September 8, 2009

• Decorating for Fall

  It may not be fall when I consider the hot weather. 

  It may not be fall when I look at the green lawns and trees. 

  And, it may not be fall considering my children spent the past few days in the pool and in their bathing suits, jumping on the backyard trampoline.

  But . . .

  I'm ready for fall, just the same. 

  I consulted the calendar and was pleased to find fall's arrival is officially only a couple of weeks from today. 

  I'm ready!

  ===================

  I got out my fall silk flowers and leaves and set about changing the temperature of the house INSIDE.  Well, not the temperature, but the "feeling" of the temperature!  LOL!

  I started by redoing the foyer's marble chest top.
     
  LOL!!!  My cats have a way of butting into every picture!  I DID change the flowers in the vase from purple irises & green ivy to dried flowers & grasses.  But, I did NOT decorate the marble chest with cats!

        
  This looks like my front flower bed!!  Finally, the dead flowers are in season.  I knew if I waited long enough . . .

  To the "dead flower" look, I added my fall bear.
            
  Technically, this little bear is probably meant to be used at Thanksgiving.  But, if anyone can stretch a season and make a decorating theme last longer than anyone else . . . . I can do it! 

  In mid-October, I will bring out more gourds and pumpkins along with orange, brown, and red leaves.  For now - it's dead flowers and my "fall" bear!

  ==================

  I wasn't ready to cast away my white flower arrangement that I made for the dining room table, this summer.  I have some deep purple flowers that I will use later.  For now, it's the white flowers in the square vase.  BUT, to make it look more like fall, I used dried grape vines with purple, olive green, and russet leaves.  The purple leaves look good against the accent wall in the dining room - a dark eggplant purple.  I added a few pillar candles. 

  I've had all of these things (the silk flowers and leaves, candles, and bear) for more than 5 years.  I always store them carefully so I don't have to spend more money each year.
    This grapevine used to be a six foot long strand of twisted twigs, vines, and leaves.  I cut these small pieces from the orginal vine to wrap them around the base of the candles, etc.

  ================

  Slowly, as money allows, I'm making small touches in the den to change it from gold and barn door red, to more accents with black and chocolate brown.  We have two lamps made of black metal (Wal-Mart).  A round end table has a dark wood base and dark metal scroll work under the glass top.  I've bought a few things for the fireplace mantle and I've been slowly collecting Wal-Mart's cheapest pillows in black and chocolate brown.  It's beginning to shape up.
    
  I found a bouquet of burnt red roses (from about 15 years ago!!!) that blend with the den's red walls.  I added those to the mantle, along with the same kind of candles on the dining room table.

  And here is my pillow find from Wal-Mart.
                           
  The wall isn't as BRIGHT RED as it looks, and only two walls are red.  I still want to paint the smaller walls (that are probably the original color from 1990 - a cream mixed with soot from our fireplace!!!) a pale gold.  For now, this is it!!!

  =================

  Jesse called me from Lowe's yesterday.  They were having a sale on their washers and dryers AND there was no finance charge, interest, or payments for 12 months.  That's the only way we charge things - when we can pay them off gradually and it only will cost the price of what we purchased.  We had a second set (washer and dryer) in the garage that he had picked up for really cheap.  Good thing.  While JoAnn was here, our dryer quit drying and the washer has sounded and looked bad for a year.  Our dryer is probably 8-9 years old and the washer is 5 years old.  Considering I use both every day of the week, doing at least 3 loads a day, I'd say we've gotten our money's worth!  The sets at Lowe's (we also looked online at Home Depot) were sure tempting.  But, we had no peace about spending that kind of money right now.

  Good thing we didn't.

  To help usher in the fall feel in our house, I mixed up a batch of bran muffins this morning.  I was preheating the oven and opened the door to check the thermostat (the accuracy of the oven and pre-heat beeper) quit working 2 years ago.  The oven was stone cold.  OH, NOOOOOO!!!!!!  The oven did the same thing 3 months after we bought it.  It was still under warranty and the repairman told us the part was expensive (good thing we had a warranty) and the stove wasn't meant to last long.  They WANT you to keep buying new appliances.

  So much for the muffins.  I don't know my neighbors well enough to ask if they'd mind baking them for me!!!!!  Looks like we will be shopping for something other than a washer and dryer, if the stove can't be repaired or can't be repaired cheaply.  The second dryer we are using is throwing occasional oil on our clothes.  So far it's only been on my underwear and Jesse's work shirts.  If the dryer isn't replaced soon, I'll be sure to drip dry (on hangers)  the girls and my solid color dresses!  We still have that second washing machine in the garage if the one I'm using quits.

  Speaking of the kitchen and appliances . . .

                                         
  My kitchen table is also ready for fall.  I need a few more rocks in the bottom of this vase and it will be done.

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 12:04 pm
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