Miss Party just loves the seasons! It thrills her to no end to see those first magical bridge weeks happen as one season changes into another. Even now in New England, there’s an undeniable coolness in the early mornings and evenings as she takes her Corgi pups out for their daily walks. A couple of trees along her usual drives are just beginning to change to their gorgeous autumn coats and then, seemingly overnight, we’ll have a virtual symphony of fall beauty going on around us.
The transformation of Miss Party’s home interiors and yard from spring/summer to fall (but not Halloween) takes a few days of decorating and multiple trips to several favorite garden centers to complete. This year, Miss Party’s list is pretty long. For starters, she needs lots of mums and several bundles of cornstalks for the front yard. There’s a pile of donations that’s been stuffed in the back of her SUV for three days that needs to be dropped off first and then she can head over to her favorite place for a big load of mums for the flower bed at the lamp post. Next, a visit to the garden center at the end of her road will hopefully yield towering bundles of cornstalks and beautiful, extra-large patio pots of mums for the outside front entryway, deck and patio.
Now pumpkins are a whole different matter. Miss Party uses so many pumpkins between fall displays and Halloween parties that she really has to shop around because the cost per pound can vary widely. The last few years, her local grocery store has had the best prices hands down. (If you have a Sam’s Club nearby, you might stop in. Miss Party used to get amazing prices on huge pumpkins there but, sadly, her local store closed.) Miss Party typically purchases the largest (and heaviest) pumpkins wherever has the cheapest price that year, but then buys all of the specialty pumpkins, unusual gourds and smaller pumpkins at the local farms.
Home interiors get the treatment too, with beautiful fall leaf garlands, grapevine wreaths, silk and real pumpkins, and fall arrangements made in large pottery urns collected over the years. Miss Party updated her door wreaths last year and can’t wait to see them again. (If you need a new one too, try Pottery Barn.) Fall silks really bring the beautiful season indoors to bridge the gap between beachy summer decor and Halloween decorations.
This week, Miss Party hopes this post will encourage you to put up a new fall wreath or buy a pumpkin at your local farm or garden center. Let’s get going, it’ll be Halloween before you know it!
