{Home} Historic buildings and architecture

30 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Architects & Builders, Travel

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Being born and raised in Southern California, it wasn’t until Mr. B took me to England in 1985 that I developed a very real appreciation and love of historic buildings and the details each possessed. The first exposure I had to London was overwhelming, I couldn’t take it in fast enough.

I thought we (you, my dear blog friends) could journey together and take in some beautiful facades of some buildings I’ve discovered online. Imagine living in some of these buildings…I can dream of what life might be like living behind these doors and gates, with their cobblestone streets and sidewalks!

After many visits to New York I saw that Manhattan and adjacent areas shared many of the same breath taking details on the facades of most buildings in the city (apart from the newer ones, of course). Our son and daughter-in-law lived in Brooklyn for 2 years and the brownstones lining the streets held great appeal for me as well. I’m sure the list of locations of architecturally fabulous buildings is long, I enjoy virtual travel all the time, thanks to the internet so if you have some recommendations, I’m open.

Paris and London are stamped in my passport but whenever and wherever I come across a building (real time), or photograph of a beautiful building online, I save it to a file.

I wonder if my city would consider repaving my street with cobblestones?

Come by for a visit…I’ll leave the light on.

All images except 2nd to last found here; 2nd to last image found here.

{Home} What style are you?

25 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Designer, House and Home, Misc, Personal Information

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

decorating styles

Are your tastes and preferences, where design is concerned, clearly defined? If asked, how would you describe your style? Do you look at a shelter magazine or book and know right off the bat that the room/home featured mirror your style; the room is how you would furnish and accessorize ~OR~ do you sometimes get drawn to a style that is completely different from what you currently have?

{Barclay Butera}

{Beaufort House}

{House Beautiful}

{Carol Glasser via Cote de Texas}

There are so many blended styles that appeal to me, so I believe I would have a hard time telling anyone that my style is strictly traditional, classic or country. I believe there’s a little bit of several styles in most homes, especially if you’ve been adding and layering over the years.

{Haus Design}

{Heather Bullard}

{Kathleen Rivers, Southern Accents}

I confess, I have to put the brakes on sometimes, I can become so enthralled with a certain new-to-me ‘style’ that I lose site of what I believe to be my design focus or style. Does this ever happen to you or am I the only fence-rider of style?

{Linda Floyd Interiors}

{nest egg 1.27.11}

{Robert A.M. Stern Architects}

{Rose Uniacke}

That doesn’t mean I decorate a room and it never changes, far from that. I find I get tired of colors and maybe even some furnishings every 10-15 years. Fortunately, it usually means I need to paint and maybe rearrange the furniture or trade out a lamp with another, in a different part of the house, change the wall adornments, move pictures, change pillows and throws, you know what I mean. But I do have to remind myself sometimes what ‘it’ is I love, what I always come back to, what makes my house my HOME.

Does this ever happen to you? If it doesn’t, you are the person I admire and would love to have the confidence to say, this is IT, this is my style and I’m never swayed to the fickle tastes of design world changes and trends.

{GHP} If you had to edit, what would make the cut?

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Antiques, Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Designer, House and Home

≈ 18 Comments

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Editing

Joni of Cote de Texas fame had a wonderful post last month on the talented Jane Moore and her recent feature in Veranda. This is a designer I have admired for years. For her story in a recent Veranda issue visit CDT.

{2008 Veranda cover ~ Jane Moore}

As part of the feature, Joni showed us Jane Moore’s new, edited townhouse…

{Jane Moore, dining room ~ townhouse}

{Jane Moore ~ Townhouse, kitchen}

Jane says she was ready to completely edit her look when she moved. The new townhouse is filled with only what she wants in it – no one else. And she loves it – she looks forward to coming home each day to a place that is filled with pieces she carefully selected from a lifetime of collecting. Joni, Cote de Texas

This got me thinking, if we made a move to scale back, what would make the cut? I started with a list of what I felt MUST be included and quickly realized this was much more difficult than I first thought. I know it’s just stuff, but it’s stuff I’ve lovingly collected over the years. Would it be easy for you? This is hypothetical so it really wasn’t that hard, but it did give me an opportunity to look at my home and possessions with an analytical view.

