The gilding of the Indian summer mellowed the pastures far and wide.
The russet woods stood ripe to be stripped, but were yet full of leaf.
The purple of heath-bloom, faded but not withered, tinged the hills.
Charlotte Bronte
I love making subtle changes to certain areas of my home to celebrate the seasons as the year marches on.
Perhaps this is because I attend a liturgical church, where the passing year is marked by the church's seasons: Advent, Lent, Easter, and Pentacost. The linens on the altar, the flowers chosen, the hymns sung all reflect the season. During Lent, our season of reflection, there are no flowers at all, followed by a lavish, exuberant display celebrating the Resurrection.
In any case, I enjoy marking the change of the passing months, just as I like observing the same thing in worship. I've learned to celebrate seasonal changes frugally, as well.
Years ago, I would purchase anything at Michaels' that captured my fancy. Anybody can do that. There's nothing especially creative or personal about buying items gathered by someone else who doesn't know my personality and paying full retail price. A cleverly eclectic decor really brings life into your home when you find one-of-a-kind, thrifted pieces.
Now I search for specific thrifted items, especally seasonally-themed vintage pictures. I've always been turned off by the ghoulish, macabre, tombstone-y Halloween items. Death is nothing to celebrate, so I stay away from all of it. Bright orange and autumn-y red shades no longer enhance my decor. I was having diffculty finding many of the white or off-white pumpkins and gourds at reasonable prices, so now I just paint them myself. The items in the white display with the mirror in the back were all thrifted from Goodwill and sits inside my fireplace.
The picture of the fall birds on my mantel, as well as the wild turkeys on my marble-top table were purchased for under $5 at Goodwill. I've been holding on to both of them since the winter in anticipation of Fall. I painted the mantel picture's frame yellow to match the living room. At this point, I believe I must have every color of spray paint ever manufactured.
I have two cloches or bell jars that I use continually throughout the year. Neither were thrifted. One is antique. I found the other on sale at Walmart. Amost anything pretty can be put under a cloche for a more important decorating statment than if the item sat alone. Although both of my cloches were over $20, I use them constantly. They have been a sort of decorating investment. This Autumn, I have a green pumpkin perched on top of fall-themed saucers in the dining from and a ghostly sepia-toned hand on top of more fall plates in the foyer area.
More Autumn finds next time while I await The Great Pumpkin...
