autumn Archives - At Home in Arkansas

Seasonal Flavor

October 18, 2016 by Norma Edwards

Cooler temperatures often send us into the kitchen for warm, hearty meals—and, of course, holiday treats. Thanks in part to its key ingredient, pumpkin bread reigns as one of winter’s most scrumptious delights.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Mix baking soda, flour, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Slowly mix dry ingredients with butter and sugar. Fold in pumpkin puree until mixed thoroughly. Grease a 9×5 pan and pour batter into pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

GLAZE

Ingredients
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 T milk

Combine milk and sugar, then drizzle over slightly cooled pumpkin bread.

Save

Fall Porch DIY #3: Kathryn J. LeMaster

October 23, 2015 by agill@athomearkansas.com

Today, Kathryn J. LeMaster is giving us step-by-step instructions for recreating two of the handmade elements that made her fall porch design so cheerful, warm & eclectic.

Burlap and Twine Banner

1. Depending on how long you need to banners to be, get several yards of burlap (color of your choice) at local craft or fabric store and a spool of twine.

2. Trace out your first triangle on the burlap with a piece of chalk. You can adjust size here too, but mine were about 6-8″ wide across the top to leave room for the holes and about 10-12″ long. So it looks sort of like a “skinny” triangle.

3. Cut out your first triangle, then use this one as the pattern for the rest of them. Continue cutting out triangles. The amount will vary depending on the length of your banner, but I used about 30-40 total. To ge tthe most out of your fabric, invert the triangles right side up and upside down, side by side, to avoid dead space or wasted material.

4. With your stack of burlap triangles now, take the first one and inset about 1/2″-1″ from the top and sides, cut a small hole with scissors and finish “burning” through with a hot glue gun to singe edges, finishing off the edges of the hole with a small ring of hot glue to keep edges from fraying. Do this to all triangles.

5. Take the spool of twine and your first triangle, and thread through the first hole from the back, across the front of the triangle and back through the second hole. Slide it down the twine to the desired length, leaving about an extra foot of twine at the end for adjusting. Continue threading each triangle through the same way and sliding down the twine so they are side by side, about an inch apart. Continue adding triangles until A. they’re all gone or B. you’ve reached the desired length!

6. Leave another extra foot of twine at the other end before cutting from the spool. Mount as desired with small tacks or tape, depending on application.

7. Voila! Enjoy your handmade burlap banner!

Half and Half Wreath (I call it this because it’s half ready made/half hand made to save time but still look home made!)

1. Get a basic grapevine wreath at local craft store as your base to make the wreath bigger.

2. Get a smaller, ready-made faux floral wreath to add some color and fullness.

3. Layer the two wreathes, and bind with floral wire in at least three points to make them appear as one wreath. (mine was brown to camouflage with vines)

4. Add your own variety of fresh or faux stems, leaves, or blossoms to give it a more realistic and handmade look! I used a variety of dried fresh floral stems, such as wheat and other leafy stems and colorful dried flowers. Stick the sprigs in all the way around as desired to mix in with the faux florals and create a more “live” wreath look.

5. Voila! You just “made” a fabulous wreath in half the time with half the effort! 🙂

Learn more about Kathryn and view her work at kathrynjlemaster.com.

See more images of Kathryn J. LeMaster’s front porch decor in the October issue, HERE.

And find more fall porch DIYs HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Fall Porch DIY #2: Jana Hunter

October 14, 2015 by agill@athomearkansas.com

Living in the beautiful state of Arkansas provides a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and decorate our homes as the four seasons change. For me personally, I adore fall. There is something special about the crisp, morning air while enjoying a hot cup of coffee or embracing the cool nights layered with a favorite blanket. Fall’s arrival also brings forth an array of pumpkins, gourds, and colorful mums scattered among front porches.

Front doors are also a fabulous backdrop for additional seasonal décor. Each year, Indian corn is gathered and displayed on my front doors as a fond reminder of my childhood home’s fall decor. You may also create this festive display using the following items: 3 ears of Indian corn, 4 to 5 stems of wheat (I used artificial found at a local craft store), ribbon of your choice (2 varieties), twine, and scissors.

