All Things House That Make A Home
Today’s Fetching Friday finds us in the holiday spirit scrolling in a December Wonderland.
The twelfth month of the calendar year ushers in season’s greetings, snow dusted scenes, and visions of seasonal beauty dancing in a December wonderland.
House & Garden – Photo by Paul Massey
“Kindness is like snow.
It beautifies everything it covers.”
—Kahlil Gibran
Yes, Virginia, it is the most wonderful time of the year in a December wonderland.
Blog posts, like the spaces and places in the home, benefit from seasonal updating. If you’re like me, all things fall home decor and recipes is a conversation worth having and a blog post worth reading.
We’ve had a subtle preview of fall between hurricanes thanks to cooler mornings and noticeably shorter days here in the deep South.
I makes no excuses or apologies for my gush for what I’m convinced is the absolute best time of the year on all points weather, decorating, entertaining, baking, cooking and tailgating.
That’s the great thing about favorite things- they compel us to share the excitement.
Many of the new seasonal activities we normally take part in will be a celebration of fall fun and feast at home.
‘Feels Good To Be Home’ Wood Sign – Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
Fall home decor and recipes suited for cozy days into evenings and scrumptious snacks and meals scripts a feels good to be home narrative.
Oh, what fall fun we decoristas have when we are:
Setting seasonal tablescapes.
Developing, delighting in, and discovering recipes big on the flavors of the season.
Decorating the interiors and exteriors of house, heart, home, and hearth.
A great serving piece, serving tray, compote, set of table linens, throw pillows, lamp, wall accent, rug- it doesn’t take a complete space overhaul or remodel to introduce texture, color, or pattern of the season to your interior or exterior home decor.
Oh, and don’t forget the menu.
Talk about one of the most delicious ways to welcome fall home decor and recipes to a new season!
Let’s take a look at this season’s Gotta Have It list.
Birch 6-Inch Real-Flame Effect Pillar Candle in Brown
Vintage English Victorian Gravy Boat
Stoneware Reactive Glaze Cereal Bowl – Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
Home Decorators Collection Antiqued Wood Candle Lanterns with Beaded Trim
Designing a cozy setting is not an exercise in difficulty.
Warm colors mingled among textured accents, collected finds, and antique pieces, set against the backdrop of soft and comfy candlelight or a crackling fire in the fireplace, invite cozy to settle in and stay awhile.
Cozy is a delightful guest- one who never wears out its welcome.
Luminara® Birch 6-Inch Real-Flame Effect Pillar Candle in Brown
There’s something about a pillar candle wrapped in the style of birch that says the texture of fall.
Don’t stop there.
Bring a little pumpkin shortbread or your favorite spice scent to the fall soiree.
Getting into the fall of it all is fun, keeps things decoratively interesting, and doesn’t have to break the bank.
Call this a good prices and great looks combo of farmhouse fabulous with a hint of French country ooh la la.
I’m considering ordering two of these pillows to pair with the faux fur throw pillows currently adorning the accents chairs I use as captain’s chairs in the dining room.
Notice the shadow on the lower part of the pillow.
A late summer into early fall sun casts shadows full of nuance ready to shadow dance with rich colors, patterns and textures that highlight the very best of the season.
If I didn’t know better, I would think wooden dough bowls strictly exist for housing a natural bounty of fall’s most gorgeous finds.
Better Homes & Gardens – Photo by Edmund Barr
Rich warm colors perfectly accentuate indoor and outdoor spaces prime for feathering in seasonal splendor.
Rework a display you’ve enjoyed during the previous season with a simple addition to and subtraction of.
Red and yellow tropical Proteas as a stand alone or complementing accent add seasonal color, and look absolutely smashing with a bouquet of foliage.
When creating a fall –autumn inspired arrangement, I like to let the flora fall where they may.
Frankly, it plays up the natural aspect of the season which advances the uncomplicated yet beautiful effect you’re going for.
The thrill is in the hunt, and hunt I’ve done over the last two weeks for new and vintage items for fall decorating.
I can’t wait to share with you the fantastic piece I bought off eBay over the weekend.
Staying close to home and heart with home decor accessories selections in a vintage and antique theme comes naturally to my tastes.
I like to add a splash of brandy to a hearty fall into winter soup.
When we set a fall themed tablescape, I turn a vintage gravy boat into a brandy boat, and the dining crowd goes wild over the presentation.
Fall feasts reminds me of a neighbor friend who is known for a strict and steadfast entertaining rule she swears by.
