Fall Decorating From September to November

When I am decorating for Fall in September, I don't like to overdo it. The weather is still warm here and it seems a long time 'till Thanksgiving, so I just do a little, a base, if you will, for what will come later.

(See Early Fall Mantel)

The mantel was pretty well set, I just added a banner.

"Bountiful"

That is how I think about God's provision for us: more than we need or can even imagine!

I also added a blue bowl full of small pumpkins, dried artichokes and pomegranates.

( Really, it's full of newspaper, topped with moss and then filled with the "pretties"!)

Behind is a grain scoop and dried corn.

Here you can see the room in full, with candles and berries added to the coffee table.

Moving into the dining room, I punched up the centerpiece.

I left the burlap table runner, but added the tall pear candlesticks.

I used an old toolbox I picked up this summer, and filled it with the usual suspects: small pumpkins, dried artichokes, dried pomegranates, acorns and berries.

It looks beautiful!

And don't forget the little details:

Rustic touches: candle holder made from wooden sap holder, berries and

 linen embroidered with "Count your blessings".

Stories about our Pilgrim founders.

 Speaking of Pilgrims: these little silver ones came from Plymouth Plantation.

This angel's sign says to "Give Thanks".

And, of course, lots of pillows

 that remind us to give thanks in all things

 with a grateful heart!

Happy Thanksgiving!

And always, lots of pillows!

Furniture Project: Turquoise Dresser

Everyone LOVES the color on this dresser!

I mixed 3 or 4 different blues and greens to get just the right shade!

I actually bought a turquoise paint that I thought would be the right color,

but it was just too bright once I got it on the dresser.

So I began mixing paints I had until I hit on what I had in mind.

Perfect!

Furniture Project: Blue and White Bamboo Dresser

Loved this little dresser right from the start!

The details make it look like bamboo.

Even the handles.

It started out white and yellow, but it was old and dingy,

so with a fresh coat of white paint and blue for the details,

it has a whole new life!

Furniture Project: Slipcovered Chair

I found this chair at a thrift shop and it has sat in my living room with various fabric pieces draped over it for almost a year. I considered slipcovering, upholstering, even painting the fabric.

I finally got around to making a decision,

and once I did, it only took a few hours to complete the project!

I decided to use another dropcloth to slipcover the chair and paint the wood white.

I wanted the pretty carved wood to show, so I made little strips to hold the pieces together.


This is the back, it's a little hard to see through the sign, but it's the only one I had.
I made sure all the pieces would fit tightly, like I do with a regular slipcover, and just sewed the strips every few inches on both sides.

Once I figured it out, it went together very quickly!

Repurposed: Fun Chalkboards from a Vintage Dresser Top

This was once the top of a dresser, circa 1980. You know, a big mirror in the center with frosted flowers decorating it, sconces on the two side pieces.

 The dresser got a nice white paint job and went on to a better place, but this sat in my garage for 2 years, totally in my way, because I just didn't know what to do with it.

I finally removed the sconces and had Husband cut it in three pieces. The mirror broke, but everything else stayed in good shape. He then added luan to the backs and I set to work:

a large chalkboard with shelf

turquoise chalkboard with cubby

navy chalkboard with cubby.

This is why I never throw anything away!

Repurposed: Old Phone Booth into Pantry Door

These are my old pantry doors, at the end of the counter on the right.

They're okay, they match the cupboards and blend in very nicely,
 but they're nothing to write home about.

So when Husband brought home three doors from an old phone booth,
I thought, why not try one of those to add some interest?

The width was perfect, like it was meant to be.
The height was a little short, so we added a board to the bottom and voila!

I chose a door that didn't have glass in it and we added some very thin plywood to make chalkboards

I painted it to match my "new" kitchen island, which I love!

A basket underneath holds trays.

After living with it a few weeks,

I decided to lighten it up with some dry-brushed white paint.
I like the lighter look!