Masterpieces Magazine #09

Welcome to the September edition of the Masterpieces of my Life Magazine. The focus of this monthly newsletter will give a peek behind the scenes around here, share curated content and provide digest communication. Please come in and join me.

This monthly newsletter reviews current trends, doings and happenings. This is where I share what I have been up to, what caught my eye and what I’m planing ahead for the blog. Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here today, and I hope to provide some virtual love for my loyal readers.

The Gist:

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Behind the Scenes

Where I share personal anecdotes, insider doings, and a peak behind the curtain of the Masterpieces of my Life blog. I hope information about me as a person will bring connection and a closer virtual relationship.

Life Lately

September was a busy month with a couple of trips. The first trip, included heading back East to visit with family to honor the lives of Mr. M’s aunt and cousin. It was a wonderful celebration, and it was lovely to visit with cousins from Matt’s side of the family. It was a bittersweet circumstance. Some of the family I hadn’t seen in 30 years and others it had been 14 years, whom I had seen at my Mother-in-laws celebration of life. Funerals and weddings always bring family together. Since we moved to California in 1997 and all our family is back East, visiting with extended family tends to be a challenge. Luckily, the next occasion will be for a wedding next year so we’re all looking forward to that.

The other trip was this past weekend. It was an annual girls’ trip with my college friends, and we traveled to Nashville, TN. Oh.My.Goodness!!! It was off the hook. Folks have described Nashville to me with the music and bands in every establishment, one after the other…well, until you’re seen it and heard it and felt it, words don’t do it justice. It was incredible and if you haven’t been, I highly recommend it.

We visited the Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame. We toured the Grand Old Opry. Celebrated Dolly Day on 9/25 (9 to 5) with all proceeds going to her philanthropies and fireworks at 9:30. Every place has a rooftop bar, with multiple floors, each different than the other. Plus much more and every experience was unique and amazing in its own way. I really can’t recommend it enough (did I say that already?). I will dedicate an entire post to the topic shortly since there’s so much to share.

Wellness Journey

My leg is still healing from last month’s fall, but it’s much better. It’s almost, almost, back to normal. I’m thinking a couple more weeks before it’s totally healed, which if you think about it, has been quite the journey. I fell on August 2nd, which is quite a bit of time ago.

Not gonna lie, I was also a bit apprehensive and nervous about the trip to Nashville with my college girlfriends. I rented a mobility scooter for the first time and used it on Friday, which helped since we walked (rode) from the Airbnb to downtown Broadway. It was a 15-20 minute walk, which I wouldn’t have been able to do without stopping multiple times. Once we were on Broadway the scooter proved to be more of a hassle and a bit cumbersome. I ditched it on Saturday since we had to Uber to our destination, and I managed everything else simply with my walking sticks just fine. I’m learning as I go. This is my new reality. I hate it, but I guess it could be worse, much worse.

September Digest

September’s content included a mix of seasonal posts including decor, crafting and entertaining inspiration. Fall is my favorite season and I’m looking forward to all it brings, from Halloween to my birthday to Mr. M’s birthday to Thanksgiving and our baby girl coming home from Boulder for Turkey day.

DECORATE

CREATE

ENTERTAIN

October Forecasts

I’m so excited to kick off Fall in full force now. Bring on the pumpkins and corn stalks and Halloween spooky fun. I’ve been waiting for the temperatures to cool off so my pumpkins don’t bake on the porch. I was hoping to do it when I got back from Nashville but the weather app shows 80s into the 90s. I’m holding off a beat, but it’s really, really hard!

Get ready for the rest of the year to sprint by. We’ll blink and it’ll be New Year’s Eve. But let’s try to slow down and enjoy every occasion, every holiday, every month for what it is. Be on the lookout for seasonal posts, including entertaining, holiday and creative inspirational ideas. Oh yeah, and a detailed trip to Nashville.