The Pioneer Woman Timeless Beauty Mint Green Cake Stand with Glass Cover
She is of the belief it is in poor taste and the epitome of bad entertaining manners to have an empty cake stand or cake plate set out on the buffet or sideboard when having guests over.
Far be it from me to argue with that particular entertaining principle, so allow me to play the fall baking fairy furnishing y’all with my apple nut cake recipe complete with sprinkles of cinnadust.
This classic recipe is a c’est si bon fall favorite, and is cake stand or plate worthy.
Apple Nut Cake
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup applesauce
3 cups fresh apples, peeled and sliced
Icing
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
Directions
Peel and slice apples. Add brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves and lemon juice to apples coating well; set aside. Mix together sugar and oil. Add the eggs and beat until creamy. Add vanilla. Combine salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour together.
Introduce dry ingredients in small amounts to sugar and oil mixture. Next, add apples, applesauce and chopped pecans and mix by hand.
Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan in 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
For the icing:
In a medium saucepan bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly. Boil for one minute continuing to stir or whisk constantly.
Remove from heat and add vanilla. Add powdered sugar and stir or whisk until smooth and continue until it begins to thicken slightly. Immediately drizzle over cooled cake. Top with walnuts or pecans.
As a tasty bonus, I’m adding my recipe for Great Northern Bean and Chicken Soup as a culinary accompaniment to the antique white pumpkin soup tureen on my Gotta Have It list.
Great Northern Bean and Chicken Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans Great Northern beans
1½ cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 32 ounce box chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 cups water
Directions
Melt the butter in dutch oven (or just toss the butter in with the veggies like I do). Add the sliced carrots, chopped celery and chopped onion. Sauté until onions become translucent.
Add shredded chicken, beans, bay leaf, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate all the flavor goodness together. Add water, bouillon cube and chicken broth bringing to a boil.
Once a good bubbling boil is reached, reduce heat to low and allow soup to simmer for 45-60 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and serve with crackers or cheesy cornbread.
Spicy sea salt and black pepper crackers add a touch of the all important c’est si bon.
While we’re on the subject of crackers, fall, cozy, snacks, and seasonal goodness, let’s pumpkin cheese ball this fall recipes thing up.
Better Homes & Gardens – Photo by Jacob Fox
Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Ingredients
2 8 ounces pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
¾ cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Assorted crackers
Directions
Combine cream cheese, 1¼ cups cheddar cheese, the pumpkin, butter, sage, paprika, garlic powder, and ¼ tsp. each salt and black pepper. Beat with a mixer on medium until fluffy.
Chill, covered, 4 to 24 hours.
Wrap in plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Unwrap; roll ball in remaining ¾ cup cheddar. Serve with crackers.
Serves 24.
To shape into a pumpkin:
After rolling the cheese ball in the remaining cheddar cheese, rewrap the ball in plastic wrap. Place a few rubber bands vertically around the cheese ball to form ridges. Chill 30 minutes.
Is there a hint of fall in your part of the world?
Embrace the beauty and the taste of fall and give it a welcome home, old friend shout out from me.
The intention of this touches and hints of fall at home preview is to bring about that cozy-colorful-bountiful-nature inspired-pumpkin spiced-apple appealing feeling of fall at home.
Those of us who absolutely love the fall-autumn season revel in the fall at home preview planning and prepping.
Better Homes & Gardens – Photo by Werner Straube
Seasonal decor pretties.
Rich warm colors and hues on parade.
Crisp days into evening.
Pumpkin everything.
Cozy times.
Actual signs of fall may not be obvious in your neck of the woods (or skipped you all together i.e. 101°F in Denver one day, 33°F the next), but the excitement of a fall-autumn arrival is building.
Fall at home preview posts on the pages of food and shelter magazines, recipe and home decor blogs, and the social media platforms of choice confirm the anticipation.
“Fall has always been my favorite season.
The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
—Lauren DeStefano
They say good things come to those who wait.
On that logic I liken fall’s tease and eventual arrival to the pot of harvest gold at the end of summer’s scorching rainbow.
A sure sign the beauty of fall is upon us.
Ella Claire & Co. gifts this lovely free printable vintage landscape for fall framing and decorating.
Sending a big thank you to creative friends and blogs bearing gifts.
I have a bronze gold frame picked out to frame the print in, and am leaning toward placing it on a small decorative easel.
Click on the link to visit this wonderful blog and print your copy- Ella Clair & Co.
