October 31, 2013

October 30, 2013

Fall Home

We've just had our third frost of the year. The leaves are scattered on the lawn and there is a definite nip in the air. Soon the house will be un-haunted and my harvest decorations will make an appearance. I was inspired by some of the photos I posted to my Pinterest board and I wanted to share some thoughts and ideas on how you too can cozy up your home for fall.

We are fortunate to have an abundance of birch trees here in New Hampshire. I like to use the fallen trees on my property as props. I have a large branch that I use on my porch which I sometimes cover in white lights. I also cut up a tree or two and use the logs as hearth decorations in the warmer months when the fireplaces are no longer in use. But I think my favorite way to use these trees is to cut small logs and then hollow them out to use as containers just like you see in the top left photo above. Simply cut a hole into the center as wide as you'd like and then insert a waterproof container inside. (You can use them as a vases or candleholders.)

Also I'm not a huge wreath fan, but I do like to use them in creative ways. I'm drawn to this berry wreath because of the addition of the letter (cut from sturdy cardstock or thin plywood depending on how protected the door is and then painted), and simple decoration. You could even choose red berries instead and hang it on your door straight through Christmas.

My sister-in-law brought me some Ponderosa pine cones from her tip out west years ago. My collection sits in a half-round basket that hangs on my kitchen wall and I use the rest for decoration. I sit one on top of a candlestick, I use them to hide the Christmas tree base, and I tuck them into my living room bookcase. They are works of art all own their own.

I really want to mix up my Thanksgiving table this year and the photo on the bottom right above is my inspiration. I already have the rattan chargers, the garden statuary, and my Spode turkey plates, now I just have to pull together some other key elements that will combine red, orange, and gold together. These vintage leaf plates from Etsy will do the trick. (Take a look at a few other Thanksgiving table decorations here.)


Nature will always inspire my decorating regardless of the season. I like lots of texture so anytime I can bring something outdoors in, I do. When creating any type of table setting, it's best to layer a variety of different materials (shapes, sizes, colors) together. If you don't have rattan chargers, why not use some grapevine to wrap around your dishes. You could even use a grapevine wreath if you find the right size and if it doesn't happen to be growing wild in your backyard. Dried leaves, branches, berries, pumpkins, gourds...these are just a few of the things that you can use to add style to your fall home and for very little money. And I'm wild about hazelnuts. I use them as filler in decorative dishes, and in glass hurricanes surrounding a candle or two.

images via stylemepretty.com, etsy.com, frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com, homeiswheretheboatis.wordpress.com, stonegable.blogspot.com, pin4fun8634.blogspot.com, ruthdent.blogspot.com, thefullerview.tumblr.com

October 22, 2013

Edaville Rail Run

Eek! I almost forgot to post this... It's that time of year again. Please join me, my family, and more than one thousand runners on Saturday, November 9th at the 14th annual Edaville Rail Run. If you've read my posts about this race before, you know that the Merritt family has put their heart and soul into this event. This year I thought I'd share a few photos from last year's race so you can see a little more of the action. That's my brother-in-law stirring the chowder. He's our resident chief chef and makes sure all of the food is good to go. Next to him is one of my nephews who got to hang out with us in the food tent last year (wasn't he lucky). And my father-in-law is in the background. He's the one who actually makes the chowder. It's a road race like no otherfamily friendly, lots of food (we're having BBQ and cornbread this year courtesy of Little Red Smokehouse...just one of our many sponsors who help to make this race such a success.), and all of the proceeds go to a good cause.


My youngest daughter (in the purple gloves) is running again this year. Once we get the food set up, she literally runs off to join in the festivities. I was lucky enough to catch her nearing the finish line.


And this is where I get to hang out. This was the first year the food tent was outside and thankfully it was a beautiful day. We're hoping for lots of sunshine once again, because this year we're splitting the tables and running two food stations. A new challenge for me. My girls will be there again helping serve the chowder and hotdogs. And I'll be the one running around making sure everyone has what they need. If you can catch me, please say hello!
Check out the website and please like us on Facebook. Thank you and see you there!

Edaville Rail Run
Edaville USA
5 Pine Street
South Carver, MA
Saturday, November 9th
10:00 A.M.

Halloween Party

 
These birds are watching over their pumpkin hatchery with a keen eye while keeping warm inside these old lanterns. Some of them have already hatched though they're still not ready to leave their nests. What mischievous plans do they have for the party-goers? And most importantly, will there be any candy left?

My youngest daughter had her Halloween party this past Saturday and this is the table decoration I came up with. As usual I re-use as much as I can and buy very little. The Pottery Barn lanterns were a gift. I use them outside on the porch and in the house toothey were perfect for containing these creepy little pumpkins. Birds were perched on the chandelier and spider webs completed the look. You'll recognize the birds and even the candlestick from previous year's decorations.
  
