Fall is officially only four days away, so now is the time to think about some quick and easy fall decorating. If you wait until October, Christmas decor will be everywhere. Sad, but true.
I know the Midwest and North recently had a cold snap, but frankly, it has been as hot as hell here in the South! And it’s hard to get in the mood for pumpkins when you are stripping down to a tank top by mid afternoon everyday. Now, we hesitate to complain, because we are both from the midwest and we know in the South, autumns are much longer than in the North. About the time we are donning a light jacket, some will be shoveling snow. Ouch.
Last year, Jeanne had a girl’s soccer party at her house around this time. Needless to say, with the food prep, house cleaning and dust ball removal in order to prepare for the event, not much thought was given to fall decor. So, I offered to help, although the party was a mere 6 hours away.
While Jeanne was at the soccer game prior to the party, I headed out to a local farmer’s market and got everything I needed in about 30 minutes. No time to dilly dally, I had to do a one stop shop.
I decided to think natural with her fall decor. There are so many great colors and textures to work within autumn. With colorful mums, pumpkins and other natural elements, it should be pretty easy to create a warm and inviting environment. And no better place to find everything I needed than the farmer’s market.
Pardon this picture of the supplies we purchased. It was taken with an iPhone 4 and the lighting is horrific…even to novice photographers like us! But, you get the idea.
So, after getting the supplies, we had about 2 hours to finish the job. No time for normal sidetracked activities.
I focused on food for Jeanne’s great hutch….partly because I was hungry and partly because I thought, what a great idea to use fall food to decorate! No waste, you can eat it when you’re done! Maybe she would even make me some shrimp and grits for my efforts.
So I purchased some old fashioned butterscotch candy sticks and placed them in her antique jar. Added some cider, grits, rice and pickled okra. Then, some little pumpkins and a baby hay bail completed the look. It was enough to make me want to go on a hay rack ride.
For her kitchen table, I added some baby gourds to her already existing bread basket. I bought a baby rosemary plant for a small planter and found this awesome colored pumpkin! Or maybe it’s a squash….but I’m not getting technical here.
Completed hutch and kitchen table with fall decor.
For the mantle, I kept it simple. Jeanne already has a great driftwood mirror above her fireplace for a focal point, so I just put a few pumpkins.
Above her kitchen office desk, I added a ceramic pumpkin and put a battery operated candle in it. (for those of us who forget to blow out our candles, these are a must!)
Time was running out quickly, so I had to move outside to front porch. The front porch is key, because it is the first impression your guests have of your home!
Dead flowers in pots are probably not the way to go–believe me, I’ve been there, more than once. If we all look deep in our souls, I bet you all know what I’m talking about. I’m okay, you’re okay. Perfection is not the goal.
For the front door, I took an already existing basket and stuffed a little mum, moss, some twigs and corn. Voila, in 5 minutes, an autumn front door.
The porch got a mum and two pumpkins of different variety. (I did stick the mum deeper in the pot, I swear! But, I was really getting short on time:))
I finished with 30 minutes to spare. Not sure all the decor was appreciated by the soccer girls, but it forced us to focus. So, next time she entertained, it was already done!
This year my house gets done first. Stay tuned.
Would love to hear from you what you’re own tips are for fall decorating. Please share with us!
hogs and kisses,
Kim