thrifty thursday...because apparently, I only post once per week & I'm meeting Jojo {oh my gosh}

It is crazy how fast a week can go by when you are running from pre-dawn, to post-every-sane-person-is-already-in-bed every single day. I have 2 pieces of furniture that are completely finished, and I haven't even had time to post them in my shop. Anywho, before I move on to Thrifty Thursday, I have to tell you something. I AM GOING TO MEET CHIP AND JOJO FROM FIXER UPPER TODAY!!! Whew, I couldn't hold it in any longer. In case you missed the 14 times I mentioned that I had already met Chip, you can read about it here or here. I actually saw Jojo working, but didn't want to be all fangirl and interrupt her. I can't promise the same for tomorrow, although my BF and I pinky swore we wouldn't embarrass ourselves. I'll do my best (*wink).

Okay, so on to Thrifty Thursday. Since I am still dreaming of a day that actually feels like fall in this state where fall is a season that lasts a total of about 48 hours, I thought I would indulge myself (and my lovely readers) with another fall post. 

When you start decorating for the fall holidays, try to choose things that will work for Halloween (if you decorate for Halloween), that will also work for Thanksgiving, and possibly even winter. The best way to do that is by using natural elements & colors. Instead of decorating for Halloween by using lots of black, and skeletons, and "Halloweenie" (ha ha ha...couldn't resist) elements, try sticking to a color palette that speaks of the entire fall season. Think oranges, browns, and yellows. If you aren't a fan of fall colors {insert hand raise here}, then go with corals (kind of orange), greys (a neutral like brown), and gold (kind of yellow). Also, add in lots of greenery, and white. I love pheasant feathers, wood, and fallen acorns from your own tree (can you say "free") or a neighbor's (I won't tell). The white can be in the form of white pumpkins, fabrics, or dishware.

Bittersweet wreath - beautiful natural element that you could use almost year round. 

You could use this for fall, then switch out the wheat for fir branches, and the grapes and warty pumpkin for apples or pomegranates.  Yes, those are "warty" pumpkins. Not a fan, but carry on...

Natural table decorations that could transition from fall to winter with a few changes...pinecones and flowers.

How Miss Mustard Seed decorates for fall. It's pretty perfect. I love the magnolia leaves as an alternative to evergreens in the winter too. Just replace the pumpkins and BOOM, amazing winter tablescape.

Hey look...feathers and artichokes. Sweet Mother of Abraham Lincoln! Love it. (Gold star if you can name that quote.)

For many of your arrangements, you can simply remove the fall colors, and replace it with more winter things. Yes, things. I can't even think of words because I am so excited to meet Jojo. I am not a stalker. 

Anyway, you could take out the acorns and replace them with pinecones. You could replace the pumpkins with red flowers, apples, or pomegranates. You could even use natural colors (whites, greens, creams, browns, etc.) for your fall centerpieces and then just pop in some berry twigs, or holly branches to brighten them up.  

The main idea is to keep it neutral and be creative. I love non-traditional elements in design. Pomegranates for winter? You betcha. They are the most beautiful shade of red. Artichokes for fall... yep. Magnolia leaves for both fall and winter... ummm, yeah! The green and brown combination speaks to both seasons. 

Now, faux vs. real. This is a hotly debated topic in the design world. Personally, I love real, but honestly, it gets very pricey. I like to use mostly faux or dried florals, then mix in seasonal items.
For example, this arrangement has mostly real elements: dried greenery, branches, and pheasant feathers. Once winter comes, I will take out the orb, and pop in some elements of red (like faux antique roses or peonies and some berry sprigs) and white (like white feathers or some felted balls).

This one is very simple. It is a faux greenery branch (looks pretty real though...that is the key) and a real pumpkin. I always grab real pumpkins for decorating, although I am slowly building up my collection of faux ones too. 

Here are a couple of my faux ones. They look very realistic. I love them, and I can reuse them every year. Everything in here is fake besides the dried grapevine, preserved greenery, and the antler. I will take out everything but the greenery and grapevine, and replace them with some glass ornaments and twinkle lights for Christmas. Quick, cheap, and an easy switcharoo. You could even use a bunch of pinecones, or red and green apples, or fake snowballs (I will have to post a tutorial for those after Thanksgiving).

These pumpkins are fake, the reindeer moss is real. I'll just take out the pumpkins and replace them with something else (not sure what yet) when winter rolls around...or in November, when it is still 85 degrees outside. #texaswintersareforshortandflipflops

So, there you have it. Another Thrifty Thursday in the books, and oh my gosh...meeting Joanna Gaines today...breathe breathe breathe. Okay, I'll let you know how it goes and if I totally embarrass myself. #pullittogether #notastalker 

Wish me luck!