For me, the true sign that Autumn was on its way was when my mom would pull out her boxes of fall decor. The bright colors of summer would get tucked lovingly away and the rich, warm colors of leaves and pumpkins would make their appearance. I definitely got my love of seasonal decorating from her...
When we moved into our house five years ago, I fell instantly in love with the mantle in the living room. Our house is small and there aren't many horizontal spaces to decorate, so I take full advantage of the centerpiece in our living room. I especially like what I came up for this year's decor.
When it comes to decorating, one of my mottos has been to try and use what you already have, especially things that have meaning for you. You'll save money and enjoy the decor more when it has history and a personal touch.
Also, look for items that can be used for more than one season. Neutrals in creams, browns or black work really well for this purpose.
This bird vase came from Real Deals and I use it almost every season...dried leaves and cattails in the fall, frosted berries in winter and farmer's market finds in the spring and summer.
A couple times a year there is an awesome vintage market in town. That's where I got the rustic toolbox. I'm super excited to experiment with what to put in it for a Christmas centerpiece. If you can't find one, I'm sure there are templates somewhere online for building your own. It's a pretty simple design.
This cute little chalkboard used to be my Grandmother's. I remember playing school with it when I was a girl and totally going through a Little House on the Prairie kick. It was looking worse for wear so I rubbed some lemon olive oil into the wood and she's as good as new! I was kind of scared to use it up so high on the mantle, if it broke I'd be crushed. But I don't want to just hide all the beautiful valuable things in a box, never to get used. Everything will eventually return to the dust it came from and I'd rather get as much enjoyment out of it now, than have a bunch of nice old junk for my kids to sort through after I'm gone that doesn't hold any meaning or memories for them.
One of my closest friends is super crafty. She made the little easels like the one above for Christmas gifts one year. I was lucky enough to get an extra one. It's such a fun way to display verses or pictures...
When we first moved into our house, I started the tradition of saving all our wine corks. I try to remember to date them, and write a little snippet of what happened that evening, who we had over for dinner. It's been fun to look back at them over time and reminisce...plus I think they add a beautiful touch.
Target had these super cute pumpkins a few years ago. I love how organic and understated they are. I added some faux leaves and berries to create a contrast with the dark wood.
I usually have real candles in the fireplace, but Lil' Peach is at the get-into-everything phase, so I've switched them out for a set of LED candles I got at Costco a couple of years ago. The ambiance isn't quite the same as real candlelight, but they have a timer and will light up at the same time every night and last for about five hours.
This mantle display is a good representation of how I like to decorate... a good mix of history, personal meaning, neutral building pieces and a bit of the outdoors. I'd love to hear what have been your favorite ways to decorate for Autumn!
Next time I'll share my recipe for crockpot apple butter.
Yum.
All is Grace,
Carie
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| Bubba and Sassy. These two get me every time. I especially love the one of them waiting for Daddy to get home from work. |
This is a beautiful post and now I'm hungry for apple butter. love Francie
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