Woman in Real Life

Fall weather arrived unexpectedly last week. Our central air conditioner had given up the ghost a couple of weeks earlier and we suffered through a few extremely hot days, windows cracked to no avail - only heat and humidity flowing through screens. Then, suddenly, open windows meant goose bumps and shivering. That's life in Canada. I am sure there are a few warm days ahead.

All of this is to say I'm not feeling quite ready for pine cones and fuzzy blankets. So I decorated for fall with a light and minimal touch. I shopped only from the abundance of decorative items I already own. And I plucked flowers from the pots on my deck and leaves from my Japanese maple tree. Super simple. For this fall home tour, I'm joining up with amazingly talented Canadian bloggers, including our hosts, Shannon and Christina. Visit the other homes via the links at the bottom of this post for plenty of fall decor inspiration. (Come back each day this week as more tours are added.)


The dining room is pretty much the only room in our house that (almost) always stays tidy. I don't pile any papers on the table like I did before we renovated the room. Switching out the decor each season (or more) is as easy as clearing the table, dusting and adding a fresh, clean table runner.


For a touch of fall coziness, I set the dining table with some cute espresso cups my mom gave us. (My daughter used them as a play set when she was little so a number of them are chipped.)


For a quick and easy centrepiece, I filled a snifter glass with flowers from the deck, Japanese maple leaves and a few faux Billy Buttons.



I chose a thin, lacy table runner to keep the look light.



This adorable mice-themed cheese dish is another gift from my mom. It came crashing down on the floor when the cupboard fell of my laundry room wall but it magically survived. One mouse has a little chip in her ear but it may have been there before. I'm not sure.


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If you've seen any of my home tours before, you will know that I always include a garland/banner or two. I cut this Fall Leaves Banner with my Cricut Maker. (For more about this cutting machine, visit this post.) I used a neutral white glitter cardstock because my dining room already has quite a bit of colour. I thought the sparkly white would be nice against the coral interior of our cupboard.


Over in the family room, I didn't do much in the way of fall decorating. Just lighted some cozy candles on top of my grandmother's bookcase.


I mainly focused on dusting and decorating the fireplace mantel.


I did make a cute fall mug using Cricut vinyl and a blazing fire image from the available images in Cricut Design Space. I also cut the cardstock acorns with my Cricut. I planned to put my acorn garland on the mantel again this year, however I couldn't find it until yesterday. At that point I realized that I had removed the paper acorns and the balls from the thread because it had become tangled. So I didn't get it put back together in time for this tour. You can see it up on the fireplace in my fall post from last year.


The family room has gone to the dogs. Literally. Any blanket or pillow I put out gets pawed and squashed and melded for their comfort. To be honest I have taken to leaving the couch mostly bare. Otherwise I just have to keep washing blankets and pillow covers to keep them from getting smelly.


But I can safely decorate the mantel without fear of canine interference.



I got this rustic log candle holder at the annual Bacon Basketware warehouse sale. I think it lends a nice natural fall touch that will carry through to winter.


I filled a brown and tan crock (again from my mom) with flowers from the deck and a few faux branches. I put taller Japanese maple stems in a white milk glass vase on the right. I balanced that by hanging a small, natural wreath on the wall on the left.


I echoed the round wreath with a small gold framed mirror. And my brass candlesticks always show up somewhere, no matter the season.




Over in the hallway, I didn't do a single thing to the armoire top. It's been like this for months. Probably should have been changed for summer, but now it works for fall (what with the pine cone inside the lantern and all).


To the front hall bench, I added some hygge with a tall, warm candle holder and an orange candle.


I also added a small carnival glass dish, a wooden owl and a hurricane lamp. I tucked a cozy blanket in a basket. (Okay, I know I said I wasn't ready for blankets, but one blanket won't hurt.)


We have a lot of weird angles in our house, so I included this shot, above, to give you an overall perspective of the entry and hallway. If you would like to see how to make my DIY fall wreath (on the door) head over to this post for detailed instructions.



I switched out the items on my rustic hall table.


The large vase had been on the dining room table. I think it works for any season, so I moved it here and found a couple more white and off-white items to go with it - a milk glass dish full of freshly picked apples and a small spotted vase, in which I tucked more Japanese maple leaves and a single bright flower from the yard.


I took the photograph on our trip to New York a few years back. You can see how I had it printed in this post if you're interested.

Fall 2018 Canadian Bloggers Home Tour