Autumn Archives - A Storybook Life

Dining Room Decorated For Autumn

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 by Pearl Sanborn

I absolutely love the beautiful surroundings that God has blessed us with, and as each season
unfolds, I try to bring as much of that beauty inside as possible for our family to enjoy. With
the rich bounty that Autumn brings to the woodland, finding little treasures to feather our nest
for the long winter ahead, is both an easy, and a favorite thing of mine (I have many ;)!

Every year different things catch my eye, and this year, one of those things was our hydrangeas!
They did amazingly well over the summer, and bringing them inside allows us to enjoy them for the
rest of the year as well!

I’m also in love with the fact, that our oak trees seemed to produce an overabundance of acorns
this year! I’ve tucked them here and there all over the place, & I think our squirrels would
definitely approve. Next week, I’ll turn them into Christmas decorations, so we can continue
to enjoy them.

I like to hang a hops wreath each year, and this year, a local farmer friend made me a larger
one to hang hang over the mantel. I love the delicateness and soft shades of green in the
beautiful hops flowers … hops wreaths are one of my favorite things.

I hope you had all the shades of white & green at the farm stand this year like we did! They
were amazing! Just look at that chunky green beauty on the mantel! When I saw it, I knew it had
to have a place of honor among the hydrangeas.

I started with a green and white table runner, then a piece of burlap, topped with some dried
gourds that I’ve had for a few years now, assorted pumpkins and gourds, acorns here & there,
and some beautiful strands of bittersweet. Did I mention that bittersweet is one of my favorite
things? 🙂

I found this darling little french bakers rack in a little antique shop not far from the
village. The shop keeper hated to part with it, and told me how it was one of their favorite
things in the shop… now it’s one of my favorites as well. It’s fun to go through my
cupboards, and pull out different things to display on it. Vintage yellow ware bowls,
hand carved butter bowls, quilts, linens, and dried flowers all speak of the season with
their beautiful deep shades of autumn colors.

The use of deep blue & orange is new for me this year ~ and I love it! I was surprised at
how the dried hydrangea blossoms kept their deep blue color. And those orange Chinese
lanterns give the arrangement such an unexpected pop of color!

This year, I decided to use a lot of green & copper on the open shelves & buffet table that
my husband made for our dining room. See my cuckoo clocks? The one on the far right is the
first clock that I took completely apart & fixed. Here’s another recent cuckoo clock I repaired.
I’ve repaired 3 so far, and have 3 more in various stages of repair.
I love cuckoo clocks… they’re a favorite!

The light green of this beautiful gourd, next to the deep green of the vintage yellow ware
bowl is a beautiful combination. I’m hoping this little gourd dries nicely, so I can use
it again next year 🙂

And… oh those greens in the hydrangeas! They look so pretty against the matte black finish
of the vintage bread bucket we found at the antique show this year. They add such life to our home!

While it’s true that I love all of the things our home is made up of, my favorite
things are not “things” at all! My favorites are the people that fill our home, the
family & friends that God has so graciously blessed us with.

Pearl

Acorns to Oaks – Take Joy in The Journey

October 9, 2015 by Pearl Sanborn

While walking through the forest yesterday, I was reminded again of the seasons of our lives.
It seems like every time I take a walk, I’m reminded of yet another life lesson. And because
I’m in another new season of my own, the change in seasons seems to be speaking the loudest
lessons right now.

When I came upon the acorns scattered here & there on the forest floor, it took me back to
one of my favorite memories as a little girl (I have many 🙂 )

One of my fond memories as a little girl, was playing in the grass & coming across the
tiny little treasures left by the mighty oaks that lined our schoolyard. I had pockets
full of the tiny beauties.

Now, years later, I am thankful that someone took the time so many years before, to plant
those gorgeous trees, so that I could have the adventures that I did beneath them.

Every little acorn has such potential. Inside is everything needed to produce a
mighty oak tree. All it needs is the right conditions to begin growing.

With Autumn being upon us, we see such changes everywhere we look. Leaves are bursting
with color, there’s a chill in the air, animals are putting away food for the colder days
ahead, & wood piles are being stacked to warm families everywhere. The trees are also
preparing… by giving their fruit in season, to produce a harvest for generations to
come.

Perhaps you find yourself in a new season as well. Maybe you don’t have a clear vision
on what is yet to come, and feel like you’re not growing & changing as fast as you’d
like. Don’t forget…

“Within a tiny acorn, a mighty oak is waiting! Great things always start small, so
embrace beginnings & take joy in the journey.”

Take Joy,
Pearl Sanborn

Anne of Green Gables

November 25, 2015October 3, 2015 by Pearl Sanborn

I just LOVE Autumn! It’s my favorite season, and I especially love the beautiful colors this time of year!
Instead of just using pumpkins, I like to use all of the things that “speak autumn”, mix them together.

Enjoy every moment of this gorgeous season!

“I’m so glad I live in a world with Octobers”
Anne of Green Gables

For The Love Of Autumn

September 30, 2014 by Pearl Sanborn

As with spring, autumn brings with it a sort of nesting instinct. Kitchen gardens are giving up the last of their harvest, and cottage gardens the last of their blooms. The trees are now taking center stage with their coat of many colors, and pumpkins & mums are greeting you at every doorstep. Here and there are beautiful stacks of firewood, speaking of the cozy evenings by the fireplace yet to come, and the loving hard work that provided it.

