Wednesday Weekly Wish List 111: Favorites, Ideas and Little Pleasures

In this post: Wednesday Weekly Wish List is the place to find recommendations and ideas, personal favorites and little pleasures that will add a bit of joy to your life.⇒

Welcome to another week of the Wednesday Weekly Wishlist, a place for a little midweek inspiration! We invite you to click the links and explore what’s enchanting us right now. Enjoy!

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1.) SHARED ON THE BLOG: it’s the perfect time of year to pair hydrangeas and sunflowers in a lovely arrangement for your home. If you don’t have hydrangea bushes of your own, simply pick up a bouquet at your grocery or flower market!

2.) JULY BESTSELLERS: here are your favorite buys for July! This amazing grain sack inspired fabric, this rustic and budget-friendly wood lantern (in 3 sizes), this neutral nightstand with storage, my Cuisinart ice cream maker, this classic beige striped armchair, my favorite kitchen utensil set, and this ivory and blue tasseled pillow cover. 

3.) FAVORITE QUOTE: “Every situation in life is temporary. So, when life is good, make sure you enjoy and receive it fully. And when life is not so good, remember that it will not last forever and better days are on the way.” ~Jenni Young

4.) INSPIRING THINGS: this cottage makeover by Mindy Gayer, this light and bright home in California, this cozy country home with the most amazing kitchen island, and this Colonial house makeover that has great wallpaper ideas. 

5.) Summer is winding down, but there’s still plenty of it left. Take a look at this yummy drink recipe for an Orange & Thyme Spritzer that’s perfect for these hot August days.

6.) Since homegrown vegetables are easy to come by right now, add them as a side dish to your summer meals. Make this vegetable gratin, or this roasted vegetable medley. Both are delicious!

7.) Homemade birthday cakes are pretty special, but I believe it’s perfectly OK to use a box cake mix…and here are lots of ways to make a box cake mix taste homemade. To really take your birthday cakes over the top, check out these custom cake toppers. This one is my favorite.

8.) RESHARE: Sometimes at night, when I can’t sleep, I open YouTube on my iPad and roam around. I recently stumbled upon this video by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli. It makes me happy every time I listen to it!

9.) That’s it for this week. August is here, and I’m starting to think about fall. I’ve done a little online shopping, so I’ll be sharing that soon…but I don’t want to rush you, so it won’t be for a few weeks. XO

1). We just got home from a week at Corolla, NC, in the Outer Banks (OBX) with our whole family. What fun! One night for dinner, our daughter, Jacqueline, served a beautiful and scrumptious salad, and I knew you would love it. Tomato, Peach, Cherry, and Burrata Cheese with Herb Vinaigrette is summer on a plate. I hope you will make it. Here are a few other summery salads you might like to try: Arugula Salad With Pepitas and a Lemon Vinaigrette, Watermelon, and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Lime Drizzle. And check Summer Salad Roundup Recipes with 47 amazing salads!

2. We live in our second forever home here at Tanglewood. We love our downsized home and lifestyle. Have you downsized, are you in the process of downsizing, or are you thinking of downsizing? Our Downsizing Series is so helpful. It takes you through the downsizing process, emotionally and practically, and has so many tips and ideas to help you! And the comments from our readers are so helpful too! Look for a couple more posts in this series coming soon.

3. Beautiful Home Tours And More: I like to peruse homes for their details because every detail matters! We may never live in homes like these, but we can certainly take away lots of inspiration and ideas! I LOVE Nantucket, here’s a beautiful home with lots of gorgeous details. The indoor/outdoor shower is swoon-worthy and a fun shopping trip. And here’s a beautiful French Chateau restored by a very industrious English/French couple. And see how this cute couple could afford to buy and restore the Chateau. I introduced you to Ruth McKeaney’s beautiful Pa farmhouse HERE. I just love her personality and her home. And I just found her blog!  Hungry For Home. It has lots of delicious recipes and gorgeous images to inspire you.

4. Decor Finds This Week: 

Under $60: this handsome plaid throw, this giclee grassland art (LOVE), this lovely ruffled planter, this white and stone urn, and hand carved wooden dough bowl.

