Feature Friday with Sean Abrams

Happy Friday! It officially feels like fall here in Tennessee which always puts us in the best moods ever. Are you the same way? Do you find yourself smiling a lot more when you see leaves falling all around and landing on the sidewalks? This time of year is always our favorite and the most magical. Well, besides Christmas, of course. 

Today's Feature Friday is a New York native and you know our feelings about NY. *Swoon*. He works in editorial so naturally, Sean is a good writer, and we think his honest answers are fearless and absolutely refreshing. Also, he's hilarious. Like, we actually LOL'd a few times. We had a lot of fun reading his responses and we think you will, too. Take a look below to see what we mean...

Where are you from? Brooklyn, NY

Where do you live? Astoria, NY

What’s your Instagram handle? @seanybrams

Age? 25

Relationship Status? Very, very single

What is something you think people should know about you? This little white, freckly Jewish boy can bust a move! A strange turn of events led me to join my dance company in college, and I've somehow managed to stick with it ever since. A passion for watching YouTube videos turned into the real thing, and it's been a central part of my life for a while. A large portion of my friends are from my current company, DanceWorksNYC, and being able to perform on stage and feel the crowd's reaction after a show is one of the best feelings in the entire world. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Choose a song for the story of your life: This landed on my "Time Capsule" Spotify playlist recently, so I'm going to go with "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson. Thinking back, I was prone to hang on to the idea of "what if" and what could've been. Basically, I was a glutton for punishment. Now, I've come to realize that I need to do what's best for myself, shaking off all that negative energy and removing people from my life that don't have my best intentions at heart. My girl Kelly says it all for me.

What is one thing you would tell your younger self right now? To grow a pair. I've always been a bit insecure, and I'm not sure if it's because I was dealing with my sexuality, but it had me acting as follower. I always aimed to please, without acknowledging that it was never for my benefit. At this point in my life, I'd want to tell my younger self to stand up for yourself. It's alright to stand tall, speak your mind, and not worry about what other people think. You're a pretty cool dude, and even if it takes a while to realize that, you'll get there.

How would you describe your home décor style? Warm. Cozy. Anything that is inviting and makes you want to stay there. I've been in my own apartment for the past 3 years, and while it's not always the cleanest (courtesy of my two straight male roommates), I try to make it seem welcoming. Decorating for the holidays, or something as small as using candles or things like that, can make a huge difference for me.

Any big plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 10 years is a lonnnnnng way off for me, but ideally, I'd be married... Chris Evans, I'm looking at you. I work in editorial, so I'd like to be high up in the business somewhere, whether situated at a big publication or something that has me interviewing celebrities and A-list talent. I also just got back from my first overseas trip, with a trip to Ireland booked for 2018, so I foresee a lot more travel in the future, for sure.

 Tell us your favorite quote and why: "So it goes." It's from "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut. I got it tattooed on my wrist a while back. To me, it just means "fuck it." Things happen, life can be really shitty sometimes, but there's nothing you can do. You can drag yourself and keep your head down, or you can pick yourself up and move on, and make something good out of what you have left. There's no point in wallowing in self pity. So it goes.

 What is one thing still left on your bucket list? Fall in love. Extremely cheesy, I know, but it just hasn't happened for me yet. I've gotten pretty close, but I've never been with someone that felt like it would really ever get to that feeling of absolute, totally crazy in love. I've never had a boyfriend either, and I'm in pursuit of something real at this point in my life. It's about damn time.

 How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I came out officially at 23. A few college friends knew of me fooling around with guys back when I was around 21, telling them I was bisexual, but it was in 2015 that I came out of the closet for real. I remember feeling like I was going to vomit, pacing around my room for what felt like an eternity. Only my mom was home at the time, and I came out of my room, telling her I was heading up to SUNY Oneonta (where I went to college) for the weekend. I had found myself hooking up with a friend who was a year younger (and in the closet), repeatedly going up to visit him at least once a month. Naturally, my mom was curious why I made so many trips, and I decided to tell her the real reason. Her reaction was exactly as I expected: She asked why I hadn't told her sooner, that she already knew, and she loved me no matter what. She asked if I wanted to tell my dad or if she could, with me telling her I'd like to do it. Naturally, she told him... and the rest of my immediate family. Their reactions were all very similar, and I'm extremely thankful for how accepting everyone was to my coming out.

