Autumn is a very special time for me and my family.
It was my dad’s favorite time of the year, a time of harvest (he was an Iowa farm boy) and
Thanksgiving, when all of the family and extended family gathered together.
My Dad once said, that if he won the Lotto, the very first thing he would do,
was to buy a house that had a very, very large dining room, so that the entire family
could sit at one long table. At a table where we would laugh till we cried,
telling our stories that sometimes our parents never heard!
Our family has many traditions and one of them was, no matter where we were,
we always traveled to my mom and dad’s and then years later to my sister’s house,
to celebrate and be grateful for the love of family and our many blessings at Thanksgiving.
Balsam Hill’s Fall Harvest Garland that I placed in the vintage tool box
along with two Balsam Hill Miracle Flame Pillar Candles,
brought back the flood of my Autumn memories,
as I join the “Fall in Love” Autumn Blog Hop with Balsam Hill.
This is Day Two of a Two Day Blog Hop. Day One and Day Two participants are listed at the end of the post,
to include Courtney of French Country Cottage as a Balsam Hill Ambassador.
As you can see, I did not use the garland in the traditional way,
as I folded the garland in half and gently tucked it into the vintage tool box.
The vintage tool box always reminds me of my dad . . . he was Mr. Fix It.
He could fix almost everything.
When my dad passed away, my mom said, she not only lost the love of her life,
but she also lost her “handyman”
My dad was a patriot, a man of high integrity and values. A World War II, and Korean War Vet.
A humble man who grew up on an Iowa farm. A part of the Greatest Generation.
He instilled in us kids the love of country, family, and tradition.
Did you spy something in the bay window?
I love placing seasonal wreaths in this sitting area.
and the Balsam Hill Charleston Wreath was a great fit for the room.
I love to use items in different ways, such as using the Fall Harvest Garland
as a centerpiece rather than draping it on a surface such as a door or mantel. Dual purpose!
I chose the Charleston Wreath as I knew I could also use it for the upcoming Holiday.
This is how the Charleston Wreath looks in it’s original form.
As you can see, all that I did to enhance a Fall look to the wreath
was adding a ribbon of pretty Fall colors.
I must say that this wreath is so elegant and filled with so many beautiful seasonal items.
As you may notice, the wreath twinkles with the battery powered LED lights.
The wreath is such a generous size that it is such a beautiful focal point in the room.
Below the wreath is an antique pie crust table in which the brass lantern
contains the 9″ Miracle Flame Pillar Candle. The flickering light is mesmerizing!
You will also see a blue and white bowl filled with pinecones with an amazing pine scent
of the Balsam Hill Holiday Scented Pinecones.
A faux pumpkin in a vintage blue and white cup and saucer.
I removed the plastic stem on the pumpkin and replaced it with a real stem
that I had dried from last year’s pumpkins. Love the added texture and form it brings.
My dining room hutch is filled with ironstone and vintage blue and white china.
Filled an ironstone bowl with Autumn pretties.
Do the holidays and seasons evoke wonderful memories for you?
When I decorate my tree for Christmas, many ornaments have a story to tell.
When I decided to decorate my dining room from the beautiful Autumn Foliage Line of Balsam Hill
along with their Fall Decor line
so many memories of my dad’s love for this season came to mind and I know he is
happy knowing that his traditions continue with our family.
Five friends of the Fall in Love ~ An Autumn Blog Hop with Balsam Hill are joining me
with their beautiful homes dressed for Fall.
Today, on Day 2 of the Blog Hop is me and,
Pamela from From My Front Porch to Yours where you will see her beautiful porch.
Stacy from Not Just a Housewife, with beautiful Fall decor in her Family Room.
If you missed Day One of the Blog Hop you will be in awe of the gorgeous porches
that each of these talented ladies have created.
Courtney (Our Balsam Hill Ambassador) from The French Country Cottage
Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies
Kim from Sand and Sisal
As you can see there is lots of Fall inspiration here today!
Have a most beautiful day and Happy Fall!!!
Please note: The fine folks at Balsam Hill provided me with beautiful Fall decor and
accessories. All glorious reviews are happily and joyfully my own!
On another note:
Yesterday was Day One of the FRENCH COUNTRY FALL HOME TOUR
with Soft Surroundings and Romantic Homes.
If you did not get a chance to visit, please do as you are in for a real treat
of fabulous Fall Home Tours of 13 French Country bloggers.
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
BEAUTIFUL tribute to your dad and absolutely gorgeous dining room with the new fall additions. I believe this is my favorite look in here so far!
Kim’s recent post…Fall Great Room Part Two and Easy DIY Art
Oh Shirley, this all looks fabulous!!!! As always!!!! I LOVE the garland and the wreath and the addition of the ribbon made it even better! Thanks for providing the link as I may just have to go order something! Have a beautiful weekend. I am still at the beach:):)
Pinky’s recent post…Fall on the Mantle and Hearth
What an amazing man your dad must have been. I’m so thankful for people like him who served for all of us:-)
How gorgeous is your dining room! Love how you have styled everything, especially the tool box. And I’m so jealous, in a good way, of you girls working with Balsam Hill:-) Love their things, but they are just out of my price range.
