Decorating for Fall... 🍂 Cozy Home Tour, Seasonal Diys, & Baking Biscuits!

[music] [music] I hope you are well and having a beautiful  September so far. Today's the day we are   transforming [music] our home for the  autumn season. I'm giddy about it.   I feel like this time of year is when our home  feels the homeiest with all the warm cozy tones   and then going into the holidays. It's just a  wonderful time of year to be a homebody if you   ask me and just savor all the moments cuddled up  on the couch and just enjoying all the creature   comforts. But whenever we decorate, I have this  tradition to read this Morgan Harper Nichols poem.   She's one of my favorite artists and poets, and  this is such a beautiful one to sort of kick off   September. So, I'd love to share it with you.  Let this be the September you always remember,   the September you choose to accept. This  month, remember that joy is more than just   staying positive. Joy is a way of living, a  way of looking for light in the midst of it   all. Beautiful. I hope that's precisely what  we will do this month and this season. We have   so much to look forward to and I'm so grateful  that we get to add some elements and spend time   crafting and just soaking it all up together. We  have released the decoration bins from the garage   and we're ready to go. I have mainly pillows  in this one and then this one is mainly our   outdoor pumpkins and then this one is the interior  stuff. So, we'll start just placing everything. I   think I'll go ahead and decorate outside now,  too. I feel like I'm [music] ready for it. [music] Another blustery day as we decorate. [music] Oh my, that thunder. [snorts] I always joke that   taping these preserved maple leaves  on our window is truly the only way   we're going to see fall colors outside  of our window here in [music] Florida. I have been [music] daydreaming of  bringing this piece out again. Last year,   my friend Lee gifted me this beautiful  piece of artwork that she painted. I mean,   look at the details. It is extraordinary. It  is just absolutely breathtaking. And I love   to just transport myself to this painting as  I'm in the kitchen and cooking our soups. Oh,   I just love it so much. I I'm always so touched  when my friends create something for me. I'm so   thankful to be surrounded by such creative women  and it's just such a treasure to me. Ta. [music] Brandon gifted me this shadow box light for my  birthday a couple years ago and I love it so much.   It's designed for children, [music] but you know,  it brings me a lot of joy. It brings everyone in   the family a lot of joy. So, what's special about  it is you can [music] switch out the artwork. You   just um slide it out. And I'm debating, do I do  this adorable little [music] wilderness explore?   It is called a little explore. So adorable. Or  do I do this lovely lady baking her pies and just   glancing out of the window of her cottage? What  is this one called? Season of slow. I love them   both. I think I'm going to do the little explorer  to start and then later in the season we'll switch   to pies. When we start making pies of our own.  This was [music] another fun thrifted find and I   always point this out but I can't help myself. It  has this cute little [music] note on the back. It   says, "Helen, happy birthday. October 9th, [music]  1992." I'm trying to remember if I layered it last   time or if I took the [music] frames away. I kind  of love a layered look. I really do. It doesn't   bother me. My string of pearls plant doesn't  really thrive the most in this section, but she's   hanging in there. And I I just love how it looks.  It's so sweet. I have this crochet pumpkin pick.   I'm wondering if it sticks out too much. It's  hitting the bottom of the pot, but me, I still   kind of like it. It's so cute. I could probably  um twist or pull up some of the bottom and then   go like that. I kind of feel bad. I feel like  I'm just stressing out my plant even more. Okay,   that sizing looks a little more proportionate.  And that worked out quite nicely. [music] Okay, these pillows are nice  and squished in this bin,   so we'll need to fluff them up a bit.  But the vacuum seal helped so much, which I didn't even do this one  very properly. I could have got   a lot more air out. I made a few of these  pumpkin pillows probably four years ago,   four or five years ago. And the stem have  been giving me trouble. Well, actually,   the one who's been giving me trouble with the stem  is Mr. Palmer. He is such a good boy in all the   ways that truly matter. But he has cheekiness  deep within [laughter] his soul and he can't   really help himself with some things. And these  pumpkin stems, he just loves to gnaw on them. So,   I have glued them over and over again. So,  we'll see. I'll give them a chance because   they are so darling. But, we just need to  take it to the pumpkin pillow hospital. [music] I think this one I usually put outside.  