 Have you faced any backlash or hardships since coming out? I haven't felt any backlash necessarily, but I feel like it did take me a while to immerse myself in gay culture and find a comfortable place in the gay community. I've always considered myself a late bloomer in terms of coming out, kind of putting up a front and slightly frowning upon things I actually was eager to take part in. I also never really found myself with a lot of gay friends, others who had direct, very similar interests to my own. Over the last few years, I've really put in an effort to change that and truly embrace who I am and everything the LGBT culture has to offer. I've got to say, it's pretty great to be gay.

Who is your inspiration (either fictional or real) and who do you look up to the most? I'm really inspired by men in the media who've come out publicly. People I can relate to, like Colton Haynes, really inspire me to speak out and be proud of who I am. Everyone's situation is unique, but I can only imagine what is going through your mind when you're in the public eye like that. I had the opportunity to meet Gus Kenworthy, the Olympic athlete who came out publicly on ESPN Magazine, and it was probably the best interview I've ever done. I'd just come out only a few months before, and it was the first real conversation I felt like I was having. He got it. He understood. He related to every single thing I'd gone through. It was surreal to be sitting across from someone like him, and it's something I'll never forget. He was just a normal guy. Albeit, he's also insanely good looking, but he's also just a normal guy who happens to be gay. I can bet what he did has helped so many others bust out of the closet too. It's people like Gus and Colton, among so many others, that inspire me.

Cozy Night In

The air was so cool tonight and the leaves were so crunchy as we walked the dogs. Everyone is putting up their Halloween decorations around the neighborhood which makes us so grateful to live in a town that takes this season so seriously. We've said it before and we'll say it again, our town really does turn into Salem from the movie Hocus Pocus around this time of year and, honestly, it's pretty enchanting.

Tonight Thomas' mom made homemade chicken noodle soup and we turned the fireplace on, something that's been happening quite frequently this week. We are cozied up on the couch watching Will & Grace and feeling pretty thankful all the things tonight: fall, October, chicken noodle soup, moms. We hope your Thursday night was alright, too. Good night friends :).

Jack o Lantern Pillow

Thank You

Wow. We can't thank you guys enough for all of the sweet and heartfelt comments last night. We were so overwhelmed with love and are beyond thankful for y’all. You show us so much kindness and compassion and honesty and we really appreciate it.

Though we can’t respond to all of the comments, we did read each and every single one from each of you all over the world. How did we get so lucky to have you guys?

We spent last night at this Italian restaurant downtown and it was dark and cozy and we stuffed our faces with pasta. So, you know, it was a good night. We had planned on going to the movies but neither of us felt that well so we opted for a movie on the couch instead.  

All in all it was our favorite kind of night: a good dinner, a good movie, and most of all, getting to spend it with each other. Again, we’re so very grateful for you guys. Each and every one of you.  

Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary

Tonight

Today we're celebrating our two year wedding anniversary, which is crazy for us to say. How has it already been two years?! It seems like it was just yesterday and like it was forever ago all at the same time. Maybe it's because so much has happened in the last two years that it's just flown by.

2014

​In the last two years we moved into our first house we bought together, fixed it up, and thought we would be there for the next 5 years, at least. Then, Thomas' old house came up for sale and we knew we couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy it back, especially since we've talked for years about all of the things we would do to that house if we ever had the chance to get our hands on it. 

2011

​We had planned on fixing up the house over a two year period but then we got the greenlight for our pilot, Down to the Studs, and we made the decision to fix it up then. How many times in our life would we have the opportunity to fix up Thomas' childhood home for a TV show?! 

2010

The next year and a half was very stressful and there were many late nights, tears, a lot of uncertainty, and doubts about if we would finish the house in time for our deadline. One thing we were always sure of though, was each other. We knew this process would be tough, but we never lost sight of the fact that this is all just part of our story. To even be married to each other feels like a blessing because when we got engaged, same-sex marriage was not yet legal in our state so we weren't sure when our wedding would even happen. 

