Some Fall Ideas

(The start of my Fall transformation)

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Hello Sweet Friends,

Trust you had a nice weekend,

and hopefully you are having as good a

Monday as you can, since it is Monday!! lol

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I have decided to do some posts on sprucing

up your home for Fall. I think that most of us

ladies, love our families and our home and really

desire to create a warm, inviting envirionment.

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I also know that sometimes you just don't know

where or how to start. So thought I might share

some $$ free ideas, that I have picked up over

the years and years and years!! lol

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I had a friend when I was in my twenties when

I was still working full time, and she was a stay

at home Mom, who simply inspired the pants

off me. This girl, macramed, she sewed curtains for

her bedroom out of pretty sheets,she shaker shingled

her kitchen, she stripped and painted her kitchen cabinets,

she had a compost pile for potting her plants and I could

go on and on about her. I asked Barbara one day, how in

the world did you learn to do all this stuff, and her

simple reply was "I just tried",

she said, you would be surprised what

you can do if you just try!! I was "wowwed"

by that, and decided by George, I think I

am gonna try some things myself, and I did,

and I am happy to report, she was right as rain!!

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So here's to you Barbara!!

The first thing you need to do is take an inventory

of your home. Look and see.......

any and everything that has fall colors in or on it,

as a possible decorating tools.

Things like books, vases, glasses, cups and saucers,

mugs, napkins, candleholders, plates, potpourri,

anything clear; like candleholders, jars, bottles, or containers,

green topiary trees, ribbons, pictures, pillows, fabric,

greeting cards, tins, or baskets. Think you might be

getting the idea.

Next visit your yard and see what you might find.

Things like pine cones, berries, grapevine, dried

leaves. If you don't find them in your back yard

ask a friend or family member if they have any

of these items, or drive around to wooded areas,

with someone else along, of course, we want to

be safe as we decorate!! It is amazing what you

find when your eyes are atuned to looking

specifically for those items. Some of you

may have pyracantha vines, which have

beautiful orange berries. I just spotted some

dark burgundy berries on a china berry tree

in my back yard a few days ago, which I will

be harvesting soon.

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My header picture is of my fireplace, and this is a close up
of the mantel. You can see I used books, some fall potpourri,
pinecones, and berries, a wooden pear I can use anytime,
and the lacey cream colored containers have candles in
them. They are actually candleholders I got at Ross for
$7.00 for all 3 of them. I adore them, and use them for
all sorts of things in any season.
Whatever I find to use out of doors, I keep in ziploc
bags for years to come. Most of these items I have
had for years.



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More books, pine cones and berries, and a drizzle of potpourri.
A Home Interiors Eagle
I got hubby for Fathers day one year, I only use it in
the fall mostly, occasionally for patriotic holidays.
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I don't know if you are familiar with them or not but
there is a Christian Company that does Home shows called
"Home Interiors and Gifts", I used to work for them
years ago when my son was young, cause you can
work your job around your schedule and work as
little or as much as you desire. I learned a great
deal of my decorating skills from them and the
nice ladies that also worked for them.
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I was also inspired by my Aunt Lydia. As young girl
she had gone thru the depression and was very poor,
but had a desire to better herself, and she was always doing
projects and stuff. I remember her painting a bookcase
red once, and also tiling a coffee table, with lil small tiles.
She liked pretty things, and she put nice pictures on her walls,
and had a flair for decorating, I liked going to wherever
she lived, it was pleasant and fun.
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Sorry about the glare but just couldn't get one without it,
but what I wanted you to see was what came out anyway.
Brass Candlestick, candle oil burner for fragrance,
and more pine cones and berries. Forgot to say these
are fake berries, I got them before I found any in my
yard, so keep them and use them wherever, also use
them at Christmas time. So they are dual purpose berries!! lol






This is a mirror tray I used to put my perfume on,
I have had this baby for 30 years at least, a dear friend
Arlene, gave it to me and I always seem to find some
neat use for it. The last few years it has housed my
candles in the fireplace. Since large pillar candles can
be expensive, you can buy tea light candles to fill in
with and it is much less expensive and you can use
them in other candleholders as well, then you aren't
always having to clean the wax out. I really like
to burn my candles in the fall/winter. Creates such
a nice warm ambiance in the house.
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Found some of these pillar candles at the
dollar store a few years back and they were about $2-3,
which is better than $5-6 or more.

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This is just a topiary I found at Ross for
$5.00 years ago, I have 2, I bought
them to use on either side of the fireplace,
but have used them all over the place.
They are typically just green but for
fall I add yellow ribbon and the berries.
Pretty simple, yet adds that lil
touch of fall color.







This is from our trip to New Hampshire,
when we stopped to buy the Maple syrup,
I specifically bought one of the syrups in this
clear container knowing it would be a Fall
keepsake from now on. I can make it any
color I want with just a bit of food coloring
and water!!
See I told you I was a simple girl,
course, simple doesn't mean stupid!!









Hid the ugly white top with the berries.
Eventually I will probably paint it, but didn't
feel like doing it at the time, so berries
worked just fine. Added it to a grouping
with a picture and a small pumpkin.
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Well, hope that gets you inspired and searching
out some ways you can add color and fun to your
home. I will show you some more pics and ideas
on Wednesday. Tomorrow I will probably share
Part 5 of "The Flooded House".
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Think I am gonna make a nice pot of Chil today,
and since it isn't quite Fall yet, I will summerize
it by making a taco salad out of it, you know,
like they do at Wendys. My chili tastes very
similiar to theirs. I have had this recipe I got
from a friend when I was first married, and I
have been using it for almost 39 years now,
and we still love it. If anyone would like the
recipe let me know, and I will share it.
It is easy and delicious!!
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Well, that is what's cooking at my house!
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Hope you have a lovely evening,

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Blessings and Hugs,
Nellie