Favorite Things #3 -- Everything Fall

What comes to mind when you think of fall?

I close my eyes and feel cool, crisp air......I smell woodsmoke and spices....I see glorious rich colors of amber and golds.....the sunlight is golden and mellow.....I feel the soft textures of fuzzy sweaters and cozy blankets...I crave apples and pumpkins and all of nature's bounty.

I celebrate fall! So in honor of this very special special day, the first day of fall, I'm sharing a few of my favorite autumn things.

Make the House Smell Like Fall

• One of the first things I do to celebrate autumn, besides pulling out pillows and decor, is to stock up on fresh candles. I love Yankee candles, and add fresh scents with every season. I always have a candle burning in my kitchen when I cook, and in the evening when we are settled in the den to read or watch television, I enjoy the ambiance of a candle on the coffee table. 

My current fall scents that I am enjoying are Autumn Leaves and Apple Pumpkin:

                                           
                                                             

• If you don't use candles but still like the house to smell like fall, a simmer pot is perfect for a cool, cozy evening. I fill a pot with a few cups of water and add orange peels, apple peels, lemon peels, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, a few drops of vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and whatever else I might have on hand. (Herbs such as bay leaf, rosemary, and lavender are good, too!) Simmer on low, making sure the water does not completely evaporate.

Make Homemade Flavored Coffee

• I love flavored coffee, and pumpkin spiced coffee and lattes come out seasonally, but they can get expensive! I make my own simple version of flavored coffee with the regular blend I have at home.

You can make either instant coffee or fresh brewed coffee flavored by adding a few dashes of two items you probably have in your spice cabinet: ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. You can experiment with amounts to see how strong you want the flavors.  If I am making a cup of instant coffee, for example, I add a heaping spoon of instant coffee, about three dashes of cinnamon, and a dash or two of pumpkin spice, and add hot water. For a full pot of fresh brewed coffee, add coffee grounds, about a teaspoon each of cinnamon and pumpkin spice, (more if you want stronger flavor) gently stir to mix, and brew as usual.

Make Homemade Bath Products

• Now that I've got the house smelling spicy delicious and my cup of pumpkin spiced coffee is steamy hot, I'm ready to look up some fun fall DIY recipes. Here are two projects I found on my DIY Body Products pinterest board that I am ready to make for a luxurious spa bath experience:

Pumpkin Spice Soap:

• This easy and delicious smelling soap recipe for a relaxing fall evening bath is found on Happiness is Homemade.

Vanilla Pumpkin Body Scrub:

• You can find the easy recipe for this divine body sugar scrub also at Happiness is Homemade.

Here's to a wonderful fall filled with all good things, the beautiful bounty of nature, and a season of gratitude and thankfulness for all our blessings!

Decorating with......Beautiful Bottles & Demijohns

Question: What is one decor item that looks beautiful in many style homes -- modern, traditional, french country, farmhouse, coastal, rustic, and shabby chic?

Answer: Beautiful bottles and demijohns! (Demijohns are large bottles encased in wicker).

Regardless of your decorating style(s), bottles and demijohns bring color and texture to the home and can be used in so many creative ways.

Since we are transitioning into the fall season, I've put away some of my bowls of seashells and coastal pillows to bring in some warmer tones for fall. Sea Glass Cottage is our home away from home, so I'm keeping things low key-- just a few earth-toned pillows in the den and a demijohn vignette on the coffee table.

Since I'm keeping things very simple here, I've turned to a few of my favorite home decor blogs for more inspiring ideas, and I'm happy to share with you some stunning ways these creative bloggers have used demijohns in their homes.

Fabulous Kim from Savvy Southern Style has a gorgeous home with a mix of comfortable vintage and french country style.  I love the way she used these beautiful bottles to add height and style to a bathroom hutch.

                                                                           (source*)

Kim also uses demijohns as lamps, both the glass bottle and wrapped in wicker. Do yourself a favor and go do a search for "demijohn" at her blog. You will be in heaven as she is a collector and uses demijohns extensively in her design style -- she'll even show you how to make an inexpensive and fabulous demijohn lamp!

