How I'm Bringing Fall Decor Inside

 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Fall

Hello everyone!  So many bloggers are sharing how they are decorating their porches and some are sharing inside their homes. Today, I'm sharing how I'm bringing a little Fall inside with my Fall decor. I'm just loving my new Fall pumpkin and I decided to take many of my soft pumpkins and display them together. 

I used my Farm style metal bucket to display these soft pumpkins.  

And the metal bucket looks good in the living room next to the side table. You can see a few other pumpkins on top of the table. 

If you look closely, you will see a black and white houndstooth pumpkin. I created that pumpkin plus another one. 

 And here they are! The houndstooth pumpkin is made from some scrap fabric and the black and white plaid one is made from a table runner that I wasn't using and decided to sacrifice part of the fabric for a pumpkin! I must say that if you are going to try to make your own pumpkins, don't use a thick fabric! I had a really hard time fashioning a pumpkin shape from the table runner fabric. The thinner fabric of the houndstooth fabric was much easier to work with. 

You've seen my little critters before, but I wanted to show you that I added my wooden pumpkins to the arrangement. This is on the dining room table.

And this fun sign is a Dollar Store purchase. I fit it into the tobacco basket that lives on top of the curio cabinet in the corner of our dining room. 

And, I changed things up a bit on the foyer table. You have seen my favorite decorative pumpkin before along with the Hello Fall sign and the Willow Tree angel. The faux succulents are also from Dollar Tree and I think they add some nice Fall color to the table. Notice that I flipped over the ceramic planter and placed one of the succulents on top. I find that creating different heights in a tablescape adds so much interest to the look. 

And this is the wreath on our front door. We've actually had this wreath hanging in our family room for a long time and this year I decided it needed to move to the front door for Fall!

I just love how the colors of the wreath blend with the colors of the quilts hanging over our door. (Thanks, Sharon!)

The trees are starting to turn a bit where we live, how about where you live? And are you bringing a little Fall inside with some decor in your home? Be sure to let me know in the comments. I will have a little more Fall to share with you in a future post, by the way. I'm lovin' me some Fall this year!!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

How I'm Styling A Thrifted Chico's Jacket

 The Jury Is Still Out On This Jacket

Hello everyone!  Today I'm showing you how I'm styling this thrifted Chico's brown and white print jacket/top that I picked up recently at the Humane Society thrift store. I'm not sure if I like this jacket on me or not yet. The jury is still out and perhaps you can help me decide, Ok? 

It took me awhile to find a pair of pants that looked right color-wise with this jacket. Finally, I settled on these creme cords by Lands End. I wear these a lot as they are quite comfy. I feel like they blend well with the colors in the jacket. And I decided to wear the jacket over a simple short sleeve white top, but the jacket could serve as a top without another top underneath. The pattern looked pretty on the wrack but I don't know if I like it on me or not hmmm.

The pattern is so bold it's hard to see it, but I am wearing a necklace by Paparazzi with the jacket. It has brown beads mixed with silver on a silver chain. Gold would go well with this jacket also because the snaps are gold. 

Soooo...I'm still on the fence about this jacket/top. It only cost around a dollar so it's no big deal if I decide to "gift it" to someone else to enjoy. But we'll see. 

Tell me, are you on the fence about any of your clothes? And what about my jacket. What do you think about my keeping it?

Do hope you will chime in. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie 

Saturday Scriptures: Roses in the Desert

 

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

Isaiah 35:1

Some days feel like deserts don't they?  Dry and parched with no cooling breezes or refreshing water to soothe. 

Public Domain Image

But actually there is life that springs forth in deserts. Solitary though deserts may be, animals live there and even blossoms burst forth on prickly cacti. 

Isaiah 35:1 reminds us that even in the most solitary wilderness places there can be rejoicing and blossoms like roses. Something for us to think about when frustration and feelings of loneliness or despair fill our days. Blooms can burst forth where we least expect them. 

May we all feel blessed by God's blessings today

Debbie

5 Enjoyable Reads

 A Basket Full of Books To Read

Hello everyone!  I'm sharing a basket full of books with you today, some newer and some older but all books I'm currently enjoying. I've mentioned before that I tend to have several books going at once so all of the books are currently on my bedside stand. Some are brand new reads for me and some are books I have read and re-read. Perhaps you will find some new ideas for books you would like to read!