2010

After we found out the show didn't get picked up for series, we were a little down. It hurt, yes, but it felt nice to know we could get back to our normal routine and focus on each other more. One of our favorite things in the world is to cozy up on the couch with pizza and a movie and we missed those nights during the renovation process. We got back to the basics and it's been pretty nice.

2010

Tonight we're celebrating by going to a local Italian restaurant in downtown Cleveland, Cafe Roma, and then going to see a movie. We like to keep it pretty simple and it doesn't take much to make us happy. Dinner and a movie pretty much does it for us. 

2014

We're grateful to have found each other all of those years ago in our little town. We're also grateful for you. We feel like you are a part of our relationship now and we can't thank you enough for being here with us. We have loved reading your comments and suggestions and words of encouragement over the last two years. You have been with us since day one of our marriage, as we started The Property Lovers two years ago, right before we got married. We’ve had the time of our lives sharing our life together with you and we can't wait to see what the future holds. We're just getting started, so we hope you'll be here with us in the years to come. We love you, and we are so grateful for YOU today, too.

Feature Friday with Jeff Pillar & Giang Le

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! What do you have planned this weekend? We are going to be deep cleaning the house and editing some videos and we are looking forward to the down time. It's been a hectic week, but it's been a lot of fun. We posted our coming out story as well as the story of how we met, and you guys have left the most heartfelt and sincere comments. Also, we've been getting a bunch of messages from you guys about your coming out stories and we are in the process of responding to them, so thank you for your patience!

This week's Feature Friday is a beautiful one. Jeff and Giang gave us all the feels when they describe what they love most about each other. You can feel the love coming through the words and we think you guys will fall for their words, too. See what we mean below...

Where are you from?  Jeff: New Jersey, Giang: Connecticut

Where do you live?  Philadelphia, PA

What’s your Instagram handle?  Jeff: jsp483, Giang: giang315

How long have y’all been together and how did you two meet? Who asked out who?  Jeff: We celebrated 8 years together in July.  We met online in 2009, when I lived in Philadelphia and Giang lived in NYC.  I suggested Giang come down one weekend to visit me and go to the beach.  That was two weeks after we first started talking. (My favorite picture is posted here from that day at the beach).

Choose a song for the story of your relationship:  “Opposites Attract” by Paula Abdul.  So many lines are spot on! “You like the movies, and I like TV.  I take things serious and you take ‘em light.  [You] go to bed early and I party all night…[]he makes the bed, and []he steals the covers.  []he likes it neat, and he makes a mess. I take it easy, baby I get obsessed.”

What is your favorite thing about each other? Jeff: My favorite thing about Giang is how uncontaminated he is by drama.  Many people thrive on drama.  Others have a way of finding themselves caught up in drama.  Giang is impervious to drama.  This is one of the main reasons we almost never fight, since there is never drama that is straining or stressing our relationship.  Giang: Physically, my favorite thing about Jeff is when we cuddle and he squeezes me in a bear hug so hard that I can't breathe for two seconds. He does this to me several times a day. Personally, my favorite thing about Jeff is his authenticity. He doesn't hide the fact that he isn't hip and cool, and up to date with all the social flavors of the day. It gives me a lot of ammunition for teasing him. I remember when Adele became big. We were in the car, and he asked me who "A Deli" was. He wasn't kidding. He likes his old school music, music he grew up listening to with his parents. He prides himself on being a contrarian and an iconoclast, sometimes to my frustration, but it's a character trait that I deeply admire. He doesn't try to hide the fact that he's a nerd, and a history buff. He doesn't like being out of his comfort zone and he does little to hide it. We recently came back from a two week family vacation to southeast Asia, and his comfort zone was certainly tested...food, culture, weather, everything. While I laughed and teased him about it, he made no effort to change the way he is. If Jeff likes you, you'll know it. If he doesn't like you, you'll know it. There is no fake smile with Jeff. I say all this to try and convey how authentic he is. He is who he is and does not hide any of it. He embraces the way he is almost as much as he would a gallon of ice cream. Oh that's the other thing I love about him, his love for ice cream. He can go through two gallons of ice cream in one sitting.

How would you describe your home décor style? Giang: Modern and minimalist.  I am an architect, and take the lead when it comes to furnishings and décor.  Jeff happens to have very similar tastes, so it’s a good match.  We both like glass, white, and clean lines. 

