I’m excited to spend some time over the next two weeks sprucing up our home for fall since the Fall Link Parties start next week!  I’ll be using a lot of what I’ve got, but I have my eye on a few new things for cozying up the casa. I love the yummy colors of autumn: pumpkin, cognac, olive, fig, aubergine, and amber.   Fall is not only about color but texture too, think warm metallics, wood finishes, and cozy throws for chilly nights by the fire. 

For fun, I did a little virtual shopping, and picked out a collection of fall favorites for the home and tabletop. 

Alder Nesting trays, Altogether Home; Ranch Pillow, CB2; Amber Jug, SKS Bottles; Dexter Stripe Bench, Pottery Barn; Kaleidescope Pillow, Altogether Home; Animalia Rust Jute Pillow, World Market; Pumpkin Mohair Throw, Layla Grace; Teak End Table, Shop Ten 25; Aubergine Suzani Pillow, Pop of Color on Etsy; Birch logs, Floral Accents on Etsy; Cowhide Ottomans, Room and Board; Seagrass Baskets, Wisteria; Wickford Dining Chair, Pottery Barn; Harper Banquette, World Market; Sheepskin Rug, Room and Board; Diamond Kilim Rug, Pottery Barn.

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Hey everyone, I’m feeling much more rested today, funny how a 10 hour sleep can do that for you!  So I mentioned we were on the hunt for a trestle table and I’ve been looking around for months.  After spying this beauty in a shop in Montreal, I’m completely fixated on this style to replace our old traditional table in our dining room.

Many of you offered up some suggestions, thanks so much!  I’ve looked at this Chianni table by Ballard Designs in Belgian Oak.

At $1,189 plus shipping and tax, it’s a really great price, bonus that there’s an expansion leaf but I’m leaning toward a fixed length.  Plus when you zoom in it looks like the brackets are visible from the side?   A minor detail, but that one bothers me a bit.  And it’s only 36” wide which seems a little skinny to me.

Who doesn’t love the RH Trestle, hello gorgeous, but double what I’m willing to spend at $2,995 plus shipping.

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Last week, we were on vacation on a whirlwind trip to New York City and then a road trip north across the border to two places we’ve always dreamed of visiting, Montréal and Québec City.  We loved both!

After visiting, I have discovered Québec City to be one of the most beautiful and charming places in all of North America.  (Pics from Montréal next week).  Québec City is so European in feel and flavor, we absolutely loved our days spent roaming the winding brick and cobblestone streets.  It’s one of those places where if you allow yourself to wander, around every bend you discover something new and completely enchanting.

We spent most of our time in the old part of town which is filled with colorful homes and small hotels with European flair, the architecture featuring dormers, lanterns, and window boxes aplenty.

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Meander down the streets and you’ll find block after block of historic buildings, restaurants, and shops to explore.

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We’re sightseeing today in a mystery city, and I’m so excited to be exploring the architecture here.  Summer is the height of travel season, and in years past we would forego a faraway vacation - not this year!  One of my good blog friends toured Spain recently and his pictures of Barcelona took me back to our travels there many years ago.  No doubt since we’re all watching the Summer Olympics, you’re admiring the modern structures built for the event in London.

I’ve had a long time love affair with grand architecture.  We used to travel abroad a lot before the babies were born, once I even I climbed all the stairs to the top of the cupola above St. Peters in Rome (while six months pregnant!) and the stairs to the Eiffel Tower too.  Earlier this week, we took the kids to another famous monument and they loved it!  They’ve got their father’s climbing syndrome, he’s always looking up and asking “How fast can we get to the top?”  :)

We try to grab a souvenir of monuments, some are small, others are art prints still in tubes waiting to be framed someday.  We’ve seen some iconic structures over the last 15+ years, my favorites include La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Il Duomo in Florence, and the Coliseum in Rome.

Photo series via Third Floor Design on Etsy

The two l want to see in my lifetime are the Parthenon in Athens and the Taj Mahal.

watercolor by Bohemian Habitats

Today I thought I’d feature a few architectural watercolor prints and city views found on Etsy – be sure to check out the shop portfolios, they have a lot more to see!

Flatiron, NYC by Ilker Cocahan

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