Working with Havertys: Our New Living Room!

Gaaahhhh! I can't even believe this is real life, y'all! The time has come and I am SO pumped to show you this post. Havertys Furniture has literally been a dream to work with, and it is thanks to them that our new living room is as gorgeous as it is. There was a LOT of time and effort in making this happen, and if you missed the shopping post, you may want to jet back and read that.

 December will mark my husband and I's ninth year of marriage. We have been really blessed to have some beautiful second hand pieces, but this is the first time we've been able to design a room AND fill it with coordinating furniture at the same time. For the last couple of years I have dreamt of owning a blue couch. I'm not exactly sure why? And trust me, a lot of people ask, ha! I think it may have been some design ladies I follow on Instagram that sparked the idea in me? But really, from the old raggedy brown sectional that has suffered through five pets and two kids, I mainly knew I wanted something brighter and more classic [and more appealing to photograph, duh.]

Ta DA! There's our new living room! Okay, okay you know I'm kidding. Not funny? It's been a long day, y'all. Anyway, that couch has served us very well over the last MANY years, but let's face it: its' squeaky springs and slunk in seating just really isn't ideal for hosting company [or for a main living space period.] The minute we walked into this house, we knew we wanted the sectional to go upstairs in the GIANT third bedroom [aka, our new family room.] The console felt WAY too small for the grand living room wall, and speaking of the wall; IT made our 50-inch TV feel TINY. The rug is just old, and while I think it's still beautiful, I've really wanted something that blended with the space better.  

Havertys was really gracious to send their H designer Macey over TO our house, and she helped us set things up. I said it in the last post, but Macey seriously is such a gem. AND she has a beautiful eye for design! [If you're local and go the Hurstbourne location, ask for her!]

I told another H designer recently that this space has made me feel like a grownup. My friends have all asked, "Do you love your new furniture?" and I tell everyone that frankly, I just can't believe it's all OURS.

SEE THE BLUE COUCH!?!?!? When the delivery guys brought it, I almost cried. Legit. Speaking of, I wish I had THOSE photos to show you; the ones of everything being delivered and arranged? I TOOK them, but made a huge mistake and formatted the card without backing them up. Huge nightmare for a professional photographer and while I did everything to try to get them back, I'm out of luck. You'll just have to take my word for it that Havertys delivery team is as great as all the other departments! Friendly, professional, protective of our home and the furniture pieces, and FAST. 

The console is one of my favorite pieces, it is elegant and classy, and I LOVE the classic distressed white finish because it goes so well with the house. We went with the matching cocktail table, and one of the things we appreciate the most is all the newfound storage that is had with both pieces. I had no idea that having matching furniture would feel SO good, but oh my goodness, guys...my heart! 

Obviously the pets (much like our kids) aren't having a difficult time adjusting to the new furniture, but don't get me started on that...I swear Sammy [the fat black cat in the swivel chair] watched the delivery guys the entire time and then went all manic mode sprinting from piece to piece when they left! No way, Jose! I'm determined to keep these beauties at that--BEAUTIFUL! But from time to time I do allow him to take a cat nap there ;) Our old golden girl Elsa loves the plush rug as much as we do, never in my life have I stepped on a more comfortable area rug.

I have now spent all of my nights editing my photos and writing blog posts from this gorgeous velvet sofa, or else you can find me in the giant overstuffed chair you also see in above photos. We moved to this house at the end of July and it's safe to say that it finally feels like HOME SWEET HOME. 

Thank you so much, Havertys Furniture, for taking care of us and making our furniture dreams come true. Really though, it goes above the furniture aspect for me...this was a team of people who GRACIOUSLY handled my mistakes and mishaps, who laughed with me, planned with me, and who got things DONE. A lot of people have had questions about the types of companies I work with and what I feature here on this blog. Guys, I won't try to sell you something that I don't believe in, and I mean that. And it's because of great companies like this one that I get to DO what I do. 

If you have any questions about items that you see here, don't hesitate to ask! And let's all give Havertys some love in the comments below and tell them how amazing they are! 

A Day Well Spent: Apple Picking at Boyd's Orchard

One of our FAVORITE parts about fall is most definitely the festivities, and this year's apple picking outing was well worth a dedicated blog post. All you locals have heard of Huber's Farm, and while it's a beautiful farm with TONS to do, we try to avoid it this time of year because it's just SO swamped [and honestly for us, a little overdone.] We had never been to Boyd's Orchard in Versailles so when our friends Tim and Stephanie told us about it, we thought something new would be fun. 

Versailles is about an hour drive for us, and traveling there we have to go directly through horse country. The kids excitedly pointed out EVERY horse and fancy barn they saw out their windows, and as usual when I head that way, my head just spun with dreams of someday owning my own farm. Anyway, back to more Orchard talk, I know that's what you're curious about! 

