A Fall Centerpiece

I don't just enjoy fall- I adore it. It gives me warm, achy homesick feelings in side that just make me want to curl up with a good cup of coffee, a good book, and a fire in the fire place. Growing up in New England (hello! This is where people travel and vacation in order to experience fall!) I have very different ideas about what fall should be like. Over the last seven years in Southern California (with only one trip back east during the fall in all that time), I've learned to adapt my expectations and appreciate the beauty of Southern California in the fall.

So while I still long for cold nights all cozy by the fire and of course the beauty of fall foliage, I've learned to enjoy the more subtle change of seasons, pumpkin spice lattes, and decorating our home for autumn.

Last year, I posted my fall centerpiece that I created, and so I decided to post this years which was inspired from Pinterest. Mums are my favorite fall flower (our yard is currently full of them), so this was a great way to incorporate them inside as well!


This was super simple and affordable as well. I picked out a pumpkin at Trader Joe's for $2.99 and picked up the Mum's at Home Depot for under $3 as well. I cut the top of the pumpkin (and scraped the inside) so that the Mum (keep it in the pot) slid right inside. After I cut and scraped the inside I filled the sink with cold water and about a tablespoon of bleach and let the pumkin soak for about an hour. I then pat it dry and let it sit outside to completely dry for another hour or so. Add the mum and a ribbon and you are good to go!

A little side note:To water the mum take it out of the pumpkin and water, allowing all of the water to drain through before putting it back in the pumpkin. I also wrapped the pot in paper towels before putting it in to absorb any excess moisture- the more dry you can keep the inside of the pumpkin the longer it will take to get all yucky and moldy on the inside.

Daddy's Biggest Fan

Of course I've always thought that it's hard to resist the vocal stylings of my husband with a guitar in hand....


But nothing can beat the adoration of a little girl for her Daddy....


especially when he's singing her favorite songs from "Tangled."