Lay 4-5 stems of wheat gathered together on a flat surface.

Next, fluff the husks on the corn to add dimension.

Place 3 ears of Indian corn on top of the gathered wheat. Ensure the top portion of the corn meets the gathered point of the wheat.

The 3 ears of Indian corn create a triangle when stacked.

Secure the Indian corn to the wheat with a piece of twine tied on the backside.

Cut a 50” piece of ribbon of your choice and tie in a bow on the front side.

For a layered look with a punch of color, add another 50” piece of ribbon tied in a bow.

Backside of the Indian corn and wheat

Display the Indian corn and wheat on your front door by securing the backside of the ribbon onto a brad nail hammered into your front door at an angle.

With the addition of your new Indian corn and wheat front door décor, I hope you enjoy this beautiful fall season!

Learn more about Jana and view her work at janahunter.com.

See more images of Jana Hunter’s front porch decor in the October issue, HERE.

Outside the Box with D. Keeley: October Update

October 13, 2015 by agill@athomearkansas.com

What a gorgeous fall we are having! I can’t believe it is already October, but I am absolutely loving the mild weather and blue skies lately. I hope you are, as well! I decided to take advantage of some of that beautiful weather this weekend to get the front porch and entry dressed up for autumn. I didn’t go quite as big as I have the past couple years, but I still wanted a little something to celebrate the season in style. So, I thought I’d share the transformation with you, in case you are in need of any easy ideas for decorating your own outdoor spaces.

The entry had gotten a little drab, to be honest. The begonias I planted this spring were fading, and the door mat had certainly seen better days. The variegated maiden grasses at the stairs are in full bloom, however, and made for a good start!

I began my seasonal makeover by tossing the door mat and swapping out the old begonias for new ornamental cabbages, along with pansies and violas in beautiful red-wine tones.

Next, I decided to use a pair of urns I found recently to anchor the doorway. I love how tall, narrow and simple they are. Filled with these vibrantly hued chrysanthemums, they stand out nicely against the dark color of the house.

The urns are nice in their own right, but they also serve as the base for an arbor of grapevine and bittersweet. To create the arbor, I simply pulled apart a grapevine wreath from the craft store, stuck the larger ends of the branches into the soil in the urns and trained the vines over the door. A small concrete screw and some wire anchor the very top, so it won’t fall down.

Once the grapevines were in place, I added branches of fresh bittersweet throughout the arbor. The rich colors of the bittersweet echo those in the mums and cause the arbor to “pop” against the dark brick.

Next, I hung a natural honeysuckle-vine wreath on the front door and embellished it with more bittersweet to match the arbor.

All that was needed then, was the final finishing touch (You guessed it!)…pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins! As I said I took it easy this year, compared to past years, but generous piles of fresh squashes, pumpkins and gourds are a must for me and help tie the whole front porch display together!

So, one more year’s autumn display is under wraps! I hope my neighbors like it as much as I do, and I hope it helps inspire some of you to Live Outside the Box by enjoying your outdoor spaces, as well as the bounty of the season!

Exterior designer Daniel Keeley is an Arkansas native and founder/principal of DK Design. His work has won numerous awards and accolades and is featured regularly in various publications. For more information visit dkdesignoutdoor.com.

Follow the Outside the Box house through the seasons, by reading Daniel Keeley’s other posts, HERE.

For more fall DIY door and porch decorating ideas follow the blog all this week, beginning with Cara Hazlewood’s post from yesterday, HERE.

Fall Porch DIY #1: Cara Hazlewood

October 12, 2015 by agill@athomearkansas.com

When At Home in Arkansas asked if I would be interested in designing a fall front porch for their October issue, not only was I flattered that they thought to ask me, but it gave me the perfect excuse to build a quick and easy console table that I’d had my eye on for quite some time. I was totally onboard.

While I’m not a designer by trade, I jump at the opportunity to share an easy and rewarding a do-it-yourself project in hopes of inspiring others to create a home space they are proud of. At Home in Arkansas’ fall front porch challenge sounded like the perfect opportunity to spruce up my friend Alicia’s Hillcrest front porch for fall AND try out this super simple DIY console table, made from just 5 boards. This table is plastered all over Pinterest and I was ready to give it a shot for myself.