There are a few pieces of furniture that I believe I’d make work no matter what. For one our antique china cupboard. My mom gave it to us when they retired and moved to a smaller house. She had purchased it in the early eighties at a Los Angeles antique store called Antique Guild (formerly the Helm’s Bakeries building). The hardware is original and the glass in the doors is beveled. The only thing damaged on this piece is the lock on the cupboard doors below…they stay closed when not in use so I don’t mind…

{Antique Guild China Cupboard}

…and since we’re in the dining room, I’d want to find a spot for the side board. The thing is, if we actually moved I could see using some of the furniture in unexpected rooms. I’ve seen some amazing uses for pieces in unexpected spaces that I wouldn’t have thought about…isn’t blog land wonderful?!

I’m attached to our bed and dresser, mainly because I like the style and it fits in our current bedroom, which is quite small, so I imagine it would fit in any smaller home we might buy.

{It’s hard to see the detail but it’s a bed with headboard, foot board and side boards. Very substantial but I really like it.}

Our sofa was custom made for the space we have in this house, I’d recover it if it fit perfectly in a new home, but otherwise, I’d consider a slightly larger sofa. The club chair in our family room is made by Century, it’s been a great chair, found at a consignment store and recovered twice, so I’d make room for it.

{This is a very comfy chair and it has been recovered twice since I first bought it; this is a Ralph Lauren print that works for the room}

Most of the art I’ve used in this house would make the cut. There are a few paintings (not by anyone famous) that I really enjoy. There are framed print in almost every room and I might do some serious editing if I had to, but most would find a home somewhere in a new abode.

{I like this print for it’s Union Jack, I’d make room for this}

This lithograph (above) of a print called, “Steady Johnny, Steady” is special because my grandmother bought it for me. She always thought the elderly Scotsman looked like her father, my great grandfather.

I wish I could take my Viking range, were we actually moving, but in California the range is nearly always expected to be part of the kitchen.

{My Viking is the best range I’ve ever cooked on}

I have 2 Smith and Hawken teak benches that I’d like to keep. They are impossibly expensive today. I would figure out a spot in the yard or on a patio.

9 sets of dishes, no, they would all have to come with me! (They are not complete sets, mostly dinner and salad plates for over half of the patterns, but I do enjoy using them all.

Anyway, this was just for fun, an exercise in what if… Do you ever fantasize about a move and what a new abode might be like?

{Home} Kitchens, continued interest

18 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Designer, House and Home

≈ 12 Comments

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kitchens

We remodeled our kitchen in 2003. I’m talking taking it to the studs, same footprint. It’s hard for me to believe that it’s already been 9 years. The kitchen has fulfilled all of my hopes and expectations I had when we embarked on the project, so many years ago, and it’s held up well for the most part.

That doesn’t keep me from being stopped in my tracks when I see a beautiful kitchen. In fact, my “favorite kitchens” file is the largest of my saved images files. While my kitchen is pretty tiny I find I have saved kitchen images that feature huge kitchens as well small ones, and I’m pretty sure many of you enjoy kitchens as much as I do because the blog sites I visit regularly often provide some of the prettiest examples.

My apologizes, I not only have lost the source of this image, but I love it so and can’t remember if I’ve used it before.

So, I think that as fall is coming and I tend to cook a lot more in the cooler months, here are some ideas if you’re in the midst of planning your dream kitchen or just need some “pretty” to brighten up your morning.

{vignette design}

The one thing our kitchen lacks is a breakfast area. I love the kitchen/breakfast area below.

{Barbara Pervier design}

This kitchen [above] is the kitchen of a 640 sq. ft. home. I always marvel at how much style can be found in a small space.

Fine art in the kitchen is an unexpected treat. I do worry that it would be my luck the marinara sauce would splash!

{Color Outside the Lines}

The kitchen below is a favorite for the map of Paris over the stove and for the pretty dutch door.

{Things that Inspire}

How clever is this? [above] If you are a dog owner the sense of this built in doggie bar has appeal. Notice the drawers with the dog bone cut-out for various canine necessities, so cute.

The kitchen below has a fire back that serves as the stove’s back splash. I wanted to do that when we remodeled but couldn’t find a fire back within our budget. Instead I installed a pewter looking tile with a rooster on it.

{Home Bunch}

This little jewel of a kitchen features several favorites: The chandelier over the sink, the art on the side of the cupboard on the right, and the Carrara marble, among other details.