I did have to go out and purchase these cute little devils, I mean pumpkins, and the vampire teeth, but other than that I pulled things from my stash of goodies and grabbed clippings from the yard. The Spanish moss nests you see did the trick, but boy is it a pain to work with. It just gets everywhere. Keep the vacuum handy.

 
The candles are actually from my Halloween stash too. The scent is Witches Brew by Yankee Candle and smells like patchouli. This one of the few scents from this particular company that I can stand. 
  
Inserting the vampire teeth into the pumpkins was easy, just saw your way through but make sure you start smaller than you think you should to be able to place the teeth inside without them falling either in or out of the pumpkin. I then inserted peppercorn eyes into their skulls and placed them on their nests hoping they would stay put.

Once the party was in full swing, I put out my cauldron candy dish, black plates, cups, and napkins, lit the candles and cleared out.

Do you think it was a coincidence that the lights in the living room kept flickering all night long?

October 16, 2013

Rain Or Shine

Rain or shine, this is where I am most afternoons. In fact, as I write this post I'm getting ready to put on my running shoes and walk out the door. I'm fortunate to live in a town that's not far from several parks and has countless walking, biking, and hiking trails. Not to mention the high school track. I basically schedule my day around my youngest daughter's school schedule and this track. Boring? Not to me. When I walk in the woods I'm constantly looking at my feet so I don't trip, so I really appreciate being able to look around without falling down.

Just about a year and a half ago, walking around this track just once had me gasping for breath. But that's how my year-of-better-health came to be. Now I can actually run around it, but I'm not a runner. I'm a very fast walker who occasionally runs to test my endurance. I can walk 2 miles in about 30 minutes. Is that good? Bad? It's good enough. I also do a series of exercises that my generation would have called calisthenics or aerobics. Although I do like my Bowflex and Ab Glider, too, I just prefer to be able to sit, lie, or stand on the floor and get something done. Oh, and I love my bike.

In addition to exercise, I eat as healthy as I possibly can. The reason I bring this up is that I am constantly being asked, "What did you do?". I wised up. I realized I wasn't 20, or even 40 anymore. I was a middle-aged, soon-to-be-statistic if I didn't do something about it. So I did. I switched doctors and then I went to see a naturopath, chiropractor, and acupuncturist. I threw away all of the processed food in the house. I started shopping at the organic grocery store. And I kept at it.

I drink lots and lots of water and I make my everyday food more interesting by cooking recipes like Orange Chicken Stir Fry. I eat clean meats (certified organic), lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, good fats (olive oil, almonds, avocado), and no processed foods. Do I cheat? Sometimes. But I pay for it. My body now craves good food like it used to crave bad food. In all honesty, I didn't cheat for the first 6 months at least. (Email me if you really, truly want to know what I eat each day.)

As the temperatures start to drop, I'll have to put away my bike and exchange my running shoes for a pair of warm boots, but I will be out there every day I can until the snow prevents me from walking on the bare asphalt. I'm told we're in for a snowy winter. That's when I'll hit the snowmobile trails at the state park while my dogs keep me companyrain or shine.

October 15, 2013

Halloween Fun

So as I mentioned last week, I was in the lovely village of Essex, CT the week before and came across some serious Halloween lovers. I think I was in mid-sentence when my friend and I walked by this house and I said to her, "Hand me your camera." I really appreciate when someone goes all out to really scare the *bleep* out of you. There were a few more houses on the street with some decorations, but none that compared to this one. Which reminds me. I believe I've written about when the children were younger and they went trick-or-treating (sniff), we actually drove to another part of town because the whole neighborhood gets in on the action. And why haven't I taken pictures of our Halloween Street before??? Probably because it was too dark outside. Now that daylight savings time has moved, I just might have to make a visit this year and hope I don't get picked up for stalking.

Love Mr. and Mrs. Skeleton. I think Pottery Barn had some of these a while back, but I couldn't find them. I did find some at Target, on Amazon, and at KMart for not too much money. (Hey, it's an investment.)

You've got to love how they mummified their dogs even though they clearly can't leave the yard. (See the electric fence flags?)

Just around the other side of the house were the more traditional decorations, but still nicely put together.

Normally (okay, the new normal) is that I would post links at the end of the week, but time is ticking away and I wanted you all to have lots of great resources to create your own spooktacular Halloween this year! Here we go...

Halloween is less than 16 days away! Visit Stefanie over at Brooklyn Limestone. She just posted this year's party invitation.

Check out my Halloween Pinterest board where I've found lots of ideas to inspire, and my post It's Almost Time to Haunt the House where I put together a collection of my favorites.

Also take a peek at the Design Sponge Pumpkin Project.

And of course Matthew Mead is in full Halloween mode over on his blog, Holiday with Matthew Mead.

October 8, 2013

Here, There, and Everywhere

Last weekend I was in Rhode Island and this past weekend I was in Connecticut (by way of Vermont) and Massachusetts. I guess you could say that I've been on a bit of a road trip kick lately. Some of the trips were for pleasure (checking out a college campus, apple picking, attending a going away party for my nephew, saying goodbye to my parents as they head south for the winter) and for business (attending a design education conference). It's a beautiful time of year to travel through New England. I almost felt like a tourist.

