Fabulous Fall: Transitioning Your Home for the Cooler Months

Today Coryanne of Housewife Bliss rounds up our Fabulous Fall series. Here she gives us some fabulous pointers and visuals as to how we can best prepare our homes (and ourselves) for the cooler months to come. I hope you all have enjoyed this series. I certainly have!

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Autumn seems to be here and gone before the New Year is being planned, leaving little time for planning and only a smidgen of time for doing…because lets face it, once the children go off to school, you decide on Halloween costumes, you find yourself scrambling to order your Turkey, and wishing that you had spent 10 minutes fitting those draught exclusions to your front door.

If you do nothing in the next 3 months to get ready for winter, do these 10 tricks to looking like you have been hustling around the house in time for the final leave to drop.

10. Retire your summer wardrobe. Mend, clean, polish and store your summer threads and heels so that they may grace your summer months again. There is nothing worse than opening your new seasonal wardrobe to find it in need of TLC, so be merciless with your T’s, tender with your soles and kind to your well-worn threads.

09. De-clutter your make up and toiletries. Everything has a shelf life, and chances are those half used creams, scrubs, tonics and powders that got you through summer will not make it to next year, and will do nothing for you in the windier and cooler days ahead….besides once you have room, you will have the perfect excuse to rush out and buy Autumn’s new best sellers.

Image courtesy Fashion Bomb Daily

8. Stock the pantry. Nothing says ‘fall kitchen’ like a ladder full of pulses, tinned tomatoes, pastas and grains. Make sure you have everything you need for a season of stews, roasts, soups and other hearty meal options. Here is a good guide to get you on your way,
http://www.housewifebliss.com/2010/01/25/how-to-make-your-pantry-do-all-the-hard-work/

Image courtesy Designer Closets

7. Check your draughts in your window and door-frames. There is nothing worse than finding that you have a draught only once they weather has turned and the shops have all sold out or doubled the price.

 Image courtesy Richard Gordon

Image courtesy Turkey Feathers

6. Swap your table service. I tend to use dainty dishes and cutlery in the summer, and heavier materials in the autumn. There is something about serving a stew or roast dinner in a heaver dish that makes it more enjoyable.

Image courtesy Country Living

5. Surround yourself in textured fabrics. Corduroy, herringbone, wool, denim, velvet, even (faux) fur are delightful fabrics for fall. Nothing says ‘stay a while’ more than a sofa dressed with full tactile pillows and throws.

Image courtesy Elements of Style

Image Courtesy Decorpad

4. Detail your car. Those long summer road trips complete with sand, greasy drive through lunches and sticky youthful fingerprints have reeked havoc on your car. Give you car a through clean, polish and it will love you all season long.

3. Give you Garden an Autumn makeover. An autumn garden can give you more than gold and red. Plant some Bachelor’s Buttons in Cornflower for a dash of blue or even Viola’s for more cool tones. While you are out there enjoying your fall garden, ensure you have a colorful February and early spring by planting your snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and tulips now.

2. Grow a winter herb garden. Heartier herbs like rosemary, savory thyme, chives, and garden sage can withstand the cooler winds of fall and will give you an abundance of seasoning for your autumn cooking. To learn more about a winter herb garden, click here. http://www.housewifebliss.com/2010/08/23/housewife-101-how-to-plant-a-herb-garden/

1. Give ‘em a good beating. Your soft furnishings have worked hard for you all summer, and will work even harder in the coming months, so roll up your sleeves, grab a broom and start dusting your rugs, here is a good guide to getting it all done yourself , click here
http://www.housewifebliss.com/2010/03/19/spring-cleaning-guide-for-march/

Or maybe just take them to the professionals and enjoy a lovely heavy bottle of red with your girl friends!

Fabulous Fall: Transitioning Your Wardrobe

Today the lovely Lilly Lemontree gives us sage advice as to how to best transition our wardrobes seamlessly from summer to fall. Since Fall weather is so unpredictable, we often need to create new rules and although we may be ready to pack up and put away our summer clothes, temperatures often won't allow us to do so. My Los Angeles friends are experiencing temperatures in the 100s. Cashmere cardigans are not even in their thoughts. Meanwhile, here in New England we may wake up to temperatures in the 50s and see them climb well into the 70s or 80s by lunchtime. Below, Lilly Lemontree gives us currant, stylish advice as to how to stylishly dress the part.

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I have always loved the fall and the month of September in particular (Now, now, summer, don’t go getting all offended. You are still quite dear to me and if you happen to talk to me around February, you will find me waiting for your return with bated breath but after what seems like months and months of hot temperatures and sticky humidity, the first few weeks of September seem like a breath of fresh air). As of late though, I have been known to refer to it as a month of confusion. You may be asking “what’s to be confused about, Lily?? The little tykes are all safely back in school (was that a sigh of relief we all just heard?? I swear it wasn’t me!) and the adults have gotten back to business and a little more order.”

Well dear friends, the confusion unfortunately lies in the flip-floppy weather that I have been told we have global warming to thank for and in turn, the daily game of ‘what should I wear’ turns into an Olympic competition of sorts. I am convinced of this every time I go to pick up my children afterschool, run to the market or meet up with friends for a cup of coffee. For example, yesterday while standing outside waiting for my children to be let out, I stood behind two moms who were chatting. One was dressed in a tank top, short capris and sandals while the other had chosen a thick, hooded sweater, wool pants and knee high boots. As I stood behind them, I thought about what an odd looking couple these two ladies made but as I started to look around the schoolyard, I noticed quite a few individuals who if mapped out based on their attire, represented all the climate zones in North and South America. 

