Stylish notes on Decor :: Bringing the Fall inside, Naturally

Fall is here. There's no mistaking it. There are traces of it everywhere you look. Fall happens to be my favorite season. I love the cool weather, the warm colors outside, and the incredible scents that come from the kitchen and permeate the entire house. It's a very comforting time of year. We put on warm sweaters and heavy socks. Blankets come out and fireplaces are starting to light up our rooms and warm our hands, faces, hearts and souls. I love to bring bits of fall inside my home, whether it be colorful leaves, branches, pine cones, even river rocks. A couple of weekends ago my kids and I went apple picking. I have apples all over my home. I have some in a large glass bowl in the kitchen, on a large tortoise platter in the family room and a few neatly lined up on my fireplace mantel. This weekend the children and I will visit one of my most favorite pumpkin farms nestled in the hills of Shelton. There we will ogle over the amazing selection of pumpkins available in such varied shapes, colors and sizes. We will bring some back for their sheer beauty and we'll bring some back to carve. And we may just have a little fun with the spray paint... I love to spray paint pine cones and branches in silvers and golds to give them a bit more dressed up look!

I love, when the weather starts to get chilly, to make a stove-top potpourri. The steam adds moisture to the house and the scent is fabulous. You can use apples in the fall and oranges, pine or peppermint during the wintertime. I made a fresh batch of applesauce the other day and I just wanted the apples to keep simmering! In essence (no pun intended) that's what the stove-top potpourri is. I take whatever apples I have that may be about to turn and cut them into quarters - don't worry about stems, seeds and cores. Simply take your cut up apples and toss them into a large pot with boiling water. To the water you can add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves... anything you'd like. I like to pour a little bit of vanilla into the water as well. As the water starts to evaporate the smell of the cooking apples will start to permeate your home. The lower the water levels are the stronger the aroma will be. Just remember to check your water levels from time to time. When the water level is almost gone, no need to toss the fruit, simply add more water and simmer. I did this often when my house was on the market and I wanted it to smell good.

Have a wonderful day!

Jessica

Images via Better Homes and Gardens, CocoKelly, decoist, Casa Sugar, and The Entertaining House

Stylish Notes on Fashion :: Leopard Print is the cat's meow!

via Atlantic-Pacific

Our temperatures are dipping again. Gone is the heat and the oppressive humidity that seemingly had us in a stronghold and now we're embracing the cooler, more seasonal temperatures. We need to adjust our wardrobes accordingly. I love this time of year. I love everything about it. And most of all I adore the fashions of fall.

Once thought a fleeting trend if not slightly - well, tacky - trend,  this animal has shown us all that it's not only the king of the jungle, but ruler of the runway, the shelter magazine, the glossies, the streets and our homes. I've been bitten. I'm in love. And this love is here to stay. In fact, I'd be remiss to say that this print is purfect for me!

Seen on celebrities of haute couture - chic and stylish - from Jenna Lyons to Olivia Palermo, this animal print can be worn all year long, in any season. Leopard print can be whatever you want it to be and can complement and accentuate your own style whether casual, playful, sophisticated and elegant. Perhaps that's why I love it so. I believe my own style embodies a little of all of the above... I have a casual side - but it's more a casual sophistication... and playful and whimsical most of the time.

Pair leopard with anything you wish from a pair of denim or white jeans to black leggings or dress pants. A leopard print black coat looks gorgeous over a little black dress. If a coat (I'm coveting one at the moment!) is a bit too much, you can scale down the pattern with an accessory such as a pair of shoes, a scarf or a bag. Do with this pattern whatever you desire. Go ahead... Have fun! Go wild!

via Mark D Sikes

via Pinterest, original source unknown

via Ralph Lauren

via Social Bliss

via Pinterest

via The Simply Luxurious Life

via I am chic

via They All Hate Us

via Mullbury

via Pinterest, original source, unknown

XOXO,

Jessica

Slow down, you move too fast...

we have to make these fall mornings last!

via Tumblr

We had a non-stop-crazy day yesterday and I have a non-stop-crazy week ahead of me. We're battling colds and so I think a slow and lazy day is much needed around here. I have to pack for my trip to Boston and Newport. I am so honored to be a part of the #InstyleTour, a design and blogging conference, brainchild of Todd Venditouli and Andie Day that takes place in Boston on Monday and then on Tuesday I am meeting  up with the fabulous Cynthia Bogart, founder of The Daily Basics. A couple of projects to complete and a couple of meetings. All good, but very busy!

