I’ll bet you’re all about Fall by now. I mean, hey, it’s been almost a whole week since the season became official!
Last week I showed you what I did on my kitchen island and on our dining table. You can click here to see it. This week I want to show you what I did outside. It took a few tries before I got it right.
Let’s start at the front door.
Just Not Cutting It
That’s what I thought when I put up the same autumn wreaths I’ve put up the last three years. Since we have a covered porch, the wreaths I buy now last a lot longer than they did at our last house, and I just couldn’t justify chucking them yet. As for the mums, though they weren’t bad, they also weren’t the color I expected.
My First Attempt
I decided I’d toss aside my pledge to make-do and add something to spice this up. Here’s what I did…
I added rust-colored mums, coleus, and some pumpkins in fun colors. But by this time, my Sam’s mums had started turning BROWN, as in DEAD. I kid you not. And I had watered them!!
This picture I took of Round 2 is so sad I didn’t want to depress you by posting it.
You don’t have to look at it if you don’t want to.
I KNOW! Hideous!
Time to chuck the dying Sam’s mums. And the new mums just didn’t show up. Plus, the pumpkins looked spotty.
“Making do” was not working out. So…
…I chucked the Sam’s mums, went to an actual nursery, and bought four new mums. This time, I went light so everything would show up better. I also turned the coleus around and rearranged the pumpkins a bit.
Then, I worked on the wreaths. I added some gourds and white thingy’s I had in my stash-o-stuff. I think it freshened their tired three-year-old selves.
The only thing I forgot was to sweep the porch! I’ll do that tomorrow.
The Back Door
Since KB1 and I never come in through the front door, I decided to add a touch of fall right inside our back door.
Look at this cute pumpkin appliqued pillow I found at T.J. Maxx a couple of years ago! Here’s a similar one.
Then I added a few branches of gold and orange eucalyptus mixed in with the green.
Doesn’t it make for a cheery autumn “Hey there!”?
Time To Put Up My Feet
Once I’m inside, I light my new autumn-scented candle and I feel both relaxed and energized. This year’s favorite is “Homecoming” by Tyler candles. Orange and cinnamon combined with allspice. So perfectly cozy!
Now all I have to do is make a pot of coffee, slice a hunk of pumpkin bread, and call a neighbor to come over for a visit.
Anybody available?
(Stay tuned in to my Instagram and Facebook posts this week and I’ll give you my pumpkin bread recipe!)
Caryn
Where did you get the white clipboard picture frames for the back entry?
Tracey Buchanan
I got them at T.J. Maxx a couple of years ago.
Julie
Perfect. Since I’m not a coffee drinker, I’ll bring my own Diet Coke as soon as I smell the pumpkin bread coming out of the oven.
Tracey Buchanan
Yay! Come on!!
Brenda McElroy
Three times is a charm! It looks fantastic!
Tracey Buchanan
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!
Lisa
Love your front porch, love the pumpkins and colors! I’ll be right over for that cup of coffee!!!
Tracey Buchanan
Oh, good! Come NOW!!