CasaSugar

How-To: Create Festive Fall Votives

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:30:22 -0800

Want to add some pretty autumnal style to your Fall Thanksgiving table? Then try this great, simple trick from Better Homes and Gardens for transforming a holiday Autumn table. For a beautiful twist on boring old votives, collect colorful leaves from your backyard or nearby park. Then, tie the leaves to the votive with ribbon, twine, or yarn. Voila! You have a no-cost centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. Just be careful not to get any of the leaves close to the flame. While I do love the fiery reds of Autumn leaves, I don't actually think that I want them on fire.

For another votive idea, read more.

If you have some extra time, you can also decoupage leaves onto the votive's exterior. This will give the votive a frosted effect, and will illuminate the leaves.

Source

Cool Idea: Lighting the Dark Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:58 -0800

I've been pretty bummed about the time change, since it's usually dark by the time I get home from work. This means that any outdoor chores, gardening work, or frolicking with the dogs is done in near pitch black, or lit from sharp, glaring porch lights.

Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening at my favorite gardening store, Gardeners Supply Company, has come up with a pretty solution to combat the darkness. Besides using solar lights along pathways, she's also indulged her inner artist with a cool project.

She writes:

Last Fall we came up with a combination art project/all-season, outdoor lighting solution. We made an orb with two rusted steel bands from an old whiskey barrel planter. They're held together at the top with a rusted-iron hose guide, which fits into a metal pipe that anchors the whole thing to a cedar post. Around the center of the pipe I wove a loose ball of wild grape vines. Then I stuffed the ball with a 24-foot string of small LED lights (these are the warm white ones - I don't like the cool blue lights).

How do you light your yard or garden after the clocks fall back?

Fall Style: A Seasonally Colorful Corner

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:15:06 -0800

Lovely Little Vignettes member Deemurph created this colorful Fall corner in her home with a handsome Danish bar cart and some other finds from her favorite vintage store in Los Angeles, 45 Three Modern Vintage. I love how the warm colors are seasonal, but not in a kitschy way. I don't see any pumpkins or Indian corn here, but this lovely little vignette certainly feels timely.

The great thing, she points out, is that it will be "easy to change up this corner as the seasons transition." She says, "All I have to do is change the painting and my flowers . . . and VOILA! . . . a whole new scene!" Looks great, don't you think?

Have you created any lovely little vignettes in your home recently? Please add them to our group!

A Pretty Halloween Tablescape

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:36 -0700

Lovely Little Vignettes member Erin84 certainly has a flair for seasonal decorating. She writes, "I created this easy Halloween table scape in about five minutes and spent less than $2! I already had everything pictured, except for the white pumpkins, which I picked up at the grocery store for 59 cents each. Using what you have in new ways can create a different look each time. The options are endless!"
Have you arranged a table setting or corner vignette that particularly pleases you? Well, don't keep it to yourself! Share it in our group Lovely Little Vignettes!

10 Essential Items For Fall Living

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:42 -0700

In our quest to declutter and cozy up our homes this Fall, sometimes it helps to invest in a few essential pieces. Check out my must haves for this Fall season.
Source

View Slideshow ›

SGS1's Lovely Little Fall Vignette

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:53 -0700

Lovely Little Vignettes member SGS1 was inspired by Kimpossible's Fall decorating scheme to get to work on her own. The result is beautiful and chic! I love how she's mixed various shapes and colors of seasonal gourds. Her branches of berries really fill out the mantel and give it depth. The reflective quality of SGS1's mirror and glass candlesticks, vases, and votives really make the arrangement elegant. There's a tendency for seasonal décor to look kitschy, but she's managed to avoid that altogether.

Have you done any Fall decorating lately? Be sure to add your photos to our Lovely Little Vignettes group!

Are You Decorating With Pumpkins?

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:00:06 -0700

The farmers market last night was full of Fall squashes, gourds, and pumpkins. I haven't bought a pumpkin for my doorstep yet, but it's on my to-do list. Is there one on your stoop?

Source: Flickr User A National Acrobat

Do You Decorate For Fall, Halloween, or Both?

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:00:39 -0700

Lovely Little Vignettes member Kimpossible recently posted some great pictures of her Fall decorating scheme. She notes, "Halloween decorations go up closer to the holiday, but these stay up until Thanksgiving."

I'm curious: Do the rest of you decorate for Halloween, or do you go for Fall decorating ideas that can translate into Thanksgiving? Or, like Kimpossible, do you go all out and decorate for both?

10 Green Solutions For 10 Fall Tasks

CasaSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:00:01 -0700

While you're tackling your Fall cleaning and organizing campaign, you don't have to resort to toxic cleaners and methods to get the job done. Instead, try these eco-friendly ideas for getting everything checked off your list.
Source

View Slideshow ›

Open House: Least Favorite Fall Chores

CasaSugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:30:04 -0700

Once the season turns, it's time to compile, and check off, all of those necessary Fall chores. From sweeping out gutters to raking up leaves, there's no end to the tasks that need attending to. My least favorite Fall chore is actually scheduling appointments with handymen and carpenters.

I don't have a problem with doing chores myself; it's the time spent waiting for service professionals, and taking time off of work to let people in and out of the house, that's difficult for me to manage. Plenty of my friends dread the Fall cleanup though, and often hire neighborhood kids to rake their leaves or clean around their homes. What's your least favorite Fall chore?

Source: Flickr User Sugarfrizz