{Country Living}

What I love about the kitchen below is the glass front cabinet…for a dish-aholic this would be the best thing ever. Storage for a variety of dish patterns, all fully justified, can be a challenge.

[Home Bunch}

{Phoebe Howard via Design Chic)

…and last but not least, blue and white is always welcome in a white kitchen or one with stained cabinets.

Do you have a preference, stained cabinets or white? What is your favorite counter top material?

{Party} Some seasonal finds via blog land

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, Recipes, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

≈ 14 Comments

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recipes, Table Settings

I believe autumn is at least partly responsible for the extra enthusiasm I experience during this time of year, that or the cooler weather which aids with slumber and allows me to stay more energized. Therefore I feel like cooking more, trying new recipes. Does this happen to you?

~I hope you aren’t sick of my speaking of Autumn and the seasonal traditions and go along with it~

{via}

Blog land is bursting at the seams with great ideas and inspiration for all things fall, but there have been a few recipes that were so tempting I thought I’d share them with you.

If you’re going to eat, you know you’ll have to set the table so I’m including some nice table settings too. [I’m a full-service blogger]

{via Party Resources}

We don’t have maple trees in our area but we do have a tree (Liquid Amber) that gives us a show of color, but the branches are very high and it’s not on our property so you can see my dilemma. I wonder if the branches (above) are real or faux?

Let’s start with this delicious Skinny Spiced Latte Recipe from Yummy Mummy Kitchen. Marina nearly ruined my day when she mentioned that the Spiced Pumpkin Latte you get at most coffee houses was 390 calories! It’s not that I have them that often but I didn’t know this calorie fact, they might as well be considered meal-replacement at 390 calories. I know, I know, just order it with non-fat milk. Ugh, not nearly as tasty. So, maybe you will find this to be a delicious, low calorie replacement…I’m going to try them.

{via Yummy Mummy Kitchen}

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte :: by Yummy Mummy Kitchen, Marina

Pumpkin Whipped Cream:
makes about 25 (2.5 tablespoon servings)

1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
10 ounces TruWhip (available at many grocery stores including Ralphs and Whole Foods)
sprinkles or additional pumpkin pie spice for garnish, optional

Place pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until combined and smooth. My organic canned pumpkin was quite hard and this beating helps it smooth out. Add the whipped topping and beat in just until combined. Transfer to a 11×7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Alternatively an 8-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish could be used. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the freezer until ready to use.

To make lattes:
8 ounces brewed coffee
1/4 cup warmed low-fat milk (or however much milk you like)
Stevia to taste

Add milk to your coffee and sweeten to taste with Stevia or your favorite sweetener. Top with pumpkin whipped topping from the freezer. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice or sprinkles, if desired.

Everyday Occasions by Jenny Steffens Hobick had a soul-warming soup recipe that was hard for me to pass up. She has some delicious soup recipes, and for me, this time of year is ideal for soup and crusty bread and maybe a salad.

Chorizo & Vegetable Cream Soup | Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Grilled Cheese

1 pound of chorizo sausage
3 carrots, diced
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed with juice
4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of cream
4 cups of fresh spinach

fresh mozzarella
tomato, sliced
fresh basil
baguette, sliced
olive oil
1 clove of garlic, whole

Remove the sausage from its casing and break it up into small/medium pieces. Cook it in a sauté pan on a medium/high heat, rendering some of the fat. Add the carrot, mushrooms and onion and cook until soft, approx. 5-7 minutes. Add garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes by squeezing them in one at a time. Continue to break them into bite size pieces with the spoon. Add the juice from the can of tomatoes.

Add the chicken broth and cream. Add spinach. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Slice the baguette, pile with mozzarella, tomato and basil and top with a second piece of bread. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook sandwiches for 3-4 minutes just until they start to brown. Flip and repeat. Rub a raw clove of garlic on the crusty sides of bread.

ƒ ƒ ƒ

I really like the simplicity of the table setting below. The array of interesting colors that pumpkins come in work with almost any decor. I especially like the white baby boo pumpkins.

For our main course, this recipe is from my good friend, Jean. She prepared this dish for a ladies’ luncheon years ago and it continues to be a seasonal favorite. Super easy too. I do not have a photograph of the dish but I promise, it’s really pretty.

