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January 2, 2020 | Posted in: Lifestyle

2020 Goals | Life, Career, & More

And just like that, it’s another year, another decade, and another opportunity to chase after my goals and dreams.

2019 was a rollercoaster… honestly, maybe ‘rollercoaster’ should’ve been my word for 2019. It definitely would’ve been a much more accurate depiction of what 2019 had in store for me. Anywho, I’ll spare you all the 2019 details (but really I won’t because I wrote an entire post about what went down in 2019).

My mantra of 2020 is accountability and consistency. Accountability is something I struggle with a lot because once I fall out of the routine of doing something (i.e. blogging, Instagram, the gym, healthy eating, staying in my pajamas all day), I find it extremely challenging to get back into the swing of things. “Oh it’s okay I’ll do it tomorrow” has been my excuse for the last year, but today I’m saying NO MORE!

It’s easy to not hold myself as accountable as I should when I work from home and it’s just me, my cats, and my plants. No one will know if I eat half a loaf of pumpkin bread for breakfast. No one will know if I go to Sonic for the second day in a row to get a half-price slush. No one will see me if I don’t wash my hair for 6 days and never change out of my pajamas.

2020 is going to be an interesting year. It’s the first year where my life is in my hands. I don’t have school to tell me what to do. I don’t have assignments taking up my thoughts 24/7. I don’t have my life planned out for me… #scary.

I’m not going to lie, setting goals for 2020 scares me just a little bit. I can no longer have the ‘don’t fail a class’, ‘graduate on time’, blah blah blah because school controls my life. I’m 100% in control. The issue with that is that I highly undervalue myself and think that I am capable of absolutely nothing… Goals scare me because now the path to get there is completely foreign to me. How do I run a successful business?? How do I determine the worth of my skills? What if no one wants to hire me? What if my blog flops and no one shares any interests with this plant-loving grandma of a cat lady…

Life

What a broad topic 😂 way to go Abigail…

Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast at least five days a week

Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast at least five days a week. I’ve become the absolute worst at eating breakfast, and if I do eat breakfast, chances are its junk food… junk food was how I got through 2019, okay… no judgment plz. In 2020, I will eat some form of a balanced breakfast.

Prep lunch ingredients on a weekly basis to allow for less junk food and more healthy food during the day. When I was in college, I was SO good about eating lunches that were healthy. I’d chop up a bunch of veggies to make my tofu & veggie scramble or I’d cook a bunch of healthy-ish alfredo with chickpea pasta and broccoli. Now it’s pretty much leftovers or whatever junk food is in the pantry…

Plan a vacation for Brad and I’s 3rd anniversary. We went to Folly Beach last year, and I totally want to do it again! We had an absolute blast. Plus, our anniversary is September 15th which is the off-season at the beach… and that means discounted hotels/houses.

Fill out and utilize my PowerSheets each and every week. I used PowerSheets in 2019 at the beginning of the year. It worked well for me, but then the rollercoaster took off and I never knew what I was doing next. Now that my life has settled, I feel that I’m a bit more able to accurately plan and set goals on a weekly and monthly basis.

Career

Double my income generated from Abigail Thomas Digital. Boom. There I said it. My skills have worth, and I am 100% deserving of monetary compensation. Just because I check the ‘recent college grad’ box does not mean that I am deserving of the typical lower rates for people straight out of college. I’ve been doing this web development and social media stuff for a little over four years… and that’s worth more.

Get ready for work 3x per week. I am oh-so-guilty of wearing my pajamas all day with my hair in a bun with no makeup on every single day of the week. While that may sound like the dream, it’s actually quite unmotivating. I could easily get back into bed and no one would ever know… I will get dressed, do my hair, and put on makeup 3x per week in 2020.

Hobbies

Create a social media schedule and stick to it. That’s kind of ironic, right? Social media is part of what pays my bills, but it still stresses me out when I have to post on my own accounts. In 2020, I will find a balance between posting on @livingthegraylife and @livingtheplantylife. I would love to grow both accounts to over 1,000 followers each! My approach is to post 3x a week on each account meaning I could alternate days between which account I’m posting on and then I’d get a day off each week as well. Hopefully, this is something I can try my best to stick to!

Integrate a ‘Shop’ page on the blog. I would love to create an online store on the blog where I could sell blog stickers, podcast stickers, and succulents! This could be a way for me to integrate my love for succulents into the blog and be able to spread the joy of plants with more people!

Post on the blog at 2x per month. I felt like 2019 just wasn’t my year for blogging, and I think a lot of people fell into that same rut. 2020 will be different because I have my spark back for my biggest passion, and I’m ready to get to typing away and sharing more of my life with you! I put a lot of pressure on myself to have posts that are meaningful, provide value to the reader, and are new and innovative. In the wise words of Gabby Whiten, even if you think there’s no one listening, there is always someone who is. I don’t care if the post is just an update on my plants or my cats, I will post something each month and be proud of it!

I’m genuinely excited about my goals for 2020 because this year is 100% me. I am the only one dictating what happens, where I go, and whether or not I put in the work to be successful. This year is a blank slate for my creative passions and I’m looking forward to all that is to come!

Happy New Year!

~abigail gray

December 31, 2019 | Posted in: Lifestyle

2019 Year in Review

It’s honestly hard to believe that 2019 has come to a close. 2019 was a year I’ve looked forward to for a lot of my life. In high school, I thought of 2019 being so far away, but it would be the year I graduated college and I was taking the leap into the real world. In college, 2019 represented the conclusion of four years of hard work, stress, new experiences, memorable moments, and “the best four years of my life”.

2019 threw a lot my way and tested me in ways I’ve never been tested before. To me, 2019 was like being on a rollercoaster while blindfolded and wearing noise-canceling headphones. I had no idea where I was going or where I’d end up, and to say it was anxiety-inducing is an understatement.

I’m breaking my year down month-by-month to share my highlights, lowlights, and everything in between.

January

I started off the year in Denver, CO. I spent my time out there working and taking one of the hardest fitness classes of my life because going from sea level to a mile above sea level does not allow for great workouts.
I said goodbye to my best furry friend Tom. He was a shining light in my life for 6 months and was taken away from me way too soon. I miss him dearly, but he gave me Potato, and I’m so grateful for that.
I started my final semester of college!

Blog posts:

February

My houseplant addiction officially started…
Celebrated Galentines Day a few days late with my two best friends at Café Strudel. We each had a mimosa and that was the strongest mimosa I’ve ever consumed. We were wasted by 11 AM… I swear there was more than just champagne and OJ in it.
My mom came down for a weekend and we took a day trip up to Charlotte. I introduced her to the amazing world of IKEA, The Crepe Cellar, and Smelly Cat Coffeehouse.

Blog Posts:

March

The houseplant addiction continues… and I finally started propagating my succulents which has now turned into a full-blown operation.
Hello MIAMI!! I spent a week with my friends on the beach, getting drunk, and having a fantastic time. Although Spring Break 2k18 will never be topped, this one came in pretty close.
I started a 2-week eczema detox diet to help me diagnose and figure out what was causing my awful eczema. 2 weeks full of only eating pears, oatmeal, potatoes, chicken, leeks, cabbage, tofu, and parsley… My eczema cleared up (WOOHOO!) which gave me insight into the cause.

Blog Posts:

April

Potato disappeared for 2.5 weeks… That was probably one of the lowest points in my year. 3 months prior I lost Tom to a reckless driver and now I’d lost my only connection to him.
Brad found the most amazing house for rent. We toured it and signed the lease the next day. This would be the start of our amazing future together.
I took graduation photos with my best friend Katie. Hard to believe four years of college was about to be over.

Blog Posts:

May

Brad and I moved into our new house! It was disgustingly dirty… y’all I had to vacuum the walls… I spent the first week cleaning, painting, and organizing.
We adopted Basil two days after moving to our new house. We were probably a bit crazy for doing that.
GRADUATION!!! Well, I didn’t actually attend my graduation ceremony and instead, my parents and brother came down for the weekend. We hung out, went hiking, and had way more fun than we would’ve had we gone to the 3-hour graduation ceremony…
I saw The 1975 in concert for the first time and it was AMAZING. Thank you, Brad, for gifting me the most amazing weekend full of plant shopping, The Crepe Cellar, and The 1975 all in our favorite city, Charlotte, NC.
I started CrossFit! The first step in a new direction for my fitness journey. I’ve never looked back!

June

Built my hanging plant shelves. They’re still one of the best things I’ve ever made, and I love them!
My eczema was the worst its ever been, and I reached my breaking point. I was determined to find a solution because being self-conscious and uncomfortable every single day of my life was not a fun way to live.
Season 3 of the podcast!!!

Blog Posts:

July

Happy 22nd birthday to me! It was a low-key birthday but I still enjoyed it. I got myself coffee and donuts, bought myself some new clothes, and went to dinner at Brad and my favorite Italian restaurant.
Shared my desk setup on the blog, and it’s changed so much since then so I’m probably due for an update…

Blog Posts:

August

Flew out to Denver, CO. I drove with my brother all the way from Denver, CO, to Knoxville, TN. We spent 19 hours in a car, and I hope to never do that again…
I finally said “screw it” to finding a job and dove head-first into starting my own business. 100% scary but 100% would recommend.

Blog Posts:

September

Made a really awesome wreath out of Dollar Tree kraft paper.
Started taking daily Instagram photos… that lasted about a week LOL
Celebrated Brad and I’s 2 year anniversary!
Brad and I took our first real vacation to Folly Beach. We had an absolute blast, and 10/10 would do again. We spent our days on the beach, went out for brunch, met up with Brad’s friends, ate dinner at amazing places, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Blog Posts:

October

Hello depression! After Brad and I got back from our amazing vacation, I became super depressed, anxious, and completely unmotivated. Luckily with the help of my doctor, we were able to increase the dosage on my anxiety meds and I became myself once again.
Went to a Halloween party with all of my CrossFit friends. I had an absolute blast and my minimal witch costume was a hit!
Season 4 of the podcast!!!

Blog Posts:

3 MetCon Workouts That Are Guaranteed To Have You Sweating

November

I was still trying to get back to my old self after the major depressive episode in October.
My friend Katie came to visit Columbia for the week, and she stayed with me for a few days. We hadn’t seen each other since graduation, and it was so nice catching up with her! Plus she surprised me with my favorite coffee and pastry from my go-to coffee shop here in Columbia 💕
My bestie Jenna and I went to see The 1975 in Greenville, SC. They’re our absolute favorite band and we’ve been dying to see them together for years. We made it happen and was the best night ever! Subway, free cookies, cheap parking, and great seats. We were truly living our best lives.
My parents came down the weekend before Thanksgiving to hang out and visit. They typically come down twice a year to spend the weekend, hang out, and catch up. It was so nice having them here and being able to just relax. They oh-so-graciously helped me put up my Christmas tree and make my house a bit more festive for the holidays!
This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family, and it was kind of strange. For the past 21 years, Thanksgiving was essentially the kickoff to the holiday season, and I’m so used to how my family does Thanksgiving. It was interesting to see how different families celebrate. Overall it was fun, and I think spending Thanksgiving away from my family will make Thanksgiving next year that much more exciting!

Blog Posts:

December

I was given the opportunity to assist my local Girl Scout office with a few of their programs, and I had an absolute blast! The first one was a gardening program and the second was a coding program. Getting girls involved in tech and STEM is extremely important to me, and I’m so thankful that I’m able to help girls in Columbia see the fun and excitement of tech!
Of course, I can’t forget about Christmas! Brad came home with me for Christmas this year, and we spent an entire week with my family… needless to say, it was a lot. We had fun hanging out, drinking, eating way too much food, and just spending time together as a family. Now that my brother is in college and I no longer live in Knoxville, it’s a rare occasion when the entire family is together. So much fun, but Brad and I were definitely ready to get back to our regular routines.

Want to hear more about 2019 and everything that went on?? Well, you’re in luck! Caitlyn and I just released our ‘What Happened in 2019‘ podcast episode!

Thank you so much for being there and supporting me through 2019! It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but I made it through, and I’m so excited about what 2020 has to offer. I’m already planning out content and ways to balance my work, the blog, and my fitness. Hopefully, 2020 will be even better than 2019!

Happy New Year!

~abigail gray

November 27, 2019 | Posted in: Plants

Saving Succulents from the Lowe’s Clearance Rack

Hi hello! I want to use this post as an opportunity to walk you through my process of rescuing and reviving succulents from the Lowe’s clearance rack.

Like most plant-obsessed people, I can’t walk by the Lowe’s plant clearance rack and not want to bring home every single sad plant and try to give it a better life. We have this one Lowe’s here in Columbia that always seems to have at least one shelf full of clearance succulents. I mean I’m one for a good deal and I’m also one to save sad plants and give them a better life. In my eyes, it’s a win-win situation. Plus, it’s so fun to see a plant come back to life!

These tips & tricks can be used for any sad succulent and not just the ones from the Lowe’s clearance rack.

When I’m picking succulents from the clearance rack, I look for a few things:

No mushiness. If the stem is mushy or the center of the rosette is mushy, the plant is long gone and there’s no point in trying to save it. Sometimes squishy leaves can be okay, but it’s on a case by case basis.
No pests. Pests are going to make it a lot harder to revive a plant, and if the plant is already in bad shape, the pests are going to make recovery that much more challenging.
Sturdiness. If a plant immediately falls apart when I touch it, it automatically goes back on the shelf. Plants that fall apart like that are usually suffering from root rot or some other sort of disease or fungus. I don’t want to be bringing that home to contaminate the rest of my plants!

Taking a Succulent from Drab to Fab

Remove all dried, damaged, and diseased leaves.
These immediately go in the trash (or compost if you’re really being eco-friendly) because leaves that are dried and/or damaged tend to attract pests. Here in this planty household, pests are not allowed.

Gently remove any leaves from the portion of the stem that shows etiolation.
This is definitely a personal preference, but I feel like doing this immediately makes an impact on the overall appearance of the plant. When removing the leaves, I make sure to remove the leaf cleanly from the stem. Gently rock side to side and twist until the leaf pops off. I don’t throw away these leaves because they can be used for propagation! (leaf propagation blog posts are coming!)

Chop & prop if needed.
Chances are, the succulent has etiolated (aka stretched out) and is no longer compact. I’m not a fan of that look so I tend to behead my succs and propagate them. Essentially it’s just cutting the top portion off of the succulent and replanting it in order to give the succulent a better shape and more stability. (beheading and stem cutting propagation blog posts are coming!)

Repot & replant into fresh soil.
It’s not uncommon for big box stores like Lowe’s to have pests in their soils, have the soil be sopping wet, and have poorly draining soil. I always always repot into fresh cactus & succulent soil to avoid root rot and pests and to give the succulent a fresh start.

What to do with all the pieces

Leaves
Leaves will be placed on top of soil and allowed to propagate. Each leaf will produce at least one new plant so why throw away free plants!? There will be a whole post on leaf propagation because it’s one of my speciaties.

Top Rosette
The top rosette will be placed into fresh, dry soil. Hold off on watering for at least 1 week to allow the end of the cutting to callous over. I sometimes will leave them out of soil and wait for them to callous because that reduces the chances of rot and fungal problems due to the open wound making contact with moisture. I’ve never had any issues with that so I go ahead and pop them into soil.

Rooted Stem
This is a new area of propagation for me. Repotting or even leaving the stem in soil and watering it like any other succulent will allow that stem to produce babies. It’s weird to me to water a bunch of stems, but I’m trying it out, and so far it has seemed to work!

Saving sad succulents is definitely so much fun and has become quite an addicting hobby for me. I love chopping and propping them (thanks @succulentscientist for that terminology) and watching them recover and grow into beautiful plants. Such a fun process to document!

Have you ever saved a succulent or plant from a clearance rack? What’s your favorite plant to rescue? Can’t wait to share more propagation tips and updates on these plants!

~abigail gray

November 16, 2019 | Posted in: Chit Chat, Lifestyle

Where Have I Been?? | Coffee & Chit Chat

It’s been a month and a half since I’ve posted on the blog. In ways, it feels like its been years, but in other ways, it feels like its been days.

Blogging is such a weird thing. What was once a space to share my favorite movies, my go-to dorm room snacks, and my opinions on the pumpkin spice craze has turned into a job. It feels like work. Sometimes, it honestly feels like a burden.

I love my blog. I love this little corner of the internet that I’ve created. It’s something I’m so passionate about and proud of because quite frankly, most people don’t stick with something for as long as I have stuck with the blog. It’s been four and a half years.

When I first started the blog, there was no pressure. It was all about posting 3x a week, creating graphics, developing a newsletter. I was hooked and completely submerged in the wonderful world of blogging. This time period was right at the beginning of the whole influencer culture that has now taken over the world. Blogging was a way to communicate, to build a community, and to “meet” new internet friends. I vividly remember waking up early on Saturday mornings, walking over to our student union, grabbing a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a coffee from Einstein’s, and sitting on my laptop anxiously awaiting the #GalPalGirlGang Twitter chat to start at 10 AM. Oh, how I love Twitter chats.

Anyways, just this past week I met with a wonderful woman who was talking to me about my hopes, passions, dreams, and goals for my life in the next few years, and she brought up my blog. She couldn’t stop raving about how amazing it was that I created such a warm, welcoming online space that is built around empowering women to be their strongest and most confident selves. She genuinely inspired me to write this post.

You see, I’m one of these people who think I’m always failing at life and I haven’t achieved anything. I always feel as if I could be doing better, I could be more dedicated to what I love, I could put more effort into succeeding. I’m truly my harshest critic.

