In Anticipation of Autumn In My Garden and A Vintage Fair

With the passing of summer I do little to prepare my gardens for fall. Mostly, I just pick up my summer decorations like the plastic flamingos and bird houses and I let the gardens do what they do in the fall.

I am enjoying the zinnia I planted in late spring.

And the black-eyed susan are going by...

I met a new "friend" living in the middle of the wagon wheel. Can you see it? 

Actually, I hate spiders. When I see one in the house it has to die and nope, I don't kill them...I call mister to slay the dragon. That is one of his jobs as the man of the house and I am perfectly fine to have him display his masculinity and dominion over these creepy-crawlies.

I wasn't leaning in too close to get these photos so I was relying on my zoom lense. At one point I was zoomed in tight and then the spider ran out of the hole! Since I was zoomed in it looked like he was right in my face! I screamed and practically jumped out of my skin! Good thing I was wearing my camera strap around my neck because that would have been the end of my little Canon. And that's when I remembered I was really standing four feet back from the spider! It's okay, I was laughing at myself at that point, too.

Autumn means fall festivals, vintage fairs, crafts and pumpkins... This season started off great with a trip to the Pro.found Vintage Market. Creative juices are primed as one walks through. I walked away with tons of ideas and few treasures.

 (Only Prettier Design)

 (ItsBasicLeeDesigns.etsy.com)

(Found Things)

I am at peace with Autumn this year and while I am not singing about it just yet I am not fighting it. I am looking forward to cuddly sweaters and tall boots. I am waiting patiently for the changing leaves. In anticipation of them I decided to take a few photos around my area.

I think I'll take a drive with mister this weekend and I'll be sure to bring my camera! Thanks for spending time with me. Happy Fall!

Party Time:
Up To Date Interiors, My Pinterventures, Bluesky At Home, Our Home Away From Home, The Dedicated House, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, Celebrate & Decorate, Ducks N' A Row, Up To Date Interiors, Katherine's Corner, Life With Lorelai

Autumn Table in the Dining Room

Here comes Autumn! I'm not quite ready to pull out my sweaters and tall boots but I did purchase a few things for my dining room with the hopes that it would give me a push toward welcoming the season changing.

Plaid is everywhere on the internet. We see it in clothing and home decor so I jumped on the wagon when I saw a table runner and napkins on Zulily that seemed to have a thread of a similar teal blue color that I used on my dining room walls. 

             

                                          

Color and I have a complicated relationship. I love color. I don't have a favorite. I have had and infinite number of favorite-of-the-moment infatuations, too many to count really, but I confess that I am fickle. I embrace a color, make it part of my life and then when everything in my home is just right along comes some other fabulous color with swag that turns my head quicker than.... well, I don't know-just quick!  Like many others (at least I hope there are others) I see a color on a blogs or in current magazines and I copy the look in my home; imitation is the truest form of flattery, afterall. Little happy dances of joy happen when I go off script, pick a color for no other reason than that I saw it in the paint store and I liked it and then I see my color choices trending in the home decor realm. Validation! 

This is the case with the color I chose for the dining room last year. I chose what I'm calling a peacock-y blue-teal and I love it. It never seems to photograph the way my naked eye sees it but that's okay. Right? The color is called Dragonfly by Benjamin Moore. Anyway, that is the color I found in my Zulily purchase.  

                                     

It is very similar to Behr's 2019 Color of the Year, Blueprint! Okay, not quite the same based on these two color blobs from the internet but in real-life...pretty stinkin' close! 

                                                               

I combined it with the plates mister picked out from Crate & Barrel. This is a photo from last winter. 

                                             

With harvest season in mind I used my braided raffia placemats to bring a natural element to the party and they play well with the gold in the runner and napkins. I've used them in previous posts and let me tell ya, they were a yard sale site purchase on Facebook! 

Green milk-glass plates (purchased on sale at Target) sit atop the napkins. 

Last year my pumpkin purchases from the dollar store got a pant job. This year they adorn each place setting. 

Floral nosegays used in the living room last year found a home in the dining room this year. 

Notice in these two photos how the wall color looks different as the clouds parted and more light streamed into the room? 

It doesn't take a lot of money to get the looks you're after. Shop your home. Use old decorations in a different room this year or give your tired items a coat of paint in a new color. Adding just one new element can give you a fresh new look. Silverware might help, too! :)

Happy Autumn and happy decorating! 

Linking up to these parties:
Happiness is Homemade, My Pinterventures, The Dedicated House, Finding Silver Pennies, Our Home Aways From Home, Celebrate & Decorate, Shabby Art Boutique, Life With Lorelai, Eye Love Knots

"Fall"-ing Behind... Again

Friends, it has been a rough year for me and this little blog. I do feel like I am exiting the fog and as I look around I am keenly aware that Summer is over. Summer was a very good healing time for me this year but Fall is pressing in. "Fall" has never been my favorite word. I prefer "Autumn" because the word fall has a negative connotation in my mind. The dictionary defines it thus: move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level. Well, that doesn't sound like fun! And, to some extent that is what is happening in my brain as I leave my first love, Summer, behind.  The cooler temperatures and shorter days along with the endless barrage of pumpkin pictures in my social media feeds serve to remind me that I had better get with the program!

Normally, the advent of the new school year moves me to accept the inevitable season change but my baby graduated in May so this homeschooling mama finds herself wondering what to do next. Presently, I am weeding through tons of books and saved school work. Reading journal entries from my then 5 and 7 year olds and looking at artwork that makes chameleons look like birds has resulted in many tear-inducing laugh sessions with my younger girls. It is bittersweet to part with most of it but again, the seasons are changing.

I never made a summer-decor post this year but I did decorate for it. It is my favorite way to decorate my home. So here are a few pictures of what it looked like.

I reuse a lot of the things I love. I reused the spring-time wreath I made this year. Moving it to a new location makes a difference. Before running out and buying new things just move what you love to a different spot. It really does make a difference and can make you the love that piece all over again.

Fresh flowers from my gardens make me happy. 

I am an eternal beach glass (treasure) hunter. One day I may part with some to actually use them in a craft....nah.

Now all these lovely beach things have been put away 'til next year. This is another fantastic tip. Just put things away for a while. The following year it is like a free shopping trip as you sort through the things you want to use and what can be passed onto others or sold to make more money for new things!

Plaid is all over the place, again, this year. Not sure what that is going to look like in my home but I did manage to find a runner and cloth napkins for my dining room that has the same color of my walls running through them. (The color doesn't translate well in this crummy photo.) They play nicely with the paisley print of my window valances. Now I just need to figure out how to put if all together.

Last year I painted all my pumpkins in trendy blues and whites. I may reuse them as is or I may repaint. I've not decided that yet either.

Yes, I have once again "fall"-en behind the decorating 8-ball but I will get there. Looking forward to this new season of hope

because time waits for no man or procrastinating blogging decorator.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy decorating and happy Autumn! You can follow along on Facebook or Instagram!

Linking up to these parties:
Celebrate & Decorate, The Dedicated House, Ducks N A Row