Inspired by Fall

Fall is probably my favorite season.  I love the crispness and the coziness of autumn, the sense of energy and renewal I feel with the return of routines (yay for preschool!), and the promise of the holidays to come. I'm a Virginia girl at heart, so I'm definitely missing the beauty of the changing leaves that I'm sure the great Commonwealth is beginning to show off.

Fall at Monticello

Philip and I just returned from a week in Banff, Canada where the weather was really more like winter. Needless to say, we got a good dose of chilly air to tide us over during these warm afternoons in Northern California.  I hope to share some photos from our trip soon, but in the meantime, here are some things that are inspiring me this Fall.

I'm obsessed with this image!  The combination of the earthy wood tones in the pinecones with that black door and the orange satin ribbon is making my heart sing!  This is a totally doable DIY, and a few easy changes could easily take this wreath through the Christmas season.

Keeping with the same colors, I love this one as well.  Also, a very doable DIY.  Would it be weird if I decided to spend a bunch of time trying to make one of these wreaths instead of actually unpacking boxes once we get in our new house?

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Last wreath.  But oh how I love her.  Kind of makes that one from TJMaxx look rather sad in comparison wouldn't you say?  The wildness of the branches mixed with real berries; you just can't beat it.

This image has been around in blogland for a couple years, but it's such a classic I think.  I long for the day when I might have a working fireplace in my home!



How cute are these little acorns?!  So perfect to take to a Fall gathering.

I've made this apple cake, and it's really yummy.  If you ask me, it could totally count for breakfast.

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I love the rustic simplicity of this tablescape.  Leaves + pumpkins + candles = just right.

We've had this butternut squash pizza, and the crispy sage leaves are a perfect accompaniment to the squash and the cheese.

I love the bright pop of orange in this plaid scarf.

I spotted these side tables at Ross recently.  The warm metallic tones of the base and the black top are totally screaming Fall to me.

I would love to make this pumpkin and feta tart sometime this season...

If I were hosting a Fall dinner party, these personalized leaves would definitely make an appearance.  Even if you didn't use them to mark each guest's seat, you could identify the different dishes you were serving with this trick too!

Ok, so to be honest, I get these cookies from Trader Joe's year round.  But there's something about eating them in the Fall that just feels right.  (they're dairy free too!)

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Lastly, placing a few mini pumpkins in a clear vase and adding some branches for height is an easy way to bring a quick dose of Fall into your home.  Now I just need to actually move into my home, and I'll be set :)