Here is a great step-by-step tutorial from thriftyandchic.com.

This table had been on my radar for a while, so I was excited to put my toolbox to work and build one for my friend Alicia’s fall front porch. In fact, this little table was so easy to build, I built two for my own house while I was at it!

Supply List:

1 – 1×12 pine board cut to desired length of the table top (the table in this post is 46” long)
2 – 1×12 pine boards cut to desired table height (the table in this post is 33” tall)
2 – 1×6 pine boards
4 brackets
Drill/Screws
Hammer/nails
Wood glue
Paint

After deciding how tall I wanted the table to be, I cut the top and two side “legs” to size and attached them together with a couple of brackets to make the table frame, using wood glue at the joints for added support.

Then, laying the 2 – 1×6 boards diagonally across the front and back of the table, I knew where to make the cuts before nailing them into place.

A quick coat of pale blue paint later, and we had the backdrop for our fall front porch scene. Not only was this table a breeze to build, but now Alicia can use it year round in her home.

Read the article online to see all three autumn porch decorating schemes > HERE

See Cara’s past DIY projects with step-by-step photos > HERE

Cara Hazlewood is a real estate broker with The Property Group and a devoted do-it-yourself-er. She writes about her home transformations on her blog, Live the Home Life

Living the Good Life with Chris H. Olsen: A Parade of Pumpkins on Pedestals

October 7, 2015 by agill@athomearkansas.com

Anyone who knows me, how I approach my craft, or what excites me knows I love pumpkins. I use them from the time I can first purchase them—sometimes directly from the grower—then deep into winter and beyond. (They can last many months—a fact that wasn’t lost on farmers in the days before refrigeration.) I feel you can’t beat their vibrant colors, wildly varying textures, or happy shapes.

Here’s the thing: they don’t have to be relegated to Halloween displays, carved up into jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins and all their range of colors and textures are wonderful complements to the fall garden.

Have you ever noticed how, oftentimes, we love our gardens the most at the end of the season? Everything is at its verdant peak—the colors more saturated, the growth more lush. You can add a mix of pumpkins (and ornamental squash) to the plantings you’ve nurtured all summer long. It will add further visual interest and make the approach of fall a little merrier.

To really get the most out of your pumpkins, why not put them on simple pedestals? You highlight their addition to your garden, add height and interest, and ensure they’ll be noticed. And appreciated. We carry these metal pedestals at Botanica, and you can use them throughout the year.

Think about the area you want to use them in. Do you want them to trace the line of your walk? Give height between foundation plantings near a wall? Create visual interest at the end of a path? Provide punctuation to an existing design? Then give them each a small stage, so that they can have their moment in your garden.

Notice that I’ve mixed them. It’s far more interesting to use pumpkins that differ in size, shape, and color than featuring all the same type. The pedestals make the point here that you’ve found really interesting shapes and colors, even warty ones, and you’re now taking them to another level. They become part of your landscape, part of your hearty end-of-season garden when used this way.

It’s a really simple idea, but (as is often the case with simple ideas) it’s a good one. And those little pedestals can be used to display seasonal bits of interest in your garden all year long. Once you elevate a bit of garden color and texture, you elevate the senses and the design appeal, which is what makes your guests want to come back, season after season.

Chris Olsen is a nationally known home and garden guru, designer, author, TV personality and public speaker. In his book, Chris shares his landscape and gardening knowledge along with his unique flair for home decor and design.He is also a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Learn more about Chris and all of his work at chrisholsen.com.

Outside the Box with Daniel Keeley: November Update

November 11, 2014 by ark_admin

I hope all of you are having a wonderful month so far and that you have had a chance to enjoy the November issue of At Home. It is packed full of gorgeous homes, and I am so excited to see the feature we shot last year at my outdoor Thanksgiving gathering! I am so thankful to the At Home team for all their hard work and to my patient (and good-looking!) friends for joining me. It was a great evening, and I hope you will be able to take away some good decorating ideas and recipes for your own holiday soirees this season. I can still taste all the delicious dishes prepared by Chef Jen Lewis. Yum! If you haven’t already seen the full article, check it out here. And get bonus recipes from this menu tomorrow, right here on the At Home blog!