Rosamunde Pilcher is a favorite author that I have read over the years. This book is an oldie that I return to time and again because it contains short stories that are so warm and entertaining and are perfect for bedtime reading. I love short stories anyway and this book is a keeper. 

This is a new-to-me book by Ashley Brown that I am thoroughly enjoying. I first encountered Ashley Brown on the Introverts Dear website where she is a frequent writer about living life as an introvert, something near to my own heart. This book tells the story of the journey she and her husband went on trying to decide whether to have a child or not. After many years and much thought, the choice was made not to have a child and this book includes letters to an imaginary daughter giving advice, explaining their decision and much more. Being childless myself, although not by choice, I am drawn to the thoughtful writing of Ashley Brown and feel that this book would be enjoyable whether you have children or not. 

Sorry for the glare on this pic, but I'm re-reading this book which is part of the Evan Evans Mystery Series written by Rhys Bowen. You might remember that Rhys Bowen is also the author of the Molly Murphy and Her Royal Spyness mystery series. The Evan Evans series is actually my favorite of the series but I find they are hard to find. Luckily, I found this one at our local used bookstore. 

I've been looking at this book about aging with grace for awhile and I finally broke down and ordered it from Amazon. The two authors, in their 70's and 80's, use scriptures and stories of women to talk about how God's grace allows us to flourish in all times of our lives, including the older years. So far, I find the book to be comforting, reassuring and uplifting as I contemplate my own aging process. 

And, finally, this is one of my beloved Miss Read books that I return to time and again. I'm showing you the inside cover because the binding of the book doesn't show the title. There is just something about Tyler's Row that I enjoy. Perhaps it is because the main characters buy a house that has to be renovated from the inside out. I certainly can identify with going through that process and the feelings of the wife as they deal with close neighbors and deal with workman being at the house all the time. I've had lots of experience with renovation! The Miss Read books are available on Amazon and I highly recommend both the Fairacre and Thrush Green Series. 

And that's my basket of books I'm reading! What's in your reading basket right now? Hope you'll share!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Nothing A Little Disco Can't Help

 

Public Domain Image
Credit to Petr Kratochvil

Hello everyone! Are you wearing your boogie shoes? If not, you probably will want to put them on because I'm in a kind of disco mood, if you know what I mean, and I need some dance partners!

As you can see, I am even supplying a disco ball! Can't you just see the lights twirling on the floor as we whirl and twirl and get down?! I think Kool & The Gang are playing right now. Come on now...you know you're starting to move a little.

Are you wondering if Debbie has flipped her lid?  No, I've just been doing a little kitchen dancing tonight. I've been feeling a little off the last few days and just a bit stressed. Walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes tonight didn't seem to help and as I was cleaning up the kitchen I decided I needed a little motivation so I looked over some of my CD collection (yeah, old school I know) and my Disco Inferno collection just seemed to jump off the shelf. 

Did you know that it is impossible to listen to disco without dancing? Yep, uh-huh, just can't be done. I can also attest to the fact that cleaning the kitchen goes much faster and is much more enjoyable with disco music playing (actually blasting) in the background. 

The funny thing about listening to this music at age 62 is that my mind immediately goes back to when I was in college and thought I was the Disco Queen. I have to admit that I could cut a pretty good rug in those days. And, yes, there may have been a Toga Party in my past. I behaved, don't worry. Thank goodness there weren't the phone cameras back then that there are now. EVERYTHING goofy kids do nowadays is recorded for posterity! Luckily, there are no pictures of me in a toga. But, I digress. 

As I was gyrating around the kitchen tonight I kept picturing the 19 year old Debbie and thinking how cool I was looking. In fact, I decided to videotape myself on my phone. I thought maybe my blog readers would enjoy seeing me boogie. 

Then, I watched the video......

Delete, Delete, Delete!!!

Oh my goodness, it was not a pretty picture. I think I'll keep my boogie sessions to myself from now on. 

But, you know what? I felt SO much better after spending several minutes just blasting disco music and dancing around the kitchen while I washed the counters and stacked dishes in the dishwasher and polished the glass stove top. I was having SO MUCH FUN!! 

And, after I turned off the music, my stress was much better as was my mood. I highly recommend trying this in your own kitchen. 