So today as I start and wrap up projects, pack and tackle laundry and my children's schedules, I'm hanging out in my flannel pajamas with the most wonderful fall smell in the air. I'm so relaxed right now I'm worried that I may lose any intent to be productive today! 

via The Entertaining House

via The Entertaining House

A couple of weekends ago the children and I went apple picking. I truly think we came home with 40 pounds of apples! We cooked and baked a lot and we placed more around the house on platters and in large bowls to add some fall to our decor. The apples, now two weeks old are a little soft to eat on their own so we're thinking of other ways (other than baking) to use them up. One of my favorite things to do is to simple take some apples, cut them in half or quarters, and add them to a large pan with some cinnamon or cloves... nutmeg. Really you can add anything. Sometimes I add a drop of vanilla and this morning I added a drop of orange essence. Lemon rinds, orange rinds... the possibilities are endless and what you get is the most wonderful aroma in your home. To do this bring the water to a boil and leave it at a rolling boil for a few minutes, then turn the flame down to medium/medium low and let the fruit and spices simmer on the stove top. You can keep this on the stove-top all day if you'd like, simply remember to check the pot from time to time to check water levels. When needed simply add water, the spices are already there and now in concentrated form.

If only I had a screen for my fireplace... Today would be a perfect day... I am on the hunt for one, however!

Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing end to your weekend!

XOXO

Jessica

Celebrate Monday... Celebrate the last days of Summer... Celebrate the start of something new!

For many of our children, and for many of us, this Monday marks not only the beginning of a new day, and new week but a New Year. Today is the first day of school. There's excitement, as children look forward to getting back to their friends. There's trepidation, as many children are starting school for the first time or are embarking on the journey to a new high school or college. And there's elation, as parents all around rejoice to have some semblance of normalcy, structure and rhythm to their daily routines again... And then we'll remember how we've forgotten about the craziness of our lives with the advent of sports and all the other extra-curricular activities, followed by hours of homework late into the night... And before we know it we will all secretly be wishing for the restful days of summer to return! We'll be wishing that we didn't have to be at three different locations at once, and we'll be wishing to spend less time rushing, and less time driving and less time and less money at the gas pump! Ah, be careful of what we wish for, they say. And indeed it is true!

My youngest one starts school on Thursday. (The point of starting so late in the week? I am not entirely sure!) My older two start the following Wednesday, after Labor Day, as all schools should start.

For all my whining and bellyaching, begging, pleading, wishing for school to start, I am the first to admit that I am not entirely ready to let my littlest one go. I could keep him home with me for a few more weeks. My older two desperately need to go back. They need their friends. They need structure. They need to step away from their computers, iPads, iPhones, DSs... I'll allow the Kindles. They need to create and interact and use their brains. If you have teens you will understand. They are a completely different beast. They do not engage themselves in play the way the little ones do. They don't pick up games, or Legos or arts and crafts - unless I force them to do so, and even still the results are iffy at best.

My littlest one still plays. I love watching him at play. He can play with Legos or his cars or his army men for hours on end. He can take an old fashioned teeter-tauter and decorate it with different colored electrical tape so that, in the end, it looks like something that could have been created by Piet Mondrian. Or he'll grab a bucket of buttons, a glue gun (under my supervision) and completely cover an old pickle jar with colorful buttons of all sizes and shapes - We're still on the hunt for a perfect candle to place inside. He creates menus... he's wildly creative. He'll go outside and kick a ball around, or blow bubbles, or draw on the driveway with chalk. These are all the things my older two did when they were little but seem to have forgotten how... or seem to have lost interest... or simply, have just grown up...I'm not quite ready to let this child go... Summer is for little children... the excitement of seeing a firefly for the very first time in the season, for catching it in a jar, for building sandcastles, chasing butterflies, catching frogs...

Today, we will spend our day traipsing through Target, CVS and Staples locating all the items on our back to school lists... A grown-up treasure hunt, if you will, with items so esoteric we'll scratch our heads as we walk down aisles locating a certain type of zippered accordion folder that seems not to exist here on earth. We'll be loading up our carts with papers, pens, pencils, composition notebooks, two pocket folders, and loose-leaf binders. I will be purchasing at least a dozen binders today. A dozen. And at least two dozen notebooks! My daughter needs a special calculator that costs $100. Seriously. I beg to ask, whatever happened to counting on your fingers? And this may have something to do with the fact that my basic math comprehension does go beyond the 4th grade curriculum. I do still love back to school shopping and I am looking forward to picking up a few things for myself.

