Cozy Your Cottage
Our Liz takes us from Summer Spirit to Fall Harvest Style
Coastal dwellers never want to kiss summer goodbye, I get it! Still, as nights cool and evening air nips, even those at the beach find comfort unpacking last season’s favorite sweater or sipping warm cider with local donuts.
Small Effort, Bundles of Seasonal Satisfaction
Introducing warm natural elements into your beach home scape delivers a nod to the outdoor wonder around you. Look out your window and notice fallen acorns and pine cones, autumn leaves with their brilliant burnt colors, and corn husks drying in distant fields. All of these gifts from Mother nature can star center stage in your home’s fall decor. There’s no need to drop cash at Michael’s or Pier One, when all you need is to grab a basket and take a walk in your backyard with an open eye at what’s there for the taking.
Seasonal Strategies by Liz
Being prepared is easier than you think. At this time of year you’ll find my Rain Boot Wellies, garbage bags, pruning sheers and paper bags in the back of my car. It’s often the case that I spy the perfect bramble of bittersweet or come upon a stately Oak with a sea of acorns sprawled at its roots at those times when I’m en route to a car pool duty or headed to Target with my list. These opportunities are my daily delight to hit the pause button, jump out into nature and bring something back home that makes me really, really happy.
4 Ways to Shop your Backyard & Discover Fall Fodder:
May I suggest you bring your kids or grandkids with you on these outdoor adventures?
Nature collecting is something all kids love and gravitate towards. Treat it like a treasure hunt and you’ll find yourself with helping hands aplenty! Keep kids in constant motion. When you return home, introduce creative thinking on the simple, fun projects you’ll do together with the treasures you’ve found.
Liz’s FAV Fall pastimes that add seasonal cheer to her nest:
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Gather pine cones to feature in bowls, fireplace hearth displays, and mulch for large outdoor winter pots.
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Collect acorns to use in glass containers to secure candles or scatter on a dinner table setting for folly.
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Cut long sticks, dried weeds, and colorful berry branches for centerpiece arrangements. Incredibly twistable you can instantly create Martha Stewarteque wreaths.
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Amass large 8-10 foot plumes to feature in a large vase or urn with narrow neck. My personal favorite Fall activity! Spray the tips with inexpensive hairspray to preserve their beauty and they’ll last several years. Right now, IKEA has a perfect dark wicker vase at $29 t showcase your plumes.