Under $150: this landscape art, this stunning wall sconce, this beautiful footed stoneware bowl, this attractive drink table, this fringed jute rug, this velvet and embroidered pillow I ordered for fall (on sale), and this round basket tray (on sale).

Worth The Splurge: this gorgeous swivel chair, this beautiful cushy chair on sale, this beautiful weathered coffee table, this 2-drawer side table (LOVE), this stunning, comfy chair, this classic ivory armchair (on sale), and this go-anywhere upholstered bench (on sale).

5. Here are my favorite finds from Amazon this week.

6. Early Fall Capsule Wardrobe: this classic button front 3/4 sleeve tee, this must-have lightweight cardigan, this wearever jersey jacket I just ordered, this beautiful printed and embroidered jacket I got for fall, these stretch straight leg pants, these super comfortable driving loafers, these earrings I got for fall, and this versatile cross-body handbag (on sale).

7. Fun And Interesting Facts: Who was the month of August named after? Why do we refer to the month of August as the “dog days of summer”?

8. Fall Sneak Peek: faux fall eucalyptus spray, this faux mohair throw (on sale), this beautiful knit throw (on sale), this fall hydrangea, this fall wreath, this hey there, pumpkin doormat, these maple leaf appetizer plates I have and use all fall, this big and beautiful framed tree print I got for our foyer, 

9. Did you know that you can view all the posts on StoneGable in neat categories by going to the top of my blog and clicking on ALL POST INDEX? Give it a try!

10. On The Blog: I’ve been in a trend mood lately! In the last few weeks, I’ve posted 8 Fall Trends To Look Forward To In 2023 and 12 Trends That Are Out Of Style. There’s lots of fascinating info in both of these posts!

Answers to #7: The month of August is named after Augustus Caesar ( the grandnephew of Julius Caesar). The “dog days of summer” refers to the hottest and most humid days of the summer. And they usually follow the rising of the star system Sirius, the dog star. 

1. SHOPPING: Did you know that you can explore all my decor favorites in one easy to shop place? Please visit the freshly updated “Shop My Favorites” where you can find modern French and vintage-inspired furniture and decor by category. Or you can also visit “Shop My Home” to find all the pieces in my home in one place, separated by room.

2. FEATURED AMAZON SHOP: Rustic Chic Accessories from Amazon

3. INTERIORS: This week I shared my most recent living room updates. The room embodies relaxed elegance and has gone from old school French Country to a much more modern version of rustic chic decor. This post outlines exactly how it was done.

4. PAINTING: One of my favorite DIY projects shows the transformation of an antique secretary desk with hutch. This simple and easy DIY paint project helped add modern style to an antique piece that has special meaning to me.

5. EXTERIOR DESIGN: Is your summer patio looking like it’s in need of a mid-season refresh? Now is the time to start thinking about adding seasonal warmth to your patio to take it into the fall.

6. CURRENT AFFORDABLE DECOR CRUSHES: This gorgeous Tuscany wall art, this multi-purpose wood accent stool, this beautiful eclectic patterned throw pillow, this lovely linen throw, this fabulous terracotta vase with handles, this square quartz stone catchall, and this perfect-sized faux olive tree in a pot.

7. FASHION PICKS: Take advantage of the last few days of the Nordstrom Anniversary sale to get the most classic everyday items for polished style. My favorite daytime look includes a classic V-neck tee, great fitting dark wash jeans, a chic blazer and the most comfortable boots. Take it up a notch with a great scarf or a statement necklace. When the weather cools, replace the tee with a simple crew neck sweater. This is pretty much my uniform. This is also a great time to get a fabulous tote on sale!

8: AMAZING FURNITURE DEALS AND BEST SELLERS: This awesome pair of boucle chairs, this weathered rustic round wood side table, this wonderful neutral oriental rug, this lovely linen console table, this woven one-drawer nightstand, and these chic and comfortable counter stools.

9. WHAT’S INSPIRING ME AROUND THE WEB: Here are some of the best laundry room ideas on the web. Absolutely loving this brilliant selection of bathrooms to inspire! This lovely home is warm and inviting with an updated look, but timeless design.

10. UP NEXT: Top fall decor trends…