Julian Day

No season is quite so packed with  tradition as fall. Seasonal baking, pumpkin carving, cozy clothes and lots of lattes. It is undoubtedly my favorite time of year. One of my all time favorite traditions that we have developed over the last four years are trips to Julian. Yesterday we spent the day with our best friends and godkids apple picking, filling up on yummy BBQ, perusing through all the cute shops and boating out on the lake. It was such a blast and truly a blessing!

 

 Until next time Julian!

Fall Decor

When you live in an apartment, you get excited about the little things in your home. We used to have this hideous black metal fireplace in the corner of our living room. It was so ugly. I hated it.. So we covered it up with our couch which gave the room an awkward feel. After some begging and pleading I convinced my husband to let me buy a fireplace mantel so we could open up the space a little bit. I started looking and they were beautiful but they were also ridiculously expensive. Erick made a comment that maybe he could build one. I wasn't sure if he was actually serious or not but within about a week I had the most beautiful fireplace mantel! I seriously was in shock that he figured out how to put that thing together so wonderfully. Little did I know, that this would be the beginning of his wood working hobby. Ever since, I've been requesting more and more projects. Dining room table, side table, coffee table, bench.. you name it; we have plans to someday make it! So this year I want decorate the crap out of that beautiful fireplace he made me. Here are my inspirations so far.

Threaded leaf garland, GENIUS.

Threaded corn garland, EQUALLY GENIUS!

I can't wait to let the decorating begin! 

Smells Like Fall

I absolutely loved this insight from freepeople's blog. They highlighted three ways to make your home smell like fall and I'm all about that. Who doesn't love this smells of Autumn?

Make dried potpourri.

Making your own potpourri is a lovely thing. Not only can you customize your own scent mixture, you can also arrange the components however you like in a jar of your choice, and add any little treasures you want! Another great thing about dried potpourri is that you can leave it out all day long – even all season if you like. You don’t need to keep an eye on it as you would when burning candles or incense.

Here’s one of my favorite simple potpourri mixtures for fall:

Whole cinnamon sticks, slightly crushed
Vanilla essential oil or extract
Anise seeds
Allspice
Nutmeg, ground or whole
Whole cloves

Make simmering stovetop potpourri.

Another way to make potpourri is to gently burn some fall scents on your stove all day long. I love making simmering potpourri when I’m craving a scent that is much stronger than what you get with dried potpourri. Just fill a saucepan with water (or apple cider!), add in the ingredients of your choice, bring to a boil, and then let simmer as the coziest scents fill your home. Be sure to always be present when burning stovetop potpourri, and add more water if the liquid gets low.

Here’s a new favorite of mine for this season:

Lemon
Fresh rosemary
Anise seeds
Ground nutmeg
Vanilla extract

Burn a mixture of candles.

A classic way to get the beautiful smells of fall to circulate through your home is to burn a candle that is scented specifically with autumn in mind — like pumpkin or apple. I like to take this idea to the next level by mixing candles together, creating my own customized autumn scent. One of my favorite candles is the white tea & linen scent by a company called Our Own Candle Company. I like to mix this one with cinnamon and pumpkin candles for a fall scent that is not to be forgotten. If you can’t get a hold of a white tea & linen candle, a pure, sweet scent like vanilla should work just as well!

Source: 3 Ways To Make Your Home Smell Like Fall | Free People Blog http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/09/3-ways-home-smell-fall/#ixzz2fwunM7Wf