Difficult as it may seem at this time of the year to predict the weather, it is really quite simple to transition your wardrobe from one season to another with a few easy steps, five to be exact! (I’ll insert my most appreciative ‘thank you’ to our wonderful hostess here at The Entertaining House who has allowed me an open platform to offer my ‘sage advice’, which keeps me from counselling total strangers on the street and running the risk of being hauled away in a police car. Thank you EntertainingMom for keeping me out of the clink!)

1) Switch out your shoes:

Back to the depths of the closet go all your sandals, flip flops and anything that exposes your little toes. Ditto for anything white. (Since you are giving all your summery favorites their walking papers for the season, give them a wipe with a soft cloth, checking for any stains that might settle while they hibernate and take anything that needs a little more TLC to your local shoe repair or cobbler to be properly cleaned and repaired)

Shoes you can keep out? All the lovely ballet flats and closed-toed kitten heels that have been all the rage this summer.

 Bring forth the loafers in caramel shades, ankle boots in cafe hues and oxfords with stacked heels.

Talbots

Bennetton

2) Divide and conquer by material.

Much like all your white clothing and footwear, there are a few fabrics that denote summer and summer only. Send packing anything made of linen, seersucker, madras and gauzy, tissue-weight cotton. Most other materials can be kept around for awhile and by the end of the month, you might even pull out the corduroy and mid-weight wools.

3) Most of us think we have to tuck away anything strappy or sleeveless come Labor Day but with the help of an array of covers you can get a little more time with any of your favorites! Keep all your tanks, shells and cap sleeve tops in rotation by throwing on a hot fall trend like a boyfriend blazer or turn to a classic like a pashmina scarf, lightweight cardigan or denim jacket to finish your outfit. Some chilly mornings can turn on a dime and blossom into a warm and sunny afternoon, in which case you lose the topper completely or show your ‘true prep’ and tie your cardi around your shoulders! This works vice-versa as well, since we all know that the sunny blue sky that guided us to work in the morning can turn an ugly and downright frosty grey as we head home. Throw on that topper and keep your goose bumps at bay!

Ruffled Cardigan from Talbots

Gwyneth in her boyfriend blazer and cropped pants

4) Let pant hems ‘fall’ south, south of the mid calf that is! While mid-calf and ankle length cropped pants are perfectly acceptable and downright trendy at this time of the year, it is time to banish any pant that lands above that. Not sure what region to stay away from? Stretch out your hand, place your thumb at the bottom of the knee cap and lay your outstretched hand across your calf. That cute little pinky of yours marks your border, anything below that last digit is free game!

Mid-calf cropped denim at Talbots

Rachel Zoe sporting her crops

5) Accessories are your last line of defence (so to speak) when it comes to transitioning into fall! Gone are the beachy totes and straw bags and in come pocketbooks, purses and satchels in animal print (faux for those of us that care to be kind to the little lizards and crocs) and heavier skins (leather and suede). Also on trend once again are the abundant scarves and wraps that can be layered on or whipped off in a wink!

Lizard satchel at Brooks Brothers

Julia Roberts and her chic scarf

Since I have shared my ‘secrets’, it’s time to share yours!

How do you transition your wardrobe from stylish summer to fashionable fall??

Fabulous Fall! A Three-Part Series

I recently asked Pink, Preppy Lilly Lover, Lily Lemontree and Housewife Bliss to participate in a three-part series dedicated to fall. I asked each contributor to give me their own personal take on my favorite season. What resulted were three fabulous and unique posts. My series kicks off with Trish's fabulous photo montage. Tomorrow I will feature Lilly Lemontree, and Housewife Bliss will roundup and complete the series on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy them all!

(And please do not forget to include your blog in my blogroll request below which disappeared when The Entertaining House experienced all those technical difficulties last week.

"Forever in Love with Fall"

Hello dear readers of The Entertaining House,

I'm Trish from Pink Preppy Lilly Lover, honored to be guest posting here on Jess' beautiful blog, and in the company of several extremely talented women.  As we kick off the first week of fall, Jess asked me to share some of my favorite images that convey a sense of all things crisp, lovely and magical about the autumn season.

My favorite things about fall include...

Cozy nights at home by the fireplace,

Smells of pumpkin cupcakes and pies,

The rich colors of chocolate and caramel in sweaters and suits, 

and the cozy, chic, cool shades of grey,

Spiced apple cider and the sweet smell of cinnamon,

A Sunday afternoon drive on a grey day,

A splash of leopard print or a colorful pair of tights,

the perfect way to jazz up any fall ensemble!

A trip to the pumpkin patch under canopies of fall foliage, and a pumpkin spice latte,

 the makings for a perfect Saturday with the family...

 

A little time to play in the leaves, and take in all the beauty around,

Plenty of entertaining, rooms echoing with laughter shared by friends and family...

A brisk afternoon walk with a loved one or two,
a bouquet of freshly fallen leaves,

and coming home to the heavenly smells of hot cocoa, and chocolate treats!

Wishing you each an enchanting autumn season, full of all of your favorite thinngs!

Thank you so much for having me, Jess, and for all the inspiration you share with us...

Happy Fall!

xoxox

Trish

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

-William C. Bryant

(Images via, via, via, via)