Our Little City Does Fall

The sole purpose of today's post is to inundate your blog feed with photos of fall, fall, all things fall. We're talking pumpkins, leaves, berries, boots, big blue skies, and one cute pup.

Is it just me, or does Frederick do fall especially well? My first ever visit to Frederick was in late September, just a few weeks before my and Mar's October wedding. We walked around Baker Park, enjoying the crisp breeze and colorful leaves. Maybe it was the happy glow that being a newly-wed lends to everything, but I totally fell for the trickling creek, softball fields, and rows of maple trees.

Three years later, autumn is still my favorite season in Frederick. Our main street, Market Street, becomes coated with golden maple leaves while pedestrians bundled in coats and scarves scurry in and out of storefronts. Every porch and stoop boasts its fair share of pumpkins and mums, maybe even a token scarecrow or hooked-nosed witch. The blue sky overhead is just inviting enough to merit a came of catch in nearby Baker Park, but the cool breeze reminds you that winter approaches. The crisp weather makes everyone frisky and excited with thoughts of pumpkin carving, trick or treating, apple butter, and upcoming holidays.  I truly just love this time of year, don't you? 

Here's a few photos, so you can have a little taste of fall in Frederick too. 

What's your favorite part of fall? For me: boots, scarves, apple butter, hot cocoa, and pumpkins!

A Day in Georgetown

To celebrate our third anniversary, Mark and I decided to spend a whole day in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.  I had only been there once before-- and very briefly. A quick drive- by in which our guide basically shouted "There's Washington Harbor and up there's Georgetown." So, we decided to take a daytrip to this beautiful neighborhood and experience it's great shopping, great food, and great scenery.  We strolled its busy streets, popping in and out of the boutiques, antique markets, and shops, and then ate lunch at a restaurant called Old Glory BBQ. I have to admit-- it wasn't the best BBQ I've ever had. We both laughed that we had apparently found the one restaurant in Georgetown that wasn't that great. But a day full of sight seeing, talking, good coffee, and laughter made up for the subpar pulled pork.  My favorite part? Strolling along the C&O Canal with my husband. Under a warm fall sun, we walked hand-in-hand along the towpath. The sun warmed our shoulders as we talked about life, marriage, and all we've learned since saying "I do" three years ago. I know there's still a lot ahead: a lot of adventures to take, challenges to overcome, and lessons to learn. But as long as holding his hand remains one of my favorite things in this world, I think we'll do all right. 

Do:  Walk the C&O Canal towpath

Sightsee: Visit Dumbarton Oaks and the Stone House

Eat: Tony & Jerry's Seafood Place

Drink: PAUL Bakery... delicious hot chocolate

Shop: countless boutiques... I loved Paper Source and Onward Reserve

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Around Town // Worthington Farm Hike

This transitional period between summer and fall is one of the best times of year to hike. The weather is balmy and cool, with a slight breeze that provokes the half-hearted consideration of a light jacket. The fields and trees still maintain their lush summer greenery, but a few maples have begun their slow transformation into gold and crimson. Here and there, scattered leaves punctuate the still-green lawns, a herald of the approaching torrent of color that will soon blanket the earth.

Last weekend, Mark and I revisited Monocacy Battlefield to hike the trails at Worthington Farm. This past spring, we walked around Thomas Farm and the battlefield welcome center, but we had not yet paid Worthington Farm anything more than a passing visit. In my opinion, this farm afforded walking trails more beautiful and secluded than Thomas Farm, resulting in one of the most enjoyable hikes I've had in a while. Mark and I agreed that the farm is hands-down one of the loveliest places we've found in Maryland. Around every corner, we stumbled upon some brace of trees, river bend, or harvested field that just took your breath away, as if nature had put more effort into this little spot.

I can only imagine how beautiful this place will be once autumn begins in earnest. Mark and I both think the river edge here is the perfect place to relax with a book. It's hard to imagine that land so beautiful was once someone's home.

Monocacy National Battlefield

Worthington Farm

4632 Araby Church Rd.

Frederick, MD 

Park Visitor Center

5201 Urbana Pike

Frederick, MD 

Fall Crafts // Chalkpaint Pumpkin Pillow DIY

 A few weeks ago, I came across Stone Gable blog, a beautiful blog with farmhouse decor galore. Its writer Yvonne shares several adorable farmhouse-style decor tips, including this post on fall pillows. I quickly subscribed to the blog (and you should too!) and since have loved reading her recommendations and tips for home decor. I decided to try my own farmhouse fall DIY, inspired by Stone Gable. And what better way to achieve farmhouse style than with chalkpaint?

This fall DIY was both cheap and easy. I found this cream pillow in the clearance section at HomeGoods. At only $10, the pillow was much cheaper than a pillow cover and insert! It's kind of hard to tell in the photos, but it has a slight shimmery thread running through it. I was a little nervous about using chalkpaint on the fabric, but I had always heard that it was possible. So why not give it a try?

For this project, I didn't use Annie Sloan, my usual chalkpaint go-to. Instead, I used another brand: FolkArt Home Decor paint. You can actually purchase it online from JoAnne craft stores, although I ordered mine through Zulilly. 

What You'll Need:

- a neutral pillow or pillow cover

- chalk paint in colors of your choice

- assorted brushes

If you can draw a basic pumpkin, you can do this DIY. For my pillow, I used Folk Art's colors Sage and Savannah. I traced the round pumpkin body in the pale turquoise Sage color and then added the stem in Savannah brown. The next step was to simply fill in the lines! The chalk paint adhered to the fabric in kind of a "streaky" way-- which totally worked for the shabby-chic vibe I was going for. I added a streak of creamy white acrylic paint (pulled out of my paint box) just to add a bit of "highlighting." 

And that easily... the pillow was done! Like all chalkpaint, the pillow dried quickly. Wondering how it "feels" to the touch? Kind of like an applique or like outdoor fabric. It's not as smooth as the original feel, but it seems like it will hold up well. For cleaning, I would probably recommend just spot-cleaning with a warm cloth. 

If you're into chalkpainting, I highly recommend trying it out on fabric like this. I love the way the pillow looks on our couch. It's the perfect touch of fall! Not over the top, but just a little festive.

Do you like decorating for fall? Or are you one of those people who dreads the holiday/seasonal decor posts like this? Haha! Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm all about pumpkins and fall, so you might want to bear with me over the next few weeks.

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Fall Crafts // Wheat + Berries Table Arrangement

This year, I've really gotten into decorating for fall. I don't know if it's a side effect of being around so many inspiring creatives at the Frederick chalkpaint and antique stores, but I've found myself brimming with ideas for fall decor and crafts.

One super-easy fall craft that I really enjoyed was this Wheat and Berries Table Arrangement. It's incredibly easy and required a few simple materials and just a few minutes of my time. Which, as you all know, easy DIY's are what it's all about.

When picking out my centerpiece look, I decided to go with wheat and berries because I wanted to get volume without a lot of effort. I'm no florist, so my flower arranging skills are somewhat limited. I had the turquoise glass container on hand, an old find at HomeGoods.

What You'll Need:
a cute container
faux wheat (varying sizes)
faux berry stems
tiny pumpkins
table runner

What You'll Do:
- Arrange the wheat steams around the perimeter of the container.
- Building upwards, insert the berry stems and then the tallest wheat stems.
- You want the arrangement to build upwards, almost in a triangle shape.
- Fluff to create volume and a "messy" look. You may not go for this look, but I wanted it to look kind of haphazard, as if we just grabbed some twigs and wheat and tossed them in the pitcher.  There's probably a florist out there cringing at my ineptitude right now. My apologies, Anonymous Florist.
- Arrange the pumpkins at the base of the container. Again, try to go for a jumbled look.