Natural touches such as seasonal foliage picked from your yard or garden and housed in rustic crocks, vintage silver pieces, or basic glass jars bring the beauty of fall to a tabletop or vignette near you.
Inspiration, imagination, creativity, and a keen eye are responsible for many a stunning decorative display.
Antique Large German Brown Glazed Stoneware Pottery Double Handle Crock
As one who always includes setting and staying within budget when selecting, suggesting, and sourcing home decor accents and accessories for clients as well as myself, I love the endless possibilities afforded by decorating with items found at home, in nature (the best arts & crafts store going!), farmers markets, and the flower and produce departments of local grocery stores.
Better Homes & Gardens – Photo by John Granen
“Autumn is the season to find contentment at home
by paying attention to what we already have.”
—Unknown
There’s no need to spend an exorbitant amount of money in order to achieve a striking result.
Fall Harvest Wooden Decorative Bowl
An arrangement of fresh seasonal fruits placed in a wooden bowl or on a plate or platter sets a simple yet elegant display.
I’m convinced the five senses dance a delightful waltz to an autumnal melody.
Layers of warm and cozy linens wrapped in your favorite fall color, texture, pattern, and scent invite a fall into comfort feeling.
Functionality has never looked, felt or smelled so inviting.
Fall Scented Linen Spray
Ingredients
½ cup water
½ cup vodka
8-10 drops fall scented essential oil(s)
Directions
Mix water and vodka together in a clean spray bottle.
Add essential oil or combination of oils to mixture, swirling to blend.
Essential oil scents and combinations to consider:
Sweet orange, clove bud and cinnamon bark.
Pumpkin pie.
Brown sugar, apple pie and nutmeg.
Wood spice.
Sweet tangerine.
Cedarwood.
When apples and cinnamon enter the mix or the mixing bowl, the scent and the taste of fall follows.
This brown wood plate offers the look of wood with the ease of melamine.
Design details include a realistic faux wood grain pattern paired with the extra bonus of being safe for food use.
Southerners take fall any way we can get it since we really don’t get much of it in the first place.
D Magazine – Photography by Nathan Schroder
It’s a fact of life in Louisiana when the temps fall below 70°F you can hear the collective clang of gumbo pots making their way from cupboard to stove top in true c’est si bon fashion.
When fall rolls around you can find me spending most late afternoons into evening sitting on the porch taking it all in.
I love spending time in the kitchen developing fall recipes, but you can’t be in two places at once.
Playing to that logic, simple seasonal dishes such as mustard greens and buttermilk cornbread top the dinner menu on crisp fall nights.
Dave the Builder’s mother held firm the taste of a Louisiana sweet potato is not at its flavor zenith until after the first frost.
The first frost of fall is a ways off yet, however, we cook, bake, and candied sweet potatoes on.
Isn’t it funny how you assign a season to particular foods and flavors?
Gumbo.
Cinnamon roll candied yams.
Pecan pie made with Louisiana pecans and pure cane syrup.
Apple nut cake.
We’ll cook it, bake it, and eat it any time of year, but it taste so much better in the fall.
Fall ushers in thoughts of DIY projects for door, porch, mantel, and seal.
Shine a light on fall with these DIY Pumpkin Lanterns from designlovefest.
When the Canadian snowbird was in school, yours truly pulled room mother duty every year kindergarten-8th grade.
Loved it!
Bloom Room Autumn Fall Harvest Teasel Bouquet
I was in my element decorating for the teachers appreciation gala, fall festival and Halloween carnival extravaganza.
Included in my bag of decorating tricks was the idea of using faux fall flower bouquets for everything from tabletop decorations to gift favors.
Wrapping each bouquet in inexpensive craft or tissue paper tied with ribbon and raffia in assorted seasonal colors and textures took the presentation from faux to fabulous.
For extra fall scented goodness tuck a couple of cinnamon sticks in with the bouquet.
It’s all in the details.
Embellishing an inexpensive throw pillow(s) rich in fall color with decorative trim(s) creates a custom decor piece.
I saw this idea of draping faux fur throws over the back of dining chairs in a fall decorating feature in Elle Decor, and quickly filed it under F for faux fur for fall at home preview.
A seasonal accent here and a seasonal accessory there layers house and home with touches and hints of the season.
Add a decorative throw or pillow to an existing piece and you instantly create a seasonal update though color, texture, and/or pattern.
‘Tis the season for feathering one’s nest with touches and hints of the season through decor additions and updates inspired by the best features of the season.