Any big plans for the future? Where do you see yourselves in 10 years?  Around 10 years from now we will probably sell our home in South Philly (which we just bought 11 months ago).  With 10 years of homeownership experience (and with our student loans finally paid off!), we hope to work on our own projects.  Jeff is happy in his career as the COO of a consulting company, and Giang has his own budding career as an architect.  We hope to combine our expertise and turn it into a new career, or at least an expansive hobby.  Just as long as we do it together! 

What is your favorite memory together?  Our favorite memory together was the day we rode bikes through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge, in September 2014.  It was the most perfect day, weather-wise, and it was just the two of us, all day.  We had lobster rolls for lunch, a delicious chocolate chip cookie in Sausalito, and Italian for dinner after taking the ferry back past Alcatraz.  Close runner up would be Jeff’s 33rd birthday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

What is one thing still left on your bucket list?  We both want to be self-employed.  Achieving this will give us the freedom to fulfill all of the other bucket list items (Australia, Mykonos, finishing the Internet).

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like?  Jeff: I was 23, in between college and law school.  I told my best friend first.  Next, I told my mom, one day while driving to the store together.  She had realized it years ago, and reacted by noting that patio furniture was on sale at Home Depot.  I would be hard-pressed to think of a truly bad experience.  My parents, siblings, friends and extended family did not care that I was gay.  It should be this way for every person coming out.  Giang: I came out when I was 24, after I was done with college and grad school. My coming out experience was one filled with lots of love and support. I came out first to my sister, then all my close friends, and then finally my parents. I struggled to speak when I came out to my sister, making her think that I was trying to tell her I had a terminal illness and was going to die. When I finally got the words out, she continued to cry but as a result of happiness and relief that it wasn't "bad news." All of my close friends were completely supportive, so I could not have asked for anything more. I told my mom before I told my dad. My mom cried for a few days, but my dad told me that I'm his son and that I needed to be me and do whatever made me happy. In hindsight, my only regret about coming out was not doing it sooner.

Have you faced any backlash or hardships as a couple?  Jeff: We really haven’t.  During our time together, we’ve lived in Philadelphia and NYC, so not exactly the Bible Belt.  Giang: The only hardships we really face are self-inflicted, as a result of our differing personalities. Jeff's a homebody, while I like to be out and about. Jeff doesn't consume alcohol, while I enjoy spending time with friends having a drink or two. Jeff likes the beach, while I like the city. We make it work. Or perhaps, that's WHY our relationship works.

What is one piece of advice you would give to others on how to make a relationship last?  Jeff: Avoid fights, as there is rarely a good reason to have one, and no one ever feels good about it afterward.  Oh, and our super-duper secret to success: we do not judge what each other eats. Giang: I think the key is to always make sure our own identities shine. Once one person tries to change another person into something they're not or something they don't want to be, that's when the relationship fails. Also, buy him lots of ice cream. Also, agree that Giang is always right. Humor is extremely important. Make sure you make each othother laugh every day. 

Cooking With Krystal: Pumpkin Coconut Curry

Pumpkin Coconut Curry

with herbed salmon and cauliflower rice

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Curry

•   1 yellow onion chopped

•   2 tbsp crushed garlic

•   1 cup chopped carrots

•   1 can organic unsalted diced tomatoes

•   1 15oz can organic pumpkin puree

•   1 13.5oz can unsweetened coconut milk

•   1 tbsp curry

•   tsp ghee

•   1/2 tbsp ginger

•   1 teaspoon sea salt

•   1 teaspoon pepper

•   1 teaspoon turmeric

•   1/4teaspon cayenne

Salmon:

•       1lb wild caught salmon

•       1 tsp sea salt

•       1 tsp pepper

•       1 tsp garlic powder

Cauliflower rice:

•       1 bag frozen cauliflower riced

•       1 tsp ghee

Instructions:

1.   Preheat oven at 405 F for salmon.

2.   While oven is preheating spray a large cooking pan with coconut oil spray and heat at medium heat.

3.   Combine all ingredients in the pan and let cook on medium heat for 12-15mins.

4.   Meanwhile as the sauce cooks combine cauliflower and ghee in a sauce pan on medium heat and cover for 10-12 mins.

5.    Also while sauce is cooking place salmon filet on sprayed baking sheet and sprinkle with herbs and spices and bake at 405F for 10-12 mins covered.

