EARLY FALL MANTLE

I'm Back...

Thank you if you've come back to this little blog after such a long hiatus...

Computer problems, life problems...

Because of a busy month ahead, I decided on this cloudy, rainy day to do a Fall mantle.  

I'm tired of 90+ temperatures and am hoping nature takes notice of my mantle and snaps into Fall temperatures (haha)!

Over the weekend I decided to change up a Fall painting I'd purchased at a garage sale years ago--I wanted a neutral living room this year.  

Here's the before...

Nothing wrong with it, but I needed a change.

Here's the after...

I repainted the lettering to black (it doesn't really show up here) and redid the pumpkin too.

Here's the mantle with the painting...

I printed the book titles on my computer and just wrapped the covers around the books.

Those are artificial sea fans behind the books.

Easy, peasy, huh?

A close up...

Happy Fall y'all...

Thanks for the visit...

Robin
 

Linking Up With

Thrift Decor Chick

SPLASHES OF FALL

The Fall decorating bug came to Highpoint Circle last week and I couldn't be happier with the results.  I walk through the house with a little more energy once I've changed things up a bit and I even clean a little better to put out fresh accessories.  I just wish the weather would get the message and send a little "sweater weather" our way.   

Here are a few of my vignettes...

The Harvest Queen, of course!

A bowl full of pumpkins...it's really a wreath of pumpkins set in a woven bowl with a fat pumpkin plopped on top.  Ssshhh, don't tell my secret.

Acorns, leaves and more pumpkins...are you catching on to the pumpkin theme?

Just couldn't put away this delightful starfish!

I was loving the orange so much, I bought a new pillow to continue the trend.

Makes me smile.

 And finally, a Fall lantern.

I just realized I forgot to watermark my photos for this post so I'll trust you not to use them as your own without giving me credit for them, please!  Thanks for the visit.  Hope you enjoyed your stay.

Robin

Linking Up With

Common Ground

Chic On a Shoestring

Boogieboard Cottage 

Fresh Eggs Daily

Homemaker on a Dime

The Dedicated House

Cedar Hill Ranch

Ivy and Elephants

StoneGable

FALLING INTO OCTOBER

READY?  Here we go...

Fall fell,

October started

and the holiday season is looming

This little owl will

fly away on

Halloween

The pumpkins and gourds

will stay till

Thanksgiving

 A Kansas girl in Colorado in October

seeing the Aspens in full

glory...aaahhh!

Not an Aspen...just gorgeous

Happy October

 Linking Up With
The View From Right Here
Between Naps On The Porch
Boogieboard Cottage 
Homemaker On A Dime
DIY Showoff 
Coastal Charm
The Farmhouse Porch 
My Romantic Home 
Chic on a Shoestring

Sally's Fall Home

I had a meeting at a lovely lady's home last Tuesday and asked if I could snap some shots of her home to share here.  She graciously agreed and the result is a precious home curated over time.  Enjoy!

This was the first things that greeted our group as we arrived.  On the other side of the expansive porch was another arrangement with a white wicker porch swing that sported a darling black and white polka dot cover.  It was too cute.  Then we stepped in...

This arrangement was even more delicious in person--made by the homeowner.  She didn't like how it turned out, but we all would have taken it off her hands, if given any encouragement!

This mantle used to be black.  I loved the simplicity of it--just made my blood pressure lower looking at it!

When I glanced into her dining room, this greeted me.  I love the tray (I have one exactly like it in white) and the arrangement on it--stunning combination of color.

As I turned to go to the deck, this little combo caught my eye.  I loved the tray, then the book, the candy corn...on up.  The layering is something I'll try to keep in mind for my own house.

As I left, I could not believe this sight--a lantern on the back of the door with a battery operated candle glowing inside.  If copying someone else's idea is the most sincere form flattery, consider yourself flattered Sally--this is in my idea file too.

This picure shows the door a little more true to color, but the camera didn't pick up that wonderful candle glow.  Sally's walls are not orange, as the other picture shows.

I hope you enjoyed another home tour of lovely fall decorations.  I am certainly having a good time providing them and hope you find them inspiring too.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned--I am touring some historic homes and will be snapping pictures, if allowed.

Linking up with

My Romantic Home

Funky Junk Interiors

At the Picket Fence

The Charm of Home

Boogie Board Cottage

Between Naps on the Porch

Dittle Dattle

Coastal Charm

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

A Stroll Thru Life

The Harvest Queen Is Here!