Chicken/Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
3 cups chicken broth
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup butter
2 packages Uncle Ben’s White & Wild rice, cooked*
1 cup sour cream
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
¾ cup Craisins
1 cup cashews

Preparation Instructions

Shred cooked chicken breasts, set aside. Melt butter in skillet and cook mushrooms until most of the liquid is absorbed.

*Cook rice according to package directions [omitting the spice packages] using 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup water.

Combine soup, sour cream, cashews and Craisins with chicken and rice. Spread in 9” x 13” baking dish and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until hot.

{via Stone Gable}

and finally, for dessert…

A site I’ve only recently discovered is one that is guaranteed to provide constant entertainment…talk of the house is written by Kelly. A wife, mother and school teacher, Kelly lives in Georgia and her posts are always informative and fun. She recently posted her family recipe for Apple Cake. I plan to bake it this weekend but visit HERE for some mouth-watering pictures to entice. {I cannot figure out how to copy a picture from her site so you’ll have to visit, but you won’t regret it}.

Fresh Apple Cake:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 ¼ c. oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

3 c. freshly shredded apples

Grease and flour a tube or Bundt cake pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together the flour, soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl whisk the eggs together. Then whisk the oil in with the eggs. Pour the eggs and oil mixture into the sifted flour mix. Beat to mix well. Beat in the sugar and the vanilla. Stir in the apples and the pecans. Pour all into the greased pan, and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool only a few minutes, then turn out on your cake stand.

Icing:

½ stick butter

2 Tbsp. milk

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

Place all ingredients in a medium pot on the stove. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Brush, or pour, on to the warm cake.

Serve with whipped cream.

{via Party Resources}

Those of you who can’t quite give up summer could set the table with a nautical theme and sunflowers. A great blending of a season ending (the nautical) and a season that’s arriving (the fall colors of a sunflower).

{via Hampton Hostess}

Are you cooking more now that the weather has cooled? Share any easy recipes you have tried with me, I’d love to hear from you.

I’m joining the party over at Centsational Girl, seasonal foods, yummy.

{Home} My friend’s home, Bainbridge Island, Part II

11 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

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T & L Home

As I mentioned HERE, I spent 6 delightful days on Bainbridge Island and surrounding areas of Seattle last month. I was visiting Linda, my dear friend, along with her sister, Gretchen (another dear friend). Linda and I go way back and our love of houses is just one of the many shared interests.

Linda and her family moved to Bainbridge Island about 14 years ago. She grew up in Corona del Mar, California, a lovely beach town in Southern California, and resided in the area up til then. It was hard for all of us to see her go, but once we visited this beautiful state, we understood and now look forward to regular visits.

You travel a gravel road off of a main road on the island to get to Linda’s house. The stack stone sets such a pretty picture as you drive through what seems like a forest for a few yards.

As you approach their front door you notice the lush, green ferns and large granite stone near the porch.

Linda’s had the antique wagon for years, I love it’s aged patina, and with pots of boxwood, it creates an inviting entry.

Linda’s father carved the bird to the left of the flower pot.

Geranium’s love the humid air of the island.

Once inside the front door there is no end to interesting and attractive vignettes along with some beautiful antiques and wonderful art…

I believe Linda acquired this antique side board from an antique store in Orange County nearly 35 years ago.

The other side of the entry has a built in book case. In addition to cookbooks, Linda has a collection of American Country hens.

This photograph doesn’t allow you to see the details of these collectibles.

The dining room and wet bar sit to the right of the entry.

Linda and Tom had the dining room table custom-made and it accommodates 12 dinner guests with room to spare.

On the far wall of the dining room sits an antique pine cupboard. Linda has a complete set of Villeroy & Boch ‘Petite Fleur’, so pretty on this cupboard.

Another great antique pine piece in the dining room.

Tom collects Scotch and these two Scottish nutcrackers were a gift; the wall under the cabinets in the wet bar are lined with corks the pair have collected over the years from many a perfectly delightful meal with wine, shared with friends and family.

wet bar

This is the view of the back of the house. The home sits on a 5 acre lot. Other than the home and drive, with adjoining yard and outbuilding only accounts for a fraction of the lot, the rest consists of towering trees.

As a Southern California girl, I’m awed by the size and stature of these trees.

This is the view as you eat your English muffin and sip your coffee every morning.

A couple of years ago Tom created a cutting garden. The battle between the deer and Linda and Tom wages on, they hope to plant enough herbs and flowers for all to enjoy!