Around the Outside the Box House, we have been having fun decorating for fall and enjoying the transition of the garden and surrounding landscape. Most of the summer annuals finally succumbed to freezing temperatures, so those have been removed to make way for tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs which we will be planting soon. To celebrate the season, we set out piles of pumpkins and gourds at the front garden gate and front door. I decided to go with a mostly-white-and-green theme this year, as well as with smaller, asymmetrical groupings. Don’t get me wrong: I loved last year’s pumpkin explosion! I just felt like something simpler this year.

As usual, I carried the theme to the large urns in the front garden by placing squashes and gourds among the asparagus fern which is left over from spring planting and still looks great. I also couldn’t resist showing a little botanical support for the Arkansas Razorbacks by adding red and white cyclamen. They have been going like gangbusters for almost a month now and also coordinate perfectly with the shirt of a friend who was visiting recently for a home football game. [You can see him relaxing on a bench in the front garden in the reflection in the window!]

In the planter boxes near the front door, we replaced the ivy and succulents that were planted under the boxwoods with a ‘mulch’ of mini pumpkins. This is one place where I deviated from the green and white theme, and I think the orange stripes look really nice against the dark brick of the house.

In the fountain garden, we floated more of the same mini pumpkins in the fountain for an unexpected, whimsical touch.

In decorating the front entry, we trimmed the variegated maiden grasses that flank the stairs to make the new pumpkins and gourds more visible. Instead of tossing the trimmings, our dedicated employees decided to make a couple of beautiful arrangements for tables inside and out. Recycling garden clippings like this is an easy way to get free material for decorating during any season, and who doesn’t like the sound of free?!!

We also recycled the ivy and succulents we removed from the front planter boxes to create this fun centerpiece for another table. The gilded skull was found by a friend at a local flea market and makes this a great conversation piece!

And that is just about it around here. Before I go, though, I thought I would share a couple more gates I saw recently on my travels. As I said last month, I love garden gates and entryways; for me, they add such a sense of intrigue! This grand gate marks the entrance to a historic horse farm near Lexington, KY.

And these much simpler portals lead to private courtyard gardens in Rosemary Beach, FL. Don’t you just want to go in and see what is behind them?

Thanks so much and Happy Thanksgiving. See you next month!

To see the progress at the “Out of the Box House,” read Daniel Keeley’s past updates!

Porch Love with the Ladies of Providence Design

October 22, 2014 by ark_admin

[photo source: http://ciaonewportbeach.blogspot.com]

We can’t help but be overcome with Porch Love this time of year. The thought of cooler nights by a fire, the perfect place for a morning cup of coffee, or lounging away on a lazy Sunday afternoon gives us serious porch envy.

[photo source: http://www.marthastewart.com/309572/home-tour-house-on-the-hudson/@center/276999/home-tours]

[photo source: http://www.houzz.com/photos/mediterranean]

[photo source: http://blog.styleestate.com/style-estate-blog/50-stunning-outdoor-living-spaces.html#at_pco=cfd-1.0&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=2&at_tot=20&at_si=539f6953723077e9]

[photo source: http://www.houzz.com/photos/porch/p/8]

You will find us on the porch all fall until the winter air chases us inside. What about you?

Its your turn. Lets talk (on the porch).

Providence Design is Mona Thompson and Talena Ray, a sister duo who are antiques dealers and interior designers. Learn more about them on their website, providenceltddesign.com.

Found it! Friday: ORANGE

October 3, 2014 by ark_admin

We asked our team what their favorite orange items of the moment are. Here’s what they found:

Tiffany Burgess, Managing Editor WHAT SHE FOUND: Orange Melamine Mixing Bowls

WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT IT: Fall makes me want to mix up a batch of pumpkin bread or muffins. These orange mixing bowls are the perfect hue for the season.

