Fall Decor

One of my favorite things about living in New England are the changing & distinct seasons. Winter brings white magical snows, hibernation & big cups of warm hot chocolate. We are all awakened by spring with the chirping birds, sprouting flowers & end of Daylight Savings time. Then its the crisp sunny summer days spent sailing, antiquing and soaking in the fleeting rays.  And the best season of them all?! Fall of course. We hate to see summer go, but the aroma of spiced cider, hayrides & pumpkins, and colorful leaves entice us to enjoy every second of this cozy season.

With each new season comes new decorations. Now that our house is a bit more civilized these days, I am starting to spend more time & resources on fun decorations to spruce the place up. I have to be honest. I was hesitant to decorate this season. After a big wedding, you kind of look to settle in, relax and save $$.  But it turns out, I needed to nest and I found a way to transform my house without spending a whole lot. I bought a few things, did a little DIY, and visited my local farmer's market.

Here are a few ideas for your home!

DIY Berry Wreath
We don't keep plants alive very well - in fact just about every plant we've ever had dies in a matter of days of arriving at Middle Ave. We even killed our mums - I thought those were supposed to live no matter what?! So, this wreath I LOVE. I filled a basic grapevine wreath with artificial berries & dried Lotus Pods from Hobby Lobby for under $15. The best part? It will stay fresh for years:)

 

Mantel Decoration
I love our mantel, mostly because Andrew built it in our garage. It's a bit narrow, so its a little challenging to decorate, especially since bulky decorations are a no go. I found a way to use simple decor with baby pumpkins & gourds from our local farm, lanterns I bought last year off One Kings Lane, and a rustic frame we got from our day at Brimfield. Thank you to Pinterest for the "give thanks" idea.

Candy Corn

A decoration you can eat AND adds style & decor? That's a winner in my book! 

Curb Appeal
Currently with the look of the front of our house, there is only one section that has curb appeal. One section without tyvek, a fogged out window, and old rotten shingles…We tell people - don't look up! Again, I made a berry wreath last year & added the "C" for our new name, put out some pumpkins from the local farmers market & bought 2 lanterns from IKEA. I personally hate IKEA, but for $23 you can't go wrong with these two!

Happy Fall Decorating!! 

Recipe Roundup

I don't know if it was all the apples we picked last Sunday afternoon at Young's Family Farm but all of the sudden I got the urge to be domestic. 

This week I have been cooking up a storm, trying out new recipes, and transforming our house to all things FALL. Somehow it takes almost all the leaves to be on the ground, apple cider to be in every store, and the approaching end of October for me to realize its time to switch gears to a new season. Better late than never!

Andrew has started a new gig and been working 10 hour days with a 3 hour commute, so I've been looking for easy recipes that will keep that man full and happy. Not to mention, the weather around here has been the dreaded New England grey, so comfort food has been a must!

Here are my top 3 fall recipes from this week in the kitchen.

FALL RECIPES

Thai Butternut Squash Soup
Andrew was hesitant, but this fall soup is perfect for a New England, rainy day. Loaded with flavor and nutrients, this recipe is super easy to make and will have you licking the bowl.  Paired with a piece of ciabata or french bread (for all you glutards like me, rice crackers pair well), this soup will satisfy everyone!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Talk about filling a room with flavorful smells!! This easy crockpot recipe is packed with flavor and a Thai favorite.  Throw that chicken and sauce in the pot before you leave for work and you will return to shredded garlic, honey goodness. Rice & broccoli go well with this!


Apple Pie Filling
We must have spent an hour taste testing all variations of apples as we walked the rows of apple trees. We filled a huge bag with all the red and green goodies. Now that I have bowls upon bowls of apples at home, I needed a way to use them up and savor the fall for weeks to come. This recipe for apple pie filling is perfect. I made a few batches to freeze and pull out when we have guests who might crave a cozy old fashioned apple pie.


It just so happens that most of our favorite recipes this week involve thai food. Good thing we are going to Thailand for our honeymoon in a few months! Try them out and let me know what you think!


...More on all things fall next week!