Fall, colors, blah, blah everyone's favorite time of year. Sick of hearing it.

Don't care. I love fall. It's perfect. Cooler temps, better outfits, lots of colors, an excuse to drink more bourbon and yes, PUMPKIN FLAVORED EVERYTHING. But above all of that, my favorite thing is fall decor. I love the combination of soft oranges, rich golden yellow and the contrasting steely grey of autumn skys.

In the past few weeks, Tre and I have been looking at houses - every porch calling out for pumpkins, every brick fireplace has a mantle that I want to litter with birch branches and pears. It's about as much as I can stand. Until then (and not much longer, fingers crossed) here are my favorite home made goodies, courtesy of etsy so you can decorate and I can live vicariously.

2. Sophie's Bazzar | 18 x 18 inch Burnt Orange + Cream Kilim Pillow | $54.00

1. Revisions Design | Set of 2 Geometric Porcelain Bowls, Serving and Cereal Size | $56.00

3. Rustic Craft Design | White Birch Branches | $58.00

4. Kitch Studios |  Halloween Tea Towel - Mummy | $8.50

5. Design Atelier Article |  Minimalist Bookends - Winter Trees | $64.00

6. Sewn Natural  |  Minimalist Organic Baby Blanket in Black + Gold  | $52.00

7. A and B Design Studio | Small Oatmeal Basket | $25.00

8. Best Day Ever Design | White Acorn Garland | $18.00+

9. Susan Antique | Mid-Century Pear Bowl | $28.00

As someone who spends a lot of time working - in solitude - with their hands I naturally listen to a lot of podcasts. I mean, sometimes you're in the mood for some sweet jams, but when knocking out menial tasks (ah hem, ironing linen napkins) you need something with a little more content to focus on.

One of my longtime favorite NPR podcasts is Freakonomics. Often, the Steves (Dubner and Levitt) explore a little something called sunk cost. Essentially, a sunk cost is a past cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. These "costs" include both time and money. What's especially tricky about this is the effect sunk costs have on our ability to admit a miss-step, to walk away from something that we've already invested copious amounts of time and money. Your decisions are tainted by the emotional investment you accumulate, and the more you invest in something the harder it becomes to abandon it.

Really where I'm going with this is, admitting that after a year of production - picking materials, formulating an overall aesthetic, and developing products - I've made a few of those miss-steps. Looking at the overall product line, I am, yes, happy with the quality of the items I've produced, but the overall look and feel is bordering on whimsical and pastel-based. And that, just isn't me.

So ignoring the sunk cost (siiigh) Folk & Faro is starting anew. With a lot of planning and a little restructuring the upcoming fall line is something I'm really proud of. After testing dozens of linens, I've found a lightweight, softened fabric that I think is perfect for tablescapes year round; and moving forward away from the gold and pastel (although there will still be gold, always gold) you'll see a much more natural, neutral pallet and block-printed patterns taken from my original illustrations. I'm pretty excited about this new direction, and I hope you are too.

Ugh, we move a lot. Like nomad gypsy a lot. I think only once in the last decade have I lived somewhere consecutive years, and that was in a college sorority house... where you had to switch rooms every semester... and move out every summer. So you know, we're pretty good at loading all worldly possessions into boxes, hitting the road and unloading with friends, beer and pizza.

But since relocating to Detroit, we've allowed ourselves the teeny, tiny luxury of home ownership discussion. I realize this is a far cry from actual home ownership, but just the through of staying put for 5+ years makes my head spin. So of course, as any rational person obsessed with interiors (and Pintrest, so much pinning) I've been pining over rooms we could paint and kitchens that  function with more than 1 person, and lots and lots of decor. 

Below are some of the ethereal Etsy goodies I'm picturing in my new dream home.

1. JuliaPaulPottery | White Ceramic Salt Cellar |$42.00

2. PegandAwl | Large Apothecary Caddy | $66.00

3. alphonnsine | Humphrey Bogart Quote Art Print | $20.00+ (depending on size)

4. yorikoNewYork | White Rain Pot Holder - Blue Grey Black Linen | $19.50

5. DesignAtelierArticle |Napkin Holder Black Swiss Cross |$19.00

6. Bathstyle |Turkish Bath Towel Grey | $22.00

7. BoHelina | Linen Dish Towel, Waffle Weave | $17.00

8. urbancartel |Organic Pasta Bowl - Porcelain Slate | $47.23

9. LittleKorboose |New Mexico Tea Towel | $18.00

Dusk in Detroit. Just a reminder of how lovely this city can be.

Amidst constant press about corrupt politicians, crime and dilapidated buildings, we've found Detroit to be welcoming and filled with inspiring, motivated people dedicated to the revival of our hometown. Looking forward to our next few years here.

A little recap.

Last week Folk & Faro set up at the Renegade Craft Fair Mini Market in Chicago. We ate, we drank, we were rained on, we sold some stuff, we (ah-hem) bought some stuff. All-in-all, it was a blast! Thanks to those of you who made it down - the show was in the ever remote Pilsen, so all things considered, we had a lot of traffic! And also so much thanks to my helpers / set-up breakdown team / food runners - also known as my husband, sister and soon to be brother-in-law, hey, that's what family's for!

Looking forward to our next Renegade show (fingers crossed) we'll be back in Chicago come December!


*The last image shows the little white pennant garland I made (in about 10 minutes) for decoration. There were so many complements / interest in this that I'll be posting a mini-tutorial later this week. So, so simple (no sew!), great for party decoration and you can customize with any color - we're using them at my sister's upcoming shower and wedding!