Ricki Jill

Happy October, My Lovelies! I hope you are enjoying lots of fall activities in your neighborhood. October is usually our busiest month of the year, and this year is typical.

Today I'm participating in a blog hop party hosted by Rita at The Panoply blog. The theme is Halloween. Thanks so much, Rita, for hosting!

If you're hopping in order, then you're linking over from Lynne's blog, Thrifting Wonderland. Thanks for sticking with it: My blog is the end of the line! ;P

Do you decorate for Halloween? I admit that Halloween is not my favorite, and I tend to celebrate Pinktober and decorate with candy corn and pumpkins. I have decorated my dining room in all shades of pink, and I will share it later. However, I decorated our breakfast room for El Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration.

A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture, the holiday is celebrated each year from October 31-November 2. While October 31 is Halloween, November 1-2 is All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead. According to tradition, the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31 and the spirits of children can rejoin their families for 24 hours. The spirits of adults can do the same on November 2.

I have included several Day of the Dead symbols on my tablescape, including the plates illustrated with sugar skulls.

The table runner, above, was the inspiration for my tablescape. I purchased it years ago from Crate and Barrel. Flowers are an important element for Day of the Dead celebrations as they are taken to cemeteries to decorate gravesites and used on family altars in the home.

Prized for their bright coloring and potent fragrance, marigolds are thought to guide the spirits to the living world with their vibrant colors and strong scent. Their petals are often laid out as walkways for the dead to find their way on earth so they may be reunited with their loved ones.

I purchased artificial marigolds for this tablescape. I placed them in September's Collectors Series vase from MacKenzie-Childs.

The word mariposa (butterfly in English) is often used as a metaphor for the soul, further connecting the butterfly to the spiritual realm. Monarchs migrate to Mexico from North America each year, arriving in large numbers in late October and early November. As the arrival of monarch butterflies in Mexico coincides with the beginning of Day of the Dead in Mexico, the butterflies have become a natural and symbol of this special time of the year.

Mexicans believe that these monarch butterflies represent the spirits of deceased loved ones returning to visit the living during this time.

When I saw these cute Mexican corazones with butterfly handles in the store, I knew I had to set a Day of the Dead table. The table is all set and ready for a festive breakfast. Plus, I like how they look with the vase.

The graphic, below, shows the plate stacks. I have used my MacKenzie-Childs dinner plates as chargers. I do not have many dinner plates other than MacKenzie-Childs. I don't have room to store much in our small house, so I usually trade out linens and small plates.

Chrysanthemums are often used in Day of the Dead celebrations. They are represented in the napkin rings and are also on the table runner.

Some elements on the table are older, but most things are new. Here is a list of the resources for the table.

Resources

Older Items

Table runner and black lace platter: Crate and Barrel

Woven circular and ruffled placemats: Pier 1

Dinner plates: MacKenzie-Childs

New Items

Day of the Dead plates, solid orange linen napkins, and napkin rings: Williams-Sonoma

Marigolds and floral embroidered napkins: Amazon

Mariposa-handled Mexican corazones mugs: World Market

Here is a list of the other stylists participating in the blog hop.

Panoply - Skeleton Duet Halloween Tablescape

Life and Linda - Phantom of the Opera Tablescape

Hyacinths for the Soul - Too Cute to Spook

Me and My Captain - Happy Ghosts Visit the Moon of the High Mountain Desert of New Mexico

Red Cottage Chronicles - A Charming Halloween Tea Party

The Cat's Whiskerz - A Witchy Halloween Tablescape

Corner of Plaid and Paisley - A Bit of Scare in that Scarecrow

Olla-Podrida - Haunted House Tablescape for Halloween

My Thrift Store Addiction - Charlotte the Spider and a Whimsical Garden Party

Dinner at Eight - There's a Full Moon Rising . . .

Thrifting Wonderland - All Hallows Eve Thrifted Tablescape

The Bookish Dilettante - Tablescape for Spooky Season: El Día de los Muertos

Thank you so much for reading my blog!

I hope y'all are curious about this one!

Until next time...

Stay spooky!

