Wednesday, September 25, 2013

After The Autumnal Equinox It's Time To Decorate For Fall



 The Autumnal equinox occurred on Sunday, September 22 this year.  The Autumnal equinox occurs on either September 22, 23, or 24 of any given year.  The term equinox is derived from latin and means "equal night."  Therefore, the equinox is a 24 hour period of nearly equal day and night.  There is the Vernal equinox in the spring and the Autumnal equinox in the fall.  The Autumnal equinox is our gateway into the fall season.  Personally, fall is my favorite season and I am decorating a little at a time.  How about you?  Do you love all things fall?  Are you decorating your home for fall?

Above is the top of the cabinet in my kitchen/dining area.  Look how beautifully my new tobacco basket lends itself to the look of fall.  It is so warm and inviting it gives me the warm fuzzies.
I am going to miss our fireplace and decorating it for all the seasons and holidays, so this cabinet has  become my new decorating center.  The warmth of the oranges and browns with little hints of yellow makes me want to make a big cup of hot chocolate and sit and watch the candles glow.  To decorate the cabinet, I used a tea light candle holder that used to sit on the mantel at the little yellow cottage.  I filled it with pumpkin scented tea light and they smell delicious.   There is an antique box our daughter restored one summer while doing summer stock theater in Arrow Rock, Missouri filled with a small grapevine wreath, a star (of course) a small pumpkin and a few fall leaves.  I made the burlap candy corn banner for something fun - do you love candy corn as much as I do?  That's one of the best things about fall as far as I am concerned.  I just cut out some small burlap triangles and painted them with white, orange, and yellow acrylic paint and hot glued them to some twine.

The column candle is sitting in a glass vase surrounded by acorns our grandsons picked up while walking back and forth to the pool in the first part of September while it was still warm enough to swim.  We would take a gallon sized zip lock bag and they would pick up acorns, pine cones, and gum balls.  They came home with lots of treasures and it was lots of fun.  Grandma appreciates their treasure hunting!

 I had a piece of the grapevine ribbon I used to make the hanging lamp next to the cabinet, so I just sort of wound it around everything for some texture and interest.  Because it is wired, it is easy to "shape."
 There are some copper votive holders that I already had, and artificial fall leaves that I have had for eons and reused a bazillion times.  The little gourds and pumpkins came from the Farmer's market.
The decorations are simple and warm and are all things I had on hand including the candles.   The only things purchased were the pumpkins and gourds.  The Farmer's Market was selling the little gourds and pumpkins 3 for $1.00.  My kind of price.  How is that for some cheap decorating?

On the kitchen island, I used a metal pumpkin candle holder that I already had and placed it on a piece of burlap ribbon with a red stripe down the center.  The candle holders were a wedding gift 44 years ago and have been used over and over and over throughout our married life.  Using candles with fall colors and more pumpkins and gourds, I was done.  Easy peasy.



I have a new marble topped bistro table for the dining area that I am eager to show you and it will be decorated too, but first I need to find some chairs to go with it.  That table along with my two new bargain wicker chairs make the dining room comfortable and cozy.  Oh, and I am on the hunt for just the right rug.  I'll know it when I see it.  As soon as I get it all together, I will share it with you.

In the meantime, we are enjoying all things fall in the kitchen.  I think I will bake some apple bread.  That would be perfect for these early days of fall don't you think?  And then maybe some pumpkin bread, and then some..........who knows.  Cool weather makes me want to bake, to nest, to get ready for the coming cold weather.  Does fall makes you feel that way?

When decorating for fall, there are many natural elements you can find literally on the ground to use and they won't cost you anything.  There are many "weeds" that are perfect for table top arrangements.  Look around your home and see what you may already have on hand that is usable with these natural elements.  You may not have to spend much of anything to make your home warm and inviting.  Nothing like some candles burning on these earlier evenings, with the smell of something wonderful baking to make the house smell heavenly.  Perhaps some mulled cider or hot chocolate.  Yes, I am ready for this season.  Are you/

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“I guess I'm just feeling Septemberish," sighed Chester. "It's getting towards autumn now. And it's so pretty up in Connecticut. All the trees change color. The days get very clear―with a little smoke on the horizon from burning leaves. Pumpkins begin to come out.” 
 George Selden, The Cricket in Times Square