Around the Home {Fall Edition}

 Fall is quite possibly my most favorite time of the year.  It's gorgeous!  I mean, you can't walk past any tree noticing the vibrant fall colors.  That rusty red, orange, and yellow just get me all warm and fuzzy!  Plus, all I want to do is bake some pumpkin-y treats and take them to everybody!  My husband and I have been savouring the Pumpkin lattes from our favorite local coffee shop (lattes made with actual pumpkin are wear it's really at!).  And this week, I finally got to bundle up in my jacket. . . at least for a little bit!  Fall is here and I am thrilled!  (Can you tell?)

I'm pretty sure that decorating for fall is one of my favorite ways to decorate.  I try to get Fall out early September and it stays up through Thanksgiving. . . until it is replaced with Christmas.  While Halloween is not my favorite, fall is.  Over the past few years, I have been drawn to more neutral colors and it just makes my heart happy.  They are just so calming, especially when you just want to drink a latte and curl up with a good book and watch the the tree rain down tiny leaves (this just started and I am jumping up and down because it is so much fun. . . I am seriously like an excited 4 year old on her way to Disneyland when it comes to fall!).  

In honor of it finally looking like Fall and the fact that tomorrow is Halloween, I thought that this was the perfect time to write a new series on my blog called "Around the Home."  This way, I can show you so me easy ideas to decorate for seasons, or share something new that I've done or even some tips that might inspire you. 

When I decorate, I really don't want it to look like a muesum.  My goal is that when people walk into our house, they feel like they are home.  I want my family, as well as our guests, to feel like they are walking into a place of peace, a place they is comfortable, and a place where they feel welcome and loved.  Sometimes the reality of is that life happens, people live here, and we need to function as well as be welcoming.  Because we are real people living in a real house, you might find a laundry basket or random toys, or even the vacuum out.  Oops! 

 Several years ago, I bought a couple of these plants (fake) from Ikea and they make there way throughout the house depending on my mood.  While, I've been working on trying to be a plant mom to real plants (I'll talk about that another day), the soft green of these plants is really quite wonderful.  Plus, they don't look like plastic and even feel a bit fuzzy, which is great!  They really fit nicely into my neutral color scheme.  I needed something for this end table, since it sits in a weird spot where a lamp cannot go.  So, a galvalized charger, the plant, some white baby pumpkins and some decorative balls I have from my stash made the perfect little area.  There's still room, for me to throw down a latte and sit in the comfy chair next to it and read a good book. 

 This little cabinet sits in our back room just before you head into the kitchen.  It's so much fun to style with the changing seasons.  Several years back, I did a lot of printing on burlap (until it started messing with our printer and then I stopped. . . ha ha!).  But, this Gather print is one of my favorites that I created and burlap just fits perfectly with my neutral colors.  I grabbed a pitcher/vase that I found on clearance last year and through some cotton stems that I keep in my decor stash and then through one of my neutral pumpkins to even it out.  Please note the stack of soccer cards. . . or maybe Pokemon cards also laying there.  See, we live here. 

 Our fireplace needed some serious TLC this last month.  Toys, soccer uniform pieces, books. . . they were starting to accumulate around our fireplace.  Our fireplace that I am not a fan of.  Technically, they are illegal and we can't even use it.  I am hoping that we get to replace it sometime in the next year with a gas fire place where you can enjoy the flame.  Until then, we get to sit here and look at this, so I thought I would make the best of it.  I found this basket on sale at target and spontaneously bought it and stuffed it with some coordinating throw pillows I had laying around and picked up 2 Cinederella pumpkins at Trader Joes.  On top of it, I found a tobacco basket from the dollar spot at Target ($5) and filled it with one of my plant babies and a gingham pumpkin that is from my stash of decor.  I love how simple it is and even more, we've been able to keep the clutter that tends to accumulate there because there is now something purposefully put there.  It's a win win!

 My hutch is probably my most favorite thing to decorate and is probably my biggest reason I decorate for the seasons.  Once again, loving the neutral fall colors, the real baby pumpkins, burlap pumpkins, and a few signs.  This year, I changed things up a little bit by adding a small tobacco basket (Target dollar spot for the win. . . again!) and then knew at once I needed something to fill it and found this white wooden wreath (Hobby Lobby) that wedged itself right in.

 And a little sneak peak into the glass shelves. . .

 So, that's my fall decor.  There are a few more random neutral pumpkins floating around on a few shelves and a stack of baby pumpkins that I didn't take a picture of.  I really don't spend a lot of money to do it.  Some things, I made myself and others I slowly bought.  The cotton, some of the balls, letterboard, and some frames are all things that get reused season after season.  All the pumpkins and specifically Fall decor get to live in a rubbermaid container in the garage, but only one container.  My goal is to keep the decor simple and low cost!  Don't go out and spend a fortune buying a bunch of stuff.  Shop your house before you do anything.  Surf Pinterest to see if there's something you can create without breaking the bank.  Then keep your eye out for Target Dollar Spot finds and Hobby Lobby sales. 

Have a happy Day!