Fall Home Tour - Guest Post

We are very close to being done and I am working on some really great projects to share with you soon.  But, while I finish up these last few boxes and get some more things in order Angie from The Altered Past is here to tell us all about the fall decor she has put together in her home.  

Angie is a homeschooling mother of 3 girls and loves to thrift-shop, DIY, and create new treasures from whatever she finds. You have to stop by her blog and check out all the wonderful projects she has done - you will simply be amazed at what she comes up with. So without further ado I am going to give you over to Angie....

I was finally able to get the fall decorations from around the house posted.  I think you may notice some improvements in the photos in this post.  Instead of opting for the quick and convenient camera on my iPhone, I borrowed my daughter's Canon Rebel.  Wow!  What a difference.  Certainly worth the extra time it takes to download, watermark, and then upload to my blog.  There are a lot of pictures so you may want to grab a cup of coffee and a seat.  I'll try to keep the commenting to a minimum since there are so many.  I hope you enjoy taking a small tour of my home decorated for fall.

 This beautiful gilded mirror was an auction score for...wait for it...$11!  Are people just not looking or what?  It's very old and very heavy!  I added the small wreath with a black and white gingham ribbon.

 This is a grouping of pumpkins, pine cones, leaves, and acorns...both real and, uh, fake faux.  The half moon (as my grandfather called it) table came from my mom's parents.

Yes, that's a vintage school microscope.  I thought it looked at home among the leaves, acorns, and other items from nature. 

An old strainer turned basket for found items.  I have also used it as a cloche with a starfish during the summer.  I grew up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains so I have a thing for river rocks.  

 An old crock filled with daisy mums from my sweet sister.  They were an anniversary present from her this past weekend.  The crock sits under the half moon table.

   

 Another shot of the table with ironstone platters in the rack above.

This vignette sits on the hearth near our fireplace.  More crocks!  The pumpkin topiary in the larger crock was made using the $1 plastic jack-o-lanterns and a $2.50 metallic pumpkin from Target.  Super easy and more on it later.  The pitchfork (barely visible behind the crocks) was actually used by my grandfather many, many years ago.  I love having pieces with family history.  The crocks were, believe it or not, Goodwill finds for $4.99 and $7.99!

I happen to be one of those poor souls with the huge black hole (TV alcove?) above the fireplace.  Therefore, I only took a picture of the side of the mantel.  A grapevine pumpkin and pine cones are simple and I love the natural colors against the white.  

I wish I could say I decorated my table with beautiful dishes and centerpieces, just like it was waiting for a special fall dinner.  Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is, we're homeschoolers.  For a lot of homeschoolers, that means the kitchen table is where we do school.  I did manage to place a pretty tray, an urn, and a few ceramic pumpkins in a basket in the center.  We work around it : )

The top of the antique cabinet I purchased at the local thrift store has been crowned with a garland of berries, pine cones, hydrangeas, and an ironstone tureen.  You can read about the purchase of the cabinet here.

 Another metallic pumpkin from Target and a butternut squash on the kitchen island.

 The old dough bowl, berry spray, and dried artichokes sit on the bamboo table below the antique cabinet in the kitchen.  Dried artichokes are a beautiful yet cheap fall addition.  I purchased these at the grocery store about a month ago for $.68 each.  I just kept them on the counter until they were completely dried.  You don't have to do a thing to them!  This is probably cheaper than buying artificial artichokes from the craft store!

And, lastly, I wish I could take credit for this adorable idea but I can't.  I found it on Pinterest.  The pumpkin is simply a group of canning lids (wish mine were more rusty!).  I tied mine together with a piece of twine and stuck an old clothespin and leaf in the center.  That's it!  By the way, see the potted rosemary behind it?  It's fake!  I found it at the thrift store about a year ago and I've had SO many people try to smell it or take a pinching from it.  It's the best fake plant I've ever seen.

Well, thanks for sticking with me to the end.  I hope you found something that has inspired you.  I know my inspiration comes from the many, many wonderful blogs out there.

God bless!
Angie


Thank you so much Angie for the tour of your beautiful home with all it's gorgeous fall decor. I saw several things that have inspired me.  How about you all.  Don't forget to check out Angie's blog and see all the wonderful things she creates. 

Until next time - enjoy creating something you love.  

Hugs,