A witch & whatnots

Hello October!

October celebrates my husbands birthday, our one year anniversary in this house and Halloween! What a fun month!

To get in the spirit of one of the most celebrated holidays of the year, without going over the top, I  put together a few festive things in the kitchen.

I made a centerpiece on the kitchen table with pumpkins I painted black, mixed in some fun trick-or -treaters (the only ones we will have), and placed them with some black & gold china.

Are these guys not adorable? And my china from my Mother-in-law is sooo pretty with all the black.

Then, I placed some printable Halloween art that I found on Pinterest, on the fireplace mantel.

I just printed them up, and popped them in some black frames I already had. It was a cost free touch, gotta love that!

If you would like to use these prints in your house, they are pinned on my “It’s Fall Y’all” board. I only used two, but it’s actually a set of 5 prints, even better!

Then,

I used my handy stencils (I have really gotten my monies worth out of them) to add some Halloween themed words on two chalk boards, one by the fireplace and one on a coat rack by the door.

And finally,

I added a spidery, mercury glass candle holder with a spicy scented candle that is made locally and smells amazing! A really good candle is a beautiful thing!

So, that’s how we are doing Halloween Up On The Hill this year.

Some simple touches of whimsy with a black theme. Easy on the spooky.

Happy Halloween y’all!

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A girl and a cow

Friday I went to lunch and did a little shopping with a gal pal of mine.

She took me to some local shops in her neighborhood that I had not been to before. I was happy to pick up a few doodads & what nots and was having a lovely time.

Then, it got even better. I saw this original piece of art by a local artist.

A cow in the snow, oil on canvas, with a frame made from barn wood by the Amish.

It was love at first sight, but I had to think it over for a minute. She was expensive. More than a piece of furniture expensive. I had to be sure I had a good place to put her and I didn’t NEED her, but I really wanted her.

Ok, enough thinking, she was an investment and I would have her forever.

Sold.

The ladies at the shop wrapped her up, and I brought her home.

I had three places in mind. First I tried her in the kitchen, but she got “lost” in there. Then I tried the second spot, the hallway, and that was it.

I took everything off the wall to accommodate her. She is not large enough to fill it herself, so I had to add some other pieces. Shopping my house, this is what I came up with…for now….

Simple Ironstone and naturals (as to not take any attention away from her) over a bench my Father-in-law made me several years ago. With a picture of my dog (that just passed) in the ocean and some antique doorknobs thrown in a bowl.

I think the whites and browns help the amazing blues in the painting stand out. What do y’all think?

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Thrifty goodness

I recently stopped stopped by the Habitat for Humanity Restore near my house and found some lovely plates, platters and bowls, all for $12.00.

It’s great to find little inexpensive treasures and even better when the money you spend goes to a good cause. If you are unfamiliar, Habitat’s is used to build homes locally and around the world.

I also stopped in another shop next door to the restore, and found a pretty little tureen.

The white bread plates were about $4.00 for five of them. I usually only need four at a time, so being short was not a problem. They are so pretty and the white will mix & match with anything.

The Blue and White Currier & Ives Ironstone plate was $2.00. I don’t collect the blue and white, but it’s so lovely I thought I could use it for something this holiday. And I needed to spend over $10.00 to use my debit card.

The plates also had a small matching platter that I grabbed and I also found an old Digoin & Sarreguemines serving bowl for $2.00. That’s right, $2.00 for a large french bowl.

I’m so excited, and they will all go in the perfect display cabinet I plan on finding someday….hopefully soon.

 

Autumn on the porch

Well, it’s Fall.

I know this is a lot of people’s favorite season and I am excited for you to enjoy it!

I have already shared some of the seasonal touches around the inside of our house (some have been updated already, of course) and today I am showing a little outdoor porch space that’s dressed for fall too. This is actually a side porch on the house. Keeping in our style, it’s super casual.

I just pulled things from around the house, like a wooden bowl with apples and linens, as well as a lantern I recently gave a fresh coat of paint, etc….and put them on an old potting bench, I bought locally this past spring.

I also wrapped  some leaves around a grapevine wreath and hung it on the door (this house was built in the 50s, that door weighs as a much as I do, and has a Dutch door behind it).

And I bought some seasonal flowers.

Done.

If you are looking for low cost, low time commitment seasonal sprucing up, then this is for you. You don’t have to be a decorator, have a ton of disposable income, or even lots of free time. Just some simple touches will do.

Happy Fall Y’all!

Oh, and this is Bubba Gump, our rescued Chihuahua.

He loves sitting on this porch & insisted on being in the pictures (even though he doesn’t like the sound of the camera).

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Halloween in a jar

With Halloween right around the corner, I am starting to put together a few inexpensive things for the house.

This is a great season for candles and I thought, instead of buying some votive candle holders with a Halloween theme, I can just make pretty holders myself.

So, I blackened some mason jars to give them that “spooky” Halloween feel, and then added a ribbon and black votive candles.  The total cost was less than $2 (for the candles).

Here is what I did;

First I gathered a few mason jars that I had on hand, but any kind would be cute. You can even just pull some out of the recycle bin and mix & match them with different shapes and sizes for an eclectic look.

Next, I grabbed one of those outdoor, long lighters and used it to blacken the inside of the jars. You can see how the jars looked before I started, when they were clear.

It only takes a few minutes to do each jar, and you can make them as dark as you want. It will wash off when you are done using them, so you can re-purpose them for something else or throw them back into the recycle bin if that’s where you got them. No waste.

I added a touch of copper glitter to the bottoms of the jars along with the votive candles, topping them off with some black ribbon I already had.

That’s it. Cheap & easy. My favorite kind of project.

I really like them, and I’m pretty sure they are going to look even better when the candles inside are burning for Halloween in a few weeks!

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Cool weather bedding

With the change of seasons and the cooler weather, comes a change in duvet covers and bedding up here on the hill.

For the summer in the Master Bedroom, I used white and pale pinks in light cotton fabrics, with a Vera Wang Duvet.

For the Fall and Winter season, I change to a heavier cotton duvet from Pottery Barn that has the golds, blues, oranges and yellows of the season. And I love layers on the bed, the more blankets & pillows the better! So cozy.

I added some simple, fresh sunflowers & a pumpkin on the nightstand to continue the Fall theme.

Everything in our home needs to be animal friendly, and I think our very casual choices of furniture and decor reflect that lifestyle.

A shelf in the master bedroom also gets in the spirit of Autumn, with a hand painted sign from a local antique store and some gold hydrangeas.

The guest room gets an update as well, with a linen duvet in a neutral color scheme and lots of pillows too.

I love Pottery barn pillow covers so much, I have them in both rooms. I really think they are a nice quality for the price, and they last forever.

The “Happy Fall” pillow I stenciled, got moved to this room for an inexpensive seasonal touch.

When I decorated this room last year, I was obsessed with linen bedding. It’s just so lovely.

But since actual French bed linen is crazy expensive, I settled on a linen blend for this room. The duvet and shams are linen on the top and a matching lining on the other side. A more cost effective choice than all linen, with the feel I was looking for.

I also have some twin beds in the smaller quest room downstairs, that get a change up of their own.

Simple quilts & pillow covers in Fall colors keep this room ready for quests. Although it is primarily just used by our two cats.

Anyhoo, thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the mini tour of our bedrooms, and perhaps got a few ideas or some inspiration  for your own home this Fall.

Karen

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Touches of fall

Things are already starting to fall from the trees up here on the hill. It won’t be long before the leaves start to change colors and come down as well. And pumpkins are being sold at the farmers markets, making it hard to resist getting a start on a little change of decor.

This time last year, we were in the process of moving, so when I pulled my things down from the attic, there wasn’t much to work with. I needed to get creative.

This Fall, for the kitchen table centerpiece, I wanted something large.

I have had this lantern for years, but it has always been used outside on one porch or another. It was really beat up, & a bit rusty and dirty from sitting out in all kinds of weather. I took it apart, cleaned it up and gave it a fresh coat of spray paint. Now, it’s like new again.

Perfect.

To fill up the tray, I used hydrangeas I dried this summer, some bits of the fall leaves & what nots I did have, and some cardboard pumpkins that I bought at the craft store for about $1 each, then spray painted white. A centerpiece for just a couple of dollars.

For the wall, I made an attempt at drawing a pumpkin on a chalk board….