So, this week will be a combination of wrapping up the end of summer and enjoying the last of what she has to offer. We will also be focused on preparing for the New Year ahead. Another season is over. Another season is about to start. Another summer bids us farewell, another fall greets us warmly, with open arms.

Our children are getting older... Time doesn't stand still and we shouldn't either... We may complain, we may wish it to pass, and then it does, in the blink of an eye and all we have left is a fleeting memory. I've complained over and over again about this never-ending summer, but truthfully I know that every moment should be savored - Every moment is precious.  Please remember to embrace the moments -  the good and the bad, the happy and sad... Our children really do grow up too fast!

I need to start savoring the every day, the ordinary day...

So this Monday marks the beginning of a new week and the beginning of the end of summer for us. We have been given a last chance, allowing us to enjoy our last summer ice creams, our last trips to the beach, our last romps on the playground... our last days of sleeping in... These days, as much as I begged for their arrival, are indeed bittersweet.

Happy Monday to you all... Celebrate Monday... Celebrate the last days of summer... Celebrate the start of something new!

XOXO

        Jessica

On children, and summer... and fall

Today's piece is inspired by a touching post on my friend's Facebook page... As the summer ends, chapters of many of our books are ending as well. Some of our little ones are starting school for the first time while many of our older children will be leaving the nest and heading off to college. This time of year brings with it mixed emotions. As we say goodbye to summer and send our children off to be in the care of others we must learn to let go. Our children will be fine. They will be in great hands. They will grow and thrive and become more of who they are destined to become. We have given them love, affection and strong foundations. We now need to let them learn to become their own people. As summer ends and autumn approaches we have so many wonderful things to look forward to. We can still take advantage of these last warm days and yet we can all look forward to all of the wonderful things that fall has to offer... Cooler temperatures that allow us to put on our cashmere sweaters and toss warm blankets over our shoulders... beautiful foliage, apple picking and pumpkin picking... Large mugs of warm spiced cider or mulled wine... Our days will become shorter and we din't have to put down those delicious sink-your-teeth-into paperbacks, instead we will move from beach blankets to warm crackling fireplaces, or outdoor fire pits... To summer we will soon bid adieu, but we know, as with our children, young and old you will return to us before we know it!

via Tumblr

On Children

Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might

that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend and I hope you are all able to get out there and take advantage of these wonderful last days of summer!

XOXO

Jessica

Short days ahead

I've been seeing something of a new trend emerging. Normally, I am not one for trends. Trends are not true fashion. They do not stand the test of time and they come and go with a quick batting of thick, beautiful eyelashes. Yet trends have their places in our fashion histories. Sometimes we look back fondly and sometimes we laugh at them. The 1980s was a decade filled with them, mostly laughable! I remember my stirrup pants, paisley prints, massive shoulder pads, big hair, rip and torn clothes, black rubber Madonna bracelets. Yet, as horrific as these may seem to us now, they held a very special place in our growing hearts. Many of us came into our own in the 80s and this was the decade where we could first start to figure out who we were and express ourselves. We would later grow and the trendy items would get tossed aside and replaced by those items better suited to our needs, bodies and personalities. My wonderfully colorful Benetton sweaters, my frivolously pouffy Laura Ashley dresses with super-sized Peter Pan collars, loafers with the pennies, tighter than hell Calvin Klein and Sassoon jeans... All those wonderful items have a special place in my personal history. Since those years, two decades ago, I have grown, matured and found my true style. I am not a trend-setter and I do not bow to fashion. What you see when I am out is a perfect reflection of what I am. I like the classics, good, genuine, long-lasting pieces that have staying power. I am not a slave to a label - price or size.  I try on what fits and if the 6 happens to fit better than the 4 I tend wear, that's the size I purchase. I think it is lovely to have a few high ticket pieces in my wardrobe, but lately I have no budget. I still look for classic pieces with staying power. I look for something that can be worn many different ways. I look for pieces that go with what I have in my wardrobe. I look for classic, timeless and elegant, because that's what makes me feel best. But timeless and trendy can play well together. As can elegant and casual, expensive and inexpensive. When I am asked what my style is, I never hesitate to say Classic with a twist... Class with Sass! One must have fun with their style and never take it, or life too seriously.