6.   Once everything is finished cooking place riced cauliflower in bowl top with curry and salmon and enjoy!

About Krystal

Krystal has a passion for healthy living and wellness and obtained her Bachelors of Science in nutrition from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Her national certification through NCSF as a CPT, along with another in the world-renowned TRX training system and AAHFF for nutrition, make Krystal a versatile fitness professional. Visit her website, K's Kwik Klean Kitchen to learn more about her!

Gap (and Their Fall Colors) Has Us Swooning

Though it's not quite cold enough yet here in Tennessee to break out the wool sweaters, you can definitely feel a crispness in the air, especially in the mornings. With the leaves changing colors and the light bouncing around the house, fall is here and we couldn't be more ready for it.

Besides cozying up on the couch with our favorite movies, another reason we love fall so much is because we can finally break out the flannels and boots. We always say autumn clothes are our favorite and this year Gap is definitely reminding us why.

Below are a few of our favorites that we're digging. What is it about browns, greens, oranges, and tans that puts us in a mood?! 

This green henley is giving us all the cozy feels.

How great would these khakis look with the green henley above?

If you think we'll ever be over this sweater you're wrong.

Back to the khakis, only this time they're a cozy green color called ~forbidden forrest~.

We think this sweater would look great with the those ~forbidden~ khakis above, don't you?

Don't even get us started on this cord jacket. We're serious, don't.

This shaker stick crewneck sweater has dreary day, coffee, and Netflix written all over it. 

And lastly, these wedge boots would finish every look above off nicely. We'll take 2 pairs, please :).

One Small Tip to Appear More Confident

Nothing is more attractive than a person who comes across as self-assured and confident, don't you think? Even if you're not, we think it's always important to try. You know what they say, fake it till you make it!

One thing you can do to appear more confident is to walk with your head up at all times. By up, we don't mean pointed towards the sky with your nose in your air, we mean just don't keep your head perpetually down when you walk. It sounds silly, we know, but think about it. How many times do you see people walking at work, at the mall, in the elevator, or just down the street, and they're looking at their feet? If you haven't noticed it before, take a closer look next time! You'll be surprised how often you see it. It’s probably become a habit for most people and they don’t even think about it; it’s just instinct for most people to look down at their feet.

When you keep your head up, you're showing others you think enough of yourself and that you're secure with who you are. It's a sign of confidence, no doubt, but it's also a sign of someone intentionally trying to be the best version of themselves. Next time you're out in public, try walking with your head up and see how you feel. You might be tempted to instinctively put your head down, but just give it a try. We're confident that you might just surprise yourself ;).

Pottery Barn Sale This Weekend

You guys know our feelings about Pottery Barn, so it's no surprise we freaked out when we saw they were offering 20% off your entire order from now until Oct. 9th! Click here to shop their website and use promo code friends to receive the discount.

Here are some itmes that have caught our eyes this fall (click on the picture to shop the piece):

Pillows

Accessories

Lamps

Feature Friday with Sydney Hamon

Happy Friday, y'all! Man, are we glad it's Friday. This week has been a crazy, difficult, sad week hasn't it? We took a small break from social media after the Vegas shootings because something just feels off about posting in times like these, at least to us. Our hearts are breaking and we are in total disbelief. But, here are some ways to help.

This week's Feature Friday is a special one, as she is very close to our hearts. We're featuring Thomas' younger sister Sydney (who you may remember was on our show Down to the Studs) on this beautiful Friday and we couldn't be more excited. We think you'll find her responses relatable and hilarious, and that's just the kind of person she is in real life, too. She always tells it like it is and doesn't hold back when it comes to honesty, which we find refreshing. Thank you for agreeing to be featured this week, Syd! We love you! 

Where are you from? Cleveland, TN

Where do you live? Cleveland, TN

What’s your Instagram handle? sydney_claire18

Age? 23

Relationship Status? Engaged to Mary Allison Hughes 

What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited and why? My favorite place I’ve ever visited would probably be upstate New York at my Uncle Tommy’s house. I don’t really like traveling and there are not many places I would choose to go twice, except for New York, probably because it is just like Cleveland except with better weather. I realize this makes me sound like the most boring human being but it is really the most relaxing, peaceful place. The weather in the summertime is mostly sunny and 75 with a light breeze and at nighttime it gets chilly enough to wear a sweatshirt. As someone who owns over 20 sweatshirts (I counted once), sweatshirt weather is important.

