October and Fall Archives - Northern California Style

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!

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…

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.

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.

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!

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

Hello friends. Sorry I’ve been a little busy and I just haven’t been able to sit and write. The past few weeks have been a flurry of Halloween, get-togethers, and lots of goings on. Though we did have some unusual October rain, it’s just gorgeous right now in the Bay Area and this week we are supposed to have 70s temps!

I’ve been especially enjoying the warm afternoons and have been trying to get out to soak up some winter sun and marvel at all the pretty leaves.

This is just a smattering and some snaps of what’s been happening around these parts.

We had some fun at our annual street pumpkin carving gathering.

Even my college son came back for this and he and his girlfriend even dressed up as Harry Potter and Jinny. So glad they are still enjoying this stuff.

My youngest transporting pumpkins.

Another day we got to Marin County Mart. It’s a beautiful new spot with unique shops and restaurants with outdoor dining. We need more of those with our California weather!

With my guys at the mart which was decorated so cute for fall. I hope to get back up there soon to shop and maybe have lunch. It’s a great spot for a day trip with a girlfriend.

In other news, we added these guys to our home menagerie. My youngest decided we needed to bring back two Wooly Bear caterpillars home from a recent trip up north and so far they are surviving. 😀

Halloween is just near and dear to my heart as I have so many fond memories of my boys and all their costumes. Gosh those years went by so fast.

Loved this picture of them with plastic fangs. I had a bowl of photos with the kids in costumes through the years. Love!

I keep getting Facebook reminders like this. I try not to reshare them all, but it sure is fun to see some of these pop up from time to time.

Halloween and Thanksgiving decor seems to go well with my home. I have an (ugly) brown granite kitchen counter and a lot of black accents so just adding pumpkins and orange was easy.

I love these mums in a rust color and any tortoiseshell glass like this bowl.

Flowers were from my favorite holiday inspiration spot, Bunches Flowers in Los Gatos, where Pete the duck holds court. I caught her posing (yes she is a lady), so I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of her.

Besides all the cool jars and vases and pretty plants, I like to take a gander in here as it reminds me of visiting with my youngest in his preschool days to look for Petey. I’m nostalgic like that sometimes.

The sign and also the pumpkin man were gifts from friends. Love them!

Saturday mornings I go for a long walk with a friend and we occasionally stumble on estate sales. Last weekend I scored a pair of cane backed pecan chairs from the 1960s from a lovely old home. I think I’ll reupholster them in a cool fabric. I also got a great dhurrie rug (above) in fabulous condition from the owners travels.

I threw some pillows on the chairs until I can figure out what to do with them. I love small scale chairs like this which are good for a game table between them, in front of a fireplace or just to fill a bedroom corner.

Estate sales are the best! Do not furnish your home in all new things. Estate sales and family heirlooms give it soul and make it uniquely yours!

Our entry hooks filled with hats and costumes from Halloween with an original Halloween painting from my artist pal, Meilei and some of my other favorites.

I got to wear one of those hats to the annual Wonderful Witchy Woman Lunch.

With fun friends and here I actually thought I was tan a bit from tennis. Not!

Hobbes the cat decided the new counter stools are his personal perch and only moves from them under force now. Does he not look determined? I added this short lamp on the counter for the winter months. I love the cozy feel lamps on kitchen counters give don’t you? They are great on dark mornings and so much warmer than the overhead lighting.

This little slate sign in my kitchen makes me happy and it’s hiding a nasty old metal phone jack that can’t be removed. You can’t tell can you? Hated that thing and I don’t know why I didn’t cover it like this before.

I’ve been using apples, pomegranates and persimmons in all my salads and as toppings on everything. Butter lettuce and red onions are good companions to any of that and a home made dressing of apple cider vinegar plus walnut oil and just a touch of maple syrup makes for a yummy fall dressing.

I’ve got my winter garden in and have peas, radishes, cauliflower, and kale growing.

My dad is my garden guy. he puts it all in for me and starts many of the plants himself and transplants for me here. I could never grow anything without his help!

My dad Ray, has his birthday on November 8, election day. The first election he voted in was 1960, and he turned 21 that day and voted for John F. Kennedy. Isn’t that pretty neat? The voting age wasn’t lowered until 1971 to 18. Love my dad!

This whole election has been so stressful hasn’t it? I have many friends who feel serious anxiety from it. Thank goodness it’s coming to an end finally.

My 99 year old grandma Jody (dad’s mom) has seen it all and she cast her first vote and every vote since for a man and she’s ready for a woman to be president she says. She may be one of the only people still around who has voted in every presidential election from Theodore Roosevelt to our first woman candidate, Hillary Clinton!

I recently took her out for one of her favorite things and In and Out Burger. Isn’t she cute? She’s smart, and sharp and fun. I feel so lucky to have her in my life still!

My mother was also a big supporter of women’s rights and I have said this before, but I just wish she could be here to see the day we finally can vote for a woman president. She would be thrilled so I am voting in honor of my mom Sue, for Hillary. I know she would be happy about it.

Okay that’s it. I’ve spilled my guts and got you all caught up. Later this week I’m going to be running some home remodel ideas by you all if your still out there.

Have a good week and hugs to you all for being here and reading. I’m feeling really hopeful that this country will rise above all the discord and be together once this election is done.

Kim

The view from our front yard this week!!