October Entertaining is all about the Fall colors

October may be well known for Halloween, this does not mean you have to decorate with orange and black .  I like to soften the color pallet by adding some white and/or yellow. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other holidays in October are Columbus Day and United Nations Day.

Columbus Day colors would include shades of blue, white, red and brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United Nations Day add small fabric flags pulled from the flags of any member of the United Nations.

 

 

 

 

Of course adding vibrant colors of reds and purples will give your arrangement a gypsy look. Bright yellows can be used to add sunshine into old classics. Shades of pink and mauve often soften the bright colors of fall.  

Carrying the theme to the cake is a wonderful idea.  This pumpkin cake is a centerpiece on the buffet table until it is cute up to eat.

 

Elegant tablescapes  take traditional fall colors and you can add iridescence and richness to them. Soft browns or champagne colors and warmth, of course mochas and rich chocolates add to a color pallet. Complement these traditional colors with orange and yellow choices in burnt ambers and even butters. Add smidgens of reds in the shades of sunsets, cinnamons and fired apples.

Using the traditional and recognized autumn hues in fabrics that are sheer, silky and that glisten in the light add a level of luxury are an unexpected surprise. Flowers of fall are readily available in many of these colors. Visit your local florist to see what’s new and what styles you may want to emulate.

 I love this tree.  It's by Country Creations by Denise (she's on ETSY)   At the top of the tree is a rusty star with a hand painted pumpkin and a little glitter and a pumpkin bow. The entire tree measures 23 inches tall. This would make a great country touch to your Halloween decorating.  Here is a link to how she made it

http://countrycreationsbydenise.blogspot.com/2011/08/pumpkin-halloween-tree.html

Love how this blogger used a bird cage to creatively display her dishes for fall.

And what a clever idea to add flowers as interest to a pumpkin.  Perfect for a fall bridal shower or laddies luncheon.

Orchids at Home

Orchids bring Life

I like the way a beautiful blooming flowers brings so much life and energy to a room design.  The phalaenopsis or common name orchid is a favorite.  They are lovely and long-lasting as they bloom for 3 months and need only weekly watering. If they are exposed to indirect sunlight and continue to be watered after the last flower is gone, they will also bloom again after several months. I have a couple of phalaenopsis orchids in my home. 

I read a money saving tip from Laurie Wards book Trade Secrets from Use What y\You Have Decorating.

 http://www.amazon.com/Trade-Secrets-From-What-Decorating/dp/039952861X

So I added some silk "fake" flowers

It’s called Orchid Afterlife. When the orchid plants finish flowering, you can extend their bloom creatively by cutting the stem back a bit and adding silk flowers in place. You can get these stems of flowers at Michael’s hobby store, Hobby Lobby, Joanne’s craft store or a specialty silk floral store. You will want to use a high quality, life like, silk flowering stem that will blend in well with the live orchid plant foliage. Put the new silk flower stem with the natural orchid stem add some green moss and raffia around the connection and tie. It’s that simple yet will provide months of beauty, until your plant shows off more natural flowers.

I used peat moss and raffia to hide the connection



Here is my live Orchid, no more flowers...

The final project, flowers added

This is were this orchid lives...

Orchid Inspiration from Pintrest 

You can change the silk orchid plant flowers to reflect the seasons. I think white looks the most natural. A dark red bloom will match the colors of fall and winter while pastel pinks and purples will be a good match for the colors of spring and summer.