Inspiration is everywhere as proven in this eye catching photo.
Accent and accessories used in expected ways and in unexpected placement have the ability to impress and add charm to the spaces and places in and around the home.
Autumn Harvest Rice hits the spot when you’ve got a craving for a delicious hearty and cozy.
In my experiences with bouquets picked out and picked up in the grocery store floral department reduced for quick sale buckets, a next level look is super easy to obtain by simply tucking in stems, cuttings, and seasonal greenery from my at home lawn and garden department (the yard/garden).
Adding to never seems to take away from the finished result.
Late fall hydrangea blooms thrive until the arrival of the first frost.
Homey for the holidays or cozy fashioned in fall, creating a cozy ambiance will tick all the boxes of seasonal decorating success while leaving warm cozy impressions.
October observations run the gamut from events to design to decor and just about everything else fallapalooza in-between.
Halloween is definitely October happening numero uno. Man, has this
31st of October event become a celebration powerhouse.
Anticipated Halloween spending according to the National Retail Federation is estimated to reach $10.6 billion in 2022, breaking last year’s record of $10.1 billion. Approximately 68% of consumers plan to participate in some sort of Halloween celebration, up from 65% last year, 58% in 2020 and 69% in 2019.
Artist Carlos Amorales exhibition at Salone del Mobile Milano,“The Accursed Hour,” is as striking as it is haunting. Copy the look by covering walls and ceilings with swarms of paper butterflies stickers found on Amazon or Etsy.
Fall fixer up time sees new wood molding atop the antique corbels on the front of the house, and a while we’re at it let’s touch up the colors paint session.
Neighbors are precious friends-friends who come to call with skill saw, molding, primer and woodworking talent to save the day.
Recipes accenting the flavors associated with homey and hearty hit the spot on chilly fall night or game day afternoon.
Crisp days are coming into view, and with that brings the retail offerings, nature’s color parade, thrills, chills, tastes and trends that round out my October observations.
Creature comforts of the season go a long way in setting a cozy scene.
Nestling in with a hot cup of cinnamon spice tea, a hint of pumpkin wood in the air, and this month’s Country Living is the best of fall.
Two darling nephews and one picturesque pumpkin patch delights little ones and this Auntie to no end.
Cooking remains my diversion of choice.
Honing in on the flavors best known to the season and putting your stamp on a recipe to make it your own is a delicious way to create a house favorite.
Apples and spices, fresh lemon and rum extract, refrigerated pie crust (easy is the name of the game) and sprinkles of sugar mix and mingle in a flavor gala befitting a recipe you’ll label a must make.
Pie crust will roll out better if allowed to be at room temperature for ten minutes. Roll pastry out onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
In a large bowl combine apple slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, allspice, nutmeg, almond extract, granulated sugar and salt.
Lightly dust center of pie crust with flour mixed with allspice and nutmeg.
Pour filling into the center of the crust.
Gently fold the border up over the edge of the apple filling.
Pleat crust with fingers to create a border design.
Brush border with egg.
Next, sprinkle border with coarse sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Tradition beckons the baking of the first Apple Nut Cake of the season.
Trying out a new recipe or whipping up one tried and true celebrates the taste of the season and dishes cozy toasty fall happenings.
On a personal note, I would like to ask my dear readers to please be patient with me as I slow the frequency of postings at this time due to devastating health news received over the last two weeks. Prayers for comfort and strength are most appreciated.
Today makes it official, friends. I am so excited to greet the season with accents and accessories, tastes and scents that welcome fall home.
One would not know today is the first day of fall by the current weather in the Deep South.
Hot and humid with temperatures rising lands us in full-on fallsummoween.
High heat and humidity zaps the feel of fall, but apples paired with pears, cloves, and cinnamon offers the taste of fall refreshment.
Fall Fruit Facts:
Did you know there are 7500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world with 1oo varieties grown commercially here in the United States.
Cinnamon (also called quills) is the perfect spice compliment to sweet and salty drinks and dishes.
Pears are members of the rose family (no, not the Rose family of Schitt’s Creek fame). Origins of the pear date back to 1000 B.C.
