Don't Forget The Baskets!

Fall decor can look just as lovely in a traditional fashion as a not so traditional look.

 I like to give a little twist to my pumpkins, gourds and mums on the back porch by adding a couple of colorful baskts.

 Baskets from our local veggie market (Ikenberrys) come in enough colors to boggle your mind when it comes to making a choice of just one or two.

 I'd love having half a dozen or so, but the prices of these baskets limited me, only because I didn't want them to cut into my decorating budget too deeply.

 I've already used them for transporting baked goods and a bottle of wine to the neighbors' grilled ham dinner a couple of weeks ago, and we have another dinner to attend next week where these gorgeous creations will see a usefulness once again.

 I love their misshapen look, but here's the thing. if you want that 'perfect look' in a basket, all you have to do is dampen them and bend them to the shape that suits you better.

 Put some pretty fall Indian corn it it!

 Set your bright potted yellow mums in it!

 Baskets ALWAYS have multiple uses, so spend the money and get some super nice ones that will last a long time.

 And if you are wondering where all of my pretty seasonal pillows are that I usually have on the porch, well, it's sort of a damp day, ready to rain any minute, so they are stacked inside the door on the table.  LOL  They will be coming back to their home on the porch as soon as the sun shines.  We eat at the kitchen island, so their temporary place on the table is not an issue.

Happy fall, ya'll.  Now go get creative with your baskets!

The Little Trucks That Could

 Hello little red truck 'o mine!

 Last year I purchased a red metal truck from Target for the Christmas season decor in our home, and I was VERY happy with it and still love it, so will be re-using it this year.

 The tires each has the red and white Target bulleseye, and it also has a Christmas tree tucked in the bed of the truck.

 This year I decided to add to my hopefully one day FLEET Of red trucks

 I found a really cute metal truck on Etsy and it fit the bill of what I was looking for.

 It came with a simple small piece of burlap in the back,but if you don't like burlap, then leave it out, or use something you prefer to line the bed.

 This was a very small touch, but goes nicely with the pumpkins I planned to load into the bed for a fall look.  That's the nice thing about these trucks.... they are pretty much da bomb in decor for all of the autumn season right up through Christmas, just by changing what you haul in the bed.

 This truck also has a cute touch of a spare tire mounted on the side,. something I don't believe the truck from Target has.

 I had the small pumpkin filler and also acorn filler (from Pottery Barn a few years ago), and I've used this filler over and over again, in various containers over the years.

Here is a link to the post I did last year showing the red truck from Target which I believe sold out quickly.... this one will too.

I purchased it from Sunday Treasures on Etsy, but there may be others selling it as well.

Hope you are having fun with your fall decor too!

Velvet Pumpkins and Other Fall Decor

 Decorating our home for any change in the season is always a week or two long process for me.

This year I started out with some of the items you see above, which I had from last year at this time, and I then added to it until my eye said, "hey... that's not so bad looking".

I had purchased the fall stems in the tall green vast last year at Pier One, and considering what I spent on them I simply was NOT going to replace them.  If stems are stored well, like in a LARGE lidded Rubbermaid container, they can certainly be used from year to year imho.

So the mantle was looking a bit bland, but I'll get back to that later.

 Earlier this year I purchase the above candle lamp at Yankee Candle store, and it works well for a summer as well as an autumn decor.  The plate under the candle can be found at Pier One, providing it is not sold out.  It's very pretty with pumpkins on it in nearly pastel colors.  The silk leaves branch is also from Pier One, and I simply wrapped it around the lamp bring more of a fall look to the lamp. 

 

Since the mantle was looking a bit 'weak', I purchased a three some of Indian corn from the grocery store and lay them in front of my velvet pumpkins which I found at the A.C. Moore arts and crafts store.

I had seen some velvet pumpkins on line for an arm and a leg, but these were marked down 40%, so I purchased four of them.

Here is a better view of the mantle as it is now.... our wedding anniversary was on the 21st, so the fall decor is sharing it's space with them for a few days as we enjoy the cards.

 These are the other two velvet pumpkins I purchased, and they are on the table in the front entryway.

I really would have liked having more of the green and orange ones, but sometimes you take what you can get.

 The cloth, chevron design pumpkin is from last year, possibly from Target.  They were cheap!

 These bright colored sunflowers in orange and red are from Pier One.  I purchase four bunches of four to fill out the large vase.  AND, the sunflower canvas print is also a Pier One purchase.  I am in total LOVE with it and may keep it hanging there two or three seasons of the year.  That wall above the blue cabinet is the wall where I usually change on piece of art to match the current season.  Need something for the upcoming winter, so I'd better start planning for that too!

Now, back to that Yankee Candle lamp arrangement on the kitchen dinette table.  Remember I mentioned that plate under it was glass with sort of pastel colored pumpkins on it?  Well, we wanted to use that plate for a coconut cream layer cake which meant I needed something else to place beneath the candle lamp.

  

 So..... when I saw this pretty wooden thankful charger I needed it right away!

Another Pier One purchase..

I know this is starting to sound like a Pier One commercial, but when it comes to decorating they many times have just the item I need or envision.  

*I do not work for or receive anything from Pier One for showing their products*

 

 Thank goodness for the cute fresh gourds at the grocery store which perfectly rounded out my centerpiece.

 

 

 This dough bowl filled with large pieces of bowl filler sits at the opposite end of the entryway table.... the velvet pumpkins at the other end.

 The mantle lit up during the evening hours.

 A few photos of the blue cabinet with my sunflower painting, the sunflowers in a vase, a ceramic flying pig (from Walmart), a red candle pillar at yellow candle, and of course what would fall be without a big old healthy turkey (from last year).

That's it for my fall decor this year which may or may not be tweaked in the days ahead.

Hope your autumn is sweet and that your leaves are beginning to turn as ours are.  

They are not yet ready to be photographed, but I'll share with you if and when they are.

Happy FALL!!