autumn Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Keeping With The Times

Autumn tablescape 2012

September 17, 2012 by Barb 15 Comments

I love to host Thanksgiving! All the gorgeous colours and textures are so inspiring!

I love to set a pretty table but I don’t want to spend a lot of money and I try to use what I have on hand. I already had the perfect dishes (I got them at Costco quite a few years ago), so the only things I had to buy for this table setting were the little blocks that say “give thanks”, and the pumpkins.

I was pretty happy with my centrepiece. I used a glass tray that has two ‘levels’ and put the candles on the top level. After I had it arranged, I sprinkled green rocks over everything and added a few willow balls for extra texture.

Autumn Tablescape

Can you believe that I found these beautiful wild purple asters growing in the ditch! Love that!

autumn tablescape

So perfect with the purple dishes…

autumn tablescape

Purple, green, gold…

autumn tablescape

… burgundy…

autumn tablescape

… leaves cut from scrapbook papers…

autumn tablescape

… same for the serviette holders… with a spring of fresh thyme…

autumn tablescape

So much to give thanks for!

autumn tablescape

Thank you for dropping by, and checking out my tablescape!

autumn tablescape, purple asters, thanksgiving, keeping with the times

The colours of Thanksgiving

October 5, 2011 by Barb 45 Comments

I was looking at all the fall decor out in bloggyland and I kept seeing front doors painted with a dark paint. Now I know this trend is nothing new but I suddenly decided I must try it! I’m quite brave reckless when it comes to decorating so I very quickly went to town and picked up the paint and a foam roller. We’d had warm summery weather all September so I was certain it would stay nice until I got my door finished . . . wrong. Monday morning a fog rolled in, temperatures plummeted and a slight drizzle of rain proceeded to fall. Well, I thought – if I’m going to do this I have to do it now or our weather may even get worse. The door is under an overhang – what could go wrong?

. . . is this kale just not the most gorgeous shade of green? and oh, so autumn (y)!

Well, I started to roll the paint on and to make a long story short – what a mess! This foam roller was not cooperating – it seemed to slip and slide all over and the paint was going on all streaky – it looked terrible. So I got out a brush (don’t use a brush) and started to paint with it and I could see streaks and splotches and areas that had too much paint and areas that had too little. OMG – what am I going to do? I decided I was going to have to let this first coat dry and then see what I could do about it – but not before I actually rubbed some paint off with a rag – can you believe that? The next morning I rushed back into town and went to a specialty paint store for advice. Apparently the paint I was using was OK but some people (me) can’t use foam rollers and he proceeded to give me a tiny plush roller. Thank goodness – it worked. After a couple of restless nights spent worrying that my door was going to be a mess all winter, I managed to get another coat on and have proclaimed that “I can live with that!” Whew. If warmer weather returns I will give it another coat, but for now – it’s good enough. After I added some plants and twigs and pumpkins and wreaths I felt a whole lot better. My door is dressed and ready for Thanksgiving (in Canada, it’s this week-end).

. . . you see? it looks OK!

. . . yes!! . . .

. . . my dusty miller is still thriving . . .

. . . how can you go wrong with cute pumpkins and mums . . .

. . . a sparkly ribbon on a bright wreath . . .

. . . what?

I forgot to mention that during all this a squirrel decided it was going to take some of the cardboard I had used to protect the deck and make a bed in the woodpile.

. . . I don’t think so . . .

. . . you get outta here . . .

. . . now!

. . . aaack . . .

. . . what a horrid start . . .

. . . autumn leaves are calming . . .

. . . so are flowers . . .

. . . and all’s well that ends well . . .

Door/Outdoor Link Party at Southern Hospitality

A rustic country welcome

September 28, 2011 by Barb 26 Comments

I always put something on my front step for autumn (well, for any season for that matter). Today I dragged my willow bench, my big barrel and my pot of tansy onto the veranda. My Rustic, Country, Whole Grain Wreath graces my front door now, and I set my dried thyme wreath on the willow bench with a pot of globe thistle and some gourds. The step gets covered in leaves this time of year and we have our wood stacked and ready for winter.

