Hi, friends, before summer completely slips by I want to update you on the patio sofa that I purchased from Target.  At the start of summer, I put together a list of my favorite outdoor sofas and sectionals and mentioned that I ordered the Threshold-Fernhill Patio Sofa. Today I want to show you how it looks on my small patio and how I styled it for early fall.






A few years ago we made this small patio (10'x10') using large bluestone pavers. The patio sits just outside our dining room.

 I would have loved a sectional out here, but it would have blocked the traffic flow to the yard and overwhelmed the small space.  To ensure that you don't end up with the wrong size sofa or sectional measure your space first then plan a layout that accommodates traffic flow and walking room.  Since my space is small I went with a single sofa with deep seating for maximum comfort.  I also went with a metal sofa that is light in weight and easy to move around. The cushions are white which makes them easy to style.  I like to collect my furniture pieces over time.  I have room for a chair on the other side of the patio so that will be my next purchase.  If you like a cohesive look opt to purchase a patio set. Most sets include a sofa, armchairs, and coffee table.

I styled the sofa with pillows and a throw blanket with warm rich hues that will take my summer sofa right into Autumn. On a cool evening, we'll carry the sofa over to the fire pit for fireside entertaining.





The plaid throw blanket is from Target.  I believe I paid $7.00 for it last year, I found it in the section at the front of the store where they display seasonal merchandise. This area of the store has all kinds of goodies and is the first stop I make whenever I shop there.






Soon the weather will be cooler and I will style the patio with real pumpkins. For now, I used the handmade bandana pumpkins that I made last year.  How To Make Bohemian Bandana Pumpkins.

Hi friends, what do you think of glass-front cabinets?  I have a large stainless steel glass cabinet in my dining room that I use to store our dishware and kitchen essentials.  Everything is visible in this cabinet so I work on keeping it neat and organized.  Today I will show you simple ways to decorate a glass cabinet for fall.




One of the simplest ways to tell the story of fall in your home is with apples and pumpkins, they don't even have to be real.  One cloth pumpkin (green not even orange) and a bowl of glass apples sit on different shelves in the cabinet. I can close the door and not have to worry about them.  Another simple way to add a touch of fall is with a simple leaf garland.  You can Make Your Own Like I Did or buy one already made like this pretty Pressed Zinc Leaf Garland


A garland simply hung on the door of the cabinet adds a nod of fall.  When I think of fall I think of textures and colors.  A large Basket in a neutral color adds a warm feel and function to the top of a glass cabinet.  Find one that fits the size of your cabinet and use it for storage.



Soup is always a must in the fall.  I use mason jars to store beans for making soup and stews.  Mason jars are functional as well as decorative.  The beans are ready for me when I make my favorite soup and the glass jars allow me to see when I am getting low and need a refill.





I use one of the shelves as a coffee station because I enjoy drinking coffee in the fall (a lot)!  I placed a coffee mug, dessert plates, and spoons on a wood tray for convenience and to warm up the glass shelves.  The ceramic coffee carafe and creamer were given to me by my mom. I love this set; it has a painted hot air balloon on the front and on the back of the coffee carafe, there is an electrical plug to plug into an outlet to keep the coffee hot. My mom used a coffee percolator on the stove and poured the coffee into this carafe for when she entertained. I can't imagine doing that now and being without my electric coffee maker. It sure is a pretty way to serve coffee though.

Another thing I enjoy is soup!  I love making my own using fresh vegetables from our local farm stand. They usually stay open until the end of November.  I'll make a batch of vegetable soup for my husband and me for dinner and weekend lunches.  I have all my soup bowls handy in the cabinet. The soup crocks with the handles are my favorite.



Temperatures are finally cooling down here and I can't wait for the leaves to start changing. I have a busy week ahead of me.  I'll be adding more fall touches to the dining room and working on my living room makeover for the One Room Challenge.  I hope you enjoy your week and come back Thursday to see my progress in the Living Room.

Looking for more ideas on glass front kitchen cabinets?  Check out my post for tips and Organizing Ideas For Glass Front Cabinets.

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What you'll need to make a bandana pumpkin

1. Thread the needle, do not knot the end.

2. Lay the bandana on a flat surface. Weave the needle in and out leaving about an inch of the thread hanging.  Continue weaving the needle in and out of the bandana along the entire inner border   (Leave about 1 - 2 inches from the edges)

3. After you stitch all around the bandana, you will meet up with the thread that you left hanging.

4.  Pull both pieces of the thread so the bandana becomes rounded.

5. Stuff the bandana with polyfill pull the thread again until you have your desired shape. There will be a small hole on top.

6. Sew the hole and glue the stem in the middle

How to Embellish the pumpkins

1. Paint the stems with gold metallic spray paint.

2. Wrap twine around the stem and glue.

3. Write meaningful words on the faux leaves using a sharpie.

4. Glue the leaves on the pumpkins.

This summer I took a minimal approach to decorate the shelves in our dining room by using a unified color palette of navy blue and white.  Every so often I'll strip the shelves down and start over using only what I love.  I placed a few pieces from my collection of transferware on the lower shelf and hung the rest of the plates on the wall.



This fall I plan on making some design changes in our home so over the summer I sold some of the small furniture pieces and dishware that no longer fit my style. It felt really good to let go of the things that were taking up space in my home and holding me back from making future design changes. I kept my favorite dishware and displayed the pieces on the shelves.  I gave each piece plenty of breathing room and kept the color palette unified using my favorite color blue.

I know minimal decorating isn't for everyone, some might call it cold and boring, but when decorating open shelves the less is more approach is best.  I decorated the shelves in the simplest way with few elements to create a maximum effect for the minimally styled shelves above.  I placed four plates in a row and placed a matching bowl in front of each plate. The round plates and bowls give interest to the clean lines of the white shelves.  On the lower shelf, the ginger jars and a single blue and white plate act as art for interest.  You could leave the shelves as is or add more color and interest like I did below with a pop of pink from the flowers and two more plates with more blue than white.  Notice how I kept the bottles clear, otherwise, the design will be too busy.