This week finds me tuned into fall decorating inspiration 2018.
Warming home and hearth with seasonal updates for fall in this the season of cozy colors, textures, and patterns appeals to my penchant for gifting the home, eye and heart with the much anticipated unveiling of the best the third season has to offer.
Transitioning the spaces and places in your home to mark summer’s exit and fall’s arrival is easily achieved through welcoming rich warm colors and engaging layers to create and convey a cozy mix.
Let’s take a look at what’s in home motivated by fall decorating inspiration 2018.
Domino – Photography by Carter Berg
Curling up with a good book in a cozy spot is always in season, especially on a crisp fall afternoon or evening.
Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits
Family Circle – October 2018 Issue
The October issue of Family Circle plants a pumpkin seed of fall decorating inspiration 2018.
Nicollete Top Grain Waxed Leather Chair
A comfortable chair and a good book or magazine pairs well with a fall afternoon or evening.
The cozy reading corner essential check list includes a table lamp, swing arm lamp, floor lamp, or small reading lamp producing optimum light.
Add to that a spot table, a spot of tea, and a plush throw and you have the elements of comfort to ambiance.
Seasonal tabletop accents enhance a fall-autumn-Thanksgiving table is set to gathering together.
Vintage French Pewter Hunting Dog Wall Plate
Velvet fabric in vibrant colors will make the table runners I could not source to suit.
The needlepoint fabric in pheasant detail I wanted was just a bit too pricey for my taste- $2000.00+ too much.
One enhanced search and source session later and this P Kaufmann Game Birds Heritage Ducks Pheasants over paisley fabric is on its way to Places In The Home.
Fall tastings generate a fair amount of dirty dishes. I’m sure the sentiment of the below images echoes a majority opinion.
If you’re like me, placing a positive spin on the task at hand cuts through the dread and the dirt.
Enter Mrs. Meyer’s Apple Cider scent dish soap.
This stuff is fall in a bottle.
The staying power of both scent and suds justifies the price, adding a bit of aroma therapy to an otherwise unremarkable household duty.
Autumnal bouquets in harvest tones, pumpkins, gourds, acorns, pecans, cotton bolls, persimmons, apples, pears, ornamental cabbage, pansies- nature absolutely is the best arts and crafts store.
When nature is in the house the simple yet elegant essence of fall-autumn is present and accounted for.
A touch of autumn through new to me art, accessories, scents and taste.
Pastels pair beautifully with deep rich tones of copper, mahogany, and ebony creating seasonal color contrast for fall through winter decorating.
A mix of traditional and modern pieces creates visual interest and curated contrast.
Sadik 2 Door Accent Cabinet
Simeon Pumpkin-shaped Glass Base Table Lamp
Scents of the season~
2-Wick Candle Brown Sugar Chestnut Soy Wax Blend Candle
I can personally attest to the scentsational aroma of the Hot Buns and Apple Cinnamon Vanilla scented candles from Our Own Candle Company.
The entire house smells so delicious when I burn one of these candles.
Fall is here, and what better way to announce its arrival than to welcome style home through fall decorating inspiration 2018.
Simple enhancements in seasonal colors, textures, patterns, tastes, and scents reflect a warm feel and cozy character.
Happy first weekend of fall, y’all!
I associate autumn with checking the how many days until autumn (or fall) countdown timer every day from the first day of August until the official first day of fall.
I’ve broaden my when will fall get here consults to include the SmokyMountains.com‘s fall foliage prediction map.
Louisiana and the deep South is estimated to experience the peak color for fall on November 19.
Until the real color deal arrives, nandina leaves color my world with a hint of autumnal color.
Our sense of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch is naturally heightened by autumn’s splendor.
My East Tennessee roots run as deep as the fall foliage colors in full peak season, naturally leading me to check hotel availability in the Pigeon Forge area and the happenings at a Gatlinburg jewel, the Buckhorn Inn.
The above image is of the Transferware vegetable bowl I bought last year on one of my late October treasure hunts.
When I spotted the A Welcome Inn sign in the pattern, my mind immediately engaged in a lightening round of I associate autumn with.
I associate autumn with a Transferware vegetable bowl placed upon the Thanksgiving table.
A framed print of Grace by Eric Enstrom hung on wall of my grandparent’s dining room and never fails to take me home.
Thanksgiving holidays spent in East Tennessee at my paternal grandparents house included aunts, uncles, and cousins from Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, and surrounding Tennessee towns gathered together in Fountain City to break cornbread together.
