One Last Hurrah and a Winner!

Fall is definitely in the air.  We had a storm blow in Wednesday night that brought the cold with it.  I awoke to a chilly, rainy morning.  Yup, it was one of those mornings, the kind where you want to stay snuggled under blankets all day with a hot cup of coffee and a good book.  

Strong winds and rain snapped off some of my large hydrangea blooms in the garden.  So I gathered them up in a French enamelware pitcher.  The pitcher sits on one of Maria's French bistro chairs.  They are one of my favorite things.  I also added them around our kitchen farmhouse table.

There are rumors of frost this week so I want to give one last hurrah to the garden and share a few photos with you.  Four hanging baskets on hand-forged iron hooks decorate the front of our deck.  We added the deck last summer.  If you missed the post, you can catch it  *Here*.  We hope to stain it white yet this fall.   

Sweet Autumn Clematis is in full bloom now!  I love it's delicious fragrance, it's like perfume in the air!  

Thank-you for sharing all of your fall decorating ideas!  They all sound wonderful and I wish I could see them displayed in your homes.  I haven't yet begun to decorate for fall, but with these cooler temperatures and all of your inspiration, I am getting the itch.  You can bet that by my next post, there might be a pumpkin here and some bittersweet vine there!  

So now without further ado, the winner of the print copy of Homebound is Becky J!  She stated that she likes to decorate for fall with layers...layers of color and texture such as burlap, rusts, barn reds and browns; layers of scents such as pumpkin {her FAVORITE}, vanilla and cinnamon;  and layers of fall itself such as acorns, colored leaves and twigs...what splendor we are blessed with in autumn!  Becky, it sounds wonderful!  Please inbox me your information so we can get your copy of Homebound sent right out to you!  My email is mgmarcusse@gmail.com.  

Thank-you to all my new and old followers!  You guys are the best!



Have a wonderful weekend,



Maria ~Rusty Hinge

Fall Homebound Giveaway

The fall Homebound edition is here AND it is now available in print form!  I can't wait to get my copy in the mail!  I am very honored to be contributor again for this fabulous magazine with a packed line-up of extremely talented ladies!     

To order your very own print copy of this edition please visit Heather at Post Road Vintage for details or *Click Here*  Below is a content list of what you will find in this edition:

Decorating with Bright OR White Fall Colors

Setting a Simple Fall Tablescape

Tips on Maximizing your Fall Garden Harvest

 A Handmade + Vintage Baby Nursery

Throwing a Fuss Free Party in the Garden

How to Make Stone Coasters

How to Make Reproduction French Grain Sack Napkins

Green Tomato Relish Recipe

Don't want to pay for it, no problem!  It is still available as a free e-zine.  If you haven't already signed up for it, just *Click Here*  It's easy and still FREE!

Because having the printed copy of this fabulous edition in your little hands is the best, Heather, has so graciously agreed to give a copy away to one of you!  It even has extra bonus content not found in the free e-zine version.  All you have to do to be entered is leave me a comment and tell me how you decorate for fall.  I would love to hear from you (and get some great ideas too!)   For extra entries, share this giveaway in anyway you can think of...you can blog, Facebook, Twitter, or pin it on Pinterest.  Just leave an additional comment for each one.  Giveaway ends September 18 at midnight.  I will randomly select one and announce the winner in my next post.   

I also wanted to mention that the FULL version (with the bonus content) can be purchased for $2 download.  It can be stored on any PC or Mac and also works with iPad or mobile.  *Click Here*

One more thing before I leave you to make your fall-decorating comments, I want to give one huge thank-you to Heather for all that she is doing and has accomplished!  This woman amazes me!  She has released the fall edition of Homebound off the back of having her sixth precious baby AND she has just opened her new online store to boot!  She so inspires me!  Thank-you again, Heather, for everything!

Maria ~Rusty Hinge  

Summer's End

How are you?  Have you been enjoying your last several weeks of summer?  Before we know it, the signs of fall will be everywhere here.  Trees will dress in their splendor, the days and nights will be crisp and filled with sweaters and blankets, and frost will eventually slip in one morning to end our growing season for another year.  Oh I'm not quite ready yet.  Even though fall is one of my favorite seasons, and I celebrate my birthday and anniversary in the fall, I'm dragging my heels a bit.  I know it's coming, I can already smell it in the air and yesterday, a small gust of wind brought several tinged leaves showering down upon me from a nearby tree.  

I think the main reason for dreading the inevitable this year is I know what season is to follow after.  Although winter is a great time to catch up on all my indoor projects, it was terribly long for me last year and I am not ready to fight the cold and snow again.  I will miss skipping out the front screen door with nothing on my feet but a pair of flip-flops!

What about you?  Are you looking ahead to fall yet dreading saying good-bye to summer at the same time?  Are you clutching at it's last days with all your might, like I am?  I know when fall is finally here I will be grateful for everything it has to give, I just wish time would slow down a little.

On another note, I would love to show you a few photos that I caught of Merle and Kitty.  They are inseparable and get along so well!

  One more thing, a huge thank-you to everyone who came out to my Antique Barn Sale on Saturday.  It was a fun day and I had a blast!  Thanks so much again!

Maria ~Rusty Hinge