Everything is really beautifully set up as soon as you arrive, and the kids obviously loved the giant chair. The store was packed with jams, and honey, and um, hello, FRESHLY BAKED CIDER DONUTS!!! I'm not going to lie, I was craving pumpkin donuts as well, but they weren't baking any the day that we went [I'm not sure if they do anyway?] One of my FAVORITE things about fall in Michigan [where I grew up] was the family market I grew up going to; they had the best cider and most delicious cake donuts in all varieties. We got a box of six cider donuts and they did not disappoint.  

We took a tractor out to the apple trees and with our bags, walked down endless rows of beautiful apples. We had to remind the kids that this was not an Easter egg hunt and that they could not pick EVERY single apple...but they almost had as much fun as Easter because finding the BEST apples became a very thrilling game. 

Who am I kidding? I basically wanted to go to the orchard with Reese's outfit in mind the ENTIRE time, and bless her heart, she endured a 70-degree morning in the sun to look cute picking apples in those overalls [sorry, I'm laughing over here.] But really, she and Pierson had a blast. We paid for the wrist bands and they went down a giant slide, jumped on inflatable trampolines, [I jumped and did my first front flip in YEARS, ssshhh], and we went through the corn maze. The corn maze was Asa's idea, and at that point, the kids were melting down with exhaustion and in need of lunch so we were RUNNING through that thing and I absolutely regretted starting it--however, by the end, everyone was laughing, and we were even MORE ready for a good lunch and some cold cider ;) 

Tim and Steph are complete troopers by the way, for doing live with us. Our kids are 4 and 5-years old, and nothing short of magical, easy to hang out with, and totally NOT demanding children. Oh wait, is that YOUR KIDS?!?! Because it ain't mine!!!!!! I'm half kidding- I LOVE our kids, duh. But doing things and outings like this takes work for everyone involved, and I'm just really grateful that these two want to be a part of the crazy. 

Anyway, here are some more fun photos from our trip, really and truly, we had a great day! 

If you live in Kentucky [or may be here visiting friends/family] I definitely recommend going to Eckert's Boyds Orchard. From Louisville to Versailles is a GORGEOUS drive, and a day spent out in the country is ALWAYS a day well spent. Period. 

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me! Where has been YOUR favorite orchard/pumpkin patch to go to?? 

The SOFTEST Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leave it to Instagram to come up with a TOLL option in their stories feature, and y'all know me, I HAD to try it. Needless to say 96% of my viewers said YES to wanting the recipe [I want to know who the 4% no's were!!!] But it was a fun toll regardless and a new way to incorporate feedback into what I do.

These were by far, the best pumpkin cookies I've ever had to date. Come fall, I will NEVER turn down pumpkin [except maybe really weird stuff, like, did you know pumpkin flavored Doritos are/were a thing?!?! WHY!?!] My husband actually baked these so I can take ZERO credit other than photographing them, writing this, and eating almost all of them.... (He found the original recipe here, on Averie Cooks blog.) 

I have always loved oats in cookies, and while I don't love oatmeal RAISIN, I DO love a good oatmeal chocolate chip. We decided to give these a whirl on a Sunday afternoon and guys, you have to find time asap to try these for yourself.  This cookie is oozing in nothing but fall flavors, because you can never go wrong with molasses and pumpkin pie spice. 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 TBS mild or medium-flavored molasses (not blackstrap, too intense)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla or pumpkin pie spice extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole-rolled oats (not quick-cook or instant)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl
2. Add the pumpkin puree, sugars, molasses, vanilla, pumpkin pie extract and whisk thoroughly to combine until smooth
3. Add oats, pumpkin pie spice, flour, and salt. Stir until combined. 
4. Add the chocolate chips and stir. 
5. Use a large cookie scoop and form 13 equal sized mounds of dough and flatten just slightly. 
6. Add the mounds on a large tray, cover with plastic wrap and cool in fridge for at least three hours [this was the hard part because I am guilty of just wanting to eat the dough!!!!!!!!!!]
7. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or spray w/ cooking spray
8. Place mounds of dough 2 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops are set (even if they look slightly undercooked or pale--do NOT over bake!] 
9. Cookies will firm up as they cool, so allow them to cool for about ten minutes before serving. 

Fall is just beginning, guys, so seriously, if your pantry is lacking in these ingredients, I suggest you fix that immediately. This is the first of many desserts I plan on making [normally I AM the one who bakes], but I won't complain one bit if my husband wants to continue whipping bad boys like these up. These oatmeal pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are chewy, soft, and perfectly delicious! Great...now I'm going to get another [which will be my third today............] :) 

Working with Havertys: Let the Shopping Begin!

