The Velvet Pumpkin

The editors of The Leaf Chronicle are kind enough to publish my ramblings each week, here is my installment from two weeks ago . . .

In spite of my protestations in last week’s article, these cooler morning and evening temperatures have really got my palms itching for some fall-ish décor. I’m beginning to doubt those coffee filter pomanders are going to be enough to stave off the desire to throw some pumpkins into the mix! The truth is, I love and decorate with pumpkins year round. I’m not sure why, but they’re always been a favorite of mine. I remember when we lived in Virginia, I saved my money to buy at t-shirt from a shop at the Springfield Mall because I liked the name—The Velvet Pumpkin. Their tag line was actually a quote from Henry David Thoreau, “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”

Doesn’t that sound lovely? But let me tell you, I’m hoping to get my hands on some gorgeous velvet pumpkins for Hodgepodge. I saw them at market, but walked away. ARGH!  Talk about the best of both worlds—although, I’m pretty sure Thoreau wouldn’t approve. I’ve never been much into transcendentalist thought—it is hard work. (I’ll keep you posted on the arrival of these plush beauties.)

In the meantime, however, I’m supposed to be inspiring you to make that slow transition into fall, so I’ve compiled a few more ideas.

One of the reasons we’re prone to these seasonal changes is the change of outdoor colors. We’re moving from the riot of summer’s bright colors into the warm palette of fall, but in between we have the tans and greys of drying blooms, grasses and so on. An easy, inexpensive change you can make to reflect this no-so-attractive transition is this is to cover some of your books in brown wrapping paper (or recycle paper grocery bags) or newsprint. This helps unify the design of your bookcases or coffee table. If you don’t want to go that far, you can simply remove the jackets from your books—I’ve never been a big fan of those and remove them as soon as the purchase is made. They’re usually brightly colored to get your attention at the bookstore, but once they’ve done their job take them off.

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Another subtle change you can make is transitioning from silk flowers to dried blooms. If your own flowers haven’t already faded, you can clip some from the garden and allow them to dry in an arrangement you’ve created. You can always buy fresh flowers from a florist and take them home to dry. I spoke with the fine folks at Franklin Street Florist and they said they could help put together a bouquet that will dry nicely. Viola!

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One last tip is to add rattan, willow or sisal accents to your room. This can be in the form of some storage baskets, a group of decorative bottles wrapped in rattan, placemats or an area rug. The visual interest added by these textures can do subtle wonders for a room and they help introduce or reinforce the natural elements of a room.

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I hope you find something useful in these suggestions. Let me know if you have other ideas for creative transitions. I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for your indulgence.

UPDATE:   The pumpkins are here!  The pumpkins are here!