Smells Like Fall!

Smells Like FallY’all. A big part of me wants to keep these a secret, so I can hoard them ALL. I always thought Bath & Body Works was just good for cheap anti-bacterial hand gels and fruity body sprays for 11-year olds. My, how I was mistaken. For the past year or so, I have been purchasing their foaming hand soaps when they’re on sale, because they’re my husband’s favorite kind of soap. Their wide range of scents are always fun to peruse, but I never branched out much more. THAT was before I discovered their candles. Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Seriously. RUN. Don’t walk, to buy 3 or more of them. Here are my 2 favorite scents right now…

CandlesFirst, let’s chat about Marshmallow Fireside. The description on the bottom of the candle says, “Celebrate the changing season with a warm blend of toasted marshmallows, smoldering woods and creamy vanilla reminiscent of a cozy evening ’round the bonfire.” Is that image alone not enough to make you want this heavenly wax miracle? If not, then you’re crazy. Personally this candle makes me want to be wearing leggings with fuzzy socks and an oversized sweater decorating the Christmas tree while A Charlie Brown Christmas album plays in the background. (Another immediate “must buy,” if you don’t have it in your music collection)

Marshmallow FiresideSecondly, is Leaves, which is probably my favorite of the two. Its description states, “Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries.” Now, we all know in Texas, the “brilliant colors of autumn” are green and brown. Woo. However, don’t let that sway you from buying this scented piece of joy. When I burn this (basically every day…), all I want to do is put on my comfiest sweats, curl up with my softest blanket by a lamp, and reread Harry Potter while listening to a thunderstorm. This candle is basically coziness in wax form. Also, apparently burning candles makes me want to dress like a frumpy slob.

Leaves

I’m sure after these glowing descriptions you’re like, “Woah, Ali. What are these candles going to set me back?” Don’t fret! The large 3-wick versions pictured here are $20 each. However, I snagged them up at a 2 for $22 sale (a savings of $18!!!). Bath and Body Works often has great promos like this, or you can buy smaller versions for less money. They are currently selling their mason jar candles (who doesn’t love a good mason jar?) 2 for $15 and their mini candles 3 for $10. At almost 50 scents, I’m sure you’ll be able to find the perfect one for your home! They are said to burn 25-45 hours, so don’t be stingy and only burn them when you have company over. Enjoy them whenever you want!!!

Why are you still sitting here? Go buy some candles, crazy!

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The Tour de 5107

Besides a few extra touches, I think it is safe to say, “I AM FINALLY DONE DECORATING OUR APARTMENT!” Yay! I hope Louis doesn’t hold me to that statement…I do take after my mom by having an eagerness to constantly redecorate. That being said, I am very content and happy with how our apartment looks and feels now!

The sun shining on our bottom unit!

As soon as you enter our apartment, we have a combined living/dining/desk area…

Our dining/desk area!

We were so happy to do a “table swap” with my parents before we moved! They received our table to do an amazing breakfast room makeover, and they gifted us with this table! It fits so perfect in our space. The mirror was also something I snagged from the Bergstrom home 🙂 The small wall on the right was the perfect spot to display our Aggie Diplomas (whoop!), since it is right by the desk.

Our “entertainment center” is made up of 2 bookshelves and a TV stand from Ikea. I love Ikea furniture because it is well priced and they have so many different options for various combinations. Poor Louis hates building it all I’m sure, but when my parents visited they bought him an electric drill as an early birthday gift…I’m sure that helped speed up the process 🙂 The 3 maps behind our TV are crooked from my mom and represent important places in our relationship (where we met, College Station, and Disney World). Our next big purchase will hopefully be a bigger TV to fill the wall space! I’m still playing around with our bookshelves, and I hope to add some picture frames soon! (Louis probably thinks that’s silly and that we should fill the shelves with more books :)).

This is where we spend most of our evenings 🙂 My favorite things in this room are our Pottery Barn lamps! They were a very generous wedding gift, and I love the warmth they bring to our living room! The mercury glass mixed with the burlap shades brings a classy, cozy feel. The moss letters were made for our wedding by Louis’s dad, so I purchased a gold ampersand (with a coupon!) and the black frame (90% off!) from Hobby Lobby to display them behind the couch. I love a good framed initial, and I love how this turned out! Granted, it is crooked, but after the 4th nail hole on the right side, I just decided to leave it. So sue me.

Although, I am a pretty atrocious cook, I do love our kitchen! The tile backsplash, granite counters, and cabinet color are right up my alley. Fun fact: While I was hanging the ‘G’ in LANG, the ‘N’ fell off the wall and into my container of nails causing them to explode all over the kitchen while I was balancing on one of our dining table chairs. After this incident, Louis forbid me from standing on any chairs…

 We JUST finished our bedroom today, and I could not love it any more. Louis helped me paint last night, and I hung the wall decorations today. The final picture is the closest representation to the wall color in real life. It is so fresh and calm; I love it!!!

Our bathroom is nothing crazy…I do love that we have a double vanity though! Also, there is a frosted window in our shower, which I like because the sun shines in and warms my body wash and shampoo. 🙂 Side note: Our rugs are Microdry Memory Foam Rugs in gray from Bed Bath & Beyond, and they are like heaven for your feet.

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Come visit some time! 🙂

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