I'm a week late but, HELLO, FALL! Living in Florida makes it doubly hard to really feel the change of the seasons. Today, I woke up to 83 degree weather and a high of 91 degrees. The humidity was so high you would think we were still in the middle of summer. The forecast for the next few days is rain. But the calendar says it is fall and I welcome it with open arms. As the quote above states, "autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go". The last few days of this past summer are ones that some of us would like to forget. However, life goes on. I am ready to embrace the promise of cooler weather, pumpkin spiced lattes, apple pies and Kitchen Spice scented candles.
On today's blog I share how to decorate your home for the fall season on a frugal budget. It is amazing how much you can save by simply using what you already have and simply rearranging things around. The only items I purchased were the mums, pumpkins (fresh and decorative) and gourds.
Dining Room
For the centerpiece I used a white lantern that I purchased last year from Pier 1 Imports. I placed it inside a tobacco basket from Hobby Lobby that I had used as a wall hanging. I filled it in with a variety of decorative pumpkins and floral from the Dollar Tree. They had ceramic, burlap-covered, green, white and red pumpkins. However, the white pumpkins are my favorites this year. As you can tell, I have embraced whites for decorations all over the house. I was over the moon when I saw them sold at Publix. They were 2 for $3 so I only have 4 because I wanted to stick to my budget. I used my collection of mason jars to complete the rustic/farmhouse look. To add more color I used some gourds that I bought from Walmart and colorful leaves from the Dollar Tree.
Living Room
Moving to the living room, I only decorated our fireplace and mantel. I did not purchase anything to decorate this room. Score! I used everything that we have and simply rearranged other decorative items.
Notice the green apple on the mantel? It is a crystal apple and was a present by a former student, Chris. He was a sophomore when he was in my Integrated Science class at Eau Gallie High School. Let's just say he made my life difficult for 180 days in 2005. A couple of years later and a few days before his graduation, I got a surprise visit from him with a gift bag on hand. Not only did I get a present but an apology. He apologized for all the things he did in my classroom to disrupt learning and for being disrespectful. It was unexpected but was very much appreciated.
Front Porch
I am not sure when was the last time I've decorated our porch. Come to think of it, I may not have ever decorated it for the fall. I enjoyed decorating this place today that I may start decorating it annually. I found these beautiful mums and pumpkins at Walmart the other day. They add just the pop of color that is perfect contrast to the house color. Not everyone will have a wine barrel laying around but if you do, it is a perfect decorative piece. It completes the rustic/farmhouse look.
Notice the twigs in the large vase. These are twigs that fell from our trees during Hurricane Irma. Sadly, yard debris from the storm have not been picked up by the city three weeks since the storm passed. I re-purposed the vases and lanterns that we have around the garden to complete the look.
I hope you find some inspiration from our little farmhouse decor. You don't have to spend a lot to make a space beautiful. Look around your house or the grounds around you for items to use. I find that the fall season is the most forgiving of the seasons to decorate with. It does not take anything fancy to create a the fall look that will meet the Instagram or Facebook test. A potted plant or two and some pumpkins go a long way! All together, I spent $35.99 for our 2017 fall decoration.