The picture above was taken in Essex, CT. An adorable little village situated on the Connecticut River. My good friend stays at the Griswold Inn each December and enjoys strolling through town and staying at the lovely 18th Century Inn with her husband. We had a delightful lunch on their patio before she showed me around.


The town is quintessential New EnglandCaptain's houses, stone, brick, and clapboard facades, white picket fences, and plenty of charm. It's no wonder she visits every year. After a day of catching up and enjoying each other's company, it was time to settle in and learn a few things. The following day, I attended her mini conference and caught up with old friends, colleagues, and former students. There is just never enough time to enjoy it all.


The leaves here in New Hampshire are almost at peak. Even in Massachusetts (where this photo was taken) the leaves were bursting with color.

Photos: Essex, CT and Harvard, MA

October 3, 2013

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

Every year I make at least 3-5 pies after we go apple picking. One for my oldest daughter, one for the house, one for our neighbor, and then if I'm feeling adventurous, I might make a couple of extra to freeze. Then I start all over again when Thanksgiving rolls around, but I use store-bought apples instead.

There's always been a debate over which apple variety is the best to use when baking pies. Some people like to combine both sweet and tart varieties such as Golden Delicious and Granny Smith. Others choose apples that already have that sweet, tart quality such as Jonathan, Winesap, or Jonagold. If you like your pie extra sweet you might choose Braeburn or Fugi. If you prefer tart then you can choose between Macoun or Newton Pippin. But we like our pie both tart and nice and juicy so I bake with Cortland apples. You could also use McIntosh. (FYI, most people avoid the last two varieties because they do break down when baking.)

If you like a little bite to your pie, I suggest cutting the apple slices thicker than I'm going to recommend, but my family likes the pie to melt in their mouth so I slice my apples thinly.

Apple Pie Filling

5 cups (or 5 medium-sized) thinly sliced apples peeled and cored.
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt

Mix all dry ingredients together and then sprinkle over apples. Mix thoroughly to coat each slice.

Pie Crust

2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Crisco
6 tablespoons of cold water plus 5 additional tablespoons as needed.

To prepare the pie crust, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons water over the flour, and gently toss with a fork. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining cold water, and mix until all is moistened and combined. Divide the dough in half, and form each half into balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Prepare and Bake

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Fill a pie tin with one of the balls of dough after it's been rolled out to fit. Add apple mixture and cover with the second crust. Crimp or roll edges (or get as decorative as you want) and then cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil. Cut slits into the pie to let out the steam as it cooks (or get as creative as you want). Bake for 40-50 and remove the foil strips during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Truth be told, if I'm not in the mood or I don't have time, I cheat and purchase the already made Pillsbury pie crust. Shhh.

October 1, 2013

It's Almost Time to Haunt the House...

Happy October! By now you should know that I'm crazy about holidays—some more than others. Christmas is still my favorite, but Halloween is not far behind. It's my youngest daughter's favorite holiday so as I do every year, I will decorate the house and she will host her (now) annual spooky movie party with her friends.

This year, the photo you see above is my inspiration. (Although, to tell you the truth it's really starting to creep me out.) When I decorate the sideboard in my living room each year, you'll notice that I have a black and white framed photo among my other goodies. This picture is actually a photo of an herb that has a list of questionable ingredients for a tasty potion scribbled underneath.
In addition to the living room, the dining room gets its own decorations. And depending who is sitting down to dinner will depend on what I do. This particular year, I carried some of the decorations over from the other room and lightened the mood a little. The girls were young enough that treat bags were certainly in order. I simply added some treats to paper lunch bags, rolled down the sides of the bags, and secured them with twine. Another year I used almost the same materials, but this time I created witch's brooms. (Fill the bags and tie them off about mid way. Insert a small stick twice the length of the bag into the treat side of the bag. Shred the ends into narrow strips and voila.) Find some additional inspiration here.
The centerpiece was a cinch. Check out this how-to with a list of materials.

Of course if you're lucky enough to have little ones (I'm already thinking about costume ideas for my granddaughter...), you'll need a beautiful, funny, and/or creepy costume to scare away the goblins. Here are a few of my favorites from years past. Click here to find out how I made three out of the four costumes in these pictures here.


And here's another. The magic of childhood should live on for as long as possible. If my girls were game, we went out every year. Here is a tutorial of how I made these costumes.

So what will I do this year? Well, I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to make a wreath from grapevine and rubber snakes for the door, but that idea got vetoed right away (he HATES snakes). I think I will create a gallery wall with the picture above as my inspiration. And this year the table will be decked out with lots of Jack-be-little pumpkins, but I'm thinking they'll get a makeover and those little cuties might turn out to be little monsters in disguise. Stay tuned as I work out the details.

Top image via goodhousekeeping.com