Trends, when seasonal, are fabulous. So when I noticed that shorts are being worn well into the fall, and perhaps into the winter, I though, indeed, isn't this clever! I am always looking for a way to extend the life of some of my clothes. I love my shorts and if I can pair them with sexy cashmere cardigans, sheer linen blouses with scarves, blazers, tights and even boots, well this is a trend I will embrace!

As I started curating pictures for this article, I noticed how varied and versatile this look can be. One doesn't have to be 20 years old with a pair of mile-long, killer legs to make this work. Even I can pull this off. Even little ol' me! Heels always add length to your legs. Dark tights always make them look leaner. Boots can add fun or sophistication. Whether you opt to wear a more grunge-like buffalo plaid, or a pretty silk blouse, the shorts look can successfully be carried off well into the fall.

Photography credit: All pictures below have been curated from my Pineterest board, and original sources are all noted there.

Do you like any of these looks? Which is the one that best describes you?
I simply adore the sheer navy polka dotted blouse with the jean shorts. Simply Adore it!

XOXO

Look at something as if for the very first time...

Too often we fly through life barely coming to a full stop. Sometimes life forces you to slow down. Sometimes you have to force yourself to slow down. The holiday season is almost upon us and we'll have fewer opportunities to do so. My shoulder surgery last Spring forced me to not only slow down, but to come to a complete stop. Initially, it was a hard thing to do. But in the end, I saw the benefits and so now, whether I am coasting or speeding along life's highway, I make sure I take the time to look around and appreciate the beauty all around me. I have learned to make time. Our days are busy and full, but there is always time to stop and smell the roses... or, as in my case, take in the amazing, wondrous sights of our fabulous New England foliage. And be sure to look at whatever it is as though you've never seen it before. The beauty around you is tremendous!

XOXO

 

 

The view from my front door at 8:22 am, Sunday October 24, 2010

Despite the lack of rain this summer our autumn is turning out to be simply spectacular! It is truly my favorite time of the year. I love everything associated with this time of year... the sights and smells. I love my fall wardrobe and putting on sweaters and light jackets and knowing that our fireplace will soon be in use... I love baking with fall fruit and the aromas that swirl around the kitchen when this happens resulting in delicious treats and happy faces from happy children. Fall tends to be a busy time of year for families with children involved in sports. We tend to rush, rush, rush. But today,  I am going to slow down.

As I was walking downstairs a short while ago, I noticed all the spectacular colors outside the large foyer window. I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed my camera. I stepped outdoors (remembering in the nick of time to turn off the alarm!) and took pictures from just outside our entryway.

I decided, after looking out and taking in the beauty all around, that today I would slow down and enjoy my day. I've had a rough week.

I got my first agent rejection letter. Ok, so it wasn't really a rejection letter. It basically said that the material could not be used as submitted. I should feel free to call this week to discuss with her or I could work with another agent if I already have one lined up. I will follow up with a phone call. I would love to hear her thoughts. I think, also, she needs a clearer view of my vision.

It is suspected my Alexander may have ADHD. I was shocked when I heard this but now, after watching him, I may concur with teachers and learning specialists. He will be evaluated over the next couple of weeks. Christopher was diagnosed with ADHD at the same age. Their symptoms are quite different.

Rebecca was diagnosed with pneumonia this week. A lifelong asthmatic she has had issues with this many times over the course of her not terribly long life. She is getting better now.

Alexander crawled into bed with me last night. Snuggled. Clung to me as though he was clinging for dear life. Snoring incredibly loudly. I could tell he was struggling to breathe through his little congested nose. He's been lying quietly next to me all morning. This is not like him at all. He feels warm to the touch and has fallen back asleep. He denied the Motrin but took the decongestant...

So I will take it easy today. I will nurse my little one and tidy up the house... Perhaps I'll bake something... perhaps I'll work on a nice big pot of soup... Perhaps I'll write some more... perhaps I will get some reading done. If I can I'll sneak out to my older boy's soccer game. He has a home game... Alexander might like to be outdoors later. Or maybe he'll want to stay in bed in his Christmas pajamas... either way is OK with me... We'll enjoy a nice slow day... together!

Fabulous Fall: Transitioning Your Home for the Cooler Months

Today Coryanne of Housewife Bliss rounds up our Fabulous Fall series. Here she gives us some fabulous pointers and visuals as to how we can best prepare our homes (and ourselves) for the cooler months to come. I hope you all have enjoyed this series. I certainly have!

