Fall Entertaining

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JITT047blog

Happy September!!! Today is a special day because it's Elle's 3rd birthday, and the day I always find myself getting into the fall spirit. So what if we're supposed to wait until September 21st to official say it's fall? So what if it's still above 100 degrees in Phoenix? That can't stop me from making my home look like fall, my taste buds enjoying fall treats and making plans for fall gatherings around chili and cornbread.

Today, I'm sharing with you a collaboration with Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market - a biannual event in Arizona that brings vendors that sell unique, vintage pieces. Many of their vendors carry unique serving-wear and dinner-wear, and with fall approaching, Coley and Lindsey decided to choose "gather" as their theme for this September's market.

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JITT006blog

To get everyone in the gather spirit for the upcoming event (September 19-20), we came together to create some inspirational place-settings for your future fall and holiday gatherings. All of the pieces that we used are items that the vendors are currently selling at this fall's market, so if you see something you like be sure to get your ticket to the event and snatch it! Also, be sure to follow Junk in the Trunk on Instagram because they will be sharing more details on how you can win tickets and buy the items featured in the shoot.

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Desert inspired Fall Setting - We don't really have leaves that change color and fall off of the trees here in Phoenix. If that does happen to the occasional tree it's during the months of December and January. Instead, we have cool nights perfect for bonfires and backyard gatherings. We loved this idea of using cacti and decor trends of brass and deep blues to create an inviting table-scape that made you feel at home.

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Kid-friendly Entertaining - You might be at the stage in your life when your friends have little ones that they bring to your dinners. A way to make them feel special all while using plastic dinnerwear is to place a piece of candy along with a name tag, so they know that they were thought of. Also, line your table with craft paper as your table cloth so that they can draw while they wait for their food. We took the liberty and drew in utensils for fun. You can also place a vintage toy for them to play with like a pin wheel or a truck for more character.

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A stylish & budget conscious table-setting - Maybe you're throwing a "friendsgiving" this year, and you really don't have much to spend for decorations. Try using a bundles of wheat, rosemary and apples to make your table design feel like fall. We also used old flour sacks for placemats. Scraps of burlap from a fabric store would work just as well rather than spending $8.00 a pop on a placemat. It doesn't need to be elaborate to look pin-worthy.

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JITT014blog

Red & green can look cool - I'm a fan of white minimalist holiday decor because the combination of red and green really bothers me. I know that's a bit silly, but seriously, those colors not only don't mesh well with one another, but they clash with the color pallet of my home. However, if you throw in black, white and gold we found that red and green can actually look cool.

For more ideas on entertaining, make sure to follow my "Entertaining in Style" board on Pinterest.

Photos by Gina Meola Styling by Coley & Lindsey of Junk in the Trunk and Alex Evjen of AVE Styles

Bold Color Inspired by HP

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This post is sponsored by HSN & HP.

As a fashion stylist I, of course, enjoy and celebrate bold color and style. When I think about what I am drawn to on Pinterest, what I share on Instagram and what I wear on a daily basis it always is colorful and bright. Well, HP has teamed up with HSN to release an exclusive collection of HP Pavilion laptops in the prettiest colors, and to celebrate the launch of this new collection they challenged me to create a fashionable outfit inspired by their deep purple laptop.

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The Henry071web

I gladly accepted because this royal purple hue is not only great for summer, but an excellent transitional color for fall. This color is really easy to spot in stores right now. Even when it comes to maternity fashion, I was able to find two maternity dresses with this hue at Macy's.

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The Henry036web

Any color with blue undertones has a great chance of being compatible on the majority of skin tones. Why? Well, because every human's blood carries tones of blue in it, and thus every human can usually wear deep blues (navy, cobalt blue and royal blue) and have it be complementary. Cool, right?!