Ricki Jill

Tablescape for Spooky Season: El Día de los Muertos

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Happy Monday, My Lovelies! How is October treating you so far? I hope you are enjoying all the wonderful autumn things.

Today I'm sharing a wonderful Christian nonfiction written by the dynamic duo cohosts of the For the Girl podcast entitled This Wasn't the Plan: How to Surrender Your Stuck and Set Your Soul In Motion.

About This Wasn’t the Plan: How to Surrender Your Stuck and Set Your Soul in Motion

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication date: October 6, 2026

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, I thought my life would look better than this by now. This book is for the woman who feels stuck—in her career, relationships, emotions, or calling. It’s a guidebook for the one who feels like she’s just enduring rather than embracing life to start moving toward the life you really want.

If you’ve ever felt lost between the dreams you had freshly post-grad and the reality you’re living now, you are not alone. Mac Bridges and Kenz Durham get it. They’ve been in your shoes and walked through their own journeys with chronic illness, unanswered longings, and prayers that never seem to be answered in the miraculous way they’d envisioned. But in the midst of those seasons, they’ve also seen transformation.

It begins with a question: What if God is getting you ready? What could He be preparing in you and for you in this season? Readers are invited to imagine the great plans God is setting in motion for them, even when everything around them seems stuck in place. Through quizzes and powerful reflection questions, readers will name the areas in which they feel stuck, identify the root of those feelings, and get honest about the ways those feelings are manifested in their everyday lives.

But Mac and Kenz don’t leave readers there. Using the scaffolding of Jesus’ instructions to “ask, seek, and knock,” they challenge the reader to:

pray without having an answer in mind;
seek out clues about what God is up to;
take bold but faith-filled risks that unlock transformation; and
believe that your stuck place isn’t your final destination.

It’s time to stop waiting on the sidelines and start moving with God, trusting that He is inviting you to take the next steps into a story where every detail matters.

About the Authors

MacKenzie “Mac” Bridges is the passionate co-founder behind Delight Ministries, an organization that provides Christ-centered community for college women at 200+ universities across the United States. As co-host of the “For The Girl” podcast, Mac, alongside her best friend Kenz, brings warmth, wisdom, and big sister advice to women in their 20s seeking to follow Jesus. She’s also the author of several beloved Bible studies, including “In My Feels” and “The Wild Invitation.”

Mac currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Tyler, and their daughter Myla. Outside of ministry, Mac is a proud connoisseur of chain restaurants, pickleball, and home decor. She’s never left a TJ Maxx without a knickknack in hand.

Mackenzie “Kenz” Durham is the passionate founder behind Delight Ministries, an organization that provides Christ-centered community for college women at 200+ universities across the United States. As co-host of the “For The Girl” podcast, Kenz, alongside her best friend Mac, brings warmth, wisdom, and big sister advice to women in their 20s seeking to follow Jesus. She’s also the author of several beloved Bible studies, including “In My Feels” and “The Wild Invitation“

Kenz currently lives in Vero Beach, Florida, with her husband, Josh, and their two kids. Outside of ministry, Kenz is health guru, self proclaimed baker, and lover of the sun! Catch her on the beach soaking up the sun 80% of her days!

My Review

This book is definitely for younger women, and would be the perfect gift for a young woman completing her education and/or beginning a career. The reason I say this is because the advice would work best before becoming stuck in a situation, whether it's in a relationship (or as the Mackenzies say "the lack there of"), or in a vocation that isn't one's calling. Both authors give their insight, and I like how each is responsible for writing different sections. However, if you DO have a daughter or granddaughter who's stuck in some aspect of her life, she should appreciate the lessons in this book. I believe them to be helpful. Another thing that's helpful is the "Where Am I Stuck?" Quiz on page forty-one.

