October Goodness

Just a little post to share some October goodness with you all. With the tension of this election it’s nice to take a break for some happy things right now. I hope you are enjoying some of the beauty that October brings with all it’s amazing fall color.

I was lucky to have a lunch out for a special friend’s birthday this week, and I brought pumpkins as a little table favor. I was surprised everyone liked them so much.

As they seem to be a hit, I wanted to share this fun and simple craft that seems impressive, but is actually easy and fool proof. These succulent pumpkins are a pretty and fun variation on the usual October pumpkin craft and last many months. All you need is a pumpkin, some moss, some dried flowers and snips of succulents of different varieties and a hot glue gun.

If you live in the Bay Area, you can buy the whole kit from Petite Petal Company in Campbell which my neighbors and I did. They are now sold out, (call or email them to see if that has changed ), but you can pull this all together on your own too. My neighbors Kim, Becca and I were to make kit one pumpkin each and we set up in my garage with our ingredients and chatted away while we worked.

We found we had more than enough extra moss and dried flower bits to make more. We also foraged our yards for more succulents to clip, and the pumpkins just multiplied. My son and his girlfriend did some too. The succulents will continue to grow and can be transplanted after the pumpkin starts to go, but some have even lasted into the next year says Karen at Petite Petal Co.

To do this yourself, you need a mix of moss, and this bag has all types…

You also need some dried straw flowers like those in this mixed bag.

Those are just quick buys on Amazon and you can also used dried foraged bits from your garden like lavender or statice. If you have succulents about, go take scissors and clip smaller sizes that will work on the pumpkins. Start with a generous amount of hot glue with the moss, take your time arranging the elements and glue in when you find the bits pleasing.

We distanced in my garage with masks, but took a little photo after. It was a very hot day 99 degrees!

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You can leave a stem on like my friend Becca did on her little white one, or you can cut them off. There is no wrong way and anything goes.. Have fun!

Mary Ann Pickett whose birthday lunch I attended this week styled the one I gave her on her mantle below left…

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Then she went outside foraging near her home and made a unique one with berries, above right. Love it! Wouldn’t this be cute for the holidays??

Elizabeth, our Antique Goddess had her own unique way of mixing hers in her decor..

Here I am with Elizabeth, Cindy and Mary Ann at the RH Corte Madera gallery. We had lunch at the open air rooftop restaurant to celebrate Mary Ann, who looks so amazing. She just wrote this post on her skincare and makeup during a pandemic. Whatever she does, I need to start!

A few snaps from this beautiful space… They have two floors of rooms filled with beautiful things. The top floor felt pretty open and spacious for a lunch with a small group. We were not near others and each table has it’s own sanitizer.

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The food was excellent too! The salted chocolate chip cookies were a dream. This might be a destination if you have a special celebration during this pandemic. I like their protocols and distancing.

I loved everyone’s looks that day!

They wanted to know more about my dress which was a fluke finding it at Target. They have been designing some great pieces and this dress was good for me as I am short and have a tummy. It is so comfortable and has pockets. I am 5’4 and bought a small.

I even bought it in black as it’s hard to find flattering dresses that feel easy on. I can layer this with jeans in the cooler months and wear it like a tunic.

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Two more good things..

This book How Not to Wear Black has been a fun read I picked up last week at my favorite Santa Cruz bookshop. It’s by the fashion editor of The London Times and it’s chock full of good ideas for mixing it up with your wardrobe, buying what looks good on your body and buying better. Many great photos and I am savoring this book!

While I was up in Corte Madera for Mary Ann’s lunch I had a chance to slip into Anthropologie there and get her this acacia and marble cheese board which I love..with these napkins. Good colors right? And they come in sets of six!

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Can you believe I was carrying the board for her to her car and we stopped to take a photo with us all and I put it down somewhere and later we both realized I left it somewhere at the mall. UGH! I am sending her a new one. What a dumb move. Someone is enjoying it, somewhere!

I am up in Tahoe this weekend and sharing some photos on Instagram. It’s beautiful in fall here. More on my next post!

Have a good Sunday!

Kim