Early spring into Easter color awakenings through spring color palette choices are upon us.
Colors of the season shake off the last of winter’s remnants with the help of warm mid-afternoon breezes, hints of pastel petals, the yellow dusting of pollen (you want pretty flowers, don’t you?), the hum of lawnmowers, and seasonal treats featuring fresh strawberries.
Easy and affordable ways to incorporate the best of the season into your home and garden is to update and refresh through accents and accessories.
Accents and accessories in fresh, lively, and warm colors of spring renews our interiors and exteriors, elevates our moods, and brushes away the heaviness of winter.
“Only those who love color are admitted to its beauty
and immanent presence. It affords utility to all,
but unveils its deeper mysteries only to its devotees.”
Nature’s timing doesn’t always cooperate with early spring into Easter plans for fresh stems and bouquets, so to that I say pick a few faux fabulous stand-ins and let the spring preview begin!
Visit your lawn and garden, local produce market, hobby store or better yet, drive out to areas of the local countryside flush with the season’s natural elements for fresh and/or faux items needed to create a foliage focal point or spot arrangement.
Still a favorite example of a simple yet elegant fall/autumn arrangement made possible by nature, a vintage waffle weave daisy pattern crock, small ears of Indian corn, branches of berries, and decor pieces most befitting theme and time of year.
There’s so much to be said for this lovely season, this fall of autumn spectacular where nature’s wonder beautifully serves as the principal decor accent and accessory.
Clear cylinder vases filled with branch bouquets in their natural state or painted in tones of gold, silver, bronze, or copper become a simple yet elegant addition to your fall decor.
Seasonal fruits, vegetables, foliage and nuts make wonderful ingredients for fall recipes, but boy, do they shine in fall arrangements and centerpieces.
Pumpkins and apples make their debut in the beginning of fall, and these seasonal decorating essentials become quite the exquisite floral accompaniment to fresh seasonal flowers and cuttings.
Let’s talk fall decor buzz and buys for house and home.
Too early for the fall of it all?
Looking forward to the next season to come naturally sparks our interest. Seasonal decorating ideas for fall take time to cultivate and harvest.
Why put off until tomorrow what you can hunt and gather today!
Emails arriving on a daily basis showcasing fall 2023 catalogs, lookbooks, and new for fall arrivals indicates the official fall decor buzz and buys season is indeed in full swing.
From my experiences decorating both home and shop to reflect the corresponding season, balance remains the principal objective to achieve.
Going with the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it rule, this year’s fall decorating around the house look is brought to you by the need and the want to showcase decorative items germane to individuality, simplicity, effortlessness, and nature’s beauty.
Where pastel and bright colors rule the spring into summer color palette, the autumnal allure realized through the choices of darker tones and seasoned finishes resembles nature’s contribution to the rich and cozy fall color palette.
Recently, I’ve discovered a wonderful read, The New Antiquarians: At Home with Young Collectors by Michael Diaz-Griffith with photography by Brian W. Ferry.
Colors, textures, and patterns intrigue and inspire young collectors to seek and mix pieces from various periods and places in the pursuit of creating fresh curated schemes while expressing personal style.
Last year I scouted and scooped up the pheasant vase in the above image early in the fall finds buying season. Learned it’s better to buy early than cry late.
Transports thought and heart to the very best of fall; country inns and cottages furnished in traditional Colonial style, period antiques in rich deep patinas, and nooks and crannies replete with charming accents of the past.
I keep coming back to this Barrister Lane 3-Drawer Sindoori Mango Chest of Drawers for a few reasons. The under $300 price point sits well, the finish offers a rustic charm, and the overall size makes this piece a versatile choice for most spaces.
Colonial craftsmen did away with the central splat detail known to the original design. Splats and legs were altered to enforce the sturdiness and form.
To look upon beautiful Easter decor as a work of art is no over eggaggeration of the term. Selecting items for show and tell comes with thought.
Sure, a rabbit here and a bunny there is called for, but mostly my choices play to pastels, themes and dishes appropriate for the entire spring into summer season.
Faux picks and bushes in ever lovely shades of pink were recently purchased with the Easter decor centerpiece in mind.
On the Saturday afternoon before Easter Sunday I’ll stroll around the yard gathering assorted fresh greenery stems to fill in the spring bouquet.
Easter company will love this fresh with full on color and nibbles spring vegetable board from My Moonstone Kitchen.
Click on the link below the photo for recipe information.
Country Living – Photography by John Kernick
Roast Pork Loin with Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
1⁄3 cup kosher salt
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon juniper berries
2 teaspoon cardamom pods
2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon allspice berries
2 bay leaves, lightly crushed
1 (3 ¾ to 4 pound) pork loin roast, trimmed, butterflied, and tied
3 tbsp. butter
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup chicken stock
Directions
In a medium pot, bring 2 cups water, salt, sugar, juniper, cardamom, peppercorns, allspice, and bay leaves to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups cold water. Set brining liquid aside and let cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
Place pork loin in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag and carefully pour in cooled brining liquid. Seal and refrigerate, 8 to 12 hours.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter until sizzling. Add celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add breadcrumbs, parsley, sage, and thyme, stirring to combine, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken stock and toss until breadcrumbs have absorbed all of the liquid.
