I need me some "FALL". Where is it?

Isn't today suppose to be the first day of Fall? The calendar says it is. But Mother Nature is telling us a different story here in southern California. The temp is suppose to be 105 degrees today where I live. Sounds like Summer weather to me.

But, and there is always a but, the weather man did say we were suppose to get Santa Ana winds today as well. Now anyone who knows anything, is that when the Santa Ana winds hit, it is the true sign that fall has arrived.

For those of you who don't live in southern California, we don't really get "fall" weather. We get Santa Ana winds which translates to "fall" weather for us. The few leaves that do change color here don't usually do so until about December. And that is usually when the leaves fall off the trees as well.

And because we don't really get "fall" weather, I usually don't decorate for fall. But this year I did decide to decorate a few areas to try & make me feel cooler (hasn't worked so far). I've already shown you my mantel, a shelf and a cabinet that I decorated. Today I want to show you a small area of my trunk.

I'm linking to the following blog parties: Three or More Tuesday, hosted by Tam at The Gypsy's Corner. Celebrate the Holidays hosted by Cheri at Its So Very Cheri. And since it is also the first day of "fall", Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses is having a Welcome Fall Party today as well. And finally, we can't forget the fabulous Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality. She is hosting a "It's Fall Y'all" party on Oct 1. Be sure to visit all of their blogs to see who is all participating.


The three tier cake stand came from Brylane Home Kitchen. I got it for "free" as I had a gift certificate. I placed it on top of an old glass block. My trunk top is not even so the glass block gave it a larger flat area to sit on so it doesn't fall over.

Doesn't the candy look yummy? I told my boys that they can only eat the candy in the candy dish in front. The candies in the little jello molds are for display purposes only. Let's see if they stick with the plan. So far so good.
On the top cake stand I placed a pumpkin candle (don't remember where I got it) and two birdie candle holders from Dollar Tree. Since I almost burnt my house down using real candles in the past, I have now graduated to using battery operated tea lights. They don't look or smell as nice, but much safer. I love these birdies. I was going to paint them white, but they are the perfect color for fall.
The middle tier has my small collection of swans. It started with the crystal swan on the left. It is a Swarovski crystal swan that I bought on our trip to Europe back in 2003. I bought it in Austria where Swarovski crystal is made. The silver & glass swan in the middle came from a thrift store as well as the larger glass swan on the right (hard to see). There is also a Lenox swan in the back that I couldn't get a photo of. The small glitter pumpkins came from the 99 Cent Only store on Saturday. All four pumpkins for 99 cents.

On the bottom shelf I placed my mini jello molds that I picked up at an antique store in Phoenix while on vacation this summer. I filled them with fall like candies. I had seen this done by Pottery Barn and thought that it was a fabulous idea.

I filled the molds with Pumpkin candy (yum, yum), Boston Baked Beans (my favorite), Caramels, Root beer candies (I wouldn't recommend eating them as I've had them for 4 years stored in a jar on top of my kitchen cabinets. They were looking a little melted so that is why they are in the back), Candy Corn and Tootsie Rolls. All the candy (except for the root beer candy) came from Dollar Tree store. The candy has been out on display for 5 days now & it looks like none of it is missing. I have good boys.

I see you eyeing my candy. Hands off!!!! It's mine!! OK, I will share, but you can only have one piece. I need enough for everyone to have some. Just don't tell my boys. I'll tell them we have ghosts. They'll believe that, as they already blame everything on ghosts.

Thanks for visiting, be sure to leave me a comment. Tell me what your favorite candy is and if "Fall" has arrived at your house.

Kim

I'm falling for Fall

I normally don't decorate for "Fall" in September. I usually don't do any special decorating until the beginning of October when I decorate for Halloween. I put out a little "Fall" decor then, but it is mostly Halloween. I don't put out my "Fall" decor until after Halloween when I decorate for Thanksgiving.

And the reason I don't normally decorate for "Fall" in September, the HEAT!!!! August & September are the hottest months where I live in southern California. The temps are usually in the high 90's to low 100's. This year is no exception.

Now that I am into blogging, it motivates me a little more to decorate when I normally wouldn't. So I have decorated three different areas of my family room with an "Autumn" look. This was done without having to go up into my blazing hot attic to get down the decorations I already have. Instead I have used items I have picked up in the past few weeks that didn't cost much.

We'll start off with the small cabinet that resides between my kitchen & my family room.


The white empty frame is always here. I plan making it into a chalkboard someday. Hopefully before they go out of style. The white ceramic pumpkin I picked up at Goodwill in Arizona when I was on vacation last month. It cost me $1.50. The birdy candle holders came from Dollar Tree, as did the leaf doilies. The apothecary jar is always on this cabinet. I got it from Kirkland's about 3 years ago. I filled it up with letter balls that I picked up on clearance at the Coldwater Creek outlet last month. I think I paid $12.00 for them. The brown & white toile plate came from Marshall's about 3 years ago. I'm loving this color combo.


Next we will move to the shelf in my family room. I had seen a copper pumpkin at another store that I really wanted but it was $18.00. I was going to make my own until I found my copper pumpkin at Target for $8.00. The 2 small green pumpkins came from Walmart last week for about $1.00. The small white pumpkin came from Dollar Tree. The sparkly eggplant colored pumpkin came from Target. It was $5.00. A little more than I would have like to have paid, but I loved the color, the texture & that it sparkled. All the pillars, books & silver tray came from various thrift stores over the years.

And the last thing I have decorated for "Fall" is my fireplace mantel in my family room.

Here is an overall view of the mantel.

Here is the left side of the mantel. The brown & white toile plate matches the one on my small cabinet and came from Marshall's a few years back. The 3 apothecary jars I got at Big Lots and have had quite a while. I filled one with number balls from Coldwater Creek outlet. The middle jar has fall colored faux crystal gems from Dollar Tree store. The jar on the right has faux pumpkins & gourds, also from Dollar Tree. The leaf doilies and the fall garland also came from Dollar Tree. The silver candle holder is actually an old jello mold that I picked up at an antique store in Arizona on vacation last month.

I placed the "Family" sign that I made in the middle. If you missed my post on how I made it, you can find it by clicking here.


On the right side of my mantel I placed an old silver tray from a thrift store. My new "old" bust that I picked up at an antique store in Arizona on vacation. The crystal compote I got at a thrift store a year or two ago. I filled it with the acorns I picked up at Tai Pan Trading last Saturday. The white pumpkin I just got at Target for $2.99. The mercury glass acorn I just got at Home Goods. It was $7.00. I splurged on it. I really wanted a mercury glass pumpkin but I didn't want to pay $15.00 for one. So I justified spending 1/2 for an acorn instead.

I've sort of done the top of my white trunk and my china hutch. But not quite there, so I didn't want to share yet. Hopefully by next week I'll be ready to post more photos. And then in a couple of weeks it's time to decorate for Halloween. I love decorating for Halloween. But I have fallen for "Fall" as well.

I'm linking this post up to Its So Very Cheri for her Celebrate the Holidays Season Decor weekly party. Be sure to visit her blog to see this weeks participants. It will hopefully motivate you to start your seasonal decorating, if you haven't already done so. You know you want to join in on all the fun. And you have to see her faux mercury glass pumpkins. I want to make some now.

I'm also linking up to Rhondi's Welcome Fall Party. Be sure to visit Rose Colored Glasses for the participants in this blog party as well.


And not to be forgotten, I am also linking up with Rhoda at Southern Hospitality's "It's Fall Y'all" party on Oct 1.

Have fun partying!!!