Creating A Green + Grey Entranceway For Spring
Decorating the Front Door for Thanksgiving Harvest
In this video for eHow I discuss how to decorate the Front Door for Thanksgiving or Harvest Dinner. This is something you can easily do even if you live in an apartment.
Decorating your front door for Thanksgiving and harvest is an easy seasonal decorating project you can do to bring the Fall & Harvest season to your entranceway. If your entranceway is smaller this is perfect for you!
How to Decorate the Front Door for Thanksgiving & Harvest — powered by ehow
You may live in an apartment, or may not have a lot of room near your entrance way. There are still things that you can do to decorate the entrance way to make a very festive for your Thanksgiving or your harvest dinner.
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- Large Heirloom Gourds. If you find large gourds at your local maybe your pumpkin patch. Maybe your farmer’s market or your corner store may have some of these heirloom varieties. I find they actually last longer then some of the conventional large orange ones that you may find. I use these right from the beginning of October on through Thanksgiving. These varieties come in many, many different colors. Blue which I love. And then some of the different green ones, and Mexican hat variety. And really, really brings a lot of different texture and variety to the door if you are able to find a really nice selection.
- Indian Corn
- Basket with a Variety of Gourds.
- If you don’t have a door where you can place a wreath, a sign is nice. You can just prop that up really nicely. Maybe put a little pumpkin in front of that.
- Stalks of Wheat. We can just tuck those in. And if you keep them to the side they really shouldn’t interfere with too much with the in and out of the doorway.
- Preserved Leaves in various colors. Tuck them in around the larger gourds. Just giving it an effect. If you have a beautiful maple tree outside go and clip those. However, if you live in an apartment this is a great opportunity to use some of the preserved leaves that you may find in your craft store.
- White Pumpkins. Leaning and stacking them in a little bit of an angle.
What is your favorite type of gourd or pumpkin in this video? Leave a comment below and share this post with your friends.
In the News: A Naturally Thankful Season {article published in Impart Magazine}
A NATURALLY THANKFUL SEASON
No matter what part of the country you live in, for most Americans, Fall is a time filled with images of harvest, abundance, cool weather, and gathering with family and close ones. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the 2012 Fall Season officially begins on September 22nd and ends on the Winter Solstice December 21st but no one day most embodies the season more than Thanksgiving Day, or weekend if you are luck, filled with family, friends, laughter, sharing memories, and of course plentiful food. Preparing your home for that one day, however, can be overwhelming if you attempt to menu plan, shop, decorate, set the table and cook all in a matter of the three days prior to the big feast… Read the Full Article Here {written by Krayl Funch}
Topics covered in the full article include:
“Start At The beginning” : Creating a Seasonal Entranceway
“Bring it Inside”: Bring the outside in to celebrate nature
“Before the Big Feast”: Reduce stress by preparing in advance
Or view recent posts on related topics:
Make a Grand Entrance This Season / Fall Entertaining & Tablescapes
{Please contact us if you are interested in working with someone to help plan & coordinate your holiday gathering. In-person & Virtual Services available Info@AnAppealingPlan.com}
Fall Entertaining and Tablescape Ideas
Entertaining over the next few weeks? Or looking to getting a jump on your Thanksgiving table?
Here are a few tips to get you started.
A FALL HARVEST DINNER: TABLESCAPE & ENTERTAINING TIPS
* Start At the Beginning*
{image by HGTV}
Set the tone of your gathering as your guests step onto your front porch with containers filled with seasonal plants such as mums mixed with decorative grasses.
* Simple Sophistication *
An everyday collection of white plates easily serve as the back drop to leaf shaped accent plates in Autumnal colors. Place a folded linen napkin peeking out from under for added texture.
* Nature At Its’ Best *
A variety of natural elements are abundant in the fall and deserve to be showcased. Decorate the center of your table with Heirloom variety pumpkins, scattered acorns and turning leaves from around your home.