The stones that retain the garden were from the property.

I failed to take nearly as many pictures as I had planned but I wanted you to see some of Linda’s home. I’ll have to visit again to get some additional photos of the other rooms in the house…good excuse, right?

{Party} Autumn entertaining ideas and an easy recipe

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining, Halloween, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, House and Home, Recipes, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

≈ 12 Comments

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Apple Tart

I may have mentioned that I like to entertain, and cook. {I guess it wouldn’t be a very fun party if food wasn’t involved} The problem is this, I really, really like simple recipes and preferably recipes that can be made in advance when I entertain.

{Jenny Steffens Hobick}

Fall entertaining is especially fun and I enjoy some of the ideas I have ~~stolen~~ borrowed from very creative people across blog land. Jenny Steffens Hobick is one of my favorite sites for entertaining menus and table settings. She and her family recently moved, and with a baby, her recipes are practical and simple but her presentation is always beautiful and many can be made ahead of time. As you can see from the table setting above, simple but stylish tablescapes are the standard with her. If you’re interested in cooking, visit Jenny.

Another favorite site for delicious and healthy recipes is Marina over at Yummy Mummy Kitchen. Marina makes every dish she serves look appetizing and pretty on the plate, and her recipes are almost always lean towards healthy, although you’d never suspect it by the fabulous flavors each recipe provides. One more creative blog site to visit and borrow from when planning a menu for family and friends. I’ve you’ve never visited Yummy Mummy Kitchen I urge you to have a look.

{Yummy Mummy Kitchen}

Autumn table settings appeal to me partly because you can use natures bounty from the farm, {wish I lived on one}, the surrounding outdoors, or your market. Pomegranates, apples, leaves, acorns, nuts, gourds, mums and the ever-traditional pumpkin can all be arranged in any combination to create a beautiful and festive table.

~ Recipes from Yummy Mummy Kitchen and Jenny Steffens Hobick will be featured in an upcoming post ~

If you are planning a party that requires an invitation there are a variety of papers you can purchase that can be printed on a home laser jet printer. We have the good fortune of living near a Paper Source store, where there are more options than I can think of ideas for, but it’s sure fun to mix and match the various papers with inserts and envelopes.This is an invitation I made when a few years back I hosted my friend, Cayley’s birthday luncheon. She enjoys an autumn birthday, so brown tones seemed fitting.

{Victoria Magazine}

{via}

If you are planning a Halloween extravaganza, wouldn’t it be fun to have Hubby or a friend dress up like a butler and serve beverages for guests?

{via}

The table setting below is interesting and doesn’t follow the typical fall standards, bust out and try some of the new colored vegetables with your flowers and candles the next time you entertain. It’s fun to think outside the box sometimes (the rule-follower, ‘fraidy cat said).

{via}

So, on to a great recipe…

Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for a “Quick Easy and Yummy Apple Tart” What’s not to love about this, right? But since I ~~insist~~ usually test recipes that I offer, I tried it. It is beyond really simple and it turns out {and tastes} as good as Ree’s picture looks, without stress or strain in the making. Rather than make you copy and paste the recipe, since I can’t figure out how to create a “printable copy” on my blog, I’ve given you the link, PW not only makes printing this recipe easy, she gives you a step by step pictorial tutorial on how to make this yummy dessert.

{Pioneer Woman Cooks}

If your weather hasn’t changed yet, or like a few of my blog friends, you live where it is just changing seasons to spring, you may want to move your party outdoors.

{tumblr}

Even the birds are into the season!

I hope Autumn will bring you plenty of fun meals with family and friends.

♥ Karen

{GHP} A visit to Bainbridge Island, Washington, Part I

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Travel

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Bloedel Reserve

I recently took a trip to visit my dear friend Linda (and her husband, Tom) on Bainbridge Island. I’ve visited before with Hubby, but this was mostly a girl’s trip. Gretchen (Linda’s sister) and I flew up mid-September and were thrilled to escape the last days of a heat wave that had swept our usually-mild climate out, and ushered in temps and humidity resembling Houston!

We arrived to a glorious 70 degree afternoon with lows expected in the high fifties. Ahhh, this is what the week before fall should feel like.

Linda had a flexible itinerary for us and the first day had early morning shopping on the Island and then a much anticipated visit to the Bloedel Reserve. Created by Prentice Bloedel (son of a prominent lumber company owner) and his wife, Virginia, the couple lived on the 150 acre property from 1951 until 1986. The pair worked with landscape architects, Thomas Church, Richard Haag, Fujitaro Kubota and Iain Robertson, but the overall vision was that of Mr. Bloedel. The grounds and house are more beautiful in person than any photograph can capture, but I wanted to share a few of the images with you. If you ever get to Seattle and care to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, this is a worthwhile stop.

Linda is on the left, I’m on the right. Since it was such a sunny day (unusual for Seattle surrounds, right?) the hats were useful.

The walkway up to the front door of the house was shaded, but the home is lovely and there is a tour available (free with your admission to the grounds) of the downstairs.

The front lawn slopes to a pretty pond, where, the day we visited, several Canada Geese (Goose?) were enjoying the mild weather.

This is the back of the house…the view from the back is…The property was donated by the Bloedel’s to the University of Washington in 1970.

The side of the house provided one more spot to relax while absorbing the beauty of the grounds.

The Canada geese followed us around to the back of the house to keep an eye on us as we sat admiring the view of the sound.

This reflecting pond is a calming space and the general area where, upon their death, Virginia and Prentice were buried

More than half of the 150 acres are left untouched as second growth forest. Prentice believed that the serenity of the natural habitat was a place people could “gain wellness”.

There is an abundance of teak benches in various spots off many of the trails. They invite you to sit and smell the forest, so to speak.

When trees are toppled by storms or high winds, the Bloedel allows them to remain and new trees sprout up from the deep roots. This old tree root almost looked like a sculpture of a spider web. My photograph doesn’t do it justice.

In deeply shaded locations lichen and moss cover this fallen tree trunk.

The Bloedel’s planted a moss garden with dozens of varieties of mosses. Volunteer ferns crop up and you’ve got a beautiful sea of green.

There is a Japanese inspired tea house complete with zen sand area but I failed to get a photo due to the afternoon shade.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little escape.

If you want to read more about the Bloedel follow the link.

{Home} Fall around the house

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, House and Home

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

Autumn decorating

So its onward and upward…we’re on a march to cooler temperatures, warm cider, glow from a fireplace, and a general theme of cozy around our house. Comfort foods and a recipe or two will come in a later post.

I wanted to share some ideas for the little touches you can add to your home to embrace the season…if you’re more of a flip flops, warm weather loving person, that’s okay. I understand, sort of.

It doesn’t take much to create a feel of the season with just a bit of bounty from Mother Nature. Pumpkins come in so many colors these days, even my orange hating friends can find a pumpkin that works for them. But a throw draped over a chair, careful placement of a few candlesticks and/or votive candles and a few branches of turning leaves can create an inviting vignette for the season.

The pewter sugar bowl holds faux Pottery Barn acorns because there aren’t many oak trees in our neck of the woods and even if there were, the squirrels would beat me to the stash. {they look pretty real don’t they?}

During this time of year my nesting instincts take over. I want to add a few accessories to the mix. When spring/summer comes I’m always ready to shed the extra items that feel good from October to late February.

I placed a nest I found abandoned in our backyard in a pewter porridge bowl, the feathers were also found on a walk nearby, the quail eggs are real, but purchased from a store called Urban Gardener.

I love that so many creative people have taken the pumpkin way out of the box…this white pumpkin has been stamped with insects and other critters, appropriately creepy for Halloween.

{via}

Ralph Lauren (above) does fall better than most, love that man!

I don’t have a library like this and my dining room table wouldn’t fit in this space, but don’t you love the idea of dining in the library…especially for the cooler months.

Martha Stewart (above) always has some fantastic ideas for the season, no matter which season we’re talking about. {I wouldn’t want to eat each meal at a picnic table, would you, but the centerpiece and the picnic benches are attractive.}

{Pottery Barn}

RL with his bold bed linens, calico print and plaid. I’m probably too cautious to veer out of our solid sheet selection, but I admit, it looks inviting for a bed to crawl into after a blustery day.

{tumblr:That Inspirational Girl)

Fall and winter are nature’s way of urging us to relax, smell the cocoa and read a book. For me that equates to some serious time in a chair, feet up, throw over legs (if it’s cool enough).

~or~

You could pack a picnic and brave the cold…

{via} Don’t you love the inviting look of this outdoor table setting?