*****

Autumn seems to be here and gone before the New Year is being planned, leaving little time for planning and only a smidgen of time for doing…because lets face it, once the children go off to school, you decide on Halloween costumes, you find yourself scrambling to order your Turkey, and wishing that you had spent 10 minutes fitting those draught exclusions to your front door.

If you do nothing in the next 3 months to get ready for winter, do these 10 tricks to looking like you have been hustling around the house in time for the final leave to drop.

10. Retire your summer wardrobe. Mend, clean, polish and store your summer threads and heels so that they may grace your summer months again. There is nothing worse than opening your new seasonal wardrobe to find it in need of TLC, so be merciless with your T’s, tender with your soles and kind to your well-worn threads.

09. De-clutter your make up and toiletries. Everything has a shelf life, and chances are those half used creams, scrubs, tonics and powders that got you through summer will not make it to next year, and will do nothing for you in the windier and cooler days ahead….besides once you have room, you will have the perfect excuse to rush out and buy Autumn’s new best sellers.

Image courtesy Fashion Bomb Daily

8. Stock the pantry. Nothing says ‘fall kitchen’ like a ladder full of pulses, tinned tomatoes, pastas and grains. Make sure you have everything you need for a season of stews, roasts, soups and other hearty meal options. Here is a good guide to get you on your way,
http://www.housewifebliss.com/2010/01/25/how-to-make-your-pantry-do-all-the-hard-work/

Image courtesy Designer Closets

7. Check your draughts in your window and door-frames. There is nothing worse than finding that you have a draught only once they weather has turned and the shops have all sold out or doubled the price.

 Image courtesy Richard Gordon

Image courtesy Turkey Feathers

6. Swap your table service. I tend to use dainty dishes and cutlery in the summer, and heavier materials in the autumn. There is something about serving a stew or roast dinner in a heaver dish that makes it more enjoyable.

Image courtesy Country Living

5. Surround yourself in textured fabrics. Corduroy, herringbone, wool, denim, velvet, even (faux) fur are delightful fabrics for fall. Nothing says ‘stay a while’ more than a sofa dressed with full tactile pillows and throws.

Image courtesy Elements of Style

Image Courtesy Decorpad

4. Detail your car. Those long summer road trips complete with sand, greasy drive through lunches and sticky youthful fingerprints have reeked havoc on your car. Give you car a through clean, polish and it will love you all season long.

3. Give you Garden an Autumn makeover. An autumn garden can give you more than gold and red. Plant some Bachelor’s Buttons in Cornflower for a dash of blue or even Viola’s for more cool tones. While you are out there enjoying your fall garden, ensure you have a colorful February and early spring by planting your snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and tulips now.

2. Grow a winter herb garden. Heartier herbs like rosemary, savory thyme, chives, and garden sage can withstand the cooler winds of fall and will give you an abundance of seasoning for your autumn cooking. To learn more about a winter herb garden, click here. http://www.housewifebliss.com/2010/08/23/housewife-101-how-to-plant-a-herb-garden/

1. Give ‘em a good beating. Your soft furnishings have worked hard for you all summer, and will work even harder in the coming months, so roll up your sleeves, grab a broom and start dusting your rugs, here is a good guide to getting it all done yourself , click here
http://www.housewifebliss.com/2010/03/19/spring-cleaning-guide-for-march/

Or maybe just take them to the professionals and enjoy a lovely heavy bottle of red with your girl friends!

Fabulous Fall: Transitioning Your Wardrobe

Today the lovely Lilly Lemontree gives us sage advice as to how to best transition our wardrobes seamlessly from summer to fall. Since Fall weather is so unpredictable, we often need to create new rules and although we may be ready to pack up and put away our summer clothes, temperatures often won't allow us to do so. My Los Angeles friends are experiencing temperatures in the 100s. Cashmere cardigans are not even in their thoughts. Meanwhile, here in New England we may wake up to temperatures in the 50s and see them climb well into the 70s or 80s by lunchtime. Below, Lilly Lemontree gives us currant, stylish advice as to how to stylishly dress the part.

 ******

I have always loved the fall and the month of September in particular (Now, now, summer, don’t go getting all offended. You are still quite dear to me and if you happen to talk to me around February, you will find me waiting for your return with bated breath but after what seems like months and months of hot temperatures and sticky humidity, the first few weeks of September seem like a breath of fresh air). As of late though, I have been known to refer to it as a month of confusion. You may be asking “what’s to be confused about, Lily?? The little tykes are all safely back in school (was that a sigh of relief we all just heard?? I swear it wasn’t me!) and the adults have gotten back to business and a little more order.”

Well dear friends, the confusion unfortunately lies in the flip-floppy weather that I have been told we have global warming to thank for and in turn, the daily game of ‘what should I wear’ turns into an Olympic competition of sorts. I am convinced of this every time I go to pick up my children afterschool, run to the market or meet up with friends for a cup of coffee. For example, yesterday while standing outside waiting for my children to be let out, I stood behind two moms who were chatting. One was dressed in a tank top, short capris and sandals while the other had chosen a thick, hooded sweater, wool pants and knee high boots. As I stood behind them, I thought about what an odd looking couple these two ladies made but as I started to look around the schoolyard, I noticed quite a few individuals who if mapped out based on their attire, represented all the climate zones in North and South America. 

Difficult as it may seem at this time of the year to predict the weather, it is really quite simple to transition your wardrobe from one season to another with a few easy steps, five to be exact! (I’ll insert my most appreciative ‘thank you’ to our wonderful hostess here at The Entertaining House who has allowed me an open platform to offer my ‘sage advice’, which keeps me from counselling total strangers on the street and running the risk of being hauled away in a police car. Thank you EntertainingMom for keeping me out of the clink!)

1) Switch out your shoes:

Back to the depths of the closet go all your sandals, flip flops and anything that exposes your little toes. Ditto for anything white. (Since you are giving all your summery favorites their walking papers for the season, give them a wipe with a soft cloth, checking for any stains that might settle while they hibernate and take anything that needs a little more TLC to your local shoe repair or cobbler to be properly cleaned and repaired)

Shoes you can keep out? All the lovely ballet flats and closed-toed kitten heels that have been all the rage this summer.

 Bring forth the loafers in caramel shades, ankle boots in cafe hues and oxfords with stacked heels.

Talbots

Bennetton

2) Divide and conquer by material.

Much like all your white clothing and footwear, there are a few fabrics that denote summer and summer only. Send packing anything made of linen, seersucker, madras and gauzy, tissue-weight cotton. Most other materials can be kept around for awhile and by the end of the month, you might even pull out the corduroy and mid-weight wools.

3) Most of us think we have to tuck away anything strappy or sleeveless come Labor Day but with the help of an array of covers you can get a little more time with any of your favorites! Keep all your tanks, shells and cap sleeve tops in rotation by throwing on a hot fall trend like a boyfriend blazer or turn to a classic like a pashmina scarf, lightweight cardigan or denim jacket to finish your outfit. Some chilly mornings can turn on a dime and blossom into a warm and sunny afternoon, in which case you lose the topper completely or show your ‘true prep’ and tie your cardi around your shoulders! This works vice-versa as well, since we all know that the sunny blue sky that guided us to work in the morning can turn an ugly and downright frosty grey as we head home. Throw on that topper and keep your goose bumps at bay!

Ruffled Cardigan from Talbots

Gwyneth in her boyfriend blazer and cropped pants

4) Let pant hems ‘fall’ south, south of the mid calf that is! While mid-calf and ankle length cropped pants are perfectly acceptable and downright trendy at this time of the year, it is time to banish any pant that lands above that. Not sure what region to stay away from? Stretch out your hand, place your thumb at the bottom of the knee cap and lay your outstretched hand across your calf. That cute little pinky of yours marks your border, anything below that last digit is free game!

Mid-calf cropped denim at Talbots

Rachel Zoe sporting her crops

5) Accessories are your last line of defence (so to speak) when it comes to transitioning into fall! Gone are the beachy totes and straw bags and in come pocketbooks, purses and satchels in animal print (faux for those of us that care to be kind to the little lizards and crocs) and heavier skins (leather and suede). Also on trend once again are the abundant scarves and wraps that can be layered on or whipped off in a wink!

Lizard satchel at Brooks Brothers

Julia Roberts and her chic scarf

Since I have shared my ‘secrets’, it’s time to share yours!

How do you transition your wardrobe from stylish summer to fashionable fall??