Autumn Apple Pear Cinnamon Water
Ingredients
6 cups water
2 Gala apples cut into thin slices
1 Granny Smith apple cut into thin slices
1 pear (I used Bartlett) cut into thin slices
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
Directions
Fill pitcher with water. Add apple and pear slices, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Give a quick stir to mix; cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.
Why stop there?
Crisp mornings, afternoons, and evenings go splendidly with a warm beverage or warming cocktail.
Simple syrup or spiced concentrate added to your favorite fall hot or cold beverages amplifies the spice which in turn brings out the flavors so closely associated with fall.
Vanilla Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat bring all ingredients to a soft boil; cooking until sugar dissolves making sure to stir the entire time.
Remove from heat and allow to completely cool. Transfer syrup to a heat safe jar or container and store in refrigerator.
Autumn Spiced Concentrate
Ingredients
2 cups water
3 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
Directions
In a medium saucepan bring water, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves to a to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Your house will smell amazing during this part of the process!
Remove from heat and allow concentrate to cool before transferring to a heat safe jar or container. Store in the refrigerator.
Seasonal touches here and neutrals there decorate the dining room.
Faux stems and bushes usually don’t tickle my fall decorating fancy, but this Japanese Maple bush from JOANN is absolutely lovely.
Never underestimate the visual impact of the simple yet elegant seasonal décor accessory.
DIY wreath project success means I like the way it turned out and find it too pretty to hang on the front door just yet, so it calls the foyer welcome fall home for now.
Don’t you love when an item you’re sure will work does just that.
Our welcome fall home 2022 wishlist is almost complete.
Vintage or in the style of vintage prints never fail to catch my eye.
Tennessee has really been on my mind and heart of late.
I purchased my first Anton Pieck print from an antiques shop in East Tennessee thirteen years ago, and last week I purchased this vintage Anton Pieck 3D Paper Art print of “The Ship” to add to the collection.
Hunting dog prints hung throughout my grandparent’s house, and the vintage porcelain figurine immediately took me back so in the cart it went.
October vibes come home to a warm welcome, seasonal updates, creature comforts, and hearth and home enchantment.
Friday officially brings October to the table, a perfect time and a perfect month as can be, autumnally speaking.
Chilly sweater weather days and crisp fall evenings will eventually make it down to Louisiana.
Fleeting as it was, we did get a fall preview last week. Colors on parade outside our dining room windows grabbed my attention inspiring me to grab the camera and snap the above photo.
Two days later the color treat was completely gone.
Nature not only showed up and showed out, it showed me the importance of enjoying every facet of the season I love while it’s here.
Cozy, comfortable, cool, and crisp amplifies the fall at home quotient.
Fall autumn days into evenings mark a prime time for a bit of personal downtime spent enjoying the creature comforts of the season we wait for all year long.
If you find the time.
When time affords.
Give yourself permission to give yourself the gift of me time. Most of us realize it’s a labor of love to nurture, comfort and cozy hearth and home, family and friends.
But what about you?
What better way to recharge the battery we run down during our busy and hectic week than with a good book, a hot beverage and a few creatures of cozy comfort.
Comfort and cozy lives on through the generations.
Although the linen closet is packed with a slew of throws and blankets to choose from, invariably I go for the crocheted afghan my grandmother had made for my mother Christmas circa 1974.
It’s a familiar and familial source of comfort; a tactile touchstone accessory perfect for a fall settle in.
Remember hot spiced tea from Tang?
Talk about bringing back precious and tasty memories.
Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers mixed up gallons of this fall into winter spiced tea, serving it up on chilly afternoons to warm the bones and set the tone.
Hot Spiced Tea
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups TANG
½ cup sugar
½ cup instant tea*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
*Or use lemon-flavored unsweetened or sugar-sweetened instant tea
Directions
Combine ingredients and store in tightly covered jar. Makes approximately 24 servings.
For 1 individual serving, place 1 teaspoon of spice tea mix in a cup, fill with boiling water and stir until dissolved.
Scents of the season floating throughout the house.
Enjoying the comfortable and warm styles of the season.
Fall is an extraordinary time of the year where we seem to embrace the places and spaces in the home a bit more than usual.
I came to realize the silver lining of time at home during the lockdown phase of virus life.
At home times seasoned, shared, and experienced in a haven of warmth and comfort, reassuring and familiar in the very best and coziest of ways, is time well spent.
