Autumn Decorating

Well I did it again.  I made my post too long, with too many pictures, so I cut it into two different posts.  You can thank me later!

A few weeks ago my friend and I went to some places such as Horton's in Tipton, and Open Gate in Anderson, which are great for decorating ideas.

(these were taken at Horton's)

  For the last 20-plus years I've decorated for Halloween.  We lived in town and probably got around 100 trick or treaters.  Our neighborhood would go all out.  We'd stand in the driveway and hand out candy and everyone would decorate like crazy. 

Now, we live in the country, and I have to eat all the Reese Cups myself,  because trick or treaters don't show up out here!  So I decided instead of decorating for Halloween, I was going to decorate for Autumn, for the first time ever!  Only I was going to do it my way, with colors I like!  

So, I started with these orange dollar store pumpkins.

and some dried gourds I've had in the pole barn for the last couple of years.

You can see the orange pumpkin in the background

 I used some leftover paint I already had around here.   And, I bought some small bottles of pinks, bronze, and copper at the local craft store.

 I put a table runner, which is really just a long piece of material I bought at a garage sale years ago, down the center of the island in my kitchen.

Added some ribbons and raffia to the gourds and pumpkins...

threw some candles and squash into the mix...

and a few dollar store leaves...and there you have it.  Autumn decorating with some spring (my favorite season) colors thrown in.

 Did you know you can buy these fake candles to come on at a certain time each day, for four hours!  How convenient when they are up high, such as this one.  It comes on every evening.

 Who doesn't love hydrangeas this time of year?  I put them on a cake plate in the foyer.

 Some more gourds in a wooden bowl.

I bought some silk flowers at the dollar store

and made a bouquet in a basket

 I sat a few painted pumpkins around here and there and that's it for my fall decorating, on a budget even!  Except for Candy Corn.  I had to put her out!

Cindy