HOSTESS TIP:
To reduce hostess anxiety. Set the table the day before your are entertaining. It will help reduce your stress over time and also help you realize if you need to run out and pick up anything you might be missing. {You should tweet that one!}
Oh and by the way, ENJOY! ~ Krayl
{looking for assistance in designing or executing your gathering? Please contact me for a consultation.}
Make a grand Entrance this Season.
Your entranceway is the first impression of your home or business to a guest or client. Your home may be lovely beyond the front porch or center hall but that first impression is already made. Or perhaps they make inside and forget the pots of dying plants and faded past season decorations for a few hours while they visit with you; they still have to leave sometime. As they are backing out of your driveway, what do they see? That is correct. Your entranceway. Dead plants and all.
Don’t be a victum of “S.E.D.” {Sad Entranceway Design}. This season create a fabulously welcoming porch or entranceway. Even a few minor changes can make a huge difference. Or perhaps you are ready for a full overhall? Either way, stick with me kid and we will make it happen. {Virtual and In-person plans available}
Enjoy this post? What did it inspire you to do? Let a comment below and share the love with your friends using the social share button. Complete the form below to receive weekly updates to your inbox.
When Garden Containers, Design and Parties Go Bad
Whether is it for a garden project, home or event design, we all have good intentions, but then sometimes….things don’t turn out as expected. Believe me, I see it all the time around my neighborhood and on my travels.
CASE #1:
You carefully put together a beautiful garden containers to place near your home or business entranceway or pool patio area for the season to bring life and color to the environment. They look fabulous for a week or so, you get lots of compliments and then; you go out-of-town for a week, the combination of plants is wrong for the location or you simply forget about them completely. Next thing you know your guests are being greeted at your doorway by a container full of dried up, dead or past season plants {think Poinsettia in April}.
CASE #2:
Your High School BFF is pregnant and you have offered to host the Baby Shower at your home. With excitement you buy everything you can in pink and blue from the internet for the garden party of 25 guests. The box of items arrives with plenty of time but you suddenly realize you have no idea how to put it all together to make it all work together. You end up throwing them all on the table together and then buying pre-bunched flowers from the local shop, plop them in a vase smack in the middle of the table. Your intentions are great but your execution is not what you had wanted, not like your inspiration picture at all. Not for lack of trying but due to: creativity, design knowledge or simply time constraints.
Do these sound familiar? Well they do to me because I see them ALL the time. Intentions are high but execution or follow through does not match up to your vision.
Well I CAN’T take it anymore. Starting this week, I will be doing a weekly post on these situations. Heading out and taking pictures of “When Garden Containers, Design and Parties Go Bad”. Think store fronts who have let their curb appeal fail to match their brand image, homeowners who allow dead plants to remain in entranceway containers for weeks, people buying those dyed flowers in the supermarket, etc… I will then post them with solutions and suggestions to the design “situation”.
If your business, home, party, design, etc.. is featured not to fear. I will not leave you on your own, I will offer you my services to work with your dilemma such as: 1 free month of container maintenance, 25% off event coordination services or design consultation. {I will not be mean or mention your name or business, unless you have approved this}
If I am able, I will post a follow-up before and after with a picture of your happy smile.
Feel free to send suggestions and you will also get a certificate for my services if the item/location is featured.
So say CHEESE if you see me with my camera peaking from your bushes! x0 ~ krayl
SPRING Entranceways!! We love you!!
Spring. For a small word it brings an enormous amount of memories and positive energy to the air and to the humans for that matter. It means we can head outside, play in the grass, hear the birds chirping, see the sun again, switch out our closets, cook with local fresh herbs and vegetables, make fresh salads from our gardens.
This is also the time to update the containers greeting visitors at your front door. YES, you need to pull out the poinsettia and browning mini-pine tree. Spring containers are fun! They look great. Smell great and welcome the season as much as your guests.