October vibes come home in comfortable spaces with a fall flavored beverage of choice and a good book.
Women 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.
Early detection through a routine mammogram is one of the attributing factors in my mother’s breast cancer being caught in the early stages which contributed to her survival.
It made a believer out of me, so every October a mammogram it is.
Happy first day of fall, fellow fall loving friends! Along with the elation over fall’s arrival, the inspiration it offers, and the seasonal colors on parade fascination associated with the third season, homey seasonal decor finds in rich hues and flavorful tastes frame this picture perfect season.
The excitement surrounding the first day of fall compares to Christmas day in my book.
I’m selecting songs for a fall into autumn playlist, and the big blue gumbo pot is ready for the c’est si bon celebration of the season and its cornucopia of seasonings.
Y’all know my affinity for taking a photo and replicating it with in the style finds. Well let me just say how taken I am with this bountifully beautiful display created by event designer Keith Robinson as featured in Flower Magazine.
Wood Cake Stand – Hearth & Hand with Magnolia
I can’t locate a recipe for pecan pie from Mr. Robinson, but I use the Homemade Pecan Pie recipe from Karo Syrup, so classic it is.
Homemade Pecan Pie
Ingredients
1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-½ cups (6 ounces) pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked OR frozen deep-dish pie crust
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.
High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Cozy is easily achieved when the emphasis is placed on inviting- the main ingredient in the recipe for putting together a fall fête for a party of two or intimate gathering for friends and family.
Crisp notes in the late afternoon air, tole serving trays, cake domes, and fall themed loaf pans stirs up all the fall feels, finds, and flavors.
Apple nut cake is set for the cake stand come Wednesday, but first, whipped maple pie.
Maple is among the taste of fall favorites, and is the featured flavor in this super easy to make dessert.
Whipped Maple Pie
Ingredients
1 deep dish pie crust
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding
1½ cup cold milk
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. maple flavoring
1 container (8 oz.) thawed whipped topping
nutmeg for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove frozen pie crust from package and allow to thaw for 20 minutes.
Using a fork, prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust with to help reduce shrinkage and bubbling. To ensure the crust bakes off properly, place an empty pie pan the same size inside the crust.
Place pie crust on baking sheet and bake on lower oven rack for 12-15 minutes, allowing to cool once removed from oven.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together instant pudding and milk until firm. Add maple syrup and maple flavoring; mix well. Fold in whipped topping; mix until incorporated.
Spoon mixture into cooled pie crust. Dust top of pie with nutmeg and top with nuts.
Grab a jar, tumbler, or goblet and working in layers begin with crushed cookies (vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers- all delicious choices).
Next, add a generous tablespoon of the maple pudding mixture.
Repeat with another layer of crushed cookies and complete the dish with a final addition of the maple pudding mixture.
Top with a dollop of whipped topping, a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and walnuts or fresh Louisiana pecans.
The delicious proof is in the pudding.
Gorgeously anticipating fall’s color rich-seasonally tasty arrival on this blog post writing afternoon makes for perfect blog post writing conditions.
That and streaming The French Chef with Julia Child featuring three French favorites:
Tarte aux Pommes Classique
Tarte des Demoiselles
Tarte Tartin starring apples, cinnamon, and butter- the fall baking trinity.
Julia Child is a classic, her personality endearing, and her recipes favorites in the Places In The Home test kitchen.
Between the show, recipes, and hint of crisp in the air I’m inspired to add her Tarte aux Pommes to my must make for fall recipe file.
Tarte aux Pommes
Ingredients
10-inch partially cooked pastry shell
4 pounds cooking apples
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup apricot jam/preserves
1/3 cup Calvados, rum or cognac (or 1 tablespoon vanilla)
2/3 cup granulated sugar for topping
3 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enough to make 3 cups into 1/8-inch lengthwise slices and toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and sugar. Reserve them for the top of the tart.
Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices. You should have about 8 cups. Place in a pan and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Beat in apricot jam, Calvados, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Raise heat and boil, stirring, until applesauce is thick enough to hold in a mass in the spoon.
Spread the applesauce in the pastry shell. Cover with a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples arranged in concentric circles.
Bake in upper third of preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the apples have browned lightly and are tender. Slide the tart onto a serving dish and paint over it with a light coating of apricot glaze. Serve warm or cold with whipping cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Apricot Glaze
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Stir the strained apricot preserves and sugar over moderately high heat until thick enough to coat the spoon with a light film, and the last drops are sticky as they fall from the spoon (225-228 degrees on a candy thermometer). Do not boil past this point or the glaze will become brittle as it cools.
Apply the glaze while it is still warm. Unused glaze will keep indefinitely in a screw-top jar.
Crisp air, nature’s bounty, and a hot glue gun is all the inspiration needed to get the DIY fall decor project ideas flowing.
The little apple candle wreath that could is falls into my PhD (Project half Done) studies.
Believe me, the faux apples are not as red as they appear in the images.
They’re red alright, but not quite as bright red as seen in some of the images.
If I could get the lighting right on both space and camera, I’d be dangerous.
DIY wreath projects need not be a complicated endeavor.
Where’s the fun in that?
For this particular project I chose a Styrofoam wreath form.
Remnants leftover from the umpteen burlap bags used for everything from placemats to gift bags came together to base wrap the wreath in order to cover the Styrofoam.
Hot glue gun used for this step.
Striving for a more polished look than that of the rustic burlap bags, I wrapped the entire form with burlap ribbon purchased from Dollar Tree, pinning the ribbon with a few straight pins to secure into place.
Grab a paper or download a Michaels coupon and let the DIY fall decor project ideas savings begin.
Simple elegance comes to a door or chair frame near you by way of a bag or two of potpourri, a grapevine wreath, your favorite color, texture, and pattern ribbon, and the usual wreath making tools and glue gun to hold fall fabulous all together.
Simple instructions of hot gluing potpourri pieces to wreath and topping off the look with a bow in your choice of ribbon.
Laura of Garden Answer posted another wonderful fall wreath how-to video giving us five different options to choose from.
How fall flipping cute is the owl wreath?
Grapevine wreath.
Hydrangea.
Pine cones.
An assortment of fall leaves.
Feathers.
Small craft gourds.
Dried and/or fresh floral stems.
Seasonal blooms.
Decorative owl figure.
Laura uses echinacea, rose hips, hydrangea, clematis, sedum, vines, pine cones, autumn leaves, and a most darling owl.
Placement is ruled by where the bulk of the clippings and stems fit best without much effort in securing to wreath.
Why make things difficult?
Undone paper clips help to secure stems to the wreath.
I hot glued the pinecones and hanging pinecone acorn to the wreath with ease and great success.
Professional bow maker will never find its way onto my resume, but I can fake it till I make it with the best of them.
A trusty loop and twist method works, and pipe cleaners-stems looped around the center and twisted several times holds everything in place.
Once you decide where on the wreath the bow will go, feed the “ends” of the pipe cleaners-stems in an over and under method through a couple of the wreath twigs in that section.
Gentle pull up on the pipe cleaner-stem ends to pull the bow close to the wreath.
Secure the bow in place, twist the ends together, tuck the stems into the wreath twigs to hide, and fluff the bow.
Gold feathers tucked in visually strategic spots
As time marches on the nandina is turning a stunning golden crimson.
So fall fabulous!
DIY wreaths naturally mirror the beauty of the season.
Implementing decorative ways to house firewood, fire starters, fatwood, pine cones, newspapers, and safety matches at the ready is a sure fire way of marrying seasonal style with seasonal convenience.
Crisp fall days into chilly fall evenings into winter holidays frame a cozy and warm fireside narrative.
Settling in and warming up in front of a crackling fire sparks a fireside chat of comfort and joy.
Hit the play button to hear the sounds of crackling things to come.
The Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young classic “Our House” frames a lovely fall scene and heard.
I’ll light the fire🔥 You put the flowers in the vase that you bought today Staring at the fire for hours and hours while I listen to you Play your love songs all night long for me, only for me Come to me now and rest your head for just five minutes, everything is good Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated by the Sunshine through them, fiery gems for you, only for you Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard Life used to be so hard Now everything is easy ’cause of you And our la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
No matter how you stack it, the chilly days and nights of fall call for cozy times and decorative ideas for firewood storage.
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