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The Henry079web

Okay, can we talk about the laptop for a second?! I just got a new desktop computer because my old laptop is from 2010, but because I still travel a lot I still need the convenience of a laptop. The Pavilion is a fashionable and functional choice for me. It has 1 terabyte of space, and I need a lot of space for all of my photos. It also has a touchscreen so I can easily use it on a plane and not really need a mouse. Here are some other cool factors:

• HP 17.3” Touchscreen Intel Quad-Core 8GB Ram, 1TB Hard drive

• Bang & Olufsen audio built-in

• Windows 10 Operating system

• Available in 5 Colors – Silver, White, Blue, Red, Purple

• $699.95 with Free Shipping and Handling

You also get lifetime tech support provided by HSN, but you can only get this amazing laptop by tuning into HSN on July 18th! You'll also see some familiar faces on HSN because Brooke and Summer from The Girls with Glasses will be hosting the event along with some other amazing bloggers. It should be a really entertaining time regardless of whether you're in the market for a new computer or not. Find out all about it, click here.

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The Henry033web

Photos by Gina Meola.

Front Door Makeover

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Earlier this week I shared with your our backyard makeover, and now I'm going to share with you our front door makeover. When we first bought our bank owned property our front door had a security gate on it, which wasn't attractive at all. Also, our front door wasn't even a REAL front door. It was an interior door that had been kicked in at some point in time (oh yeah, baby).

The front yard looked like old people lived there with randomly placed bushes and pale green paint to "match." Oh, that paint! The red brick with the green color just made me cringe.

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So, we changed the exterior of the home by painting it gray, and adding a pop of color with a "grellow" front door. We bought a door light kit on Crestviewdoors.com and then we purchased a solid wood door from Home Depot. With the help of my father-in-law we were able to install the light kit and add some shiny new hardware to make our home look more modern.

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I highly recommend door light kits over buying some expensive new door. It doesn't take more than a half a day's work to create a statement for your home. Not to mention, the inside of our house is filled with so much more light.

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Screen Shot 2015-05-07 at 4.16.56 PM

Now we just need to do some more landscaping to make the front have more curb appeal.

Photos of the new exterior by Gina Meola.

The "ALEX" T-Shirt

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I'm SO, so happy to share the "ALEX T-shirt" with you today! It's no ordinary shirt. This shirt has POWER! It has power to help end sex trafficking of women and children. Elegantees and I have partnered to design a t-shirt in navy and white with a silk pocket and extra length (I'm always in need of that) that every woman would enjoy wearing all year round. We really wanted the design to be a hit among all women because with your purchase of the "ALEX T-shirt" your money goes to empowering women in Napal to create these shirts and other pieces through education and a safe haven from the terrible conditions that they once knew as a slave. Please read more about Elegantees fight against trafficking, and check out their shop for other ways you can support them. You can get FREE shipping today by using the code 'ALEX.' Now let's talk about how I styled my t-shirt...

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alex-33web

1| With a jean jacket. I love denim on denim. It's such a cool combination and easy to wear, especially with a t-shirt underneath.

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alex-42web

2| Sleeves rolled up. I like rolling up my sleeves for my of a tomboy look sometimes. Even rolling sleeves to the point they are cap sleeves is cool in my book, but if your arms are an area you get self-conscious you might not want to try this.

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alex-51web

3| Sleeves down and tied at the waist. As a lady with a baby bump, this is a great way to show it off and not have the extra fabric sticking out. If I didn't have a bump though the shirt would be long enough for a tunic and I could wear skinny jeans, leggings and even faux leather pants with this shirt.

When I look at my daughter I pray that she would become a woman that is treated with respect and love that we all deserve. The thought of women and children in this world being used as slaves and objects and treated as nothing kills me inside. Please go support Elegantees! 

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Master Closet Makeover Update

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This is a sponsored post by Easy Closets.

It's happening! We started working on our closet last Thursday, and almost a week later we have new carpet, newly painted walls and we have installed the skeleton of our closet.

I made a trip to Ikea to get all new matching wood hangers. They are only $3.50 for a pack of 6! That's a steal if you ask me.

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Putting the closet together definitely has been an easy process, but it's time consuming. Easy Closets has been living up to their name, and we are really pleased with the quality of their product and the customized, easy-to-follow directions they sent. What has been the hardest part is having all of our clothes and shoes scattered in our guest bedroom. We feel very UN-organized right now. We hope to finish everything by tonight though, and then I'll be able to start the process of organizing our clothes and drawers.

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Stay tuned for the big reveal, and in the meantime, check out my Pinterest board that shares all sorts of organization inspiration and ideas.