We lovingly referred to it as hillbilly old home week.
I associate autumn, East Tennessee and family with crisp colorful fall afternoons spent in the Smoky Mountains and special times at the Buckhorn Inn.
Fallen Leaves
I associate autumn with natural beauty.
I associate autumn with robust colors of amber, magenta, crimson, tobacco, sage, aubergine, arugula, marigold, brick, moss, forest, caramel, and paprika.
I associate autumn with trees of ginkgo, maple, apple, persimmon and magnolia.
I associate autumn with sitting on the front porch with a cup of hot chocolate in hand listening to the sounds of the local high school bands.
I associate autumn with delicious seasonal dishes, sweets, and warm beverages.
I associate autumn with scents of cinnamon, pumpkin, amber, fig, spice and cedar wood.
I associate autumn with the warmth of fabrics woven and woolen.
I associate autumn with cozy spaces, simple pleasures, and the warmth of an inviting home.
What do you associate autumn with?
I admit to checking the fall countdown clock several times this afternoon. An obvious love of the fall/autumn season drives my thoughts, naturally inspiring me to get with the decorating in full fall colors flaunt program.
This collage features scenes of seasonal interest, inspiration for future fall themed blog posts, color, pattern and texture of the season, and a late fall/early winter photo of the newlywed couple.
I can’t wait to share the photos from their wedding.
Gorgeous.
Gorgeous.
Gorgeous!
Spoken, or as in this case typed, like the proud mother of the groom.
Fall’s traditional color palette is unequivocally breathtaking, but when married with shades of blues and jaw-dropping antiques the result is exceptional.
Obsessed best describes my fall fascination with the portrait of William I, Prince of Orange.
Fall colors flaunt divine.
William I, Prince of Orange
Pottery Barn
Ralph Lauren Home
Friday, September 22 at 3:02 pm marks the fall starts spot.
The clock is ticking and the fall colors flaunt excitement is building.
I love the traditional season’s greeting, and it seems a most befitting introduction to these Christmas images in seasonal splendor post.
Andy Williams serenades “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” as I live and holiday, and by gosh, by golly, it most certainly is.
The sight and sound of traditional holiday colors, songs, decorations and displays delight, and these images of Christmas rich in traditional trimmings are a few of my favorite things.
As the holiday pace picks up, I remind myself it will come and go like the blink of an eye.
I make sure to fill the house with Christmas music, the slow cooker with scents of the season, and Dave the Builder’s Christmas cookie jar full of whatever cake mix cookie combination I come up with this week.
Most of all, I am making sure not to lose sight of the true beauty of and reason for the season.
That definitely brings to mind and eye images of Christmas in seasonal splendor.
This holiday show and tell is a small sights of the season sampling of featured images of Christmas finery gifting gorgeous oohs and aahs.
Enjoy!
There’s no place like home for the holidays.
Stunning!
Style at Home for the Holidays
Conversation Cards
Simply elegant.
Nature by design is the consummate example of simple yet elegant beauty- what fall means to me.
Seasonal decorating need not be an exercise in expense or exhaustion.
Rather your seasonal and soon to be holiday decorating involves pulling out all the stops or spot accents here and there, the idea is to invite the season into your home through a visual essay that expresses what fall means to me.
Still moving at a slowed post surgical procedure pace means I’m mostly guiding the what fall means to me decorating tour of late.
Dave the Builder and my mother are happy to handle the fetch and feather duties.
Thank goodness I like to sit and study a space beyond tape measures and fan decks.
Looking at the world through design and decorating colored glasses promotes a gorgeous result.
“An empty room is a story waiting to happen, and you are the author.” Unknown
Readers of Places In The Home know music beats in the heart and soul of this house.
Music keeps me company in the creative process, and a verse or chorus strikes a note of I’ll groove to that inspiration.
The chorus of singer, pianist, composer, producer and engineer Carol Duboc’s latest tune, Open the Curtains, mirrors my personal decorating style philosophy.
A punch of personality is as influential to the collective look as the pop of color and the decorative oomph.
What fall means to me is obvious in the gorgeous bouquet of white hydrangeas from my mother and the fall is in the house display Dave the Builder picked up at Kroger.
“Nature is not a place to visit.
It is home.”
– Gary Snyder
Cabbage resting in a mixing bowl staged along side a pie pumpkin gives a simple and fresh nod to fall.
Nature-inspired simple elegance.
I know exactly what fall means to me.
Copyright © 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Places In The Home
