Fall Decorating From Nature

Decorating your home for the fall season doesn’t mean you need to spend money on new items. You can essentially “shop” your backyard and neighborhood for everything you need. It just takes a little reimagining of how you think about home décor. Most of the items we typically use to decorate for fall are just fake versions of what comes from nature in the first place. Think pumpkins, squash, gourds, leaves and pinecones. Instead of buying fake versions, why not just use what’s already out there? I love decorating my home with elements from nature. It makes a room feel more alive. Give your home a natural seasonal style with these fall-themed decorating ideas. Pinecones If you’re not lucky enough to have a pine tree growing in your front or backyard, just take a walk around the neighborhood. Gather up a bunch of pinecones and use them all over your home. Add a few to your fall mantle display. Pile them up in empty terracotta pots, like I did. Create a table display with a basket filled with pinecones. The pinecone possibilities are endless. Pine needles While you’re gathering up your pinecones, be sure to also pick up a...

2013 Fall Decorating Ideas

It’s finally fall! Who’s excited for pumpkin spice lattes, colorful leaves and scarf weather? If none of those do it for you, what about pumpkin patches, apple cider or a cozy fire? Can you tell I’m obsessed with this season? I’ve been waiting for autumn to come around pretty much since the beginning of summer. It’s my favorite time of year. Of course I’ve already started thinking about how I’m going to decorate my home for fall. I recently moved into a new house and the timing couldn’t have worked out better. I have a whole new space to decorate and enjoy during fall. Below is a list of fall decorating ideas I’m itching to try. Most of them are pretty basic. They’re just things I always want to do but never seem to make time to actually do. What about you? Do you have a fall decorating list? Even if it’s just a mental one? Here are a few of my fall decorating ideas to get you in the mood. Fall home decorating ideas to try: Make an autumn-themed wreath. Maybe out of pinecones? Decorate my mantle for fall Come up with a new way to decorate pumpkins...

Spring Love

Sorry for my absence. I’ve been outside enjoying the weather and doing lots of spring activities…planting a garden, hunting for morel mushrooms, walking my doggie, planting more plants. Well, see for yourself… When I spotted this chocolate mint plant at the farmer’s market (top photo), I knew I had to have it. I’m already dreaming about baking scrumptious desserts and sipping on chocolate mint mojitos. I didn’t realize I was going to make a chocolate-themed garden, but that’s kind of what happened. The second photo is a sweet potato vine surrounded by cocoa shell mulch. Yes, cocoa shells! I found the mulch at my local gardening store. This is what my garden looked like before. This plot of dirt covered in weeds sits in the back area of my rental apartment, which is a converted old house. The plot was clearly once a garden because it’s the only strip of dirt in a large area of concrete pavement. Plus, it’s lined with, now crumbling, bricks. It’s an extremely odd setup, which is fitting for the area I live in. It’s not really a patio; it’s not really a backyard; it’s just a random plot of dirt surrounded by concrete....

A Little Bit of Spring

The other day my sister and I received these happy postcards from a friend. (Thanks Caitlin!) Notice how the yellow one with the tree is extremely similar to the print hanging on the wall to the far left. This girl knows my style well! I just wanted to share them because they make me smile. I’m definitely ready for some actual springtime here in the chilly Midwest. These postcards make me think about all of the things I want to accomplish around my home this spring. Here’s my list: To Do This Spring: 1. Be super planty. Start more seeds in eggshells. Plant flowers from seeds in containers. Make my porch basically a container garden oasis. Maybe create a raised garden bed in my teeny backyard. 2. Repaint living room furniture. So many of the pieces in my living room are painted black. They all need a revamp. I’ve been all about the light and bright lately, so the black furniture is bringing me down. (Look for a future blog post on this.) 3. More do-it-yourself. I’m loving DIY home projects. I have a few in the works, but I want to come up with some on my own, instead...

Spring Decorating Ideas

Springtime is practically here. Can you feel it? I can’t. Mother Earth decided to celebrate the first few days of spring by dumping Kansas City with four to six inches of snow. Still, I can imagine what the lovely spring weather will feel like soon—and I can decorate my home to prepare! Here are a few simple ways you can create springtime cheerfulness in your home.   Decorate with flowers What could remind you of spring more than flowers? Pretty spring blossoms just make a room feel happy. Grab a bunch at your local farmer’s market and split up the blooms to fill several vases. That way you can enjoy flowers all around your home! Want to make your blooms even more spring like? Use metal pails, pitchers and milk glass vases to hold your flowers.   Use woven baskets Baskets are so completely spring-like. They remind me of Easter egg hunts and spring harvests. Use pretty woven baskets as easy accents in your home. They’re perfect for corralling all types of items. Right now I’m using a couple woven baskets by the front door to hold rain boots and umbrellas. Another one rests near my couch brimming with...

St. Patrick’s Day Decorating Inspiration

St. Patrick’s Day is this Sunday. Yay for green beer and parades and loud Irish music! It’s just a fun day where we pinch each other for no reason and try to speak in Irish accents. While I don’t usually decorate for St. Patrick’s Day, I’m open to bringing a bit of green into my home. It’s a nice segway into spring, and some green will remind me that this winter is almost over! When decorating for holidays, I like to use items I already own. I just shop the house for pieces that will work. For St. Patrick’s Day, I looked for green items (duh!), as well as anything else that fit the feeling of the holiday. I love the different hues of green I found around my home in everything from flowers, to vintage hardback books to a lone mixing bowl. I also rediscovered a rock that I already had that reminded me of Ireland. I love the bits of moss stuck on it! And, finally I had to include my claddagh ring, a traditional Irish ring that I bought in Dublin. (Fun fact: If you wear it with the heart pointing towards you, it means you’re taken. If you wear it pointing out, it means you’re single!) I hope you’ll feel inspired by the items I found around my home to decorate your home for St....

5 Valentine’s Day Home Decorating Ideas

Chalkboard with "love" written on it.

I’m not usually one for decorating my home for, what I call, the “smaller holidays” (Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July.) Too much work. But, a couple days ago I went to turn my calendar to February and such a happy picture of heart-shaped cookies greeted me that I felt the urge to celebrate. Valentine’s Day may seem like a cliché holiday, but you can’t argue that it does bring a bit of cheeriness to this blistery-cold winter. The cookies and chocolates. The flowers. The happy colors. (Well, I’m a fan of red at least. See title of blog). The sentimentality. It’s one day where I think it’s okay to be corny. Even if you don’t have a special someone, you can still use Valentine’s Day to appreciate the other people you love. Write a cheesy poem for your best friend. Bake cookies for your co-workers. Give your doggie an extra treat and belly rub. And, why not decorate your house? You know, just a little. These five ideas are simple, not cheesy. You won’t find any corny plastic hearts or teddy bears here. 1. Accessorize with pink and red You can’t beat free decorating. Simply reuse items that you already own to spruce up your home for...