{Use groupings of planters in various sizes for an appealing display}
Now get out there and smell the roses. KRAYL
{P.S. If you are looking to refresh your containers or give your entranceway an entirely new look but don’t have the time? Let me help you. Contact us today to schedule your appointment. INFO@ANAPPEALINGPLAN.COM}
Seasonal Decorating: Goodbye to Holiday 2011
The winter, and December in particular, is filled with seasonal decorating in almost every neighborhood. This season I was out and about taking note of how each neighborhood decorated and embraced the season. I realized that although your religious beliefs or geographic location may influence your design style, traditions will have the most dramatic influence on your Christmas and seasonal decorating in general.
Did your parents decorate with all white lights or the large multi-colored bulbs. Do wreaths on the window bring back happy memories or do you need to have Santa on the roof for it to be Christmas? Nutcracker Soldiers or Poinsettia at the entranceway? All these warm-fuzzy traditions along with the current climate you live in will come together to develop your seasonal style.
Case in point, the above images of doorways decorated for the season that I snapped on my walks this December. From NYC to PA to FL traditions are strong and bring us the most joy during the holidays. Which one speaks to you?
Goodbye Holiday 2011. I look forward to bringing the best of you into 2012!
On the Road: NYC ~ Finding Inspiration on the Street
If you are like me, each city you have been to has locations and memories about it that you associate with being there and will become your list of “Favorite Things About ____” (insert city name here). Growing up in the NY tri-state area, New York has always been the city for me with the longest list of favorite “things”. I feel the most comfortable there over most cities and towns and has the best memories associated to it. My trip last week allowed me to experience not just my usual favorites but experience new places, locations and add to my list of loves. (more on those next week…)
At the top of my list would be the availability of unexpected plant material. Especially during the winter season when the trees have lost their leaves and the center medians are bare of color {except nighttime when Park Avenue is aglow with trees}. The availability of flowers, greens and supplies on street corners, small bodegas, the flower market and more established floral shops is mind-blowing. Don’t think too much about what colors or plants you are meant to use, simply grab a little of everything place it in a container and it will work as a centerpiece. I promise!
I love being inspired by something new I see. Or this year something from the past, the small tree on Lexington & 96 marked Charlie Brown Tree $10 became the star of the mantle.
Enjoy your holiday decorating and being inspired by even items on the street!
Holiday Decorating: Woodland Christmas
Each project (no matter if it is a room, a garden or an event) should have a theme that loosely inspires the direction. The Woodland Christmas theme was inspired by walking into my local Lowes and seeing 3 buckets of those round scraps produced when they cut the bottom of Christmas trees for customers. I asked if I could take a few and the very nice young employee said I could take as many as I wanted. Jackpot!
Although I wanted to dump all three buckets into my car I controlled myself and only took two full bags. These little perfect and not so perfect stumps became my inspiration for the entranceway and tablescapes. Using the greens I found at my roadside green mirage , found pinecones, additional greens & wreaths from a local farmers market and bulk cinnamon sticks from Micheals Craft’s I created various displays throughout the house including the dining room table where the buffet would be placed. Winter berries and red tulips added pops of color to the Woodland theme.
What is your favorite way to decorate for the Holidays? Share in the comments below.
Seasonal Containers Greet Visitors at the Door
Clear out your fall containers and give them a seasonal look using greens from your garden or local market.
Using the largest pots you have in groupings, leave about half the dirt inside to hold the various branches in place. I love to mix all kinds of colors and varieties in my containers but use what you have locally. I found these Golden evergreens with pinecones at a roadside stand and they are perfect to dress up the covered entrance of a clients home. Curly Willow and Red Dogwood branches add height, contrast and additional texture.
Now you are ready to greet guests at your holiday cookie bake or a casual gift swap.
Enjoy this post? What did it inspire you to do? Let a comment below and share the love with your friends using the social share button. Complete the form below to receive weekly updates to your inbox.