It's September and in the 60's...Let's Decorate for Fall!

Busy times from the last post to today. I've moved, started a new job, and so much more. The place is all set up and hopefully I can get some pictures of my two favorite rooms, the library/office and the guest room. I hate the paint colors in the rest of the house, but it's a rental so I can't change them. Enough complaining, let's get to the decorating!

If you'll remember, I've been on a simple kick. I'm still on one so the decorations are simple and as natural as possible. I added a gingham ribbon to a beautiful red candle that is mulled cider scented. I love my copper pepper grinder all year long, but it does look exceptionally nice in the fall and winter. 

 

It's not the best picture, but I've placed two of the artificial bittersweet vines on the mantle and filled the bottom of the hurricanes with the mini pumpkins. I added more of the gingham ribbon with an under layer of burnt orange to the grapevine pumpkin on the hearth. The upholstery really looks great this time of year.

 

My fall wreath. My friend Abby and I had a wreath making party. Sometimes I wish I lived in the days when ladies got together for a sewing circle...It's so therapeutic to craft with friends.

My ceramic gourds look great on the new/old dining room table. This is the dining room table that I grew up with. My father recently passed away so it's bittersweet that it's now in my possession.

 

I love my little iron squirrels. I like to put them in surprising places. One is on the foyer table (also from my dad's house.) Others are on the stair treads. Don't worry, they are friendly squirrels. 

 Happy Fall!!

Year in Review: 2012-2013

As I mentioned in the last post, it's been a busy two years. I thought I'd post some pics of the few times I decorated (and remembered to take photographic evidence).

Christmas 2012
I took two pine garlands and one mixed greens garland all from Lowe's (they were on huge sale Black Friday) and combined them for thickness. I also added some magnolia from the woods and some greenery from our tree to make a very fragrant and natural garland for the staircase.

Our annual Christmas Eve luminarias and candles in the window. I believe I've mentioned this before, but the local Ronald McDonald House sells packages of luminarias as a fundraiser each year and we always buy several packs. It's a beautiful look and a great way to raise money.

Independence Day 2013
I don't have a flag pole, but did make use of festive bunting. I also found some beautiful hibiscus trees at Sam's Club. They are still doing well though they decided they like the backyard a little better. I finally got the little leaner to stand up straight too.

As you can see, it was not a year of a lot of photography. Perhaps I can post some before and after pics of the house. There has been a lot of landscaping and painting going on since May 2012...

Happy Halloween and Welcome Back!

It's been some time since I've updated this blog, finishing grad school, starting a "real job", moving, and other life have gotten in the way. Fall is in the air though so I was in the mood to decorate and to update the blog.

The foyer has a simple, but welcoming greeting. I've been looking all summer and fall for my favorite Yankee candle flavor, Farmer's Market and finally found it at our local Hallmark yesterday. I probably should have bought them all, as they only had three.

 

The new house was built in the 1940's (the old one was built in the late 70's) so there is great detailing everywhere. The living room mantel is one example of the detailing. I spent one late summer night last year painting the fan detail with a tee-niny paint brush, but it was worth it. The good news is I can neglect dusting for a month and people will think the dust is intentional :-).

 

The neighbor's sweet cat likes our front porch because of the sun, she kindly posed for a Halloweeny picture.

Happy Halloween!

Christmas Mantlescape

One of the first Christmas decorating I like to do is the mantel. I decided on a white, silver, and gold theme this year. I bought these silver cone trees a few years ago at Pier One after Christmas. The silver reindeer are actually stocking holders.

Glitter, sparkle, oh my!

The monogram ornament really glows in the firelight.

Brittany and Jody

Had a wedding at the King's Daughter's Inn in Durham this weekend. The inn is a beautiful bed and breakfast that was built in 1925 as a home for ladies. A few years ago it was renovated into a gorgeous bed and breakfast. The bride wanted flowers in varying shades of dark purple. The bride's bouquet was made of white roses, purple caspia, purple stock, matsumoto asters, thistle, and trachelium.

She wanted to acknowledge fall but didn't want a wedding screaming halloween so I used branches, thistle, asters, and white pumpkins. Below is a picture of one of the white pumpkin aisle markers. It is resting on a bed of moss.

There were two large arrangements on the back tables. They were placed in lavender ewers that the bride owned. The flowers were fuji mums, purple liatris, roses, caspia, thistle, white statice, and trachelium. 

Each table also had a small bouquet of rose, ruscus, thistle, caspia, lisanthus, and matsumoto asters. 

The front of the ceremony was marked by two tables with a candlescape. I used different sizes of glass cylinders holding candles, candles with pecans, and water dyed purple. I also had a central large cylinder with dyed water and curly willow branches. Hopefully, I will have some pictures from evening ceremony soon.

UPDATE: I was able to get some photos from the photographer Adam Wamsley. He did a much better job than I did of capturing the beautiful colors.

So happy for them! So happy everything turned out so well. Still loving the purple water!

Experimentation

I have a wedding in October and the bride wanted some ideas on vase fillers. That lead to an "evening of experimentation". Cue the Frankenstein laugh.

Water with floating candles and the "buttoned ribbon".
I glued a sequin over a folded ribbon to look as if it were
buttoned on. 

Pecans as a filler.

Branches in purple water. My favorite.

White rice, and in the back vase white and purple rice.

The rice ended up a little bluer than I wanted so...

back to the dying.