Well, it is finally done. Nothing like a series of link parties to kick my booty in gear for the autumn season. Sarah is hosting the final get together, so I added some autumn touches to the front porch.  Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this season!

I’m completely embracing all of the fall hues this year with no regard for one color and no playing favorites. Bring on the all the harvest colors I say ~ burgundy, yellow, orange, green, and aubergine.  No muted or monotone color palette this year, I felt like throwing all of them together. Hey, if the rug can do it, shucks, so can I.

I swapped out the white iron benches that have sat on the porch for years for my wine barrel side tables. I’m in a ‘use what you’ve got’ kind of mood and these came from the outdoor cabana which we retired due to the oncoming rains. The cabana will return next year, so I made use of the half barrels on the porch instead ~ how very harvesty of me.

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This is a story of a DIY project that’s kind of like a good chick flick. It opens with the main character – she has a good life, a great idea, and even better intentions, but as a result of her brazen personality and wily cleverness gets herself in trouble and ends up in a miserable position which requires that she completely change her thinking. She ponders her mistakes, comes up with a simpler plan, changes course, makes amends, and in the end she gets her man.

I’m not kidding, the story of my fall wreath is a scary parallel. Sit back, grab a beverage, and listen to my tale. Once upon a time there was a fair maiden who had a grand idea. Let’s call this fair maiden Kate. She had long flowing chestnut hair that glistened in the sun and in this fairy tale, she’s a Size 2.

Kate lived in a town surrounded by rolling hills and fields of natural grasses {cue the slow motion twirling in a peasant cotton skirt to Sting’s ‘Fields of Gold’}.  The adjacent fields made her think that a fall wreath crafted out of natural grasses was a totally brilliant idea. Her source of inspiration was none other than this this wheat wreath by the reigning Queen Martha. Inspired, she wandered into those nearby fields of gold and gathered her grasses while she may. 

Back at the castle, the maiden took her basket of glistening golden grasses, clipped them and attached them to a basic cardboard wreath form with floral wire, much like she had in the past with this lavender wreath. 

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Don’t you just love September?  The air is cooler, the leaves begin to change, and the kids are finally back in school!  I can feel the seasons changing when I step outside which always leads to seasonal changes indoors too.  This week I welcome back contributing writer Michelle of Ten June for her monthly column.  Today, she’s sharing her best tips for transitioning your home from summer to fall. 

Please welcome back Michelle!

“Doesn’t it seem like we just got used to our summer schedules? Long days by the pool, late nights catching fireflies, every dinner cooked on the grill. Then, all of a sudden, it’s September. Although I love summer, personally I’m ready for fall – there is something about the crisp, cool autumn air that puts a smile on my face.

However, my house still feels like it just settled into its summer vibe. Coral from this summer’s vacation still rests in a bowl on my dining room table. A nautical themed pillow remains on one of the slipper chairs in my living room. And I’m pretty sure there is still a pile of sand laying somewhere around my house.

If you’re like me, it might seem impossible to take your summer décor to fall without feeling as if you have to completely revamp your accessories.  Well you don’t have to go Clark Griswold with your seasonal décor in order to bring fall into your home. Rest assured, these simple tips will help you to make those subtle changes to your home to easily make the transition from summer to fall.

1.  Start with natural elements.

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