This point leads me into the actual topic of this post and that is where I’ve been for the past two months. I’ve seemingly disappeared from existence online. No Instagram posts, no blog posts, rarely any Twitter posts… The truth is I’ve been in a really rough spot since the end of September.

At the end of September, Brad and I took the most amazing vacation to Folly Beach, and to be quite honest, it was absolute perfection. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, our little Airbnb was in the perfect location, and it was the best vacation I’ve been on in a long time. When we got back, it was a challenge for me to fall back into my regular, non-beach filled days.

I spiraled into a really dark place. My depression and anxiety were through the roof despite the fact of regularly taking my anxiety meds. If you listen to my podcast, you can clearly tell how awful I was feeling. It got so bad that there was an entire week where I could barely work, I wasn’t sleeping, I was gorging myself on junk food, and I honestly just didn’t want to be here anymore. I felt like an absolute failure at life because my life wasn’t falling into place like I thought it would. Luckily at the end of that week, I had a doctor’s appointment and we upped my anxiety meds. That doctor’s appointment was a light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s taken me about a month to get back to my usual routine and feeling like myself once again. I’m not drinking a cherry slush with nerds from Sonic every day, I’m actually cleaning the house on a regular basis, my sleep schedule is back to normal, and I thankfully feel inspired and creative again.

I’m going to slowly work on routinely posting on the blog. My 2020 goal is to publish at least one new post a week. That’s extremely manageable, and who knows, some weeks might even have two posts. I’m not putting any type of pressure on myself. I want the blog to be a fun space for me again. I no longer want it to be a burden or a chore.

I’ve been saying this for a while but I no longer want how well a post will do to determine what I talk about. I want to talk about all my plants and succulents. I want to talk about the gym and fitness. I want to talk about starting my own business. I want to talk about the struggles of anxiety and depression. I want to share my own experiences. And if in doing that it positively affects one single person and makes them feel less alone, well then I’ve done my job. I love each and every one of you more than you know, and I’m extremely thankful for all of you. The love and support of the blogging world is why I’ve stuck with it this long, and I can’t wait to take you on the rest of my life journey.

I’ll talk to you soon ❤️

~abigail gray

October 5, 2019 | Posted in: Fitness, Workouts

3 MetCon Workouts that are Guaranteed to have You Sweating 😅

This blog post is sponsored by Under Armour. All opinions are my own. Thanks to you, I have the amazing opportunity to work with brands that I love, and in turn, collaborations like this make Living the Gray Life possible!

Hi hello, it’s been a hot second since I posted a workout on the blog! Since starting CrossFit, I no longer have to be creative and come up with my own workouts. Luckily, they’re all planned out for me so all I have to do is show up, suffer, and leave!

With that being said, I wanted to highlight a few of the met-cons I’ve done over the past 4 months of CrossFit that have really pushed me to my limits. Of course, I want to share them with you so we both can suffer! But for real though, these are awesome and have truly taken my fitness to the next level.

So what the heck is a MetCon?? A MetCon is short for “metabolic conditioning”, and it’s a type of workout that uses compound movements done at a fast pace that really push your level of fitness. This is exactly what I was missing from my old workout routines. Yes, I could do 4 sets of 10 for forever, but at the end of the day, my cardiovascular endurance wasn’t super high. What I love about MetCons is how god awful yet fun they are and how they’ve truly helped me become a better athlete.

These are written to be performed at a functional fitness gym like a CrossFit box or other gyms where there’s space to move. These can be performed at a conventional gym, but it just takes a bit of figuring out what you can and can’t do in your space and then replacing the movements that you can’t do with movements that you can do!

NOTE: Stay safe, please! Don’t use weights that you’re uncomfortable using and DO NOT let your ego get in the way of you properly performing movements. Heck, use a PVC pipe if you can’t do some of these with a barbell. This is NOT the time or the place to be lifting as heavy as possible. Choose a moderate, safe weight. Better to choose something too light & increase weight than to go with something heavy right off the bat and you end up injuring yourself.

Workout #1

3 Rounds for Time:

Workout #2

For Time: 15-12-9-6-3

Overhead Squat
Toes to Bar

15-12-9-6-3 means the first round you do 15 reps of overhead squats and 15 toes to bar, the next round you do 12 reps of overhead squats and 12 toes to bar, the next round you do 9 reps of overhead squats and 9 toes to bar, and so on until you finish the rep scheme.

Workout #3

4 Rounds for Time:

12 Dumbbell Deadlifts
10 Box Step Overs (5 each leg)
8 Dumbbell Cleans
6 Front Squats
4 Strict Press/Push Press

This is done with double dumbbells throughout the entire workout. Your grip will be killing you by the end.

Before I wrap up this blog post, I want to highlight a few pieces from Under Armour that I’ve been absolutely loving for my CrossFit workouts.

Rival Fleece Crop | UA Rush Crop, HeatGear Armour Shine Ankle Crop, UA Breathe Trainer | Armour Mid, UA Rush

I love that the sports bras and crops hold everything in and let me focus on my workout instead of worrying about things bouncing about. Oh my and don’t get me started on how much I love the tanks. They’re fitted just enough to keep the excess fabric from getting in my way mid-workout and absorb sweat like nobody’s business. I’m in love.

Try out these workouts and let me know how they go! You’ll 100% be sweating and you might feel like you’re going to die, but it’s all good 😂

I’ll talk to you in the next one!
~abigail gray

September 13, 2019 | Posted in: DIY, Holiday, Lifestyle

DIY Fall Wreath + My Fall Mantle Decor

Okay, so let’s get this out of the way. Wreaths are freaking expensive. A cute one from Target will cost you AT LEAST $20 for the basic, plain fall-themed wreath. And then if you go to Michaels or Home Goods/T.J. Maxx/ Marshalls, you’ll easily be set back $40-$50.

I don’t really understand why they’re so expensive, but they’re always so cute and #aesthetic. Whenever the holiday decor starts to roll out, I’m always tempted to drop a pretty penny on one. But not this year. I’m sorry corporate America but you cannot have my $$$ for this one.

I’m big into crafting and DIY-ing if you didn’t know. I used to include a lot more DIYs and such on the blog, but I fell out of my crafting hobby a few years ago. But baby I’m back!

DIY Fall Wreath

Before we get into this, I just want to apologize if the instructions are hard to follow. I didn’t think about making this DIY post on the blog until I had already finished the DIY… #BadBloggerOfTheYearAward goes to me.

Supplies

Brown craft paper (I get mine from Dollar Tree in the shipping supplies section)
Hot glue gun & hot glue
Cardboard box

Instructions

Make a wreath form out of cardboard. It can be a flat circle that you cut out of the top of a box or a bunch of different cardboard pieces glued together to form a circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as it’s in a relative circle shape, you’re all good.

** Note: If you’re using cardboard that isn’t the same color as your craft paper, I highly recommend covering your wreath form in the craft paper. It’ll make your gluing process easier and your finished piece much more polished. **
With the craft paper, cut out 4×4 or 5×5 squares. They don’t have to be perfect because we’re just going to crumple them up. You can make the squares in mass by cutting out strips of the craft paper and then cutting into squares from there.
Crumple the squares to form little puffs. To do this, grab the center of the square and pull the corners together.
Pick a spot on your wreath form and start gluing down the puffs. I found that folding over the point of the puff just a bit gave a nice surface to glue.

A Look at My Fall Mantle

TBH I never thought I’d be so excited about decorating a mantle or having a fireplace in my house. But yet here I am.

Mirror. I found this at Goodwill for $20. I was looking for a mirror like this for a long time but they’re so gosh darn expensive! I’m still in awe that I found this one for such an amazing price!

Art Piece. This was a birthday present from Brad. I found a picture of a painting on Unsplash that I loved and he got it printed on a canvas. Such a great idea if you’re looking to make art on a budget!

Pumpkins. The three pumpkins on the left are from Dollar Tree. They always have such adorable little pumpkins for only $1. You really can’t beat that! The two on the right are from Michael’s. I got them last year for 50% off!

Hello Fall Banner. I found this at Target three years ago for $5. It’s such a cute and festive piece that is still classy! The only issue with this hanging over the fireplace is that my cats love to play with the tassels…

Lanterns. These are from Michael’s as well. I found them earlier in the summer for 70% off. Yes, you read that right. 70% off. I’m still looking for candles to put on the inside…

Plants. It wouldn’t be a room in my house without a plant! The large one on the floor is a Golden Pothos. I found this guy at Lowe’s on clearance for $8. Such a great deal! The one on the mantle is a ZZ Plant and is perfect for beginners! It requires such little work and it’s doing great in this space.

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY and a look at my fall mantle! I really love how everything turned out. I’m already getting so excited to decorate for Christmas… Until then, I’m going to enjoy all my fall decor even though it’s 90 degrees outside.

~abigail gray