Monday, September 28, 2015

Our 2015 Fall Kitchen

Greetings, friends!

What room of yours is your favorite to decorate for Fall?  For me, I think I'd have to say that it's our kitchen.


I guess it's because we spend a lot of time in here ... or maybe it's because countertops give you lots of space to scatter your love for the season.

Having said that, now I laugh because I kept it pretty simple on those surrounding countertops. 


This year, I went with more neutral tones, too ...


with white pumpkins and pine cones taking over, with only a little added color, like in our roo prints.


It's nice how nature can "dress up" the simplest of utensils.


I did sneak in a little orange though.


I mean, after all, what is Fall without orange, right? 


And then back to simple and neutral on the other side, as well.



The main reason I did this is because I had fun on the island, playing with the oversized tray I found last month at Home Goods.


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I wanted this to be the focal point, without competing for your attention ... making this our "go big or go home" vignette, where no color was off limits!



Of course, I had to add a colorful roo to stand guard.


In our little breakfast area, again, I kept the kitchen table pretty plain ... that's because of our annual Fall family tree in the background.


I've been adding this tree for several years, and I never tire of decorating it ...


Even though it's not a big tree, it takes me awhile to decorate because I find myself getting distracted with the pictures and sayings I add to the tree ... walking down memory lane takes a little time!  


So does greeting some of the cute ornaments (like Mr. Owl) who have been hibernating in a bin since last Fall.


Of course, you know I love adding lots and LOTS of "stuff" to my tree toppers, with our Fall family tree being no exception.  


And, yet, if you turn around from the tree, you're greeted with simple, yet again.


Even though I'm a "more is more" kinda gal when it comes to seasonal decorating, sometimes, it's fun to keep things a little understated, with one big vignette or display right in the middle to say "ta da!"

I hope you're having fun adding a bit of seasonal "ta da" to *your* homes right now!

As always, thanks for stopping by!


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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Our Fall Great Room

Greetings, friends!  Now that it's officially Fall, I hope ALL of you are tossing leaves and pumpkins around your beautiful homes!

Having said that ... when it comes to seasonal decorating, what says "Fall" to you?  


Is it pulling out your blankets from the closet and draping them over your furniture, inviting your family and friends to get cozy and stay awhile?


Is it adding an oversized "roo" to your sofa or coffee table?  (This fella is from Pottery Barn, from a few years ago, but he always tends to make an appearance this time of year.)


Perhaps it's adding a simple bowl of pumpkins ... that you "may" or may not have painted white?


Or, even placing a simple Fall "mix" into a pitcher that you have on hand.


Maybe even a faux furry footstool (try saying *that* fast three times!) from Target is exactly what you need to make your home feel like Fall?


Now, if you have a fireplace, I'm willing to bet that you love to add a bit of the season on its mantel.


Or even a simple wreath hanging above to enjoy.


Sometimes, a lone pumpkin resting on a few vintage books is all that you need.



If you're like me, a Fall catalog or magazine is always within arm's reach when I need a little inspiration!


On an otherwise blank wall, a piece of Fall art (which has been the focal point of our Fall mantel in years' past), has found a place to hang for a few weeks.


While I may tend to go a bit overboard, it's all about what makes "you" happy ... feel cozy ... and, greet the season with a warm welcome!


I hope you'll stop back by in the coming weeks when I share more of our Fall home, including our traditional Fall family tree.


Thanks for stopping by!

I'm joining:

Savvy Southern Style/WUW

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Monday, September 14, 2015

Kicking off Fall with Our 2015 Fall Mantel ...

Happy Monday!

It's beautiful days like this that make me love this time of year and all that goes along with it!  And, to kick of the season, I'm sharing our Fall mantel.

Having just *beefed up* the area above our mantel by adding MDF panels and molding, I was excited to have a new, white backdrop for our Fall decor.  


Faux Fall branches and wheat are always an easy "go to" for me.


These candlesticks used to be white, but to give them more of a Fall look, I painted them with a little bit of leftover deck stain (ha! ... use what you have on hand, right?)  And, because I then hot glued inexpensive glass hurricanes on top of the candlesticks, I added Fall ribbon and big ol' bows to hide the evidence of dried hot glue!


Can you tell I'm a fan of symmetry?


These cardboard letters (from Hobby Lobby) also got a coat of leftover deck stain to darken them just a bit and so that they would match the candlesticks.  I then "messily" (is that word?) brushed a bit of white paint on them to give them a little bit of a weathered look.



This metal piece from Kirkland's has been sitting in our basement storage room for quite awhile so it was nice to bring it out, attach a Fall wreath to it, and let it serve as the backdrop for our seasonal mantel.  


I also brought back the beaded garland I made several years ago and added a cream solid wood beaded garland, too, along with this pretty glass acorn garland (from Home Goods) ... praying it doesn't fall and crash all over the floor!



I kept it simple on the hearth by just adding a few faux pumpkins.  


Lastly, I don't think I've shown you all yet, but I love how the beaded garland ties in with our new chandelier (from World Market) ... such a difference from our not so attractive ceiling fan.


I'll be sharing more of our Fall home in the weeks to come ... including a newly planked mantel in our sitting room AND a bit o' Halloween fun in there, too!


Thanks for stopping by,

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I'm joining:

A Stroll Thru Life/Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

A New Look for Our Fireplace

Happy September, friends!

I know I've said it 1,000 times before how much I miss the fireplace in our old home (especially during the holidays) ... because we had an 18 foot vaulted ceiling in our great room, that allowed our mantel to be nice and tall!  **sniff sniff**


I knew I wanted something similar in our new great room, but on a smaller scale since our ceilings are only 9 feet tall in here.  Well, after getting a $700 estimate, we decided to try it DIY-style.  And, thanks to Cristina's awesome tutorial at her wonderful blog, Remodelando la Casa, we were able to get it done ourselves (for less than $100, to boot)!

So, here's our fireplace a few weeks ago:


And, here it is now!  YAY!


I consider it a "mini me" version of our old fireplace!  

BEFORE:


AFTER!  We might try our hand at adding a bit of molding inside, but, for now, we're thrilled!


It's amazing what a little MDF and molding can do!  

Now, to decorate it for FALL!

And, speaking of blank slates ... do you love trays as much as I do?!  When I spotted this fabulous oversized beauty at Home Goods the other day, I knew I had to grab it.  I love the size, texture and handles ... now, to add a big ol' seasonal vignette to it!


Are any of you getting your "Fall on?"  


I hope so and can't wait to be inspired by all of you!

Thanks for stopping by,


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