Dishing it Out: Transitioning Your Table from Summer to Fall

I was perusing the web looking for inspiration for a blog post. I hopped over to one of my favorite websites, ElleDecor to see if there was something that might inspire me. I have been talking, and thinking, a lot about fall. We have had a few lovely cool and rainy days that allowed me to temporarily pull out the denim and cashmere. How nice it felt to slip into a pair of soft and faded jeans that hugged my body and curves in just the right places. How nice that soft sweater felt! Shortly we will be transitioning our wardrobes to reflect the colors and temperatures of fall. I will do the same with my home. (Lilly Lemontree and Housewife Bliss will be my guests here shortly with there expertise and exceptionally wise ideas.)

Today our New England temperatures will rise a bit. We'll not be sweltering like our sisters in the South or in Texas, but we'll don our shifts and sundresses again. As my wardrobe needs to transition seamlessly from summer to fall, so should my home. Bright citruses and pastels seem oddly out of place as we approach September.

My initial thought was the color orange. As many of you know, and I have written about my love affair with orange in the past, I am passionate about this color. Orange, and it's many hues, seems to be the perfect color to transition us from the hot summer sun to the cool, crisp autumn breezes.

This was the color scheme I had in mind.

Really, is this not the perfect fall palette?

And so I started scouring the internet for ideas as to how to perfectly transition my dining room and dining room table...

I saw this plate and thought, how perfectly autumn! (From 101 Plates, Sunset Blvd.) This plate has that above-mentioned color scheme that I so love and I think is so perfect for this time of year.

So I perused the web some more, stopping here and there at the Hermes website to oggle and drool a bit. Oh what fun I had! How sad to have the tastes of a billionaire and yet no income!

This setting could transition seamlessly from Spring to Summer to Fall... 

I'd love to have you all over for dinner. I will bring out my finest china for you!

We will begin with a light, warm soup from this elegant terrine along with a perfect crisp and crunchy baguette. Immediately after...

We will go ahead and enjoy a nice salad. I'll have picked some fresh arugula from the farm down the road coated lightly with a dressing made with oil and lemon and some freshly shaved Parmesan to grace the peaks.

And then dinner. We'll have perfectly roasted cage-free, grass-fed hens served with fingerling potatoes lightly sauteed in fresh herbs, garlic and sprinkled with just the right amount of sea salt. I'll serve my famous roasted Brussels sprouts. Please do not turn up your nose until you have had them! I cook them to perfection. Lightly coated in olive oil, salt and pepper, I roast them until they turn brown, slightly crunchy and deliciously sweet. You'll ask for a second helping!

After dinner, you will have to make room.

I'll bring out these smashing teacups. Since I am dreaming I won't have minded paying close to $350 a pair! I will fill them with a nice strong espresso for your pleasure.

And then I will complete our gastronomic adventure with the most wonderful apple pie around! It won't be homemade, though mine is quite excellent, I am told. It will hail from another farm about a mile down the road. And while I am there picking up their scrumptious apple pie I will decide, on a whim, to pick up the most amazing boutique vanilla ice cream showcased in their freezer. There is no other quite like it! 

After dinner has been served I will carefully slide the apple pie from it's tin container onto the beautiful plate above... On second thought, no I wouldn't. I couldn't bear to cover up that beauty and dirty it with crumbs and ooey-gooey apple pie stickiness. No, that is quite something I could never do. Instead I would hang it on my wall so that all could enjoy the view!

I would be lying if I didn't tell you I got a little distracted along the way. With my little eyes I spied the perfect fall accessory for my family room... It would look lovely hanging over the rich chocolate leather couches... It would look even lovelier hanging over my shoulders!

In the corner, over by the fire place, I'll hear my cell phone ring. I left it in my bag. I reach into my absolute most favorite bag and retrieve the phone and listen to the message. My good friend wants me to join her and some other girlfriends for a glass of wine. Can I go? I jump up, fold my blanket back up and head upstairs to freshen up, brush my hair and put on my jewelry.

The watch is the perfect fall accessory. Looks wonderful with my camel-colored cashmere cardigan, faded denim jeans, and the orange bag, of course!

Before I leave, I quickly toss my Hermes Leica camera into my purse. You never know when a picture needs to be taken!

I'm just about done with my post and my wonderful reverie when my eye catches sight of this wonderful and perfectly fall place setting... I could let my imagination go on and on and on but decide not to.

And what sparked this delightful reverie in the first place?

This place setting...

Right from the ElleDecor website.

This easy and elegant table setting comes from no other than JCPenny!
For just $45 The 16-piece place setting won't break your bank account either.

