Fall Still Lifes

Usually we are in Memphis over Labor Day weekend, but this year we stayed home and actually labored. Darren worked on the yard, and I worked on fall cleaning inside the house. This also meant I got to do one of my favorite things, which is change all the little "still lifes" that I have scattered on various end tables, mantletops, etc. Believe me, I'm happiest doing this project when it is spring, but I can get behind fall, too.

I switched out a blue floral wreath with butterflies for this on the front door:

Got out the pumpkin sisters to go by the candlesticks on the dining room table:


This is the library table in the front hall. Now that I'm looking at them, these pictures I took are pretty crummy. Pretend they're blurry for artistic reasons.

This is the entryway table. You can't tell (because of my awesome photographic skills), but I swapped out books, such as Someset Maugham's The Painted Veil and C.S. Lewis's Letters to Children, for spookier fare, such as Charles Todd's Duty to the Dead and the classic by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting.

Autumn issues of Victoria magazine for the living room coffee table:


Fall flowers for an end table:

And here is the mantle. I exchanged my Midsummer Night's Dream teapot and some yellow chintz pieces for a more fall-themed look. Then I went upstairs and cleaned there for awhile. When I came back downstairs, there was a black cat sitting on the mantle along with the rest of the stuff. Apparently he felt we needed more of a Halloween look than I had originally designed. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it because I made him get down.

On the coffee table of the room that is affectionately known as "The Little Room," "The Library," and most commonly, "Mom's Room," I put out this classic from Longfellow. I used to read this to Lucy when she was an infant. "Listen my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere..." I wished I had a good illustrated copy of Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow to put out, but this will do for now. Notice the black cat's paw on the left. He is determind to be part of the decor.

Worn out from decorating with me, I find him here instead.

How about you? Do you decorate for fall? And would you like to borrow an authentic black cat?