October Fun in the Cookbook Cupboard

Can you even believe it's the end of October, friends?...

 It's finally feeling like Fall around here.

I'm fortunate to have several fun spots to decorate seasonally throughout this house. The hearth room, which is right next to the kitchen in this open concept area, gives me enough space to have a dedicated spot to display my cookbooks and some fun vintage kitchen related decor. 

Creating A Potting Bench with Reclaimed Wood

Hi Friends, welcome to the October edition of the Lifestyle of Love blog gathering where a few of us share our love for decorating with vintage items. This month our topic is using and decorating with items created with reclaimed wood. Our blogging bud Cindy from County Road 407 is our host and creator of this fun get together. If you're coming from Lora's Blog, Create and Ponder, thanks so much for continuing the Hop!

Autumn Greetings from the Front Porch

Decorating the front porch for Fall has been a work in progress this last month since we were gone for a week. It started in early September with a change up for the pillows on the metal depot bench. By the end of summer the porch and flowers start looking a bit tired and in need of a pick-me-up. I like keeping a lighter look in September because the temps are still really warm, but I'll add a few darker colors as it gets further into October.

Fall Carts and Wagons and a Porch Peek

Hi Friends and Happy Weekend!

I've been decorating the front porch for Fall this week and was contemplating bringing out one of the goat carts to "fallify". I love using it as a focal point in Fall decorating. My hubby took me to buy a few pumpkins and mums at my favorite pumpkin barn; just a few... because we have hoodlum squirrels here and nothing is safe. Here are a few pics of the progress on the porch with most everything sprayed with peppermint concentrate. We live on a street with a lot of school traffic, so I guess I'll not try to put anything out here that I can't live without. So I'll share some Pinterest cart and wagon inspiration instead. Maybe I'll just put together a fun look out on the back porch.

Vintage Laundry Basket for a Fall Centerpiece

The Fall Season brings out the creative vibes for me more than any other season. Here's a centerpiece I put together last Fall on the farmtable in the Garden Room. I knew I wanted to try something different on the farm table for early Fall for a centerpiece. I usually have my big wooden vintage ice cream bucket filled with faux florals, and I love it... just wanted something a bit different. When I find something that works well in a space I sometimes get a little lazy and do the minimum. But after my vintage shopping trip a while back I had some new inspiration and ideas to try.

Cozying Up the Back Porch for Fall

November is here and it's time to bring out the warm snuggly blankets, long underwear, and cups of yummy hot cider. My wish for cooler, sweater weather has arrived and plunked itself down right here in Southern Missouri. It seems like each year the summers get longer, but then poof... overnight we plunge from the upper 80's into the 50's with an overnight jet stream.

Late Fall Mantel with Woodland Friends

I did a little tweaking in the Hearth Room for late Fall by bringing out my two Fall Friends to hang out on the mantel. My chippy concrete owl and the old squirrel bank took their spot of honor. Our weather has finally changed to the cooler temps that should come with the last week of October, so some darker and heavier textiles will be feeling at home in here.

October Entry with the Snow Owls

Last week I shared a sweet little DIY on my Glitter Snow Owls that I made about 9 years ago, and use each year this last bit in October and early November. Fall is the perfect time for "owling" and I've been intrigued with them and vintage illustrations for years. I remember as a child living in the country, the unmistakable "hoots" before I fell asleep at night. And yes, they're a tad bit spooky so that fits in with this time of year.

Fall Cottage Front Porch

It's taken me a minute to get things rounded up for the Fall Front Porch this year. Every project takes me three times as long since the back surgery. I'm on track with recovery, it's just a lengthy recovery and I can't move too fast or work too long. I started with a few mums which replaced the sad moth-eaten impatiens that we planted in the vintage concrete pots on either side of the steps. Then I added a few pumpkins, but before I even finished up the first stage of fall the squirrels had started eating them.

Welcome to October

Hello Friends and Happy October!

It's always been one of my "favoritest" times of the year.

No birthdays or special occasions.

(whoops, well yes, my husband proposed in October)

I just love the crisp, colorful changes that happen in this month.

Fall Centerpiece Basket with Pumpkins

I knew I wanted to try something different on the farm table this early Fall for a centerpiece. I usually have my big wooden vintage ice cream bucket filled with faux florals, and I love it... just wanted something a bit different. When I find something that works well in a space I sometimes get a little lazy and do the minimum. But after my vintage shopping trip a while back I had some new inspiration and ideas to try.

Pumpkin Palooza at All About Home #109

Hello friends and Welcome to the All About Home Link Party!

I think most of us are now ready for Fall, but the weather hasn't been cooperating, at least here in the lower Midwest. We're still dealing with 90's and no rain. A little heat doesn't deter those of us that Love Fall, though. We have our mums and pumpkins and we're going for it! Thank you for taking the time to come by and share what you're up to this week. We always look forward to seeing all the great DIYs, decor, crafts, gardening, and recipes that you are all creating. 

Backyard Naturals Bouquet

One of the reasons I love Fall so very much is the change in the coloring of leaves, flowers, and shrubbery. Where Spring is full of greens and lovely pastel shades of flowers and buds, Fall can be just as amazing visually with all the glorious brilliant color. 

Fall Vignette on the Farmtable

I wanted to have a little fun this week with one of my vintage birdcages and a sassy little blackbird that I've had for a few years. He didn't fare very well during the move, as his cute little paper hat became unattached. I did the easy thing and used some transparent tape to get it back on. Don't look too close. He's almost good as new.

Fall Front Porch and Landscape Beginnings

With temperatures in the 80's and 90's till a week ago, it's taken me a bit to get my front porch decorated for Fall. I didn't go all out this season because I knew that we would be starting our landscape work here in October... and then last weekend we had a killing frost that took out my flowers out back. Thankfully I went ahead and covered the mums out here, not really thinking it would get that cold.

Wagons and Wheelbarrows for Fall

Hi Friends and Happy Weekend!

I've been working on my front porch today getting it ready for Fall, and I really really wanted to bring out one of the goat carts for display, but I have hesitations because we live on a street with lots of school traffic. I've had things disappear from front porches before, so I thought I'd share a couple of peeks of what I'm doing on the porch, then share some pics from some of my previous cart and wagon fall

 displays.

Rustic French Fall Decor

I'm in the middle of messy packing mode, but I'm still looking for Fall Inspiration. Nothing over-the-top, but some subtle color changes and natural vignettes. I thought I'd share some classic French Country Autumn seasonal decor with you today from previous Septembers. I like to look back through the archives and see what I was doing "this time of year" from years ago. 

Layering Table Linens for a Thanksgiving Vignette

November is here; what I call, "Late Fall" and time to bring in some of the deeper colors and textures in decorating. It's hard to get into Fall when the temps are in the 80's, but now that it's cooler and we're past Halloween, Thanksgiving will be coming up before we know it.

Little Black Cat

Happy Last Weekend of October, Friends! I've been meaning to do this for awhile and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce you to our newest member of the family. We've had her for a few months, but she had to have surgery (for a tumor on her leg) and then she was a little embarrassed about her looks because of it. So I'm just now getting around to introductions.

Dressing up a Metal Basket for Thanksgiving

When you are in the biz of having a space at a Vintage or Flea Market it's just inevitable that you will end up with a few pieces that are a big head scratcher. Why did I spend real money on this? (even if it's just a few dollars) Will anyone else see any potential for this item? Do I just chuck it, or hang on to it until inspiration grabs me by the collar and forces me to make a little effort?