Starting to feel cozy . . .

aren’t these gourds amazing? we got them at our local U-pick for $2.50/ea

my wreaths – the one on the bench is made from thyme from my garden and my rustic country door wreath is oats

years ago I made this willow bench – it sits in my garden and is pretty weathered

globe thistle from my garden – prickly!

big and beautiful!

the crow mat from my favourite little country store bids you to enter . . .

Autumn mantle love

September 25, 2011 by Barb 25 Comments

I’ve decorated my mantle and house for autumn and Thanksgiving (our Thanksgiving is in October). The weather has been nice but it won’t be long until it gets quite chilly and it will start getting dark earlier and earlier. That’s where these bright colours and sparkly lights and candles come to the rescue. I kept a few things from my spring inspired mantlescape but I added some new elements plus some things I already had around the house. For my mantle I decided to try the (fake, battery operated candles). I have straw and leaves scattered all around and now I don’t have to worry about burning the house down! I admit that they aren’t romantic, but they do add some sparkle and I have come to like them. The other thing is, that I have real candles on the hearth and the coffee table so I think the combination works – at least it does for me.

cozy

my homemade millet topiaries

simple elegance

I kept my heron

new vases (from HomeSense) filled with oats

oats gathered from a nearby field (goes with my rustic country wreath on my door)

my antique decoy – centre stage

my banister – all colourful and twinkly

. . . a friendly little bird I found at my country store . . .

. . . couldn’t get just one . . .

So there you have it, my simple autum mantle. I started with a trip to HomeSense because I know they have seasonal decorations and I wanted a new picture (my winter moose just wasn’t going to cut it). I also bought new candle holders, potpourri to fill my glass vases, a wreath, and some candles. I added two new brown vases and filled them with oats, then stood back and was happy with what I saw: my house – looking very twinkly, inviting and colourful! a celebration of autumn and Thanksgiving!

Simple country topiary

September 14, 2011 by Barb 19 Comments

This plant which I think is millet grows in the ditches around my yard. Every July I pick a bundle, dry it, and fashion it into a sort of topiary-style arrangement. I’ve made dozens of these and given a few to my daughters. I’m always delighted to see that they are displaying them and that they look quite nice, perched either on their mantles or tables or end tables. They are so easy to make but bring an element of simple country elegance to your house.

Dried Topiary Tutorial

Here’s a quick and easy tutorial:

Pick the millet, tie it into bunches and hang from a hanger until dry (1 month or so).

Dried Topiary Tutorial

Strip off leaves and arrange in an even bunch secure with elastic bands and cut stems at bottom.

Dried Topiary Tutorial

Insert into rustic container and pack tightly with newspaper add some sphagnum moss voila!

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Total cost, since I had all the material on hand from other projects over the years: $0.00! How much more frugal can you get?

Rustic, Country, Whole-Grain Wreath

September 4, 2011 by Barb 57 Comments

At the beginning of each season I like to create a wreath from materials that I’ve gathered while out and about in the countryside. wreath, autumn, oats, grains

autumn oat wreath

Since we live in a rural setting, what better material could I choose than some kind of grain…

…OK yes, I may have strayed from the ditch to the edge of a farmers field of oats…

hmmmm . . . I hope they don’t notice when it comes time to count the grains after harvest . . .

Autumn-Oat-Wreath-1

A car went by, and I had to hide…

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autumn oat wreath

Here’s a little tutorial:

Start with a straw-based wreath (available at most craft stores). Take small batches of oats (cut stems short) and wrap with twine, heavy thread or as I used, floss!

As you add each batch it covers up the first one. I wrapped my wreath twice – here you can see that the whole wreath is covered but I’m starting a new layer. I didn’t use any glue whatsoever.

Autumn-Oat-Wreath-4