Choose a song for the story of your life: A song that I would choose for the story of my life is That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain because nothing impresses me. Just kidding.  I think it’s extremely difficult to find one song for my life because I have a million favorite songs, but one of the first songs that popped into my head, and again I don’t know if its just the time period in my life right now that is making me think of this, but still one of my favorites is Head Full of Doubt/ Road Full of Promise by the Avett Brothers. I first heard this song when I was 17 at a church related function called SEARCH. At the time the words really spoke to me. I was a junior in high school and attempting to get over my first “love”, I had stopped playing basketball (my real first love), my mom had just been let go from her job, and I was needing God and Hope in the worst way. So listening to this song, along with 50 other kids my age, in a room desperate for any type of guidance or encouragement, I found that what I was feeling and dealing with was not so uncommon and that I wouldn’t feel like this forever. 

What is your proudest accomplishment? I feel like I haven’t lived long enough or really done anything to have a greatest accomplishment. I have a college degree and have succeeded in a few things here and there but I guess so far in my life I would say one of my proudest moments was being able to take two of my nieces to one of my college classes. They sat through the whole hour and listened and took notes. (They were 9 and 10 at the time). One of my nieces even raised her hand in class to answer a question, without any inhibition whatsoever. She spoke with a clear voice and so much confidence in herself and her answer. I could not have been more proud.

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I was 20 years old when I came out. I had known I was attracted to women since I was in the fifth grade, which honestly was when I started noticing boys and girls in the first place. My experience coming out was not very difficult because my brother (Thomas) had already come out and so being gay in my family was no big deal.  But for some reason, even though I knew my family was accepting, there is always that small ounce of fear about telling people who you really are. I had felt like my family knew every single inch of me, except for that one tiny baby part that I had been hiding for years.  I never thought I would come out. I had always seen myself being with a man and marrying a man and having children with a man. I knew I was attracted to women, but whenever I would daydream about a family, I always saw myself with a man. Until I met Alice.  I had never imagined meeting someone who I felt would be worth coming out for. Which seems crazy because why not do it for myself? I think that’s when I knew I loved her. To make a decision to let my world see the real me because she was more than worth it. The first person to know was Thomas of course, and then I had the conversation with my mom which went like this:

Me: Hey mom

Mom: Yes?

Me: Do you like Alice?

Mom: Yes…

Mom: Do YOU like Alice?

Me: Yes…

And that was it. My mother then revealed to me she had known since I was in the 8th grade when she read my diary because “ it was just laying out”. 

How would you describe your home décor style? I would say I steal my style from the boys (Thomas and Pj). I like to have a relaxed look. I want something very cozy and it to feel like home. Growing up with Thomas we were always painting rooms really awful, loud colors. I think now that we are older we have done a complete 180 and definitely stick to more neutral colors. No more red dining rooms and yellow staircase walls.

What movie can you watch over and over again? Favorite quote from that movie? One of my favorite movies of all time and one that I will absolutely never get tired of is Steel Magnolias. I watched it for the first time with my sister in Atlanta when I was 12 I think? I laugh and cry every time I watch it. I still don’t think Thomas has watched it all the way through.. so he needs to get on that. One my favorite lines from the movie is “ I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years!” My favorite character is Ouiser Boudreaux because of how sarcastic and negative she is. Obviously I feel a connection there.

Are you in love? Tell us about it: Well I would hope I was in love if I’m engaged! I was hooked from the first time I saw her. Everything about her made me want to know her more. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I remember driving to Chattanooga just to bring her lunch and see her for 5 minutes because she even knew I had a crush on her. I literally lied and told her I was in Chattanooga already when really I had absolutely no life and would do anything to see her, even if it was for a second. She was always the first person in my prayers at night. When I met her she was with someone else and I didn’t think I had any type of chance. I was the complete opposite of the person she had been dating the last 4 years. Every night I would pray and ask God that even if she wasn’t the one for me, to please keep her safe and happy with whoever she would be with. Oops she ended up with me :).

