~~FaLL DeCoRaTiNg TiPs~~!

So many other blogs are posting about home decorating for fall, and you can probably see the "fall decorating" we've done here at JoP (thanks Susan?), so I felt called to share my own plans for fall decorating.

Number one is fragrance. Right now is prime time for pumpkin flavors and scents, but just between you and me, I can only handle so much pumpkin! Candles that smell like vanilla, cookies, any gingerbread product, or toffee all make me wanna barf. I only want my food to smell like food, you know? My go-to scents for cooler weather fall more into the spice-and-herb category. Right now I'm into patchouli, which is a really nice compliment to a citrus scent too. Evergreen is also nice; cedar and eucalyptus will never let you down. So.

HOT: citrus and spice

NOT: cookie scents


Number two: windows. Everybody's changing out their valence-shade colors and hanging garlands of faux leaves, but I'll be covering my windows with shrink-wrap plastic for insulation. My windows may not be "festive," but my energy bill will be beautiful!

HOT: saving energy!
NOT: buying the same curtains in a different color just because the seasons change

Number three: It's what everyone is talking about! CENTERPIECES. Also mantlepieces. A popular idea these days is to cover some fall items (pumpkins, faux or real; leaves; gourds; brown and orange things) in a cake dish and toss leaves around. Voila! But that looks like crap. Another one is to arrange some things in a bowl. Replace your stupid boring old everyday fruit bowl with a...gourd bowl! Toss some multicolored authentic corn husks in for fun.
Just kidding everybody! Unless you run a country club, I wouldn't worry about making new centerpieces for fall. Nobody will notice or care anyway!

HOT: no centerpiece/whatever you already have!
NOT: spending hundred$ on decorative pumpkins and special leaf garlands

Good luck out there, everybody. We all know the next big decorating challenge is right around the corner...stay tuned for Christmas!

Thank you readers!

Let me give a special shout-out to our faithful readers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland, Wisconsin, Florida, Ontario, Colorado, Washington, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, California, the UK, Illinois, the Netherlands, Australia, and even Hong Kong!

Without you, JoP would make even less sense. We love you, and your comments.

this time o' the year

There are many things that I love about this time of the year. First off, lets give a hearty shout-out to Thanksgiving. The original "Thanksgiving story" for one thing-you have to love that even though I'm sure its nothing like we think it might have been. Secondly, just family and good food and necessary reflections of gratitude. None of the expectations that seem to overshadow the Christmas season. Three days off for me- let's give it up for Thanksgiving!!!

The colder, crisper weather also helps us to indulge in the creature comforts. I personally love the sound of the heat cutting in and out as I'm drifting off to sleep. I also love getting a blanket and hovering over a heat vent, trapping the heat into a cocoon. Although I must say its trance-inducing and ends up being very hard to pull yourself away.

Thirdly, I'm really into pumpkins. Pumpkin food is always really enticing and seems like it must have a lot of vitamin A. I also found out recently its high in tryptophan-the stuff in turkey that increases serotonin. I recently picked up some pumpkin pancake mix from Trader Joe's-tastes like a chai pancake. Also, pumpkin spice lattes from Weaver St.- just sweet enough, all natural, two shots of espresso, you can't not like it!! Let's not forget pumpkin pie, gnocchi, and roasted seeds.