A quick trip to the arboretum for some pictures of fall foliage.
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This Thanksgiving I used all my restraint to resist the urge to let our Christmas decor arrive early. So often I cannot resist that urge and we end up with a Thanksgiving/Christmas fusion. Everything stayed well within the Autumn color theme this year without even a hint of Christmas! Burlap has always been an inexpensive fabric mostly used for making things like potato sacks or for wrapping shrubbery for the winter, but somehow it has become very popular in decorating as well. It does offer a nice warm neutral base and lots of texture so it makes sense that…
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This Halloween we wanted to create a spooky haunted forest but still keep it light and playful enough that it was still warm, inviting and not too gloomy. Some dead tree branches from the yard were perfect for making a huge impact – and the best part is that they cost NOTHING! When you bring lots of natural elements into the decor everything falls into place. Sea shells, leaves, branches, pine cones and any other natural element can cover your decorating schemes for all the seasons and holidays. “Creepy Cloth” is a very loose weave gauze-like fabric that can…
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I don’t mean to wax poetic about the waxing moon, but I just wanted to share a little moon moment. One quick glimpse at social media and the flurry of blurry photos of light blobs on black backgrounds and you know that there was some sort of lunar event. There was also ample warning leading up to the eclipse that made sure we all knew that there was yet another once-in-a-lifetime sight to see in the sky. But imagine life before technology. Imagine a time when instead of our little glowing phone screens, the only thing to…
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Pepper Pumpkins and Mashed BOOtatoes! I actually made them this year, and here are the pictures to prove it!! (and illustrated six step how-to guide and recipe below) Every holiday season I start decorating and preparing just a little bit earlier than the start of the season — which lulls me into falsely believing I have plenty of time to prepare and create all the fantastical holiday projects that dance through my head. Yet somehow I go from being the early bird planner to the last minute loser every year without having any idea what happened to all the time…
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Have you ever heard of Spaghetti Squash? During the Halloween season, the name alone may conjure up images of a mad scientist splicing together the DNA of a pumpkin and a plate of pasta, but the reality is a lot less spooky. So, where do you land on the spectrum of Spaghetti Squash knowledge? It’s likely you fall into one of three groups;Group A – You do not know what Spaghetti Squash is and I could easily convince you that it involves a plate of spaghetti and a blunt object, or that it might be some sort of strange fetish that involves sitting on pasta.Group…
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There is nothing quite like the October moon. I have many fond memories of going for evening walks (physical training for a trip to Disney World) and as we would reach a certain point on the road we would round the curve and see the October moon, low in the sky, HUGE and gorgeous. The crisp Autumn air would dance with the balmy end-of-summer breezes, creating miniature tornadoes swirling through piles of leaves, making orange red and yellow kaleidoscope patterns in mid air. It’s one of the many sensory delights of the season that remind me that the world is…
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Nevermore! One of my favorite natural Autumn occurrences is when flocks of black birds flying south for the winter make a stop at our house. It’s always just a little bit scary, but exciting! While they are visiting, the trees are alive with movement. The chatter of the hundreds of birds is like no other sound I have ever heard – it surrounds you. They often swoop down in large numbers – in perfect synchronization and cover the ground as they peck at the grass, covering it like a black carpet – swooping up and down from the trees in…
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Orange Twinkle Lights! I love Autumn. I love crisp Autumn days and chilly Autumn nights. With autumn comes shorter days and longer nights and an intense urge to cuddle and hibernate. As the days get shorter I like to brighten up the house with orange twinkle lights to make the house feel cozy and bright. I cannot get enough of that warm glow. It totally changes the feel of the house even with no other decorations. To really get the most out of theses lights, I like to place them around lots of shiny and reflective items like glass and…
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Happy October!! Today is the first day of October, and my Autumn decorating has officially begun. Though the leaves outside have only just barely started showing a hint of color change, inside the house our fall foliage is at its peak! Nothing says Autumn like brightly colored fall leaves. Until I find a way to preserve real fall foliage at its peak color, my collection of silk fall leaves will have to do! Over the years I have collected quite a pile them in the form of leafy garlands, leafy branches and loose leaves. These leaves transform the house into…