Woman in Real Life

It's a little bit summer and a little bit fall. Okay, it's a lot summer (it was 31°C/88°F here today!) and a smidgen fall. But you wouldn't know it inside my house. The air conditioner is pumping and I'm joining a whole load of talented Canadian bloggers for the Canadian Bloggers Home Tour, Fall 2017, this week. There will be new bloggers sharing their home tours every day this week, so be sure to come back and find them via the links at the bottom of the page. Thanks so much to Shannon and Christina for coordinating the whole lovely tour!


My DIY Burlap & Floral Wreath celebrates fall and the beautiful golden and red hues that come along with the season. It was super easy to make and I have the step-by-step instructions for you in this post.


Moving on in to the dining room. I got the teal sheer drapery panels for this room from Urban Barn. I love this Canadian decor store so much that I returned there to shop for my fall home tour. Besides furniture, drapery and rugs they also have really fun and unique decorative accents. I decided to start off my dining room decor with a decorative table runner. I found this Aspen Forest table runner, which is perfect for fall with its stunning forest imagery. It clearly reads as a forest theme, but the black and white colour scheme keeps it from being too overwhelming, so you can top it with whatever other pieces you desire.


You can't have a forest without birds. How adorable are these iron bird tealight holders? I got them in both sizes, because you wouldn't want a bird to get lonely, right?


Each year I buy a bunch of mini pumpkins at the grocery store. They are the item that most says "fall" to me. I also like to sprinkle pine cones liberally around the house in fall and winter.



I pulled out various faux flowers from my collection to make a flower arrangement for the dining table. I used some of the same flowers (like sunflowers) that I used for the wreath on the front door, for some consistency throughout my fall decor. I placed more sunflowers, along with a stem of maple leaves, in a tall white vase on the floor next to the armoire.


The inspiration for my fall floral arrangement was this stunning vase that I spotted at Urban Barn. It's one of their small Kerris vases, in grey-blue with a frosted finish. I think the shapely clear glass that surrounds the opening gives it a handmade look.

Since we renovated the dining room for the spring One Room Challenge, we've added a few more pieces, like another (smaller) John Hartman artwork next to the first Hartman piece on what I call the "boring" wall that houses the switches and the thermostat. I put a couple of art pieces (if you want to call them that) on top of the blue armoire too. There's a framed food still life and a copper plate that both came from my house growing up. I couldn't find a wall for them, but I wasn't prepared to let them go!


In the family room, I always have fun decorating our DIY fireplace mantel for each changing season. I started on the left with the cute and striking Darnell Deer and the Kelby Grass Bundle (for some height). Then I added a row of pine cones and mini pumpkins in white and orange.

I put a lantern on the far right to balance out the deer at the other end.


Of course I'm not happy with the mantel until it has some sort of seasonal banner or garland hanging from it. I made this cute acorn banner out of cardstock, using my Cricut Explore Air™. I also embossed the acorns with my Cuttlebug™. And I added some fun felt balls in the same general colour scheme as the cardstock acorns - grey, black, white and brown(ish). You can find the project in Cricut Design Space by searching "acorns."


In the seating area of the family room, I updated the toss cushions for fall. I love the way the Friendly Deer toss pillow and the Autumn Leaves toss pillow fit into the overall nature theme that is central to my fall décor. And Jolene the beagle mix balances out the nature theme on the other side of the couch. Because I have no choice in that matter.


I also adore this giant Shay Acorn that I set out on the coffee table. I've actually been on the receiving end of a fair bit of ribbing from my family about how much I like this acorn. What can I say? It's just adorable. It's the simple pleasures in life, right?

What about you? Do you decorate your home for fall? What's the one décor item that says fall to you?

Blanket The Country In Warmth

It's almost time for Urban Barn's 6th annual Blanket the Country in Warmth campaign. Visit blanketthecountry.com beginning on October 5th. Donate $5 and someone in need at a local Canadian shelter will get a cozy fleece blanket. It's a beautiful and affordable way to spread some warmth as we enter the holiday season.

Visit The Other Homes On The Tour

You'll get a wealth of great styling and decorating ideas to suit any tastes in these great Canadian home tours: