Autumn Entries - Inviting Doors that say "Welcome Fall"

More Fall Nesting Rituals Happy Wednesday! It's a gorgeous 73 degrees today, sunny and a light breeze!

This time of year is my FAVORITE!

Autumn holds so many possibilites for get togethers, parties, harvest festivals and special times.

My Fall Nesting rituals include adding fall color to every room of my house, the entry and back deck. I like to drive through the neighborhoods close to my development and check out what the neighbors are doing to add Autumn panache to their entry. It seems that everybody is busy adding a little color to their yard, porch or entryway. So today I thought I would spend a little time sharing some tips for creating inviting entries that say "Welcome Fall".

Tip #1:

If you live in a formal or traditional home and like to keep your outdoor decor classic, opt to use lots of natural materials and products. Pumpkins, mums and gourds of all sizes and colors can give your entry perfect seasonal color. In the inspiration pic above (from bhg.com), the stylist has used fall hardy mums in yellow and white to complement the orange pumpkins. I love the use of various shapes and sizes and the piece that stands out to me is the white and green gourd placed at the front of the steps. These are the ideal decorations to make that pretty red door pop! The natural grapevine wreath adds another layer of interest and texture. I can just imagine being invited to visit this home - perhaps my good friend is inside preparing a delicous harvest meal - butternut bisque, braised beef roast with roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips and finished off with a caramel apple torte! Yummy! Too bad I have no idea who lives in this house! Ha, ha! :-)

Tip #2:
If you are more relaxed with your decor, you can incorporate items such as urns and place big pumpkins on top using the urns as pedestals. Perhaps your spring and summer plantings have all but fizzled out - dig them up and replace your container plants with mums or pansies. I prefer mums in shades of orange, rusty red and yellow. My entry door is black and I display a season flag that has a black background featuring sunflowers, pumpkins, gourds and mums. The brightly colored mums are quite showy in front of my door. I have an Autumn Glory Maple tree in my front yard and while most people dislike the leaves dropping on the lawn, I enjoy the scene - brightly colored leaves dotting the green grass. When it's time to rake up those leaves, I choose to save them and use them to add color to my outdoor vignettes. I love the old straw broom leaning against the brick wall. Perhaps that's a sign of things to come around the 31st of October??

Tip #3:

Having steps that lead up to your entry is great for staging pumpkins and flower pots but what do you do when you are limited on space? In the picture above (from mso.com) an old bench sitting by the door is a great stand-in for steps. It gives the opportunity to add layers of gourds and pumpkins in all sorts and sizes. A large pumpkin has been carved out to provide a great place to tuck a pot of rust mums. Do you see the three spray painted gold pumpkins? That caught my eye - a nice shiny touch to the other rustic colors and textures. For more whimsical decor use fun scarecrows, light-up Jack-o-lanterns with goofy faces and fake crows, hay bales and corn stalks. I like to hang scarecrows from my hanging basket stakes and place metal yard stakes around the planter beds with fun harvest scenes.

No matter what your style or preference don't forget to add a little Autumn panache to your entry. Welcome family, welcome friends and welcome the possibilites that a new season brings.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow I am going to share two of my favorite fall cookie recipes -

Outlandish Oatmeal Supremes and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies. These two recipes have been family favorites for years and I am sure your family will enjoy them too! They make perfect treats to share with friends and neighbors. Until then,

Live Life Beautifully!

~Alisa