Five Things on a Friday – 10/31/25

Happy Friday! If you celebrate Halloween, I hope you have a spooky good time tonight trick-or-treating, handing out candy, or just enjoying a cozy Halloween movie. Jack will be out trick-or-treating with his friends in town, and it will be a mostly quiet night around here because, of course, we don’t get any trick or treaters at our door out in the country. After that, the weekend ahead will be full of soccer and hopefully getting a few things done around the house, as usual. 🙂

We had the most lovely, restorative little getaway last weekend. I’ll tell you more about it soon, but let me just say that I can confirm that I love a fall getaway, even if it’s somewhere close to home. Taking a weekend to rest and reset just before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season sometimes seems counter-intuitive when there’s so much to do, but I find it really helps me come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever the Christmas season may bring. We were so lucky to be invited to stay at Water’s Edge by Liberty, a beautiful cottage-type rental with a private beach on Lake Erie, and we had such a great time exploring the natural beauty of the area, enjoying cozy nights by the fire, and just spending some quiet, quality time together in the middle of this busy season full of preparations for various upcoming holidays, sports, and work commitments. Can’t wait to show you more of the property!

Speaking of Christmas, this year I want to do all the things. And by “all the things,” I mean all those lovely, quiet, old-fashioned activities that I always dream of doing, but don’t really always get around to in any meaningful kind of way. Instead of marathon shopping and wrapping sessions, I want to sit around a beautifully decorated table and eat treats and drink tea with my loved ones. Instead of big commitments to be at every activity, I want to walk the property and forage for greenery to make wreaths and garlands while drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music. I want to watch classic Christmas movies and have a real cookie baking day without rushing to get finished so I can complete the next task on my list. That’s the kind of Christmas that I’m dreaming of this year, and although it might be a little quieter than usual, I think it actually sounds just right.

You know I love a tiny home project. I recently found the perfect solution for an awkward empty wall in the living room and I’m loving what a difference it’s made in how the whole room feels. It started with these easy, wireless sconces and my DIY pleated lampshades. Then I added this beautiful hand painted art from Zoe’s Deco to complete the grouping. This piece is absolutely incredible, and I love that you can see every little brush stroke. It was custom painted for me on a canvas measured to fit exactly in the space where I wanted to hang it, and I just love how it turned out. I just love the process of taking a tiny corner, or one wall, and giving it a little love and attention. These tiny house projects might not always have as much wow factor as this one, but I find they’re the ones that make home feel like home, and that’s why they’re always my favorite. You can use my code CREEKLINEHOUSE for 40% off your Zoe’s Deco order, btw, if you’d love to add some hand painted art to your home as well!

Pictured above: All-weather pergola | White All-weather planters | Beautiful, sharp, inexpensive pruning shears

I can’t bring myself to put my planters to bed for the winter, especially the ones on the back deck that seem to just look more and more amazing as the leaves fall around them and they continue to bloom. I know I should have probably done it weeks ago, and I struggle with this every year, but everything looks so happy and healthy still that I can’t bring myself to rip things out. I have tubers to save, and bulbs to divide for next year, and I could probably take a few more cuttings for propagating too. I’m trying to will myself to do it this weekend because we’ll be into November at that point. Everyone else will be putting up their Christmas lights, and I’ll still be out working away in my garden like it’s August. 🙂 Does anyone else struggle with this, or have you learned to be ruthless and just move right on to fall as soon as September hits?

Life has been an absolute whirlwind lately. It seems like there are 10 new things demanding my attention every minute. My phone seems to be constantly lighting up with work demands, updates from Jack’s soccer team, to-do list reminders, and fun opportunities that I just can’t turn down. It’s a lot, but the thing is, it’s all good things. I find it so easy to forget that fact when I put on my conscientious-hard-worker hat and just get down to business making sure all the boxes are checked and everything is taken care of. The thing is, it’s so important to realize that all these things that are making me so busy are good things, and should be enjoyed and celebrated. In fact, that’s kind of the whole point. Even the mundane calls from a doctor’s office to book an appointment. Truly, how amazing is it to have access to health care and kind doctors to care for us? So that’s what I’m working on right now: Tuning my brain to realize how amazing all the everyday busy-ness of life really is, and maybe even to feel a little excited and energized by it, rather than just going into “taking care of business” mode.

NEWS AND FINDS

-Have you been following along with our Christmas countdown in my daily newsletter? We’ve been working together, doing tiny, bite-size tasks every day to help us get ready for a relaxing, stress-free Christmas this year! Don’t worry if you’re just joining us now. The tasks are designed so that you can jump in any time and still make progress towards making your Christmas calmer, more enjoyable, and maybe even more fun. Each daily task only takes about 2-10 minutes and, slowly but surely, we’re making progress and getting things done! The daily assignments can only be found in my newsletter, so join my email list to follow along with all our simple Christmas preparations!

-If you’re following me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen the ironstone bowl solar fountain I made for the back porch. You can see the little video I made about it here: Quick Solar Fountain Video . I thought it was a bit of a crazy idea at first to use an antique bowl, but it actually turned out so well and the little solar fountain pump I used worked so well! I wanted to share it here as well because I thought this might make a really cute gift idea for a garden lover in your life. You can use this little fountain in a birdbath or any pot, vase, or vessel. You can see the little fountain here: Solar Birdbath Fountain.

-When I’m shopping for new items, as opposed to antiques, I’m aways looking for things that I think of as “instant heirlooms.” Things that you know will stand the test of time and be special, well-loved pieces for years and years, just like your favorite vintage finds from the antique market, only new. I stay away from anything that I think I’ll tire of in the next few years, super trendy pieces, and “fast furniture” as much as possible. I came across this bench the other day and it’s literally exactly what I had been picturing for a spot in our home. I had thought I’d have to wait and find it as an antique, but here it is, solid wood, brand new, and perfect in every way. An instant heirloom for sure. If you happen to be looking for the perfect Windsor bench too, here it is. And it’s even on sale: Traditional Wood Windsor Bench.

-New on LTK: Did you know that The Creek Line House has an LTK shop page? This is where I share finds from my home, my Instagram reels, and other everyday finds that I don’t share on any other platform, as well. If you’ve seen something on my website or on Instagram that you’d like more information on, you can easily find it using the search bar on my LTK page, so it’s a great resource. I’ve recently shared some of my favorite Wayfair lighting finds from my home, all the resources from my recent bedding update, and a roundup of affordable cozy traditional fall home favorites.

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• Five Things on a Friday 10/3/25