Adding Warm Fall Touches to the Mantle

Hi All! I hope your week is going smoothly. The Hubby and I did some yard work this weekend. Even though we live in a condo I always like to straighten up and decorate my front yard. I am not an avid gardener so my body is still recuperating. In a later post I will show you how the front yard turned out.

Today's post is about how I love to decorate my mantle according to the season. Tho, when you work full-time it can be hard to find the time. With not having much storage in a condo, it is hard to keep lots of season specific items on hand. I have come to realize you don't have to go crazy redecorating to add a touch of fall to your mantle. Keep it simple, with just a few touches you can have a spectacular fall mantle display.

Here is what I did. 

I basically left everything I had on my mantle except for a wooden sign (center) and the flowers in my bucket (left). 

BEFORE

AFTER

The small sign in the center of the mantle was replaced with a metal pumpkin that I have had for a few years.

The white flowers in the bucket were swap with mums and wheat grass. (Bucket was a score from the Dollar Tree in the spring which I use a lot in decorating)

The lantern, a purchase from Pier 1, and the 2 red candles I had on hand. The ball and pillar I made by wrapping twine around a Styrofoam ball and a Styrofoam cylinder. 

Next, I added a garland of fall leaves that was weaved through the items on my mantle. Last but not least I added a wreath to my mirror. 

See, simple touches for a high impact fall mantle.

 

 What touches do you add to your home when decorating for fall?

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For the Love of Autumn

Hi All! The Hubby and I just returned from a fantastic vacation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The autumn color was at its finest. I will detail more of our trip in later posts. Today, I am highlighting my favorite time of year with images I took on our vacation. Enjoy.

 

One of the most magically seasons of the year for me is autumn. From the wonderful autumn smells, to the cozy comfort meals made in my crock-pot, to taking out my fleece blanket for cuddling on the couch with a great book, I love everything about the fall. And don't get me started on the baking... pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin dip, oh my. 

The fall weather is what the Hubby and I look forward to, it can be dream-like. It's almost as if the perfect mix of sun and clouds, with a slight chill, was combined together to create the best weather ever. From the warm days, to the cool nights, and the abundance of color as the leaves change, is what makes the fall season so intoxicating! I wish I could live in a perpetual state of fall. 

Now, can we talk color, I talking the amazing, brilliant colors of fall. Being that red is my favorite color, it should come as no surprise that the colors of fall is my favorite palette. To me it symbolizes warmth, like nature is giving you a big cozy hug. I could not imaging living in a place that doesn't have a fall season. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures I took on our leaf peeping vacation with some lovely quotes about autumn. 

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~ George Eliot

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. ~ Albert Camus 

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile. ~ William Cullen Bryant 

Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees. ~ Faith Baldwin

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, Fluttering from the autumn tree. ~ Emily Bronte

God is quite the artist, he paints a canopy, adding splashes of color for everyone to see. ~ Unknown

Stop and enjoy the colors!

Friday's Fancy

My Favorite Time of Year... Fall!

Have you started decorating? I have been adding little touches here and there.
Stay tuned for a full blog post on what I've done.

Have a fall-tastic weekend!

Nothing Says Fall Like Apple Picking!

This weekend we spend a great Sunday with our good friend and her son at Lyman Orchards. The weather was perfect, absolutely fall like. The orchard is owned and operated by the Lyman Family since 1741, Lyman Orchards is recognized as the twelfth oldest family-owned business in America. We started with breakfast on the deck that over looked the property and pond. 

After our belly's were full of delicious pancakes we ventured into the corn maze. This years theme, The British Invasion Corn Maze, salutes the legendary bands of the 1960s! Here are some stats on the maze:

   • 4-acre maze

   • 2 miles of pathways

   • Challenging design

   • Fun trivia questions 

Did we get lost? Maybe just a little, but we had an amazing time and met some great people along the way! The cool thing is $1.00 of every admission is donated to the American Cancer Society. 

Next we did a little shopping in their unique market! The enticing aroma of fresh baked products fills the market all day long. From fresh pies, to apple cider donuts, muffins, cookies, breads, pastries, and more are made in their Farm Kitchen Bakery. Now you know we had to come home with some goodies like homemade jams, fudge, cheddar cheese, and of course apple crisp from the bakery... Hmmmmmm! 

We loaded up the car with our goodies and headed to the pick-your-own part of the orchard. First we picked some apples (macoun, they are my favorite). My girlfriend's son got so excited when he spotting an apple, I have to say we all got pretty excited. 

Next we headed down the road and picked peaches, the last of the season. These were a little harder to find but we did. 

We visited the pumpkin patch, just to take a few pictures. We plan to pick our pumpkins later in the season. 

The property is so beautiful, with lot of rolling hills. I took this picture from where we picked peaches on top of one of the hills. What a fantastic day! We vowed to make this a tradition. 

What are your favorite falls events?

Hooray it's fall!

It's County Fair Time

This weekend we spent a great day with our good friend and her son at the 102nd Haddam Neck Fair. I have lived in CT all my life and it was my first time at this fair. It was a real treat. There is something about a county fair that screams fall is coming. My favorite time of year. At the fair we experienced great fair food, played some carnival games, checked out all the vendors and agricultural entries. This was our first fair of the season and you can be sure we will be visiting more. 

Here are some facts about the Haddam Neck Fair from their website. Rated as a major agricultural fair, it is known for the family friendly atmosphere in a beautiful setting. The many events offer somethings for everyone including tractor and truck pulls, horse and oxen pulling contests and a horse show. Exhibits of rabbits, poultry, sheep and goats are popular. Exhibitors are encouraged to enter arts and hobbies, vegetables, flowers, canned goods and hand work. There are contests offered throughout the weekend including women's skillet throwing, beard, multiple birth and children's contests. Live music on the bandstand on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Do you love attending county fairs? What is your favorite part? I love all the food they have to offer. 

Here's to looking forward to fall.