WHERE SHE FOUND IT: Williams-Sonoma

Chip Jones, Editor in Chief WHAT HE FOUND: A gingham shirt

WHAT HE SAID ABOUT IT: I love a Gingham shirt and this time of year makes me want to wear Orange. A Ralph Lauren Gingham button-down is one of my all time favorites.

WHERE HE FOUND IT: Ralph Lauren

Kelly Frazier, Publisher/Owner WHAT SHE FOUND: Decorative accents

WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT IT: I love a splash of orange in a room…like these pillows!

WHERE SHE FOUND IT: Burnham Design on Houzz

Emilie Head, Account Executive WHAT SHE FOUND: Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls

WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT IT: My fiancé absolutely loves Pillsbury’s Orange Sweet Rolls. This homemade version looks even sweeter. I will definitely be baking up a batch of these this fall!

WHERE SHE FOUND IT: Sally’s Baking Addiction

Zoe Barton, Editorial Intern WHAT SHE FOUND: Studded Coral Clutch

WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT IT: When fall comes around, my wardrobe starts to showcase the colors of the season. My favorite way is to add a pop of color with any accessory, whether it be a pair of bold earrings, or a twist on a classic clutch like this one from Riff Raff.

WHERE SHE FOUND IT: Riff Raff

Living the Good Life with Chris Olsen: Heads-Up!

October 1, 2014 by ark_admin

Don’t you just hate it when pumpkins get lazy? They congregate in dim corners and just sort of sit around, or they roll into each other, cheek-to-jowl? Passive and refusing to participate in what’s going on around them? Well….You can energize them, put them to work for you, rev up your decorating, and bring something unexpected to unexpected places. All you have to do is look up.

Seek those high points in your home, like shelves and the tops of cabinets or armoires. Think about what’s below, on those shelves, or featured—your collectables—and shop for pumpkins, mini-pumpkins and gourds that will bring out the life in what you already have. Think about scale, variety, color. Scale is important because you don’t want a pumpkin so large it ‘looms’ above you and your guests, and takes two people to lift up onto the surface above. And color is also something that you want to consider, because you want to complement what you already have in the room, or provide a nice contrast.

As you get your look assembled above, be sure and use some of the same elements below, which will create uniformity in your design, and even make your space appear larger. You don’t want your design to seem too polished, so look around at the pieces you already own and try and incorporate them into your look.

Don’t be afraid to bring your display into really unexpected places, like these kitchen shelves. These -out-of-the-way places serve as great little vignettes for seasonal produce heaped into a few similar bowls. Note the blown-glass irregular shaped vessels are the perfect receptacle for pumpkins and squash because they don’t obscure the fruit within, or make your design too heavy overhead.

While you’re creating a sort of natural design, go outside and find some things growing around your yard that will help you create a design point. Cut branches make a sort of ‘nest’ for this pair of pumpkins. The column capitals were nice and level, which meant the pumpkins would be fine resting on top. But the insertion of a few small stripped limbs around them gives the look a bit of texture and whimsy, which is always good.

When we think of pumpkins, of course we think of the color orange. So try to bring in a hue not as shopworn. ‘Ghost’ pumpkins are now easy to find, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And by using such a pale color above, the design is not nearly as heavy as it would have been with the tried-and-true hot-toned pumpkin.

All you have to do to give your design that extra pop is elevate it. Use your seasonal elements in unexpected places—as high up as you can—and don’t forget the good design trinity: scale, variety, color. You will enjoy the seasonal transition much more and all with only a few new ideas or elements. And it can all start with you looking up for inspiration.

Seasonal Flavor

Fall Porch DIY #3: Kathryn J. LeMaster

Fall Porch DIY #2: Jana Hunter

Outside the Box with D. Keeley: October Update

Fall Porch DIY #1: Cara Hazlewood

Living the Good Life with Chris H. Olsen: A Parade of Pumpkins on Pedestals

Outside the Box with Daniel Keeley: November Update

Porch Love with the Ladies of Providence Design

Found it! Friday: ORANGE

Living the Good Life with Chris Olsen: Heads-Up!

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