The credenza got a new lamp (just because it was time) and a simple display of pumpkins. Some real, some with a faux vintage look. I picked them up at last weekends Barn Market.

The Den got a few touches as well. A foam orange pumpkin that I already had, got painted white with Annie Sloan paint. And a few other elements were added to keep the look more neutral in this room.

The living room got pops of the oranges & reds that dominate the Autumn season. It feels super cozy when I get the warm, scented candles burning too.

I really wanted a pillow for the season (I love me some pillows), so I pulled a small white linen cover that I wasn’t using out of the closet, and stenciled it.  I just used tape for a straight line & a fine point sharpie.. Really easy & free.

The apples on the fireplace mantel were replaced with small pumpkins.

I wasn’t looking for glitter pumpkins, but that was all I could find in the size I needed. A little bit glam for me, but I like them anyway.

I also stuck some Bittersweet berry branches in my willow wreath.

My boxwood wreath on the hutch was replaced with an old front door wreath I already had.

I stenciled another pillow for a chair in the kitchen. It’s not fancy, but it’s festive!

And the hall bathroom got a small touch of its own on the window ledge.

Silk leaves tied to mason jars, filled with acorns. Super simple.

So those are my first Fall pieces for the house. I hope you enjoyed them. And I hope this helps get the folks like me, who are dreading the winter, to get in the spirit and look forward to the few months of Autumn ahead.

Karen

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Barn market finds

 When we moved into this house last October, I put a “Welcome” sign that I had over the kitchen fireplace because it fit the spot well, and I was really just trying to get stuff out of boxes. But I never loved it there, it was ok, but nothing great.

Since then I have been looking for just the right thing, but it wasn’t a priority. Sure, I have seen some really great things, but since I only work 2 days per week doing window displays, my decorating budget is tight. So, I was really happy to find some new wall art this weekend at a Barn Market sale in town, for a great price.

One of the vendors had been using these in her home, but was purging to prepare for a move ( I could totally relate), they are vintage reprints she bought at a shop in Connecticut. I don’t mind telling you I only paid $50 for the set.

They really brighten up the room and I think they will work all year ( I will probably only change them out for Christmas). And the Ironstone pitchers stand out much better now with the colors behind them.

There is a nice distressing on the frames too.

For the kitchen, I also picked up hand full of vintage silver flatware. This was a splurge, but I love them.

For our Den, which has a slightly masculine style, I bought this beautiful vintage electric wall sconce,

I saw it and couldn’t pass it up. I think it was about $45.

And some vintage bottles to add to a few I already had, that I was given by a family member years ago.

Some where inexpensive, others, not so much.

These are the new bottles;

All in all, a successful day at the market. Hope y’all are having a great weekend too!

Karen

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Apple season

Happy September y’all!

Although fall doesn’t officially begin until later this month, September does start apple season!

Over the weekend, my husband & I picked up some apples for baking, from a nearby orchard. Since we won’t be able to eat all of the apples, I scattered them about the house to celebrate the beautiful colors of fall’s favorite fruit.

I thought it was a great way to ease into the harvest colors and fall touches that I will be sharing soon.

They won’t last long though, so I also plan to use them for a potpourri & a simmering scent that I found on Pinterest.  Nothing is better in the fall than the sent of apples & cinnamon!

Both of those are pinned on my Pinterest board “It’s fall y’all!” If you would like to try them too. You can get there by using the Pinterest link on my sidebar.

Anyhoo, on with the apples…

I put apples in the kitchen with lots of white Ironstone. How lovely.

The greens are from our fountain grass plants in the yard.

I added some apples  to a favorite wire bowl in the hallway. This is also where I added the mirror I showed you in last weeks post.  It was a perfect fit.

 I put a few in a farmhouse style wire basket on the coat rack, where I

changed the items from summer to fall.

The Richmond bag is a treasured gift, and the grain sack bag was purchased at a local antique shop, Brandywine View Antiques.

My personal favorite,

I lined up green apples across the fireplace mantel in the living room,

as well as red apples on the china hutch, sweet & simple.

And then  I put apples in the bedroom with my fall bedding, for a

little tea & relaxation.

And now, i just have to keep this girl from nibbling on them…happy apple season y’all!

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