Hannah Morrison

Living Room Inspiration

Y’all, I cannot believe how quickly a home goes up. Once they broke ground, this process has flown by. This home is, in a lot of ways, going to be a complete re-set for our home decor. Mostly because my style has changed pretty drastically over the years. I used to be a full on shabby chic farmhouse style. And… well, that’s basically nonexistent now haha. I am a lot more modern and minimalistic.

The next few months before our move-in date, I will be selling and purging a lot of items. I am basically going Marie Condo and saying if I don’t LOVE it – don’t bring it. We’ve been married nearly 7 years now and slowly have made every space we’ve lived in a little closer to our dream space. (We have moved five times… this will be our sixth home in 7 years.) Meaning, with every move, we’ve ditched a hand me down or two and replaced slowly with ones we love and bought with our own money. If you’re a newlywed- give yourself grace and time! Start small. I always have lived by the philosophy that I would rather spend my money slowly on quality items than on a bunch of cheap stuff that will not age well with us. (This goes for my wardrobe, too!)

For our new home, our living room is the first space I want to make perfect! We have a fireplace at the center with massive windows that extend up both floors. We have an open plan where the upstairs looks down over the downstairs space, and the kitchen and dining room are all connected. It’s a natural lighting dream (praise God… no more yellow-y tan photos inside my home…lol!) Our floors are going to be a very light wood, walls white, and we have black iron accents all over. EEEEK I am drooling just thinking about it. I have a photo below of our inspiration for the living room, and I have linked every item in my cart for this space/what we already own! Instead of a large grey ottoman, I am doing two white poufs to better fit our space. Whether buying or building, or just looking to re-do your current space, I hope this helps you navigate purchases wisely! Remember- quality over quantity. Start with staple pieces, like sofas, and work your way from there in your budget.

The Inspiration:

I included items (like pillows and throws) that are similar but all different price points! The love seat will be a camel colored velvet!

 

My Favorite Recent Amazon Purchases

Hey gal pals! Today Carleigh is sharing her favorite Amazon purchases as of late, and I am not gonna lie… I have added quite a few to my own cart now. Shop with us and see what Careligh has found (that can save you a ton of money $$$)!

xoxo, Han

Beauty/Fashion

Tinkle Eyebrow Razors– If you’re not shaving your face, you should be! It gets all the peach fuzz and dead skin off and helps your makeup go on smoother. I use these for my whole face in addition to cleaning up my eyebrows.

Face Wash– I have sensitive skin and really enjoy this exfoliating face wash! I use it in rotation with my Tula face wash and I like the balance between the two.

Beauty Blender Dupes– You’ve probably seen these everywhere, and for good reason. I’ll never buy a real Beauty Blender again.

Vitamin C Serum– I’ve used this Vitamin C serum in the past and really liked it, plus it’s way cheaper than most others out there!

Gold Hoop Earrings– These are my everyday, go-to gold hoops! They’ve held up really well and haven’t tarnished at all.

Hair Clips– These hair clips are STRONG! I have long, thick hair and these are the first clips I’ve found that can keep my hair up. Plus, they’re super cute!

Leggings– You’ve probably seen these everywhere too, and also for good reason. SO worth the hype. They sell out fast because they’re so good so you may have to keep your eye on them to snag a pair, but it’s worth the wait. They’re high-waisted, so soft and comfy, and perfect for lounging or exercising. Fit TTS, I ordered my normal size and they’re snug but in a good way, I wouldn’t want them to fit any looser.

 

 

Home Items

Popcorn Maker– I found out about this from Dede Raad (@dressupbuttercup) and it’s changed my life. I love the taste of real popcorn kernels way more than the kind in the bag, and this pops them SO much easier than anything else I’ve ever used.

Amber Spray Bottles– The perfect glass spray bottles for my Thieves cleaner!

Wireless Phone Charger– I especially like this charger because of the stand, so I can still use my phone and even watch something on it while it’s charging!

Smart Plugs– You can control these outlets from your phone, and they sync up with Alexa! I like being able to turn a light on in my house when I’m not home and being able to turn a light on without stumbling through a dark room to get to it ha!

Folex Cleaner– Again you’ve probably seen this everywhere too, and it’s worth the hype. I’m ashamed to admit that I had a 5 year old stain in my car, but I’ll tell you because this stuff got it out. Seriously. I was shocked! It’s so so good and I don’t even worry when I spill something now because I know this stuff will get it out.