                                                                        

                                                                           (source*)

Next, we move to the rustic beauty of Kathleen's gorgeous home at Faded Charm. She features a demijohn in her entrance hall ~ don't you just feel a warm welcome into her home with the charming and vintage styling in her entrance hall?

                                                                             (source*)

                                                               

Wonderful Jenna at The Painted Apron is an extraordinary artist, entertainer, and designer who sets the most creative tables for her parties! Her blog is a gold mine of themed parties, decorating, and out-of-this-world recipes. Just look at this beautiful tablescape she created with elegant wine bottles and a large demijohn as the centerpiece.

                                                                      (source*)

Here are some other ideas I've gathered from home decor blogs:

                              ~use as a vase with seasonal flowers
                              ~group on the hearth by the fireplace
                              ~on bookcases (on top and on shelves)
                              ~on top of hutches and kitchen cabinets
                              ~in a large basket or tray
                              ~as lighting pendants
                              ~on the porch
                              ~lined up a staircase
                              ~add battery operated white lights inside
                              ~on a mantel

And check out my demijohn pinterest board to see other great ideas for using this versatile decorating item.  I think I just might start a new collection!


(**Thank you to Savvy Southern Style, Faded Charm, and The Painted Apron for permission to use their photos.**)


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Starfish Cottage: Your Inspired Design

Coastal Fall Decor - Kitchen Island

It's way too hot yet to be cooking anything, so instead, I'm cooking up some ideas for fall kitchen decor. As usual, I like simple displays without much clutter.

I have a pretty white chippy bowl that has been filled with seashells for the summer months. I dumped them out and filled the bowl with moss filler.  I think it's time to introduce the coastal colors of fall to my kitchen. My coastal autumn colors of choice are the blue and grey and cream colored pumpkins.  They will go well with my mostly white and blue cottage colors.

I tried different sizes and stacked them to see which collection fit nicely together. I wound up removing the larger white pumpkin in the background and using the smaller pumpkins for easier stacking.

The next step, after all the pumpkins were nice and snug,  was just to start filling in the gaps with fall filler items. I had a bag of fall potpourri that had very large woodsy pieces, so I arranged those in the holes.

This white  ironstone pitcher is perfect for an easy fall floral arrangement.  How's that for easy?

My fall beach kitchen vignette......clean and simple!

Thanks so much for visiting Sea Glass today -- and hey, if you have cooler weather where you live, would you mind nudging just a little of it down south? ;)

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Coastal Fall Decor - Patio Table Display

Today I am enjoying some post-Labor Day time at Sea Glass Cottage, drinking a very tall, cool glass of iced tea because I tell you, it is hot and humid! It is gloriously beautiful but autumn is not even a whisper in the air. So, because I brought  a bag full of pumpkins and floral decor, I'm ready to at least "play" at getting ready for fall.....a coastal fall.

I like to keep things very simple, inexpensive, and reuse as much decor as possible. It's fun to stretch my creative muscles and try to repurpose and recreate something unique with each seasonal arrangement.

I found this cute metal and rope tray at Pier 1 on sale last week and knew I wanted to use it for my patio table arrangement.

Next, I pulled out "filler" items left over from other projects....moss, fall items such as cones, wood chips, etc..., and floral arranging items. I don't use hot glue on any of my projects because I pull them apart and rearrange/reuse often to save money.

I had no plan, per se, -- I just put everything on the table and began playing and arranging things until I liked the end result!

I love the colors of sea glass, the blues and creams and whites, so I chose these lovely blue-grey and cream colored pumpkins (on sale, of course!) at Michael's Craft store.

I also spotted these cute floral pots in slate grey with pods and blue-grey berries with a fuzzy texture.

Here's my quick and easy project after simply stacking things at different levels and filling in the gaps with "filler."

That's all it took -- and now it's ready for us to enjoy on the patio table on the balcony. And just in case it's evening and I'd like a little candlelight, I pulled out one of the floral pots and added a candle and elevated it on a clear glass candlestick.

Hope you are enjoying a touch of fall in your area, or at least dreaming of fall and decorating...and thanks so much for visiting Sea Glass Cottage today!

Next time, I am sprucing up my kitchen and bringing in a touch of fall.  Please come back to see what I'm "cooking up" for coastal kitchen decor and trust me, it is simple!

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