What is something you wished you would have known when you were younger? I don’t really have any regrets in my life and I know that everything had to happen the way it did for me to be who I am now, but one thing I really wish I would have known when I was younger is that real love will never make you feel like less than who you are. I guess what I mean by that is, the person who I thought was my first love never brought real joy to my life. I can only remember sadness with small glimpses of happiness. I thought I would never get over that person. Obviously this was not real love. I wish I could smack myself in the face and make myself realize that, but I had to go through that to understand how real love is supposed to feel.

What is something that has happened in your life that has made you a stronger person? I have dealt with depression and anxiety for more than half of my life. I have felt sad, alone, empty, afraid, angry, and so many other emotions. Growing up I never understood why my stomach would hurt before I went to school or why it got to the point where I would lie to my mother about being sick so I wouldn’t have to go.  I didn’t realize that my fear was turning into a physical pain. My mother forced me to speak with a therapist my freshman year of high school. I wanted nothing to do with it.  Those meetings changed my life. I finally was able to realize why I was feeling what I was feeling and how to make myself feel better. I have had many points in my life so far where my anxiety and depression have reached their peak, but there have definitely been more good days than bad.  I feel that because I’ve wrestled with this in my life, I can understand other people’s pain more easily. 

Who is your biggest inspiration and why? I think everyone’s first and biggest inspiration is either their mother or father. When I was little I would say I wanted to be like my mom, but not completely like her cause she smoked cigarettes. My mom still has not stopped smoking, but that hasn’t changed my desire to be like her. She drives me insane most of the time, but let's face it, almost everyone does, but she is still my model for life. She is the definition of a woman. Strong, beautiful, intelligent, giving, courageous, caring, kindhearted, compassionate, motivating, a literal force to be reckoned with. When people talk about my mother, they speak about her in such high regard. Many people have come across her and almost all have remembered one thing about her. She has been burned into all of their memories yet she can't remember a darn thing.  She is the most amazing woman I have ever known, for so many reasons longer than this blog will tell :P

Our Favorite Movies to Watch During Fall

As part of our ongoing, unofficial, fall-everything series that's going on the next few months, we thought we would round up a list of our favorite movies we watch every year during this season. We're suckers for snuggling up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn, some kind of pumpkin or cinnamon candle, blankets, and diving into one of the movies below.

We've seen them so many times but we keep coming back to them because they instantly put us in the fall mood. They're just the right amount of spooky, thrilling fun, and (bonus!) a lot of them have amazing houses in them, too. They give us that cozy feeling that we look forward to each year and remind us that our favorite place in the world is home, where we can be transported to a whole other world without ever leaving our living room.

Without further ado, here's our list of favorite movies to watch during fall/Halloween:

You've Got Mail

Hocus Pocus

Practical Magic

Dead Poets Society

When Harry Met Sally

Proof

Casper

Van Helsing

Sleepy Hollow

The Sixth Sense

What Lies Beneath

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Hide and Seek

The Uninvited

Donnie Darko

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Underworld

Do y'all watch any of these movies? What are some of your favorites to watch? We would love to know so we can add to our list!

Cooking With Krystal: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash

with a carrot and fennel puree

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Squash

•  2 acorn squash

•  1 cup baby portobello mushrooms sliced

•  1 cup brussel sprouts sliced

•  1/3 yellow onion sliced

•  2 tbsp garlic

•  2 tbsp chopped sage

•  1-2 tbsp olive oil

•  1 tsp sea salt

•   pepper to taste

Carrot Puree

•  3 cups chopped carrots

•  11/2c chopped fennel bulb

•  1/2c diced yellow onion

•  1 tsp ground thyme

•  2 tbsp olive oil

•  3c low sodium chicken broth

•  1/2c coconut cream

•  2 tbsp ghee

•  zest of 1 lemon and 1 tbsp lemon juice

•  1/2tsp sea salt

•  pepper to taste

Instructions:

Carrot Puree:

1.   Combine carrots, fennel, yellow onion, thyme, and olive oil in a pan and cook over medium heat until carrots are tender ( 30 mins).

