
Thank goodness everything fit!!
Then they spent the week on an incredible adventure driving across the country!
This morning, they will head to Long Island and move Harrison into an apartment at Stony Brook University!
So excited for him as he pursues a Ph.D. over the next five years!
Update on our sweet dog
Our precious Gracey recovered from her tumble off the couch, but her overall health has steadily declined since her brother, Barkley, passed in February.
She has multiple health issues and a growth on her nose that will not heal. She’s 16 years old so the vet does not want to put her under anesthesia to remove it.
It is causing her distress, and she’s having a difficult week.
It breaks our hearts to see her quality of life decline.
We aren’t ready to say goodbye, but we don’t want her to suffer from discomfort and pain.
If you’re the praying kind, add us to your list since a tough decision is ahead!
What we’ve been Doing on the blog
If you missed any of our posts, now’s your chance to catch up!!
Christmas in July DIY
We finished our Christmas in July celebration with a fun post about how to make pinecone flower Christmas Trees!
It was such a relief to finish my most labor-intensive Christmas DIY!
They turned out so beautiful you have to check them out!
Christmas will be here before we know it, so it’s not too early to start those DIYs!!
Organize Life with a Nighttime Routine
Nighttime routines are important to adults and kids heading back to school!
If you don’t have a productive routine you follow in the evenings, check out our post to help you develop an ideal nighttime routine for a successful next day!
You’ll be glad you did!
DIY using scrap wood
Does this piece of scrap wood look familiar?
It was attached to the back of a desk that we repaired and painted!
See how we added a bit of French flair to turn this scrap wood into a beautiful and functional towel rack!
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Inspiration from around the web
Here are five posts we spotted this week we thought would be inspirational and helpful to you!
1)Is someone in your household going back to school? If so, check out 21 back-to-school home organization ideas for Fall!
2) I wish I’d known about “Open When” letters when each of my sons started college! If you have a freshman in college, you should consider doing this!
3) If you’ve been around for a while, you know we love to shop at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, and antique shops. I have a dream to go to Round Top someday! So imagine my excitement when I saw this post about how to plan a trip to the Round Top Vintage Market!
4) Have you ever heard of a DIY Flower Bar?? If you have a flower garden or you’re hosting a party or shower and want a unique experience for your guests, you need to look into this!!
5) When my besties and I were shopping, we saw some beautiful jewelry holders made from oyster shells! I’ve noticed oyster shells everywhere, and many of my blogging buddies have done DIY crafts with them! If you want to join the fun, check out this post to learn how to make a DIY oyster shell garland!
Favorite Seasonal Finds
Whether you have kids going back to school or you need to restock your office supplies, we have some fabulous finds from Amazon!
A new recipe to try
I’m always looking for an easy but delicious, gluten-free dessert, and I think I found a good one! I can’t wait to try this gluten-free apple cobbler from a cake mix!
posts you might like From our Archives
DIY
We made this personalized coat rack a couple of years ago to hang our coats and beach towels!
Organization
Learn how to get your day off to a great start with these tips to create a morning routine!
We hope you have a wonderful week!
Looking forward to seeing you back here next Friday!
Blessings, Donna and Rich
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
I’m sending prayers for Gracey. It’s so hard. Prayers for you and the family
Thank you so much Cindy! I know you can relate to what we’re going through. We love our pets so much! I appreciate your prayers!
Such a fun way to end the week, Donna! It sounds like you guys have been busy making lots of fun memories too. I’m so excited for you! I’ll definitely be praying for Harrison to have a successful transition to a new school and for Gracey as well. It’s so hard when they get to this stage and need care. I have a lot of the products you shared for back to school and they’re fabulous! Hugs for a happy weekend, CoCo
Thanks so much, I appreciate your prayers! I’m on a roller coaster of emotions!! Have a wonderful week! Blessings, Donna
What a great week you have had Donna. Such a treat to get away with your girlfriends . Looks like you enjoyed creating new memories together. And Rich sure had a busy week too! gad his travels with your son went smoothly.
Loved all of your inspiration this week, your trees came out so beautiful. Thank you for sharing my flower bar post.
Hi Wendy and thanks! I am in awe of your garden and all of the gorgeous flowers you grow! Creating a flower bar is such a fun idea and I was glad to share it!
And I am sending prayers for your sweet doggie. It’s so hard when they get older.
That is so kind of you Wendy! I really appreciate it! It’s heartbreaking watching your pets health decline before your eyes! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!
Hey, Donna!
Looks like you had so much fun at the beach!! What a great way to spend time with friends.
I’m so sorry to hear about Gracey…I can’t even imagine. I’m so sorry!! Prayers to you and Rich as you navigate what to do.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
Thanks so much Rachel, we appreciate your support and prayers at this time!
I am sending prayers to Gracey. It is so sad when one passes, and the other is so affected by it. I had a black and yellow lab, my black lab had cancer, and the yellow was only 2 at the time. She left and never came back home, and I always felt so sad since I wasn’t sure if he understood what happened? I like to think he did since he would lay his head where her cancer was and try to cuddle her.
So glad you had a nice visit with your friends Donna. I would love a cross country trip! Sounds exciting, with all sorts of unexpected fun experiences along the way. Hope you have a great rest of week!
Thank you for your thoughtful words and prayers Cara! I appreciate it more than you know!