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I found these today at Whole Foods - they're vintage hydrangeas and are the most beautiful things! They are making me so happy today! I have them on my living room hearth right now and think I may have to get more bunches to have throughout the house. They're just so amazing and lovely!
Enjoy your weekend!
Found some cute things yesterday when I was out and about - more Halloween/Fall decorations. I found a couple of white fake pumpkins - one I embellished with white glass glitter on the top, a black velvet leaf and black ribbon (the leaf and ribbon I can change to fall colors when Halloween is over). I put it on my black cake plate and with the cloche over it (hard to get a good picture with the glass on).
For more glittery pumpkins - I'll have to get more so I can make these - check out this lovely blog!
Here's another of the white fake pumpkins - paired it up with the Queen of the Harvest who I've had for years - isn't she cute??
And last, but not least - I found this adorable tree - it's black with the cutest little ghost, spider and pumpkin ornaments on it - very fun!!
Welcome Fall!! This is absolutely hands down my favorite time of year! The crisp blue sky, the leaves changing (even though it's not so dramatic here in No. Cal), the foods, the decorations - all of it!! So in honor of the first day of Fall (yesterday) I made my first pumpkin bread batch of the season (many more will follow, believe me - it's quick and easy and yummy).
The recipe is adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook by Sara Foster (this cookbook rocks, especially for the baked items).
Spiced Pumpkin Bread (makes two 9 by 5 inch loaves)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease and lightly flour two 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pans
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil in a separate bowl until well blended. Stir in the pumpkin, water and vanilla and mix well.
5. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until all the ingredients are moist and blended, do not overmix.
6. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top begins to crack slightly.
7. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pans. Serve warm or place on a baking rack to cool.
You can also add 1 cup of nuts, raisins or other dried fruits after mixing the flour and pumpkin mixtures.
Enjoy!!
Some more fall things around the house...I've been so inspired by some of my favorite bloggers to get out my autumn and Halloween stuff and start decorating!
(Ok, ignore the fingerprint on the glass! I just didn't clean it before I changed out the seashells for the fall stuff).
Cute cone from Melissa that I got last year.
New ottoman to go with my French chair (so comfy).
Have a great rest of the weekend!
I'm still loving all things French and have found a new shop which has tons of beautiful French things to enjoy. It's called Anteo and I found it on a recent trip down to Los Gatos (my hometown). WOW! Loved everything in there, but I was good and only bought a vase and THIS beautiful chair for our living room!
Well, we saw the chair and thought and thought about it and called and held it and then went back the next weekend to get it (my husband is so patient with me). Even better than just the chair, though is that I can sit in it and read THIS!!
It's the new book from Kaari Meng owner of The French General. I've been waiting for this one and can't wait to sit and savor it and all the beautiful projects and photography in it! I think I'll try to hold off and wait until evening when it's cooler and I can be (sort of) alone and curl up and take my time!
Now for the Fall part - autumn colors are the theme this week at Shades of Inspiration, so here are a few fall inspired items...
A little acorn pincushion
Autumn bowl
Fall berry wreath on a lantern (I'll hang it - I just couldn't reach the spot where I wanted it to be - don't laugh!!).
Have a great Wednesday!
