Monday, November 30, 2009

(Re) Cycling through the Season


I love autumn; love the leaves changing color all about, love the orange pumpkins, crunchy leaves...

Fall corn and candle scents....


And a time of Thankfulness.

The chilly evening twilight with lamp posts lighting the neighborhood...

I love it all.

I wish the autumn season could last a little while longer.

But...there is snow on the ground and Christmas lights up all around us.

Time to get busy (re) cycling the seasonal trimmings.

Orange pumpkins: Still in great shape.
A can of spray paint....

Some greenery to replace the leaves...

A wreath, and door mat with a cozy snow themed welcome to our home....Ta DAh!

Suddenly...(sing along with me)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

(A spritz of oil rubbed bronze paint was used to add some shading...I might paint the stems gold or green later.)
I never carve pumpkins at Halloween; I want their bright colors to last to decorating the steps and shelves throughout my home all the way until Thanksgiving...and sometimes even longer.
After all...the first day of winter isn't until Dec. 23!
The first time I tried this paint stunt I had several massive pumpkins on our front porch in Dallas. It seemed a shame to just chuck them out.
So I bought cans of silver and gold and metallic plum spray paint and gave them each a good coating.
Then I added fir tree limbs about them.
People thought I had purchased huge outside Christmas ornaments until I mentioned what they actually were.
There are two upside to this trick:

1. I get my money's worth out of the pumpkins for two seasons
2. I don't have to take up space storing the decorations the rest of the year!
I started decorating my new house the day after Thanksgiving; the decorating is now 98% complete. Tonight I'll finish up. It is interesting how all the things I own seemed to find a place in this new place, and how much I am enjoying the decorating process after two years of no Christmas decorating to speak of!
And now that it is done, I plan to enjoy this Christmas with reading and baking, letter writing, special events and visitors.
I'll be posting more season changing "Before and Afters" pictures soon!
Like I said...it is still Autumn..and Advent is here too!

6 comments:

Lovella ♥ said...

Brilliant. ..I love an idea that I've never thought of. Isn't that one of the best parts of blogging? It is one big learn fest.
Your front porch looks positively festive.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Very creative...and fun to do as well. And I love that little silver reptile peeking out from under the leaves. Does he get a red bow for Christmas or does he go into hibernation now?

Judy said...

What a fun idea!

I just came back from a 'winter decorating' demo by our most famous local gardener...and his theme was to use what you have...and re-use. I think you heard him!

Vicki said...

Oh, man! I wish you had shared this last week, before I threw out those two huge, perfectly good pumpkins!

Islandsparrow said...

Clever girl!! I used my pumpkin for soup. It was good.

Lovella ♥ said...

I love your new header picture too. . .oh so pretty.