This simple design is one of my favorite fall tables so far. I really love the natural feel it has. The rustic table runner paired with the smooth glass and white pumpkins creates an eclectic vibe that perfectly suits our home's decor. Also, an arrangement I don't have to water? Well that's even more of a plus.

Our chalkboard statement wall is the perfect seasonal backdrop. An eraser and a bit of chalk are the only tools needed to create a cute holiday banner. As a white girl, I of course had to represent my species with a pumpkin spice themed design.

Stay tuned for more fall crafts and ideas. I'll be posting several more over the next few days as we decorate for fall.

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Stovetop Apple Simmer

Painted Pumpkins (Kid Friendly)

This post shared at the A Little Bird Told Me Link Party and featured at Mama's Happy Hive. 

Fall Crafts // Stovetop Apple Simmer

Over the weekend, Mark and I both came down with vicious summer colds. Our house since has been a cacophony of sniffs, sneezes, coughs, and moans. We both agreed that during the seasonal shifts--from summer to fall and from winter to spring--we always get sick... and it's always much worse than anything we get during the winter. Usually, I'm way more prepared, stuffing our gills with vitamin C and elderberry. But with all this beautiful 70 degree weather, the word "cold" just didn't enter my mind. So here we are, sick all weekend and still sick on Monday.

Naturally, I thought that a fall craft made all the sense while I'm cooped up in the house. And what other fall craft than a stovetop simmer? 

^ that's sarcasm, my friends.

As I'm chopping apples and gently stirring the pot of water, Mark groggily looked up from his post on the couch and croaked, "Honey what on earth are you doing?" 

Equally snotty, I croaked back: "Making an apple and orange peel simmer." 

"Babe. Why? Neither one of us can smell anything."

Oh. 

According to Mark, my shoulder's literally slumped. Great planning on my part, right?! I go and make a fall stovetop simmer while I have a cold. So, friends, here I am today sharing a fall craft recipe... and I can't even gush over how lovely and homey it smells. For all I know, it could smell like the inside of Mark's rugby boot.

In all honesty, I do know how it smells. Common sense dictates that anything involving apple, cinnamon, and orange peel has to be happy on the nose. Plus, there was this one glorious moment when I sniffed really, really hard and the teeniest whiff of apple pie reached me. This occurred while I was upstairs-- which leads me to believe that the aroma had permeated the entire house... which is a much further reach than a candle!

Tired of this poor-little-me rant about my cold? I don't blame you. Read on for the recipe below.

What You'll Need:

- a large apple

- the peel from one orange

- 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks

- 2 cups of water

- 1 tsp of vanilla extract

- small pot

What You'll Do:

- Chop the apple, and peel the orange. This is a great way to use up the last fruits from your trip to the farmer's market. That is, if you're like me and overestimate how much fruit your family can eat before it all goes soft. 

- Optional: At this point, if you're a blogger, you should carefully arrange you fruit and precariously stand on a stool to take an aftsy-fartsy photo of it. Sorry, y'all. Colds apparently make me sarcastic and grumpy. 

- Toss the fruit into the pot of water. 

- Add your cinnamon sticks. 

- Pour 1 tsp of vanilla extract on top

- Turn eye on low and allow to simmer throughout the day

Experiment with other scents and flavors as well. I chose these fruits and spices because I associate their scents with fall. However, I'm sure you can experiment with other citrus-y scents-- like lime or lemon--and mix in some herbs. Maybe even lavender? 

This stovetop simmer is a great way to give your whole house a fresh smell. It's a great idea if you're expecting guests-- who doesn't love walking into a house that smells like apple pie? The only hazard may be your guests actually expecting there to be an apple pie. 

I let the pot simmer for a few hours and then put it in the fridge. You can reuse the same fruit for 2 or 3 days. Just drain the water and, when you're ready for fresh fall scents again, pour in some fresh. If you allow the pot to simmer for a few hours, you may have to add water periodically as it evaporates away.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

What scents do you associate with fall? 

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20 Fall Date Ideas

Fall Crafts // Painted Pumpkins