fall decor — pleasure in simple things

Tag: fall decor

falling for green

September

Gone are the days when pumpkins were only orange! Those of us neutral décor lovers were certainly ecstatic when white pumpkins came onto the scene years ago…what could be better?!

But there are other options these days, and although white pumpkins are still my fave, some of the heirloom varieties make me weak in the knees!

Heirloom pumpkins are more widely available now – I recently saw some lovely ones priced very reasonably in shades of green and gray at Trader Joe’s.

Decorating for fall in hues of green takes on a whole new meaning when pumpkins in smokey sage can be added to the mix!

Today I am sharing some swoon-worthy décor using green tones during a recent visit to Terrain.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Fun fact – for years I avoided wearing green because I have green eyes and I hated the attention when green clothing would accentuate my eyes!

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christmas is coming

October

If you have been to any stores or shopping online, you already know that holiday merchandise is out for sale extra early this year. I think this is a good thing.

Hopefully, it will eliminate crowds as people finish their shopping before the traditional rush.

I’ve always been an early shopper anyway and traditionally wrap holiday gifts on Thanksgiving weekend. So, even if it wasn’t a pandemic, I would be fine with early holiday displays.

On an ‘out and about’ trip this week, I saw plenty of holiday and that was kind of the intent of a friend and I – to check out some of the displays in our favorite stores.

But I couldn’t help appreciating some fall décor (even if the temps were 74 degrees!) as a farewell – and, to score a few good pumpkins stems (at 25% off!) to make a few more velvet pumpkins.

I hope you are inspired to appreciate fall one more time before the holiday takes over! Use the weekend to enjoy some cider donuts…go leaf peeping…visit a farm.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Thanks for stopping by, Jackie

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rainy day pumpkins

October

What to do on a rainy October day?

Make pumpkins, of course!

I’m taking some free time indoors to make a few gifts. These may be the last pumpkin creations of the season…or, I may just have a few more in me left to make!

Have a fabulous fall weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fall chair planting diy

October

Today I am hoping to inspire you to plant a chair. Yes, you read that correctly! An old chair is the perfect vehicle to create a beautiful fall planting.

First, find an old chair. I mean old! The older, the better – more character. It should be a chair that has (or once had) a caned seat or an upholstered seat. The reason for this is because you will remove that part to add plants.

The perfect candidate for a chair planting!

Once the cane or upholstery is removed, screening is stapled in its place using a staple gun. After the screening is in place, planting can happen! Just like any other outdoor container would be used, the screening serves as your container, providing drainage. So easy!

Before planting, decide if the chair you plan to use will be left vintage looking or if you will paint it in advance. A bright color, a color to match the flowers used, or a color to match your house or garden are all great choices.

I was inspired to start this project based on the photos here. I have plenty of colors of Annie Sloan paint and plan use that to paint a chair in advance of planting. I am keeping my fingers crossed I can find an appropriate discarded chair in the next week!

I hope I have inspired you to start a chair planting of your own!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fall 2020 at terrain

September

Today I am embracing the season. I am providing a few of my favorite views from a fall visit to Terrain in Westport, Connecticut. These photos are sure to help inspire your fall creations! So, grab yourself a pumpkin latte and enjoy the show!

Happy fall from New England! I hope you are inspired to work on your own projects this weekend! Have a great one!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. If that’s not enough – you can see some more of Terrain on my Instagram feed.

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can’t stop fall

September

We had a couple of cool days here in Connecticut and I couldn’t resist taking out some fall décor. Not that I have very much! Because I always resist acknowledging fall, I have never accumulated that much in décor to celebrate it! But I do have a box filled with velvet pumpkins I’ve made and I also own a few pumpkin pillows in neutral colors.

So, on one of the recent cool weather days, I took out my box of pumpkins on my lunch break and used them to update the fern centerpiece on my dining room table…basically, I just added some pumpkins and replaced one of the existing ferns with a white heather. Then I placed a few of the pumpkins in other rooms of the house.

Enough of a change to have something new to enjoy.

A little gray pumpkin in the bathroom.

A little white velvet pumpkin on display in the kitchen.

Have you done anything with your home décor to celebrate the upcoming change in season?

Thanks for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. As I hesitate to acknowledge fall, HomeGoods already has Christmas merchandise on display!

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diy mini metallic pumpkins

October

I diversify my velvet pumpkin making each October by introducing a new fabric to replace the velvet. My original creations were velvet fabric pumpkins accented with real pumpkin stems. In recent years, I have used cashmere and chenille in addition to assorted colors of velvet.

As you saw in a previous post, my first pumpkins of the year included one made from tulle. Today, I am sharing photos of my newest pumpkins – mini metallic pumpkins!

My mom gave me the idea when we were together recently. At my mom’s suggestion, I planned on trying metallic pumpkins and white leather pumpkins. I found some great metallic fabrics, but unfortunately, the fabric store I visited had no white leather.

So today, I am sharing my mini metallic pumpkins! They are made in the same way as the original velvet pumpkins – just a switch of material. Fun! What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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first pumpkins of 2019

October

In case you were wondering, yes – I did start making pumpkins.

For today’s Friday field trip I am sharing my first creations of the season!

My very first pumpkin of the year is a simple gray velvet.

So far, I’ve only made two.

The second was an experiment. I made it from velvet, but added a ‘top coat’ of tulle. The tulle is a very special one…it was taken from my mother’s wedding dress! (It’s the pumpkin in the first photo in this post.) I want to try using the tulle in a few different ways, but the overlay idea was my first one.

I hope you are inspired to make some pumpkins of your own, maybe using some fabrics that are special in some way to you.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pumpkin hanging

September

I was never much on fall. I never really cared for the whole pumpkin spice, warm and cozy vibe. And, I certainly never really cared that much for pumpkins. I always enjoyed carving pumpkins, but other than that, I never decorated with pumpkins or got inspired by them.

It wasn’t until the white pumpkin entered the picture that I opened my eyes to pumpkin décor. I love me a white pumpkin!

Once I started decorating with white pumpkins, I became much more interested in pumpkins as a decorating component.

Of course, making pumpkins from fabric and real pumpkin stems has become a staple to my October routine! But now, every year, it seems there is some new aspect to using pumpkins in décor that appeals to me. A great example of this happened a few years back when I first started noticing pumpkin ‘topiaries.’ I was so intrigued by stacking pumpkins and I started using the technique in varying ways.

For Friday field trip today, I thought I would share this great idea from Terrain – something I’ve never used before – hanging pumpkins! You may have never thought about hanging a handful of pumpkins, but what a great look!

I hope you will be inspired to add this look to your décor this season, or to be inspired to try something new with your pumpkin décor on this first weekend of the season! Maybe you will try using a new and interesting variety of pumpkin in your decorating!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Note: If you don’t live near a Terrain, you can purchase these cool spheres on their website!

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changing perspective

October

It has been a really tough week for me. I lost someone who was very special in my life. It’s the type of event that makes one take stock in life and creates a change in perspective.