Candles give off their spicy autumn scents, and birds are now showing up by the dozens at the feeders. Apple picking, pumpkin farms, cider, chili & corn bread, hay rides and fall festivals of every kind fill these sunny warm days, while the chill of evening is growing stronger. Squirrels & chipmunks scurry back and forth at a fevered pace not only collecting nuts & other foods for their winter pantry, but leaves and other bits for making their home more cozy place for their family during the colder season to come.

Where spring was a time of building & creating nests, autumn is a time for making the nest an even more cozy place for the family to spend their time together…kind of like snuggling into a cozy, protected, warm place… HOME.

I too feel the urge to bring bits of nature into our home. It think it reminds us to be thankful for the bounty of the season behind us, and while we’re snuggled up inside, it speaks life!

Here are a few of the beginnings of our Autumn decor <3 It has begun... Here's a pile of Autumn goodness getting ready to be turned into our lovely fall decor.

I’m in love with all of the shades of white, yellow, and green that we’re seeing in the pumpkin patch this year!

My husband created this display area & mantel for me last year, and I love the light colored pumpkins mixed with a bittersweet crown & large bittersweet wreath. (bittersweet is one of my favorite things…can you tell? 🙂

And here’s a close up of one of the little white pumpkins & her bittersweet crown on the mantel. I love the evening lighting in this room!

Even though it’s just begun, I’m excited about where it’s going 🙂

Autumn Dressed In All It’s Beauty

May 2, 2016November 9, 2011 by Pearl Sanborn

Autumn is one of our favorite times of the year! Here in Upstate, NY, and in our little village… the colors, sights, and smells of the season are simply magnificent!

My Autumn Entrance

Early this morning, while driving down into our little village, the mist was so thick, and the radiant beams of sunlight made everything look as if it were on fire. As I looked around… these thoughts came to me.

What beauty lies beneath the mist
What treasures to behold
And might I ask what you’re hiding there
Under resplendent rays of red & gold
But soon enough the mist will rise
And there for all to share
The wonderful form & fashion of nature uncovered
As it now lay open, uncovered, and bare

I’m not sure about how the season is going in your area, but here, we have had unseasonably warm weather, lots of sunshine, and many of the leaves are still on the trees! Because our leaves are almost always on the ground by the 2nd-3rd week of Oct., you can imagine how thankful I am for this wonderful blessing!

I wanted to take you on a little journey with me, so you could see the village through my eyes today.

We’ll start with my front door…

I’m so thankful for my husband’s help with pulling our new entrance together! I just love it 🙂

I wanted to do something different this year to celebrate my new front entrance being done, so I decided to throw together some of my favorite Autumn things & make a display. I just love all of these Fall colors together!

More ornamental cabbages close up – I just LOVE these!

With this only being the first year for our new “upper garden”, I think it has filled in nicely! I’m looking forward to seeing the chartreuse sedum & the chocolate leaves of the ajuga, against the deep blue ajuga flowers spikes in the Spring.

All of the different ground covers are filling in the front walk nicely.

This is our crab apple’s first year with us, and look at the beautiful little fruit!

A Walk through Forest Park – Our wonderful forest located in the heart of our little village, available for all to enjoy!

Moss Hill

Neighbors

Forest Mushrooms

Lady of The Forest

He wasn’t home when I stopped by

Around the Village

Life begins again…

Fall berries

On the farm

Golden Splendor

Red Beauty!

And back into the village – We’re greeted with this amazing hedgerow of fiery red burning bushes

I hope you’ve enjoyed our little ride together! Be sure to leave a comment & tell me about how your season is going so far below!

** I have been working on several projects & I will be sharing pictures & how to’s really soon!

Creatively Yours,
Pearl

Dressing Our Cottage For Autumn

September 24, 2013October 24, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

Today, I though I would share a few pictures of the Harvest decorations around our home. We’ve had alot of fun putting things together this year, and I think we’ve decorated more than we ever have! The kids keep saying… everything feels so warm & cozy! I feel the same way, as I love the warmth that all of the candles & warm colors bring!

My husband & I picked up the acorns on a walk a few days ago.

This is my “new vintage” cabinet (I’ll share more about this piece later).

I love the pink & green squash! I picked up the black wooden bowl for $2 a while back!

Such a happy little guy – and how sweet is that little candy sack!

I decided to put this pumpkin on a candle stand.

Such a happy little family – the only way I like the little critters 😉

I recently picked up this little needlepoint for $1.25!

The vintage looking bubble glass is actually meant for a light fixture. I picked this one up at Lowes for $3!

I loved the marching crows on these prim tea towels.

Here’s the top of my vintage dining room cabinet that we bought for $2 at a yard sale!

Putting it all together

A little family of prim sheep that our good friends bought for us!

Daddy Sheep

Entry decor

Here’s a beautiful pumpkin that our friends gave us for a gift last week! I’ve wanted a pumpkin like this for a while, because I love how real they look!

I hope you’re enjoying your harvest decorations as much as we are!