It also needs some stem repair. This one might   just be my favorite. This is where my toddler has  deemed that all of the pumpkin pillows belong. Oh,   and this one is already tempted. [music] Don't  even think about it, Palmer. Welcome to the   pumpkin pillow hospital. Hopefully, this  will be their only admittance of the year. As good as new. I am actually very  shockingly surprised at how well   these have held up because it was [music] a  no craft and they still look very charming. I thought I would store that blue pillow  that is super blue, but the blue and the   orange together really I don't mind. Maybe cuz  I'm a Florida Gator. Go Gators. Those are our   colleges colors. [music] Yeah, I don't mind it.  And we have some other blue elements on our home,   so I think it looks good. And the blue is just  always coastal Florida, which you [music] know,   we are Flidians after all. I still can't  believe I found this handsewn trickor treat   basket at the thrift. It is so cute. My  son used it for the first time last year,   but this year is like the first year where he'll  conceptualize going trick-or-treating a bit more,   I think. It's so sweet. I remember I put  it somewhere in here last year. Maybe I   just popped it right there. That doesn't  feel totally right. Sometimes I look back   at pictures from the previous year to remember  where I put things. I feel like that's not the   best spot for it. I also have these banners that  I hang. So, let's hang the banners and then we'll   find a better spot. I might just need to move  this bowl and then it'll have better spacing. Okay, be honest with me. Am I taking the Snoopy  fall obsession too far? I saw this and it spoke   to me. It's a little Snoopy scarecrow.  And we have Woodstock here. It's just   adorable. And I had this sort of rubber  witch. I can picture it so specifically,   but I had it by my doorway growing up.  My mom would always put it out this   time of year. And I remember loving that  thing. I I'm an only child, so, you know,   I really had to use my imagination sometimes.  I it was Slim Pickkins who I played pretend   with and I remember playing with that witch so  much because it was like tall like this for you   know a little kid. So I just have very specific  memories of that. So this feels very nostalgic and   I think my kids will love playing with Scarecrow  Snoopy. I mean who wouldn't? Perfect little spot. We have pulled out our fall puzzle. This  is the one we did last year. And I think   it's so charming to just do the same one every  season. I feel like some people are, "No, no,   no, no, no. Let's do a different one. Let's  switch it up. But I find it so comforting and   I just absolutely love this Laura Peton artwork  is just oh my goodness. I get lost in the scene   and looking at it. It is delightful. So, we're  going to do this Mulberry cake puzzle again.   And this will take me three months, probably  two or three months. I don't puzzle every day   even though my ideal day would include puzzling  right before bed but or you know in the windown   hours but I do a little bit here and there but  it's so relaxing and just mindless but also it's   good for your mind at the same time. I've heard  of so many different puzzle exchanges if you're   interested in getting into puzzle puzzling.  Um, I think some libraries have them or cafes,   which I just think is so charming. So, we're  going to do this one again. It's 500 pieces,   which I just finished uh 1,000 one a couple months  ago, and that was a doozy. I think 500. I'm still   in my 500 comfort zone for now, especially for the  seasonal when I know I want to finish before the   season ends. I love this puzzle tray, too. It's  been so handy to just pull over on the couch. [applause] Oh, look. I have a cluster  that's already put together.   Don't mind the little head start. That's fine. All right. Now, turning them over  will be a job for another day.   I also keep our autumn dried  florals up in this cabinet as   well as our pumpkin Dutch oven and a  couple other delicate pieces. [music] [music] We always keep a little  container of salt on our countertop,   but time to do a switcheroo  to the pumpkin container. [music] [music] For the centerpiece of our kitchen island, I love  to make a fall arrangement with these dry florals   that I use year after year. They've lasted so  long. I'm very thankful. I got them from various   different places. Um, but we have some dried  eucalyptus. I like these funky mushroom looking   ones, too. I think these are from World Market.  Some of them are from HomeGoods, but I love the   smell of them, too. They have They still hold some  of that eucalyptus scent, which is quite nice. So,   I'm going to make a big old arrangement for the  center. And then typically we have leftover that   I'll use for just various little celebrations  or decorating. And I just love them. Oh,   we are losing some leaves. I should try to be  gentle. But it is good that I'm able to store   them in the cupboard here instead of the garage.  