There's a Copycat Lurking Through the Fall Leaves

Debbie of Debbiedoos is having another magazine copycat challenge.
She has opened the challenge up to not just copying magazines, but fellow bloggers as well.

This is a photo I pinned on Pinterest immediately when I saw it.   I loved this table setting by Laura at Finding Home.

Source: whisperwoodcottage.com via Gina on Pinterest

Obviously I'm crazy to try and copy someone like Laura.  However, we already know I'm crazy because I tried to copy Marty on the last challenge.   Crazy is my middle name!

Mine may have a tad more color, but I like how it turned out:

I would love to set my Thanksgiving table like this in November.

Thanks for taking a look at my copycat today!

Linking to :

 Link to Debbie's party fun!

Farmer's Market tablescape

Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen issued a harvest theme challenge for her Let's Dish blog party this week.  It took a little borrowing on my part, but here goes:

I didn't have any fruit or vegetable dishes to play with, so I "phoned a sister."  heehee   My oldest sister just so happened to have some veggie-inspired salad plates to share.   Sisters can be handy that way.

The salad plates are from Williams Sonoma and feature eggplant:

plum tomatoes:

yellow peppers:

and peas:

Black & white checked tablecloth from Kohl's-- See their online selection of tablecloths by clicking here

Placemats & napkins from Pier 1 

Green dinner plates from Oneida

Black flatware from Marshall's/Home Goods

Goblets from The Dollar Tree 

Now when it came to the centerpiece, I was at a loss. So, I "phoned a Mom"  this time. heehee When I asked if she had any faux veggies, she promptly delivered said basket filled with veggies right to my doorstep.  Moms can be handy that way too. I didn't have to do anything but plop it in the middle of the table!

I guess I'm not the only one who can get credit for this tablescape.  I am so lucky to have my Mom & sisters nearby.  We help each other, we share with each other, and we love being around each other.  What can be better than that? 

Linking to:

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

More Fall

Hello friends! 

I feel like I've not visited with you much lately.     

Between work (hey, I start a new job on October 1st),

soccer games, and preparing for my niece's wedding,

I've been so busy...and sleepy!

I think the cool weather is making we want to hibernate!

I did want to share a little more of my "fall-ness" before

I start changing things up for Halloween.

I know that several of you remarked about my dining room

table centerpiece in my chalkboard post.

Here's a better shot of it: 

Funny, I have had that tiered basket for years.

Several times, I thought of getting rid of it because

I just never used it.  I'm so glad I kept it now. 

I loved filling it with Fall pretties.

I guess sometimes you just have to wait for inspiration to strike!

Have you seen this adorable burlap bird at Michaels?

I loved him & scooped him up over

the Summer when the Fall decor first arrived in the store.

A little Fall on the coffee table.

I really love that velvet pumpkin!

The blue dresser for Fall.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little more of my Fall decor.

Linking to:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Update with Dark Purple (Fall Wreath)

Isn't it great how we, as bloggers, share our successes and without even knowing it, inspire others?

Last week, I was visiting sweet Maria Elena at her fantastic blog, Our Home Away from Home.  She posted a beautiful Fall wreath that she had made.  She used dark purple accents on the wreath & I just loved it.

Many years ago, I asked my Mom to make me a Fall wreath.  I remember telling her that I wanted it to be "loaded with stuff."   This is the wreath she made:

I love this wreath & have used it on my front door every Fall for all these many years.  

This year, as I was about to hang the old wreath once again, I got to wondering....was the wreath starting to look a little blah?  That's when the lightbulb went off. 

I went to Michaels and bought some dark purple flowers and ribbon.   I added the flowers here & there on the wreath, made a bow with the ribbon and there you have it, my old wreath updated with dark purple!

 

I really love the new look.  Thanks so much for inspiring my new wreath, Maria Elena! 

So tell me, have you ever taken an old wreath & transformed it into something new?  (Don't answer that, Debbiedoos! lol, just kidding)

Linking to:  Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots & Jello

Blue Autumn Tablescape

I was thinking. 

Fall just might be my most favorite time to tablescape.

Oh who am I fooling?

I love to tablescape no matter what the season!

 I am really enjoying blue mixed in with all the traditional fall colors this year. 

The tablecloth, from Joanns, was my inpiration for this table. 

Bronze chargers from Target

Orange dinner plate from Walmart Better Homes & Gardens collection

Green salad plates from Pier 1

Brown napkins from Pier 1

Napkin rings from Tuesday Morning

Green flatware from Home Goods

Green stemware from Target

Amber stemware from consignment shop

For the center, I used a blue flower bucket found at

Hobby Lobby last year, along with some old

flowers from Michaels.

The cute owl is new from TJ Maxx.