At the end of the book there is a handy dandy workbook that has checklists (like Common Warning Signs of Stuck Seasons) and journal prompts. I really liked the quiet time prompts and tips. Between the anecdotal examples from the Mackenzies about how young women become stuck from their own lives and their practical approaches for becoming unstuck, I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure: I received a free paperback copy of This Wasn't the Plan from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TLC review tour schedule:

Monday, October 5th: The Bookish Dilettante

Wednesday, October 7th: @deannaturnsthepage

Friday, October 9th: @dana.loves.books

Monday, October 12th: @teaandbookstoo and Reading, Writing, and Pondering

Wednesday, October 14th: @oilycaffeinatedmama

Friday, October 16th: @natashasbookshelf on TikTok

Sunday, October 18th: @reading.withrach on TikTok

Monday, October 19th: @terrynelisha

Wednesday, October 21st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Friday, October 23rd: @readingpastdark.marcia

Monday, October 26th: @danamarielovestoread

Wednesday, October 28th: @daniellehullreads

Monday, November 2nd: @booksaprilreads

Come back tomorrow for the Halloween Tablescape blog hop, except mine isn't Halloween themed. :P

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Book Review: This Wasn't the Plan

Monday, October 5, 2026

Happy Literary Friday, Friends!

Today I'm sharing a book written by Ebie Hepworth entitled Midnight Hallelujah: Why Hope Is Still Worth the Risk.

About Midnight Hallelujah: Why Hope is Still Worth the Risk

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: September 29, 2026

If you’re disappointed with your life, struggling with faith, and frustrated with a seemingly silent God, Midnight Hallelujah dares to speak hope into the silence. Ebie Hepworth invites you into her dark nights and imagined conversations with Sarah, the mother of Isaac, who kept her company through them as she bridges our modern struggles with timeless biblical truths.

If you are navigating life’s deepest valleys this book will help you:

feel less alone as Ebie confides her own stories of grief showing up when least expected;
know what it means to struggle with faith fatigue, and how to recover from it;
experience the life-changing truth that, even in the heavy silence, God is not absent; and
gain practical tools like “hope therapy” for navigating life’s challenges.

This book is for you as you stand in the tension between faith and reality, between what you thought God would do and what remains unseen. If you have felt the ache of silence and wondered if hope is still within reach, come and rediscover real hope in Christ Himself.

About the Author

Ebie Hepworth is a storyteller drawn to the sacred places where hope lingers and broken dreams still flicker with life. Her words rise from the trenches of real life: adoption and pregnancy loss, a miracle twin birth, and the daily ache of walking her son through a diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. She hosts the Let Me Ask You This podcast and serves alongside her husband Zac at their local church in Boise, Idaho, where they live with their four children. She carries a heart that champions others, nurturing hope in the quiet, unseen places.

My Thoughts

I have only had this book for two days, and yesterday I had a root canal. I wish I could give you a full review, but there just wasn't enough time. What I can give you, though, are first impressions and thoughts.

The story of Sarah from the Bible has always fascinated me. She conceived and birthed Isaac when she was very old, and he was her first and only child. I think most of us know her story, but one of the details in the Bible always catches my attention. When Abraham was talking to God in his tent, Sarah was at the door listening (eavesdropping, maybe?)....and when she heard God claim that she would have a son at the same time next year, she laughed. She laughed at God! And of course God calls her out on it. I love this part of her story!

One thing that is very cool about this book is the way it's organized around the different parts of a day. The parts depicting sunrise and midmorning are in the Grieving Chapter. Noon and high noon are in the Contending Chapter. Afternoon and dusk are in the Awaiting Chapter. Sunset, Nightfall, and Midnight are contained in the Thanksgiving Chapter. I can't wait to see how the span of a day and these chapters relate back to Sarah and her life.

We could all use more hope and encouragement, and I think I will find both in spades in this book. I am loving it so far, and I will probably finish it before the weekend is over.

Disclosure: I would like to thank TLC Book Tours for including me in this tour. I received a paperback copy of Midnight Hallelujah from the publisher via TLC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TLC Tour Schedule:

Tuesday, September 29th: @natashasbookshelf on TikTok

Wednesday, September 30th: @the.joy.within.every.page

Friday, October 2nd: The Bookish Dilettante

Monday, October 5th: @fullybookedinkentucky

Wednesday, October 7th: @dana.loves.books

Friday, October 9th: @beckys_bookshelves

Monday, October 12th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Wednesday, October 14th: @teaandbookstoo and Reading, Writing, and Pondering

Friday, October 16th: @gleebookadventures

Monday, October 19th: @the_little_book_spot

Tuesday, October 20th: @booksaprilreads