2.   Then season with sea salt, pepper, and thyme. Add in chicken broth to pan and cook down to 3/4 over medium-high heat ( 10mins). A good rule of thumb is when the carrots fall apart when you mash them with a fork they are considered done.

3.   Pour ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth and add back to the cooking pan this time on low heat while adding in coconut cream, ghee, and lemon. Let simmer for about another 8-10 mins.

4.   Plate about 1c of puree to each plate before placing squash on top.

Squash:

1.   Pre heat oven to 425 and spray a cooking sheet with coconut oil cooking spray.

2.   Cut the both squash in half to give you 4 halves and remove seeds from each half with a spoon.

3.    Basteeach half with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

4.   Meanwhile, in a large cooking pan, spray with cooking spray and add together mushrooms, onion, brussels, andgarlic on medium heat. Let simmer for about 12-15mins.

5.    Once all has cooked place mushrooms, brussels, and onions evenly throughout each squash half while adding sage and olive oil. Enjoy!

About Krystal

Krystal has a passion for healthy living and wellness and obtained her Bachelors of Science in nutrition from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Her national certification through NCSF as a CPT, along with another in the world-renowned TRX training system and AAHFF for nutrition, make Krystal a versatile fitness professional. Visit her website, K's Kwik Klean Kitchen to learn more about her!

Our Fall Front Porch Featuring Pottery Barn

After tackling a fall tablescape last week, we're back with part 2 of our Pottery Barn Fall Collaboration and this time we're focusing our attention on the front door. 

The front door is one of the most important parts of your home because it's the first thing people see when they come over. As they say, first impressions are everything, and that couldn't be more true in this case. We believe your front door should say "Welcome! Come in and stay a while, we're glad you're here." With the holidays coming up, it's even more important to turn your focus to this part of your home, and now that it's officially October, it's the perfect time to begin decorating.

The first step is to add your biggest items first, and branch out from there. In this case, we started with the urns and branches and put them on either side of the door. We're all about symmetry over here, especially when trying to highlight a focal point (the door). Visually, it's a lot more appealing and you can honestly never go wrong with two pots/vases/urns flanking your front door. We then added some faux leaf garland around the door which really ties the whole thing together.

Next we brought it the mums, which are an absolute fall must-have for any front porch. We chose them in orange but we also think yellow or maroon would look amazing too. We then began bringing in the pumpkins which is always so much fun because there are so many different ways you can go with this. Pumpkins come in a lot of different shapes and sizes so this is the part where you can really play around and go crazy.

The faux pumpkins are so beautiful that it's really hard to tell they're not real, even right next to the actual real ones. We also used a few pretty ceramic ones to really get a good mix in there and switch it up a bit. We love how it's kind of a smorgasbord of pumpkins all clustered together to make up one big, colorful entryway #diversity.

One important thing to take into consideration is the height of your objects that you're styling with. It's always best to put your larger items in the back and place your smaller items in the front. This will give you a nice layered, intentional look.

We added lanterns with faux candles (that actually flicker) in them for a sophisticated, classic look that not only looks great against the fun colors of the pumpkins, but also provide really nice ambiance at night. This is when it all started to come together.

The faux beaded spiders are such a fun touch because they're so real looking and will definitely have guests looking twice to make sure they're not. We had them "climbing" up the branches for a spooky, Halloween feel that you can take off once it gets closer to Thanksgiving.

The final touch, for which no fall front door would be complete without, is the wreath. Pottery Barn's harvest pumpkin wreath goes perfectly with the garland around the door and truly completes the fall look. Nothing says "come on in" more than a festive wreath greeting folks walking up to your front door. It's really the icing on the pumpkin spice cake that completes your fall look.

That concludes part 2 of our fall decorating series with Pottery Barn. Stay tuned for part 3 where we will be decorating our fireplace mantle using these same items. Have we mentioned how much we love fall?

-Full list of products used-

• Pumpkins- Faux pumpkins, filigree punched ceramic pumpkins
• Faux Candles- flicker LED candles, premium flicker OD candles
• Garland- fall garland, faux pomegranate and pinecone garland
• Vases- Large yellow Sonoma Vase
• Lanterns- Malta Lanterns-Bronze Finish
• Seasonal decorations- beaded spiders
• Wreath- Harvet Pumpking Wreath