Trends & Insights

2026 Halloween Home Trends

I read a few different articles and opinions are a bit scattered and all over the place, but there a few threads which were woven consistently throughout. I gathered them below for inspiration if you’re a Halloween decorator, and if you’re not so much it’s always good to know what’s going on.

I can get behind many of these, but the pink might be tough for me. A dark plum or aubergine I believe is beautiful for Halloween decor. Orange and black will also never go out of style as a traditional and nostalgic touch. I don’t do much orange either, but appreciate the aesthetic. The most important thing is to decorate your home with what you like and makes you happy regardless of trends. You do you!

Inspiration around the Web

• I love setting a hauntingly beautiful table for Halloween and Lory from Designthusiasm does just that with her Black & White Table Top Ideas– check it out if your are an elegant Halloween person.
• Talking about adding pink to your Halloween decor, KariAnne over at Thistlewood Farms decked out her porch with Purple, Pink and Orange decor.
• If you love the look of Terrain’s organic wreaths you will love this wreath created by my friend Anna @ Skylark House, using foraged ferns and Queen Anne’s Lace. It’s truly stunning!
• If you want something fun to do this October, check out this list of 11 Creepiest Haunted Houses. They are spread all over the country so hopefully you can find something near you. On a total side note, Lizzie Borden’s house is on the list and I just finished watching her show on the Netflix Monsters documentary series. So good!!! Highly recommend if stuff like that is your jam.
• Here’s a haunted house list which includes every single state so there’s something for everyone if you’re so inclined.
• Just because the summer is over doesn’t mean we neglect our gardens- on the contrary, now is the time to set them up for success next spring; here are a couple of articles to guide you 10 Fall Chores and 8 Fall Gardening Tips.
• Plus looking ahead- are you hosting Thanksgiving? Now is the time to plan your table so you can enjoy the process and avoid undue stress. Here are some Thanksgiving Table ideas.

Masterpieces of My Life Spotlights

Favorite Halloween Free Pintables:

Favorite Halloween Witchy Decor:

Communication 101 & Building Community

More Related Posts

We are always striving to master the art of joie de vivre around here. If you enjoy the good life and want a reflection of this in your home, please consider joining the Masterpiece community. Sign up and you won’t miss any new content, receiving all new posts directly into your in-box.

I’m so glad you’re here today, truly appreciate you and can’t wait to see you next time. If there are any topics you are interested in discussing next month please drop me a note down below. See ya next time.

Au revoir!

Shop My Self Care Favorites Right Now

We are entering the busiest time of year with holidays, gatherings, obligations, etc, which is all good, BUT we tend to neglect ourselves through it all. Here are some favorites to take time and pamper ourself. By taking some “me” time, helps you AND brings the best version of you to benefit family and friends.

• 1} Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie hair product line is amaZIng!! Who wanted the Rachel in the 90s? IYKYK
  • a} LolaVie Sculpting Paste
  • b} LolaVie Restorative Shampoo
  • c} LolaVie Restorative Conditioner
  • d} LolaVie Glossing Detangler
• 2} Eva NYC Invisible Dry Shampoo Spray
• 3} BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask, Hydrating Overnight Hydrogel Face Mask It’s hard at first to sleep with a mask on, but once you get use to it, it’s so worth it! Your face is super fresh and clear in the morning!
• 4} If you love Vitamin C for your skin care, I highly, highly recommend this product line
  • a} IMAGE Skincare VITAL C Hydrating Facial Cleanser
  • b} IMAGE Skincare VITAL C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer
  • c} IMAGE Skincare, VITAL C Hydrating Face Serum
  • d} IMAGE Skincare, VITAL C Hydrating Eye Recovery Gel
• 5} Spa Headband
• 6} Cleansing smudge sticks to create positive energy in your home

For more inspiration follow me on Pinterest.

Most Recent Posts

September! I never tire of turning it over and over in my mind. It has warmth, depth, and colour. It glows like old amber.”

Patience Strong

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sharing @ between naps on the porch