 

Warming Up the Home for Fall

Okay, so it’s September and tomorrow is nearly 90 degrees *although, we’ve been in the 70’s a few days and it’s been such a teaser to fall!!* But I am in full on fall mode around here, pumpkin decor, pumpkin candles, pumpkin coffee… All the things. 😉 In general, my home is a fairly neutral palette with warm touches throughout year round (golds, rusty shades, and blush), so adding fall into my home is really natural. However, I definitely don’t have pumpkins and pinecones around all year long and I LIVE FOR THE DAY I CAN GET THEM OUT. This week has given such a tease for fall weather, and we even whipped up my favorite chili for our inaugural pot of the year last night. (You can try this creamy chicken recipe or this traditional one of mine!) I am a stickler for waiting until the first cool night of the year to eat chili!

I am sharing below some of my tips to adding budget-friendly fall pieces to your home that make a big difference along with some other current faves!

  1. We got this new throw for the couch and it’s just the perfect touch of warmth for the space! I have it casually draped over the corner. We bought the neutral shade that we stumbled upon in store, but I see they have one called “Bronze” online and I sorta want to buy that one, too… hehe. I might add it to our chair in our bedroom!
  2. I bought these little white and gold mini pumpkins last year and love them. I scatter them all over the house and they instantly make it feel like fall!
  3. Amber vases add touches of fall immediately to your home! I found a set of six for you on Amazon and then a bit more of a pricier option.
  4. Fall foliage – give me all the fake wheat and leaves! I do little arrangements in the vases around our home and add the little pumpkins in and around them with pine cones strategically placed throughout as well.
  5. Pumpkin scents: GIVE ME PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. However, I certainly have a select few that are my favorites. Pumpkin Pecan Waffles, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, and Pumpkin Cupcake! Right now Bath and Body Works has buy one, get one on their 3 wick candles!
  6. My Go-To *low cal* Starbucks order: A grande coffee with steamed coconut milk and 1 pump of pumpkin. It’s just enough pumpkin and sweetness to satisfy the PSL itch without the calories. And, frankly, the PSL is just too thick and sweet for me as is, so this is a nice balance!

    Here’s a full round-up of items to warm up your living room! 

On a separate note entirely, I have been using the Studio McGee Presets for my feed and editing, and I am REALLY pleased with them. I have been wanting to change my feed to a crisper, more “real” edit (less creamy/orangey) and these have been amazing. Their home played a heavy hand in our own home build’s design, so I figured their edits were going to be great for our new space and wanted to start using them. If you’re looking for a more “natural” toned edit- these are AMAZING. It’s $58 for 8 different ones (they all work together and are interchangeable!), but are 20% off right now with “YAY20”.

Hope you guys have the best Friday evening with somebody you love!

xoxo,

Han

 

Things to Prioritize When Choosing a Place to Build

As you all know by now, Paul and I are building a home! It’s been a dream of mine for years, and I cannot believe it’s actually happening. Despite the crazy season we’ve been in, we’ve actually spent the last year+ looking at builders and areas of the city we’d most like to be in longterm for our family. We knew the general area we wanted to be in, but figuring out which exact neighborhood we wanted to invest in was a big decision. Truly, we studied the schools, the projected increase in home value, growth, what businesses were coming around it, etc. These factors played a heavy part in where we eventually decided to say “yes” to! (It changed multiple times) Because this was something we started exploring so long ago,  when the pandemic/job changes/etc happened, we knew we still wanted to move forward. We knew that even when everything felt crazy, this was something we knew we wanted for our family regardless.

Below I have a list of things to consider when making the HUGE decision to build… or move your family in general. It’s a big decision for you and your family, and I hope these things help you!

  1. Drive to the neighborhoods you love most all hours of the day to see what it’s like. We legit drove to our top considered neighborhoods as we navigated the building process multiple times a week, and often at different times of the day. We wanted to see what it’s like in the morning, afternoon, rush hour, and evening. This actually is what ultimately deterred us from one neighborhood we thought was “the one”, because the heavy traffic on the road right in front just wasn’t worth it as we weighed the options.
  2. Time the drives to the places you would be going to most! We would time the drive from where we were looking to my most worked with clients, our favorite restaurants, family, church, Costco, etc. Having a beautiful home just isn’t worth it if you’re spending hours in the car a week to get anywhere you need to go to. This number will be different for everybody, too! Come to a decision as a couple together for your MAX distance you want to be from “x,y,z” and go from there. For us, we landed on a neighborhood about 15 minutes from the heart of where we will be doing the most of our “life.” It was the best fit for us – quiet enough to fit my desire for land but close enough to the city to fit Paul’s desires for a neighborhood, and all within an easy drive that is 15 minutes or less.
  3. Look at the schools! Whether you have a ten year old, a two year old, or have no kids at all but want to one day… Buying or building a home is an investment in your family so far beyond the physical presence of your home. Hopefully, if you build a home, it’s somewhere you get to stay put in for years. We looked at the schools our kids would attend if we chose certain neighborhoods, looking up everything from crime to test scores and everything in between. Most home search sites are great for all of this and include ratings of school from 1-10!
  4. Do the people look like you? Now, listen. I don’t mean “Is everybody a clone of me and have blonde hair/white/petite.” That’d be freaking boring. I don’t mean ethnicity or size or anything of the sort. In fact, I am grateful that we have seen quite a bit of diversity in our soon to be neighborhood! What I mean is do you see people you could do life with? When we would drive around our now soon to be neighborhood, we would watch what people in the neighborhood were doing. Big, small, old, young, we saw families out walking together with their dogs and kids. We saw people with strollers in the evening heading down to the lake. We saw grandparents out playing tennis at the tennis courts. We saw an active community of people who, regardless of age or color or size, looked like we value similar things that could be beneficial for us as a family to have around.

I will be sharing so much more over the coming months about the building process itself. You guys have asked great questions from how to choose your builder, your lot, your floor plan, and more. I will be sharing a peek into the entire process to hopefully help set you up well for your own!

xoxo,

Han

Getting Ready for FALL

Happy September, from The Cake Team! In our book, there is no shame in the fall game starting today *even though we started a couple weeks ago.* Enjoy a post rounding up some of Carleigh’s fall favorites! If you’re new around here, Carleigh is my amazing Media Manager/Assistant/Sanity. (But really.) Give her a follow on IG (here) and give some love! You can also read all of her posts on the blog with the filter “From Carleigh” to the right. xoxo, Han

Every week that goes by, it gets a little harder to believe we are still in quarantine. I truly didn’t think we’d still be here going into September, and it’s an almost daily battle to choose joy as we head into the sixth month of navigating this pandemic. That being said, we have to keep fighting and finding ways to enjoy life! I find joy in all things fall. I mean, seriously… does it get better than a crisp morning, a pumpkin candle burning, a hot cup of something in hand, and a sweatshirt (especially if it’s from The Cake Shop). I think not! So I am choosing joy and getting ready for fall in my house, my wardrobe, and my soul 🙂 I’m sharing and linking all of my favorite things to get cozy and ready for that cool fall weather, even if it is still 95 degrees outside right now… Texas probs, y’all.

xoxo, Carleigh

Fall Home Decor

The new fall line from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia is at Target, and it’s amazing as always! I love adding some warmer pieces to my home to help transition into fall, like throw pillows, wreaths, candles, etc.

 

Pumpkin Bread

I’m getting ready to bust out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe! A slice of pumpkin bread and a cup of hot cider (or coffee for all you normal people who love it hehe) with a candle burning, a cozy sweatshirt, and a good book = the perfect fall morning. You can check out my pumpkin bread recipe that I shared last fall on the blog here!

 

Cozy Fall Wardrobe

Even before the temperatures drop, I bust out all my sweaters, sweatshirts, joggers, etc. so I can feel cozy! Especially with being home so much more right now, I’m living in my comfies pretty much 24/7. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite new cozy pieces for fall!

 

Fall at Bath and Body Works

Fall is here and I am R E A D Y. I stocked up on new soaps, candles, and all the things with the new fall scents and it brings me joy every time I smell them. Some of my favorite new scents are:

  • Cozy Cashmere
  • Honeycrisp Apple
  • Vanilla Sage
  • Linen & Lavender
  • Welcome Home
  • And anything pumpkin scented!

LET’S GET SOCIAL