A Touch of Fall

Even though it's still summertime here in Mississippi, with temperatures in the 90s and the high humidity making it feel even more uncomfortable, Fall has made an appearance inside our house.   I've been puttering and arranging and RE-arranging my fall decor all week, and yesterday I pronounced it DONE. I'd like to share some of my creations, starting with the baskets on our front doors ... Wreath on our porch door ... I've had this grapevine wreath for several years and have just added to it each year.  Last year I added the little owls you can see perched in the top left corner ... and this year, I added the three stems of wheat.   Just inside the porch door is the breakfast area ... The arrangement on the table is a battered flea-market-find copper pitcher holding some "Brown-Eyed Susans" which I've had for years.  In the background you can see my old Welsh Dresser which I found in an antiques shop in Shreveport, Louisiana, several years ago.  It is one of my favorite things to decorate for the different seasons, and, after much arranging and re-arranging by my mother and me, I'm finally pleased with the way it came together ... The only new addition is the arrangement of cotton branches in the white crock. Next comes the dining room, which is a little more formal than the breakfast area.   My mother and I created the centerpiece on the table from materials I've had for years.  The birds were a flea market find from many years ago. The dining room opens onto the living area, which is an eclectic mix of fairly new pieces of furniture and a few antique pieces. The vases and yellow wildflowers on the mantel are new additions for this Fall. I love the yellow flowers which, I think, add a little touch of sunshine to the mantel. And speaking of sunshine, these bright and cheerful Brown-Eyed Susans brighten a small hallway outside the master bedroom.  The picture is one I captured of an old building in the French Quarter in New Orleans ... I hope you are enjoying decorating for Fall at your house, wherever you may be.  I envy those of you who are actually enjoying Fall OUTside, too!

How NOT to Decorate a Mantel

When it comes to decorating for the different seasons, it seems that one thing leads to another and before you know it, your whole house, inside and out, is transformed. I haven't made it to the outside yet, but yesterday I worked on the mantel in the living room ... I can't decide if I like it or not, because everything is so close to the same height. I love my new Pottery Barn lanterns which are nestled amongst the vines and gourds, but they barely show up. I read an article a few days ago called "How to Decorate a Mantel," but I obviously didn't follow the five steps, as shown in this sketch ... Instead of making a "visual triangle," as suggested in the article, I created a bumpy little vignette of vines, gourds, and lanterns, with no "movement," "layering," or "visual weight." Oh, well ... at least the colors are pretty, and I seriously doubt anyone will walk into the room and say, "Oh, bless her heart! She must not have read the five tips on "how to decorate a mantel." This is a picture of the mantel from last Fall ... I guess you could say it sort of looks like a triangle, if you include the painting, but instead of critiquing it, I want to tell you about the big brass urn on the floor. It was made in Spain, and was a flea market treasure for which I think I paid $12.00. I've recently discovered the joys of oil rubbed bronze spray paint, and decided to transform the urn from shiny brass to bronze ... The jury is still out about that brilliant decision. What do you think — shiny brass, or the bronze? (I hope you say bronze, because I can't make it shiny brass again). Oh, and remember my post from yesterday featuring my Welsh dresser? Well, I've "tweaked" it a little since then, for better or worse, and here is what it looks like now ... I like the tweaked version best. Hmmmm ... do you think, by any chance, that's because it has "movement" and "layering" and "visual weight?"

Vicksburg welcomes Fall

A few days ago, I rode through some of my favorite neighborhoods in Vicksburg to see this year's Fall decorations. I wasn't disappointed, and found a mix of styles, from whimsical to elegant.

This is one of my favorite houses, and I was happy to see that they were displaying their collection of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns again this year. I love traditions, don't you!

A couple of houses down, I noticed the Lantana blooming at this cottage-style house ...

The flag is a permanent fixture at this pretty house, whatever the season ...

Isn't that little metal dog sculpture cute! If you click on the picture, you can get a closer look at it.

Another one of my favorite houses in Vicksburg:

A fun and pretty way to welcome Trick-or-Treaters!

The owners of this house never fail to make me smile, and stop to admire their imaginative and creative decorating, and they outdid themselves this year.

I've saved my favorite for last. I gave this house the "Most Elegant" Award, and love the way the owners used natural looking materials to achieve a casual, yet elegant, look ...

Be sure to click on this picture to get a closer look at those beautifully carved doors:

It is always fun and interesting to see creativity and imagination reflected through homeowners' seasonal decorations, and I hope you enjoyed my "drive-by" tour of these beautiful homes. I'm looking forward to seeing and sharing "Christmas in Vicksburg," too. It will be here before we know it!

But in the meantime ...