The time has finally come! I get to share my incredible experience with Havertys and I'm starting with the basics--SHOPPING! I have a LOT of positive things to say, so I guess lucky for me, (and y'all!) I will be spreading these Havertys Furniture posts out throughout the course of the month. Really guys, I am so pumped to share this with you today, I have been itching to show you all the pictures and to tell you just how in love with this brand I honest to God am. 

We moved into our brand new house this past July, and there is quite a bit of extra space here (thank you, Lord!) One of the perks and selling features, was that there is a large bonus room on the second floor, and we knew the second we walked in that we wanted to use it as the family room. Our [very old] sectional would fit perfect, and it would function both as a family room and my office, very much a win win for this mama! Well, if we moved all our furniture, then we would be left with absolutely NOTHING in the main living room, which is a wonderful great room on the first floor. I decided to take a leap and send my look book to Havertys, in an effort to partner with them to help decorate our new house. I have always been a huge fan of their furniture, and I really wanted new pieces that would not only LOOK amazing, but last for a long time. 

As you can imagine, when I began to hear back and the e-mails began to trickle in, I was ELATED. We brainstormed what this would look like, had several phone conferences, and through this all, I have met THE best women (and people!) within Havertys. After hanging up from our first phone call, I said to my husband, "Okay, I love them all already."

Okay though, let's get to the fun [for you] stuff, shall we? The first part of this process was to go TO our local Havertys to get an idea of what we wanted design and comfort wise. My husband came with me, and we had a great Saturday morning shopping and planning. 

The H Designer, Macey, met us there, as well as the store manager. They were so kind to allow us to come a little bit before their doors officially opened, and I can't sing high enough praises about how helpful they were. Right away, I clicked with Macey; she was genuine, funny, and knew WAY more than we did about all things furniture. We had to figure out what was the most practical for us, since we do have two very young kids and FIVE pets, and she was the perfect help. 

Macey talked us through which fabrics would clean the easiest, and described the differences between styles of furniture; such as contemporary, modern, mid-century, etc. One of my design dreams has been to have a navy blue sofa, so she had a few different samples pulled for us based on what I had told the ladies at Havertys. We went and sat on numerous sofas, and I realized as much as I LOVE mid-century modern, a sofa such as that is really not practical for our family at this time. We wanted a sofa that is extra comfortable--you know the type, one where we could spend Saturday mornings lounging on, and one that would not be too difficult to clean. 

Havertys helped with putting together a look book for us, based on the design of our living room, and thank God for that because honestly I didn't really know where to begin prior to all of this. We picked the sofa pretty quickly; all that would need to be changed was the color of fabric [Can you tell based on any of this what color or style I chose? Wink, wink!] We gave some dimensions to Macey and she helped us choose two arm chairs based on the size of those numbers. It was so cool to watch her work and tweak things in her software--and it was especially cool knowing that it was OUR living room she was helping design!! 

One of my non-negotiable's design wise, was creating a living space where the TV was NOT above the fireplace. The way our house was built, it's very obvious that the TV was 'supposed' to go above the mantle, but both my husband and I agreed that wasn't what we wanted. It was a little tricky to configure the space where a console would be against the wall, but Macey made it happen! After we had all of our pieces picked out, the last thing we needed to do was choose colors and fabrics. It was so much looking at all the different swatches, and even MORE fun when I found one that would compliment the pillows I previously bought (that I was kind of building the rest of colors around!) 

It feels incredibly surreal to sit back and think about the many different pieces that went into making all of this a possibility. Coordinating between the local store manager, H designer, childcare on our end so we didn't have our rugrats running ramped through this very nice store, the e-mails, phone calls, gah! There has been SO much poured into making this dream a reality, and I really can't thank Havertys enough. Louisville and surrounding areas, if you haven't yet BEEN to the store on Hurstbourne, you need to change that. They have furniture pieces for every single person, and beautiful sets for all your home needs. And if you didn't know, there are over 120 retail stores throughout sixteen states, and you can ALWAYS purchase online. 

So many of my friends have told me that they have something from Havertys, and whenever I told someone that we were working with them, the feedback was always positive. "Oh I LOVE their furniture!" was the most common response I had, and seriously, I couldn't agree more. 

**If you want to see what we chose, you will just have to stay tuned! There will be another blog post SOON announcing the big reveal, and even after that, I don't think I will ever be quiet about the goodness of this company. And I would love to hear from y'all--what is your dream furniture piece? Anyone else obsessed with bold sofa colors these days?! Leave a comment below and give Havertys some love! And to my friends AT Havertys, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for working with me and helping my design dreams come true!**