FALL DECORATING IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME

Surround a candle in a glass vessel with acorns or tree nuts for a quick and inexpensive table setting! Scatter some leaves and nuts. Gorgeous!

Your local Hardware store has all these components to create a quick but elegant entrance to your home: pumpkins, hay bales and colorful mums. Enhance the pumpkin by wrapping it with a ribbon using stick pins or a hot glue gun to hold the ribbon in place. Add dimension and include a bow.

Turn a basket on it’s side add pumpkins, squash and gourds mixed with leaves. Quick & easy!

Highlight a favorite object such as these owls with Fall foliage. Be sure to make it interesting by adding height to the display. Cake plates, candle holders and over turned vases can help create intrigue by stacking items on them. Drape a mirror or picture with garland and scatter silk leaves and artificial acorns and pumpkins for an outdoorsy display.

Begin your Fall decorating at your front door. Local craft stores offer swags, wreaths and garlands which are on sale right now at deep,discounted prices. Stack pumpkins: large on the bottom, medium in the middle and top it off with a small pumpkin. You can use the same color pumpkin for all 3, or alternate colors: orange, green and white pumpkins.

Natural Grapevines have been formed into lit pumpkins for a warm greeting into the home. Fall garland adorns the banister railing with an artificial bouquet of flowers and leaves.

Happy Decorating!

ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY AT THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDENS

One of the perks of living in the North suburbs of Chicago is enjoying the amazing gardens at the Chicago Botanic Gardens which are located in Glencoe, Il. The Botanic Gardens are comprised of 26 unique gardens along with 4 natural areas. The Gardens are situated on 385 acres and include nine islands, with six miles of lake shoreline. Yep, it's a big place to visit!
I recommend for 1st timers to take a tram ride around the gardens. This gives you a good overview of all the different garden areas filled with info from the helpful tram guide.
There is no entry fee to the gardens however, there is a parking fee of $25 per car. If you share the fee it is very reasonable: 2 people, $12.50 per person, 4 people only $6.25 per person.
The 2nd item I recommend is eat lunch at the Garden View Cafe. It is filled with seasonal, delicious, healthy food choices. Many of the dishes are prepared with items grown on site from their fruit and vegetable gardens. How cool is that?

My 3rd fav thing to do is walk around the Rose Garden to the Japanese Gardens circling back to the English Gardens. Bring your camera, cause when the flowers are in bloom, they are full of color!
My hubby and I recently visited the Gardens (October/Fall) and decided to walk the Dixon Prairie Trail. Heads up, wear sneakers cause this is the loooooong way around the gardens. But, it gives you a different perspective of the Gardens, you burn a few calories and it's so quiet!
If you have little ones, splurge and buy tickets to the Model Railroad Exhibit, it is fascinating. There are so many Chicago Landmarks included in the exhibit, it's fun identifying the buildings.
I can go on and on but, check out their website and if you have a chance:
visit The Chicago Botanic Gardens!