Anita’s recent post…Rustic Mountain Fall at Balsam Mountain Preserve
It looks so warm! I have one of those lanterns with the flickering light and I love it. My dad was a farm boy too, and fall was always my favorite because we got to go to the farm to pick apples and then take them to the cider press. Thanks for conjuring up such great memories!
Kirby’s recent post…Fixed income Friday at your public library!
That is just stunning! I love every bit of it and I’m sure your Father would have enjoyed the nod to the tool box. I love Balsam Hill. There is nothing skimpy about their designs. Pricy yes, but so beautiful and will last forever!
Your parents did a great job with their family – evident from knowing you. Your dining area is just beautiful – love how you think out-of-the-box and explore new ideas.
So pretty Shirley-and love the story. Thanks for joining in!
I love how the products you chose fit so well in your space! And I LOVE you white and blue dishes!!!
Shirley, beautiful way to honor your dad. Love it all, and you can just hear the family warmth and closeness in your writing.
You are very blessed for growing up with such a wonderful dad. I’m glad you still get to keep some of those wonderful traditions. I love Tradition! Thankfully so does my immediate family. I am totally in agreement that having a big table for everyone is great. Even when I had to add a kids’ table I always put it right by the other table. Sadly, our family has lost some members by death (my sweet dad passed away in May) and divorce, so we barely fill one table. But one of these days I hope my grandchildren will have spouses and children to once again need that extra table. As always, your dining room is beautiful.
This is so pretty Shirley! You are a genius to add that fall colored ribbon to your wreath. It really will go the distance in the upcoming months!
Amy Chalmers’s recent post…A Fall French Country Home Tour with Soft Surroundings
Shirley, I loved hearing about your Thanksgiving traditions. Such a beautiful story and such a beautiful dining room. LOVED it decked out for Thanksgiving. What a clever idea to put the garland in a box. It looks perfect! I’m swooning over all your blue and white 😉
I love fall colours and they work so beautifully with your decor. Very pretty space!
Anne’s recent post…House Tour 2016 – Cottage Bungalow
Shirley, did you double the garland or cut t? I went to the link and it says the garland is 6 feet. Just wondering. It is beautiful!
Pinky’s recent post…Fall on the Mantle and Hearth
Fathers have a special place in a girl’s heart and it is so great to keep those memories alive! Everything about your fall decor is just beautiful, Shirley!
That wreath is beautiful! I love the rusty bells on it! And don’t you just LOVE the candles? They are so amazing!
Kim Wilson’s recent post…Indigo and Orange Fall Front Porch – Autumn Blog Hop
Shirley, the dining room is beautiful…love the tool box that you filled with autumn. The memories you shared are so sweet and precious! Happy Weekend!
Pam Richardson’s recent post…Dressed In Autumn Finery
Shirley – you dad is looking down smiling! So glad you have such amazing memories of your “farm boy”!
Looks really beautiful. Can you tell me what the measurement of your small kitchen window is? I am looking to put roman shades in my kitchen but have narrow windows. Thanks
Everything looks beautiful Shirley! Love that wreath.
Pamela-From my front porch to yours’s recent post…Fall Touches on the Porch with Balsam Hill
Love the idea of the wreath on the inside of the window. Very pretty fall decor and all around.
Pam Kessler’s recent post…Freebie Fall Printable For You
What wonderful sweet memories Shirley, I could feel the love of family through your photos. How clever to tuck your garland in the vintage tool box, it looks fantastic! I also love seasonal wreaths, and have started hanging one inside my front door where I can enjoy it and birds can’t nest in it! Your dining room looks fall gorgeous and oh so welcoming! I’m off to see more of the tour and hop-
Jenna’s recent post…Fearless Friday, Lobster Buoy Love
Love the pumpkin in a teacup!!
Gorgeous wreath Shirley with or without your fall addition of the ribbon! I love the sweet pumpkin in your teacup too 🙂
Mary’s recent post…Bits of Fall Around the Potting Shed
A wonderful post, not just with beautiful items from Balsam Hill, one of my favorites. Talking about your dad and all the family memories was wonderful to read. Don’t you feel so very lucky to have great parents and family memories? I have so many memories that flood my mind around the holidays about my mom. She made every second special. I love that I have thatand many other memories.
Cindy
Cindy’s recent post…More Character Added
What a beautiful tribute to your Dad…I got a bit teary-eyed.
Shirley,
Your home is beautiful with its Balsam Hill decorations for Fall. I loved hearing stories about your dad. We would love for you to share this post at our next Monday Social on Oct. 9 beginning at 4:00 p.m. http://botanicbleu.blogspot.com/
Have a wonderful weekend.
Judith