With many thanks to Hermes in letting me indulge in a little daydream!
And Alice, you were in my thoughts the entire time I wrote this! XOXO

Something Sweet, Warm and Festive to Mull Over...

Image courtesy Southern Living

There's nothing more New Englandy than hot mulled cider on a cool, crisp afternoon. There's nothing more pleasing to the senses than the smell of cooking apples, Cinnamon and brown sugar simmering softly, smoothly on your stove top. This warm beverage is a wonderful treat for everyone. You can even add a little brandy or rum to it for the older set. It's too bad that it's not Saturday and we're not all sitting around the fire place sipping our warm mulled cider after having come in from raking and jumping into all the newly fallen yellow, orange and red leaves.

Especially since today, September 30th, is National Mulled Cider Day.

But the weekend will be here soon, and if it's not scorching where you live you may want to make a batch. You may want to go apple or pumpkin picking with some friends and then invite them over afterwards for a nice warm mug of mulled cider.

The drink is simple to make.

You'll need:

fresh cider
whole cloves
cinnamon sticks
whole allspice
cheesecloth
large stock pot
brown sugar
ladle
mugs

Directions:

Pour one gallon of fresh cider into a large pot on the stove or into a crock pot or slow cooker.
Add a half cup of brown sugar.

Place 1 teaspoon of whole cloves, 1 teaspoon of whole allspice, and 3 cinnamon sticks on a square of cheesecloth and tie up. Add to the pot.

Heat the cider to a boil, stirring regularly. Leave the pot uncovered so that you and your family or guests can enjoy the warm, delicious aroma.

Once the cider boils, lower the setting to simmer for at least another 15 minutes to allow for thorough infusion of the spices. Stir occasionally.

Remove the spices from the pot and ladle hot mulled cider into mugs or other glasses designed for hot beverages.

Add a Splash of rum or brandy for a perfect Afternoon Delight!

Personally, and I am sure this is no shocker to you all... I am more of a Mulled Wine Girl.

I adore a warm mug of mulled wine. I love how all the flavors come together in your mouth. I just love how this beverage warms you to your core. I make this a good bit for friends in the cooler months.

Picture and recipe courtesy, GoDine UK

You'll need:

2 bottles of medium-bodied red wine
1 cup sugar and more to taste
6 cinnamon sticks
15 cloves
grated nutmeg
2 oranges

Push the cloves into the skin of the oranges, then quarter the oranges
Pour the wine into a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan and warm over a medium heat. Add the sugar, spices and clove studded oranges. Do not let the wine simmer and as soon as it starts to do so turn the heat down low as you don’t want it to boil or it will lose its alcohol content! (This is an important bit of EntertainingMom information!)

Taste for sugar and add more until it tastes right for you.
Keep it steaming over a low heat for about an hour or so to allow the spices to infuse.

You can also add:
Star anise, bay leaves, mace, ginger, cardamom, lemon, lime, brandy.

I just love a nice Mulled Wine. I love the feeling it evokes, the new cooler weather, the upcoming Holiday Seasons and of course, the wonderful memories of my youth...

As many of you know my Grandparents lived in Europe for most of my life. The had a lovely home (which I showed you some posts earlier) in Oxfordshire. They had lavish parties in all their homes, but I remember fondly their Christmas celebrations in England. I remember the warmth of the people and the food and the mulled wines. Christmas was such a different, and lovely, experience across the pond. But a memory that I will carry with me always was that of when I was just 12 or 13. There was a nice family of boys that lived in a converted barn just next door. A family 0f 8 boys! Each lovelier and more polite than the next. And there was a cousin who came to visit. And I was invited to join them to go caroling in the village. I had never gone caroling and was happy to join them. It's such a happy thing to do. You're happy singing and the people who open their doors for your are genuinely happy to see you.

Once we had done our caroling we made our way back to my grandparents' house. And the children joined the adults. And The Cousin, who was much older than I, was perhaps 14 or 15 and poured me my first mulled wine. (It was not uncommon for children, especially teenagers to have a small amount of wine at times in Europe.) And I remember how wonderful and lovely and warm it tasted. And we chatted. And this cousin was really sweet. And really good looking. And at the end of the night, as he left with his cousins, each nicer and more polite than the next, The Cousin thanked me for keeping him company and planted a sweet little kiss ever so gently on my cheek. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Swooooooooooon! And I haven't washed that cheek as long as I have lived! Ok, I have... but the memory of it all will last a lifetime. And my fondness for mulled wine still is strong!