I feel like that helps them last longer. [music] [music] [music]   I also keep all of our fall mugs at  the top of this cupboard. They seem   too precious to just throw in a storage  bin. So, we basically just put them at   the tippity top and then I switch them over  with like the more spring and summery mugs   and I'll move those to the tippity top  and we just have a nice rotation going. [music] Okay, we have four designated fall mugs, which  feels like a modest collection for someone who   loves to drink so much cinnamon tea and fun  pumpkin coffee. But we had other pumpkin mugs,   but they're unfortunately no longer with us.  Or I know we had one other pumpkin mug. We   had a green version of this one. I suppose  it broke or I'm not sure. And then I also   had this really pretty butterfly one that I  thrifted, but I also don't know where that   went. I don't remember it breaking, but that is  something that could have very well just evaded   my memory. But I like to switch out these that  are on display with the pumpkin ones. So, I'll   probably switch out the sunshine and perhaps the  flower one and put our pumpkins in their place. [music] This dragonfly in mug is so cute. I love  the shape of it. An ode to Gilmore Girls. Oh,   and I can't forget this adorable  little espresso mug that we added   to the collection this year. But  it won't be too proportionate if   I hang it with the others. Maybe I'll  just set it right here for now. [music] What if we just put this cutie right in  here? I like that. That makes me feel happy. [music] Another little hack I have is  to just keep different photographs for   each season within the same frame. So,  I know I have a fall one in here. Trying   to remember what it is. I think it's from  when Brandon and I went to New York City. See, I have some Christmas ones. Christmas card.  I think I Oh, yeah. The mushroom one I got printed   out last year, too. Oh, where's the New York  City one? I thought I had a other one. Oh,   I also have this cute little artwork. It's the  same as our puzzle. We have mushroom. It is,   I suppose. Oh, I think the New York City art is in  the front entryway. That's what I'm thinking of. Cute, [music] cute, cute. This  photo is from last year. It's   my son's little finger reaching out to a  mushroom we had in the backyard. [music] [music] I use this tea towel as an art tapestry  instead of an actual towel. [music] So,   I'm going to give it a nice  little steam before we hang it up. [music] [music] This kind of looks like a pumpkin,  but technically it's an orange. So,   I'm packing it up until springtime. Or actually,  I usually put it out in winter in January. [music] Yikes. Something amazing is that I  have this paos growing just in water. There's   not soil. There's I haven't added any nutrients  or anything. It's just growing in [music] plain   water. and I just add fresh water now and  then. I want to start trailing it along our   wall again. I used to have that, but they  just go through seasons where they don't   they don't want to grow anymore, but this  one's very happy with its plain old water. Pulling out our soup cookbook naturally.  I didn't have this plant here last year   and I might move it still. I love  it so much and it's doing so well   here. But I might move it depending  on how scrunched we get. [music] Sweet [music] little teacups from  my grandma. I complimented them   on Thanksgiving. [music] Next thing you know,   they're wrapped under the tree for me for  Christmas. The plant is stealing the show, huh? Okay, that's going to be the reason  it goes. It's covering up these   precious handprints. I'm sorry. You'll be back. Love it. [music] And if you're wondering where I  put the stuff that I just had on the open shelves,   I'm putting it up here where I had the  pumpkin Dutch oven and other things. [music] I usually put this little pumpkin  lamp on our porch. I found it at   the antique store and it thankfully has held  up really well. I think I got it last year,   so it's only had one season outdoors. However,  I feel like with all this rain and storminess,   I'm hesitant to put it out yet. So, I'm gonna  switch out this lamp and then probably later   or next month in October, I'll put it on the  porch. But I feel like it'll look cute here. This is another frame where I store various art  pieces and then just switch them out. This is   our quality control [music] manager. He's got  to make sure he has some of his fur stuck in   the picture frame. Like no matter what, whenever  I change out a photo, there's some Palmer hair. The first year I decorated, I did  this artwork, a bunch of pumpkins,   and then the next year I did this  one, this like moody forest. [music] But I love this one the most of us in Central Park  in the fall. I haven't changed the batteries of   this battery operated light in years. Truly, I'm  thinking of [music] getting rid of it because I   don't really use it. But maybe I should get  the