It's too bad that The Mr. hates disco.  Always has, always will.  He went to one dance with me when we were in college. He came home from his college and came to my college to take me. We were just starting to date seriously and he wanted to impress me. And I guess I wanted to impress him. I was so excited to wear my thin-strapped tan and lace evening gown that I had won from a sorority that I didn't belong to and he looked so handsome in his blue suit and tie. 

As my mother-in-law likes to tell the story, she and The Mr.'s stepdad had never heard of me before that night when The Mr. came running down the steps in his suit and seeing the astonished look on his parents' face told them, as he walked out the door, "Her name is Debbie and that's all I'm saying." She still laughs over this years later.  The Mr. can be a man of few words. And he didn't enjoy the dancing. Or the disco. But, I still love him and since we are married for over 38 years I guess my being the Disco Queen must have impressed him to some degree! I have gotten him to slow dance with me on rare occasions. But, I'm a loner when it comes to breaking out the disco!

I hope you aren't feeling down or stressed. But, if you are, why not go to your kitchen right this very minute and crank up some disco, baby! Cleaning the kitchen is totally optional!! 

Disco not your thing? Agree with The Mr.?  Well, just pick the music that is your thing and start dancing. Picture yourself at 19 again cutting a rug. 

But, you might not want to videotape it!! 

(I'm just sayin' from personal experience!)

If you need some music to get yourself going here's Kool & The Gang. Told you they were playing! Let's do some Celebrating!!!

After all, feeling down is nothing a little disco can't help!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

From My Heart Celebrating Six Years of Blogging

When I started blogging in 2015 I truly had no conception of the time involved, the commitment needed or the passion I would feel for something that started out as a lark. To be still at it as I celebrate 6 years of blogging is truly something of which I am proud!

This blog has evolved over the six years in terms of name (I began as Debbie This and That)  and into a lifestyle blog that seeks to entertain, uplift, inspire and give ideas to women who, like me, are interested in reading about a variety of lifestyle issues. Not just about fashion, or books, or home decor, or daily life, or faith issues, but about a little bit of ALL of it. A little bit of this and that, in homage to the original blog name, is what Debbie Styles Life is all about!

I will admit that I had high hopes when I started this blog that I would be one of those bloggers who “hit it big” in terms of readership numbers. I wasn’t so concerned with monetizing my blog but I did want people to read what I had to say. Over the years, I have made blogging decisions that I believe have impacted those high hopes to some degree and my numbers have never reached the “going viral” stage. Changing my blog name definitely impacted the numbers and I lost many followers who never came back. I have also chosen to stay on a platform which is not the typical “recommended” one for bloggers who want a large readership. Whether that has anything to do with how my blog is advertised out on the web I have no idea but I have been advised over the years to leave the platform. I have chosen not to do so as I feel very comfortable working with the software on this platform and do not know how to do all of the “techie” things which may be required of me on another platform. I don’t need to worry about backing up my blog or figuring out what to do about hacking. My blog platform takes care of all of that for me. 

For me, my blogging at this point in life is like the comfort of an old shoe. It may have a few scuffs here and there and be worn a bit, but it is so comfortable I would not want to part with it being the way it is. My readers are the VERY BEST readers and their loyalty, interest and comments mean so very much to me. When I have those moments, as all bloggers do, when I get tired or can’t come up with something to write about and I begin to think about quitting, I remember my readers and how sad I would be if I could no longer connect with them and that always gets me back on track with blogging!

Several years ago, I read a description of another blog that I wish I had copied down to keep because I loved the description so much. It was to the effect that this person’s blog wasn’t the BIG store type blog but was more like when one walks down a street window shopping into lovely little stores that offered a variety of interesting and homey items. This writer evoked a sense of comfort and warmth in describing their blog. And that, my friends, is what I want….what I hope….all of you feel when you read my blog. A sense of home where you can kick off your shoes, put up your feet, have a cup of tea and just relax and enjoy. 

I continue to think about my blog and what topics readers like and what topics they don’t. Pretty much every year at “birthday time” I ask readers to let me know their thoughts and every year, without exception, the answer is to keep doing what I’m doing. And so, I will!

I do want to reiterate that I don’t consider myself an expert on ANY topic I share on the blog! I often think about stopping certain posts, mostly those where I share fashion. I have never considered myself “model” quality and I still will look at fashion posts and feel a bit silly. After all, what do I have to offer others in terms of fashion sense? Or, for that matter, home decor, sharing of books or devotionals? 

I guess what I have to offer through blogging is being my genuine self. I’m just a sixty-something woman who has always enjoyed fashion from the time she was about three years old clomping around the house in her mother’s high heeled shoes. I’ve always enjoyed clothes and styling them and trying different outfit pieces on to see how they go together. I’ve always loved jewelry and I like to wear necklaces and bracelets and rings in ways that compliment my outfits. I don’t really care if clothing or jewelry are expensive or not as long as they look good and I feel I look good wearing them. And so I share these qualities in the fashion posts I write. 

Likewise, I offer my genuine self in terms of home decor. I know my house doesn’t look like most of the houses you will see displayed on other blogs, or on Pinterest or Instagram. And I’m kind of glad about that. It’s not that those houses aren’t beautiful with all of their Farmhouse decor and perfectly styled porches. It’s just that I believe that houses need to be homes not museums. Do people actually LIVE in these homes we see images of so frequently? If you came to my front door right this minute you would see what I consider to be some pretty decor items. But, you would also see some dust bunnies and some clutter scattered around each room. Do you know why? Because, in my opinion, that is how people LIVE. Some of the most favorite homes I have ever visited had dust bunnies and clutter and the people who lived there were real people who made me feel at home and offered kindness and warmth. That is what I hope to offer with my home decor. 

And then there are my books. Oh my goodness, no matter where life leads me in the future my friends, I must have my books! Where would I be without Miss Read, Agatha Raisin, Quilleran and his cats, Betsy-Tacy, The Magical Cats and all of the other wonderful characters who, over the years, have become my friends and companions? None of the titles I have shared on the blog over the years are “great thinking” books. And yet, great thinking is to be found in reading them because these books exude warmth and friendship and love of pets, friends and home. All things that are very important to me. 

Speaking of pets, you know I had to include posts over the years that included my loveable fur babies! Whether it was Gracie the Ace Cat Reporter or my two fur- sleuths Cassie and Garden, I have made room on the blog to showcase the furry members of my family. And although he is not furry or a pet, this is a good spot to give a shout out to The Mr. who supports me in all of my blogging endeavors. I appreciate him so very much.

And, of course, there are the posts I have shared over the years that were devotionals or that shared scriptural thoughts. My faith is very important to me. My love for Jesus and my belief that He is as near as our very breath is a constant in my life. I don’t consider myself a Biblical Scholar, but I do read the Bible and believe in what it says. Am I a perfect person? Absolutely not. But faith in Christ isn’t about being perfect because He was perfect for us to the point of giving His life for us. I surely try each day to live as God wants me to live. But, being human, I often fail. I have faith that God loves me no matter what and that God came to us in the human form of Jesus to teach us how to live by His example. And so, I cling to my faith during good times and bad and I enjoy sharing devotional thoughts and scriptures with my readers. 

So, in a nutshell dear readers, this blog is about me being me. Sharing how I do life on a daily basis warts and all! I’ve been at it for six years. I look forward to more years of sharing a little bit of this and that with all of you! If you like what you read, I encourage you to tell others so they too can become my bloggy friends. And, as always, I encourage you to leave a comment because I LOVE hearing from you! 

From my heart, to my readers, after six years of blogging.

Until Next Time, 

Debbie

Pairing Old with New

 

Sometimes, it's fun to pair something old with something new and that's just what I'm styling for you today. Old jeans (you can tell by the patches) paired with a new-to-me blue shirt. This is what I changed into after church and it made for a comfortable outfit to wear the rest of the day. 

I had worn this blue necklace to church with a dress (which I'll share in a later post) and decided to see what the necklace would look like with a more casual look. I really like it! I think it can be fun to pair a dressier piece of jewelry with a casual shirt and jeans. The sandals I'm wearing are also old but add a nice touch to the casual look. 

The shirt was a dollar rack special buy at The Asheville Humane Thrift Store and I really like it a lot. The cobalt blue is so bright and the material is a crinkly wrinkle free fabric. It is a Blair top and is high quality. I know I will get a lot of wear out of this top. 

So tell me, do you enjoy pairing old pieces with new ones? Do you enjoy wearing dressier jewelry pieces with more casual outfits? I hope you will let me know in the comments. Or just tell me how you are doing. I love to hear from you! Oh, and be sure to join me later this week when I celebrate my six years of blogging! You don't want to miss the post!

Until Next Time,

Debbie