Remove stuffing from heat and let cool to room temperature, 30 minutes. (Stuffing can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Preheat oven to 500°F. Remove pork loin from bag and discard brine; pat meat dry with a paper towel. On a work surface, untie pork loin so that it lies flat, fat side down. Spread stuffing mixture atop meat in an even layer. Starting from one of the long sides, roll the pork loin into a tight spiral. Tie at 1 ½-inch intervals with 12-inch lengths of kitchen twine.
In a roasting pan fitted with a rack, place pork loin fat side up. Roast 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Continue to cook for about 1 hour and 35 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the pork loin reaches 145°F.
Transfer pork loin to a wire rack to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
In a coffee grinder or using a mortar and pestle, grind green, white, black, and pink peppercorns until crushed.
Using a medium bowl, beat butter with a mixer at medium-high speed until smooth. Add peppercorns, chives, shallot, garlic, and oregano. Beat at medium speed until combined.
Transfer from mixer to parchment paper. Form butter into a log. Press radish flowers, garlic flowers, and oyster leaf flowers onto log. Roll in parchment, and twist at both ends. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Knock out roses coming into spring view serve vase and creations.
Be it from the supermarket bakery or cake mix box, decorating the top of a spring or Easter dessert cake with flowers or candies is an easy way to take desserts to visually pleasing heights.
In the style of vintage is my go-to choice of serveware, and this house favorite cake stand in Jadeite fits beautifully with your Easter decor and spring motif.
Buttercream frosting tinted to a soft yellow topped with edible flowers delivers a simply elegant result.
Pansies offer loads of color, plant and prosper rather easily, and make a fantastic visual and flavorful splash when added to salads and spring desserts.
When decorating dishes and desserts and garnishing beverages with edible flowers you’ll want to pick the flowers early in the morning.
Gently rinse off your gathered flowers with cool water allowing to dry on a paper towel. Add garnish immediately before serving.
If using flowers at a later time you can place them in the refrigerator where they will keep for 2-3 days.
Impressive kitchen furnishings, decor pieces and accents brings us to this feature spotlighting pieces sure to elevate the design and decor of your kitchen.
After the holiday whirlwind kitchen events of the last few weeks one would think a post about impressive kitchen furnishings, decor pieces and accents would be a bit redundant.
Turns out, the well-appointed kitchen remains the heart and hub of the home; a central gathering place serving a multitude of purposes.
Back in our flipping days, Maison de Places In The Home was a holiday happening place holiday eat, drink, and be merry.
Realtors, designers, and home builders folk love to get together for holiday cocktails with a twist of spirited networking.
At evening’s end the majority of the house basically remained pre-party perfect, however, based on the state of the kitchen it was indeed the happening holiday party place to mix, mingle and holiday jingle.
Established fact proves the days gone by design philosophy of the kitchen being for strictly utilitarian purposes, small in size, and decoratively unremarkable is best left in the past.
Impressive kitchen furnishings, decor pieces, and accents decidedly factor into today’s kitchen design as much as cabinetry, appliance, lighting, flooring and placement choices do.
Decorating for the holidays reaches far beyond tinsel and trimmings.
What better time than at the gift giving time of year to add impressive kitchen furnishings, decor pieces and accents on your gifts for the holiday decorista Christmas list.
Topping the impressive kitchen furnishings, decor pieces and accents Dear Santa list is this vintage stripped bleached French cabinet in all its gorgeous glory.
Utilize the beauty of such pieces by displaying a beloved collection of porcelain wares or pieces from your favorite china pattern on the shelves while using the drawers as storage for serving pieces and table linens.
In keeping with the there’s no place like home for the holidays philosophy, I’m featuring striking pieces influenced in Louisiana French-Spanish-European provenance that catch my eye and my heart.
Such is the case when juxtaposition, distinctive craftsmanship, provenance, and regional influences beautifully meet and master the characteristic of a space.
Long my preferred go-to choice, I find the charm and character quotient appeals to my desire to incorporate unique pieces in with new traditional promotes conversation and balances the visual points of interest of a space.
Into each kitchen some stuff must fall, and housing said stuff items such as keys, twist ties, charging blocks, and the general things that find a home in the kitchen need not be an exercise in unsightly.
Lagniappe is a term used quite often here in Louisiana.
Defined as something given as a bonus or extra gift, lagniappe is present in impressive kitchen furnishings, decor pieces and accents replete with distinctive detail, prominence, and beauty.
Sweet thought provoking quotes, seasonal scenes in garden light and summer night silhouettes, and photos of pretty little pooches all in a scroll keep the dog days of summer tolerable.
Light of a late summer afternoon paired with garden blooms in perfect palette and placement gives visitors a visually impressive summer place to admire nature at its colorful best.
Searching for tips, tricks, and general cucumber information, I ran across a line or two of pickle humor and thought it sweet and dilliciously delightful.
Newsflash: gone are the days of basic and boring dorm room decorating ideas and décor choices.
These dorm room decorating ideas feature tasteful and dashing furnishings, accents and accessories that come together to transform an otherwise nondescript space into a chic oasis of comfort and personal style.
My dorm and townhouse roomies and I kept close company with throws and blankets. The degree of cozy rises to a most comfortable level making for a happy dorm-apartment-condo-townhouse environment.
Ions ago when I was at LSU in the dorm my roommate and I used round 3 gallon ice cream containers you could get for free at your local Baskins-Robbins for wastebaskets.
DIY project days gone by consisted of discontinued wallpaper rolls, glue, decorista determination, and a little help from our friends Ernest and Julio Gallo.