batteries back and see how I feel. Okay,   the pumpkin is really sticking out of this little  scene. Huh. Perhaps if we bring in some orange in   this vase, we can balance out the orange of the  pumpkin with our more natural atominal elements. Oh, and these are our wreaths. [music]  This one is from springtime. Well,   I use the base, the grape vine, for  multiple wreaths throughout the year,   but the last time I used it was  springtime, so there's some remnants   of our spring decorations. And we have  this one that we put on the front door,   which [music] thankfully somehow it still lasts  okay, even though the pompus is more fragile,   it's done fine outside. I [music] put it outside  the past 2 years, I believe. So thankful for that. [music] For our powder bathroom art, I really simplify  my life and I just tape the artwork on top of   the frame, which you can still see tape mark  remnants from the last time I did this. So,   you know, not the best hack, but sometimes you  just you just want to simplify things, right? [music] Adorable. Just don't look too closely. I had a little vase here with fresh cut flowers  for the spring and summer. It was so cute. And I   was hoping I had the perfect size pumpkin to  fill the void. And I would say that's pretty   adorable. Maybe I'll switch it out with a fall  candle, but I like that for now. I think it's   playful and cute. I also usually switch out our  soap to this dispenser, but as I'm looking at it,   it is looking [music] quite crusty. I don't  think it was ever designed to be used for 5   years. It's just a little plastic one, but  there's [music] there's just some gunk. So,   we're going to retire it. But, thank  you for your contribution. This little   pumpkin container is our designated [music]  pumpkin puree extra container. I always keep   it out this time of year and then put it in the  cupboard with our other reusable containers cuz   I feel like for most recipes, you never  need the full can of pumpkin puree. So,   we always put the extra in here. And it just  makes me happy seeing it in the fridge. [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] I'm refreshing our chalkboard. board art for  our little reading room playroom. I did this   anatomy of the pumpkin last year. And so I just  thought I would do it again cuz I really like it.   But I'm kind of having regrets. I should have  done anatomy of a bat because I've been loving   learning about bats this season. Maybe I'll  [music] switch it out if I get the motivation. [music] I stored our DIY pine cone bats  with our dried florals and almost   all of them need some repairs. So, our  trusty hot glue gun is at it again. I hang them up with these  little clear push [music] pins. I'd love to make more of these bats soon,  [music] too. It's feeling mighty cozy in here,   if I do say so myself. And I didn't really  think through a dinner plan for this evening,   but a great go-to is breakfast for dinner. And to  really just take it the next level, I'm gonna make   a batch of homemade biscuits, which I figured I  would just share with you because biscuits are,   you know, I don't really think of biscuits as  fall per se, but anything baking related just   feels feels fall. So, we're going to make  some biscuits for our breakfast for dinner. [music] Okay, I have a pastry cutter to incorporate  my butter into the flour, but something that   I've found to be way more helpful is using a fine  mesh cheese grater and grating the butter within   the flour. The recipes always call for psiz  butter pieces. Like that's what the goal is to   be incorporated enough within your flour that  the butter is about pea size. And whenever we   make scones, which is probably what we bake the  most because that's one of our weekend weekend   traditions, we we incorporate our butter this  way. And I just find it to be so much easier   than cutting up your butter and then using your  pastry cutter. So, I still use the pastry cutter   to kind of mix it around for good measure, but  you really don't have to if you do this hack. [music] I didn't have any buttermilk,  but I found a recipe. 30 minute quick   biscuit. [music] No buttermilk needed. So,  we love working with what we got. [music] [music] Can already see the layers. Gorgeous. Make a little mini one. Okay, moment of truth.  I haven't even peeked at them at all yet. So,   we shall see. [music] iced. I can  confirm that they smell heavenly. Okay,   they're cute. They're cute. Oh, yum.  I'm so excited. Put some butter on top. [music] Okay, I have the little mini one we made for a  taste test. I am wondering I will give you some,   my love. I am wondering why  the tops aren't as golden as   the picture. I don't think I was  supposed to brush any on the top,   but they look great. Like the layers.  They look layers. It's so good. And that's a [music] wrap. Thank you so  much for watching. I hope you enjoyed it.   I hope you and yours are well. And  I'm excited to see you next. Bye. [music] [music]