...because there is a little country living in all of us



Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Halloween Harvest Table

It's that time of year again!  The time when all the little munchkins cutesy up in adorable costumes and go door to door trick-or-treating for candy.  Yup, it's Halloween!  I normally don't specifically decorate for Halloween itself, rather I just add touches of natural fall decor to my home.  But after seeing loads of fun Halloween inspiration on blogs that I follow, I thought it would be fun to put it all together on my outdoor harvest table.   




























In case you missed it, you can see some of these photos and more over at Jennifer's The Old Painted Cottage of the Month!  I have to give another shout out and say thank-you once again to Jennifer for featuring our home for October COTM!  Thank-you again, Jennifer!




I would love to hear what you are all planning for this fun day.  Are you going to get your kiddos all dress up and take them around the neighborhood?  Do you have a Halloween party to attend?  What costumes did you choose this year?

Before I leave, I want to send out prayers and encouragement to our neighbors on the East coast.  Here in Michigan, we have been feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy with strong winds, rain and sleet, but it does not even touch what they are experiencing in any way.  We still have power and a warm house.  They do not have these and many have lost their homes.  Let's get on our knees and pray for them, and lift up those that have lost so much.  Let us all pray that they truly know God's grace in this storm.



Maria ~Rusty Hinge





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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Fall is in the Air

Welcome back!  Fall is in full swing over here.  The brilliant red, gold, and fire orange leaves have peaked and are starting to fall to the ground already, but the temperatures are still moderate so it calls for a lot of time spent outdoors.  Today is going to be especially beautiful with a high of 70 degrees and sunny, so after I post, I am outta here to take full advantage of this glorious last day!  There are tons to fit into the schedule today.  I have a deck to stain, a garden to put to bed, flower pots to clean, stack and store, and winter clothes totes to haul in from the garage.  It's going to be a busy day.  Let's hope I can stay motivated!


  

But before I head out, I'd like to highlight a few more corners of our farmhouse that received a touch of fall decor.  Previously, I gave a more complete fall tour, but if you missed it *Click here*  to view!




A French grape harvesting trug filled with miniature pumpkin gourds sits on a bistro chair in the kitchen doorway.  I love displaying these trugs everywhere!  










What do you know...another trug sits on an old farm bench in our entryway!  




















 Well, it's back to work for me!  What about you?  What projects do you have to complete before winter sets in?    




Thanks for your visit!




Maria ~Rusty Hinge





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{Primp}







Friday, October 12, 2012

Dahlias and Gourds

Before I say anything at all, I must thank you!  Wow!  You have truly spoiled me with all of your sweet comments!  I am terribly sorry that I have not been able to respond to them all.  I am way behind, but please know that it is always a treat to read each one!  You are very much appreciated!  Thank-you!




My aunt and uncle's garden was abundant with gourds this season so they gave me a few!  I was so excited to get them as I didn't grow any this year.  I only had enough room for pumpkins in the garden, because the vines can overtake each other and they can cross pollinate.  I think next year I will try gourds instead, who knows maybe every other year.  




I piled them in an antique French soupiere.  I collect these French soupieres and I love their simple white lines.  I am currently looking for a tall primitive hutch to display them.




I plant dahlias in my garden every spring and I love how they make a showy appearance in the fall.  I picked a couple of the bright red blooms for my table.  And just in time too as we have had several hard frosts the last couple nights.  They are delicate and didn't survive the frost.  They look so sad and black now in my garden.  I will soon dig up the bulbs to store for the winter until next spring.






My growing season is officially over but at least I can enjoy these blooms for the next couple days!
















In my last post, I showed you my table centerpiece of bittersweet and ironstone milk pitchers stuffed in an old apple basket.  When these dahlias fade, I will move the basket back to my table.  That is one thing that makes bittersweet so grand, it lasts a while!






Thank-you for the gourds, Uncle Duane and Aunt Ellie!  Also a gigantic thank-you to Lucy of Craftberry Bush for featuring my fall decor on her lovely blog...




and Kristin of My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia...


My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia


AND  Jennifer at Social Salutations!





Thank-you, THANK-YOU, ladies!  You made my week!  I will be back soon to highlight two of my favorite gals and more touches of fall around our house!  See you soon!



Have a wonderful weekend,




Maria ~Rusty Hinge




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Saturday Nite Special link party via Funky Junk Interiors