Welcome to my home.  I hope you feel welcome at the front door and can come stay for a cup of wassall.  I enjoy company, especially during the colder months!  If you come back at Christmas, you can enjoy a nice hot cup of cocoa with homemade marshmallows!  Well enough greetings at the door, come on in.

This little lady on the bombay chest calls herself "The Harvest Queen" and I think the title fits her, don't you?  She's used to spiders in the crops gathered in, so to make her feel at home, I hang a couple on the lamps while she's visiting.  She's also quite fond of orange pumpkins--how about you, do you prefer orange or white pumpkins?

The Harvest Queen requires a wreath or two to make an appearance, so being a gracious hostess, I set one on the hall tree next to her.  The crow heard the Harvest Queen was visiting and flew in to see her.  They both usually depart together--they're the best of friends.

I think we can leave these guests and journey on to the living room and have a look at some of our other visitors.  Like most of you, this mantle is always a challenge to decorate when the Queen is in town--she's wonderful, but a little testy!  She's been preferring a little less the last few visits and sometimes it is difficult to cut back, don't you think?  She hasn't commented on it yet, so I'm not sure I got it right.

It is difficult to see all the elements on the mantle from this angle, let me show them to you--up close and personal.

Mr. Owl in his glory.  Really, the animals take over in the fall when the Queen is here and we enjoy having them all--just watch where you step!

Some relief from the critters here.

details, details

and more details

Now there is just one more spot to visit and I'll have to say goodbye for now.

It really is true...when the Queen's away, the mice will play!  And play they do, they tease that poor jack-o-lantern half crazy!  Look at his face in this picture--craziness!

I've got to go for now.  Please come again...remember in December homemade marshmallows and hot cocoa (and all the animals and the Queen will have moved on).  Thanks for the visit, oh, just wipe your chin, you have wassall spices on it! 

Happy Fall!

Linking up to

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

http://kristenscreationsonline.blogspot.com/

http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

http://www.504main.com/

http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/2011/09/outdoor-pizza-oven-newbie-party-started.html

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Falling Behind on Fall

Last week five of my book club buddies and I hopped in a couple of cars and headed north for a fall open house at Nell Hill's in Atchison, Kansas.  When we walked in the store, imagine our surprise--the whole store was decorated for Christmas!  Yes, Christmas--at a fall open house.  This store has a Christmas open house in December--what's the deal?  Now don't worry, it didn't stop us from shopping and having a grand ole time, but we were on the road for some fall inspiration.  We finally found it in Harrisonville, Missouri at a little place called Windy Ridge.  It was just what I needed to kick my decorating gears a spinning so I thought I would share a few pictures I snapped for ya!  Enjoy and happy fall decorating.

Don't you know you are just going to love this store when the sign is this cute?  And, it had wicker chairs on the other side of the porch!  Oh, and let me just show you what was on the steps leading up to this cute porch...follow me....

Love it, love it, love it.  A friend just told me Hobby Lobby has lanterns and pumpkins on sale for 50% off...hurry on down (Oh, how I wish I was being paid to promote other people's businesses, but I'm not, darn)

Another lantern on one side and a darling clock on the other.

I bought a cute basket to hang on my door and that's about all I can show you of my own decorating at this point.  I should finish up today hopefully and I'll try to post again soon.

As always, I am so thankful that anyone reads my blog and I hope my love of writing it comes through to each of you.  I am sending good thoughts your way each day and will write again soon--just try to stop me!  Robin

Linking up to these fabulous blogs

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/
http://www.houseofhepworths.com/
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Cheap Chic Pumpkins

Just a quick post to let you know about some cute pumpkins I've spotted and some cute ideas for using them.  First is the higher priced Pottery Barn rattan pumpkins pictured here, they retail for $19.00 plus $6.00 for shipping.  A whopping $25.00, and that is for the smallest one!  I do love Pottery Barn and shop there when appropriate, see this post for proof (the sea fan is Pottery Barn's), but when identical items are available for side-by-side comparisons, I find it silly to pay more.  Don't you?

Pottery Barn image

Pottery Barn image

And here is Target's version for $12.00 for the exact same size!  Both Pottery Barn ($29.00 plus $8.00 shipping) and Target ($19.00) have the larger size available too.

 Target image

To view Pottery Barn's offering of these look here and to see Target's pumpkin, look here.

Kind of a different post for me, but I thought it was my duty, as a thrifty blogger, to tell you.  Enjoy your Labor(free) Day and thanks for looking at my blog.  Happy fall decorating, or not, Robin

I'm linking up with
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/