An old flower pot makes a nice candle holder

with an old candle ring.

The tablecloth & the owl are the only new

items on this table.  All the other items are things I already owned.

Nothing like a sunny Fall day & a pretty table!

Linking to:

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

 

Primp Your Pumpkin...or not!

When  a few bloggers got together & decided to have a

Primp your Pumpkin party, I thought,

"Great idea, I'm in!"

This may be a long post, but I think you will find it

"entertaining."

Not having a real plan (as I never do), I gathered

some supplies.

Oh good heavens, what IS that in the corner of that photo?

Those wrestlers are bound & determined to show up on my

blog over & over again!

Unbelievable!

Anyway, I used the orange pumpkin & after spending

way too much time on my primping project,

I decided I hated it.

(sorry, no picture)

I thought, ok...maybe it's the orange that is throwing

the whole thing off.  I then took everything apart

and decided to spray the orange pumpkin

with a metallic bronze spray paint.

That would surely be the cure!

I then glued all the embellishments onto

the bronze pumpkin.

No, it wasn't pretty at all! 

Brace yourself

while I let the pumpkin do the talking....

Is it a UFO?  A crown for the Sultan of Brunei?

I don't have a clue, but I know that it's U-G-L-Y!

(look I made a rhyme)

I won't even begin to tell you the comments made

by my loving family about this pumpkin!

Yet, here I am...still determined to produce a primped pumpkin.

I will not be knocked down!!  I am nothing if not persistent.

I shall overcome!  I still have a white

pumpkin to use, right?

Well, I get it in my head that glitter would be a good thing.

So I glittered my pumpkin. 

Nope, not pretty!

There are no words to describe how I feel.

Mr. Pumpkin...I'll let you do the honors....

I have to report, that I am now officially beat down.

Down & Out.

There is no way  I am going to spend another

minute or hour primping another pumpkin!

Call me crazy, but I know when to quit.

I look forward to enjoying all your primping and I promise

not to make one snarky comment about your beautiful primped

pumpkins even though mine were epic fails. 

Scouts honor.

Linking to:

Primp Your Pumpkin party

Fall Mantel 2012

Today I would like to share my Fall Mantel with you.

Decorating my mantel is usually a huge challenge because of its size.

This year, however, it wasn't as stressful as it has been in the past.

Maybe after all these years, I'm finally getting the hang of it. 

(Yeah right, wait until Christmas comes & watch as my confidence collapses!)

I have blue accents throughout the room so I really wanted

to incorporate a bit of blue into the mantel this year.

I found the blue pumpkins at Hobby Lobby and they

just so happened to be the perfect shade of blue

for my living room.

Don't you love it when that happens?

I bought the basket at an estate sale this summer.

I don't know what it is about it, but I love that basket.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.
Happy Fall to you!

Linking to:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Fall into Fall at DIY by Design

The Fall Hutch

Let the Fall games begin...

or at least the decorating anyway!

I thought I would share my dining room hutch with you today. 

It's so different decorating my hutch now that

it's white & no longer black.

(You can see the before & after here.)

I must admit, I did buy a few new things here,

but they were very inexpensive, about 7 or 8 dollars total.

The left side has an apothecary jar filled with tiny pumpkins.  

  I think they are so cute!

I also added an amber glass bottle & an acorn candy dish.

I bought the bottle at a garage sale this summer.

The woman had three for sale, but I only bought one.

My sister urged me to buy all three, but I didn't.

Guess what?

I'm now sorry I didn't buy the three of them!

Don't you hate it when that happens? 

That giant wicker ball came from Michaels on clearance.

I had no idea what I would do with it, but for $2.49, I knew 

it was coming home with me.

It fits atop this old urn perfectly & I accented it with 

 a tiny paper leaf garland I've had for years. 

I added an amber leaf bottle from Christmas Tree Shop

and a wire cloche filled with pumpkins.

I also included the dinner plates that I bought at the Dollar Tree

last year as a backdrop. 

I added my mesh wreath to the mirror to complete the look.

Linking to:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Potpourri Friday at 2805

The Power of Pinterest Party at Debbiedoos/Fox Hollow Cottage

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Fall Blondies

I have had this recipe for a few years now.

I believe it came from an Everyday Food magazine. 

The recipe was for "Halloween Blondies" but I decided some

"Fall Blondies" might be just as fun.

C'mon and take a closer look at their yumminess.

Fall Blondies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for pan
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup each colored M&Ms of your choice

Preheat oven to 350°.  Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.  Butter paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until smooth.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour and salt; stir just until moistened.  Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top.  Arrange candies in 12 rows (2 rows per color, repeating as necessary) on top of dough.

Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.  Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely.  Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into squares.  (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.)

Bring on the Fall baking!! 

Linking to:

Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence