Gorgeous Gourds Of Holiday Decor

Preparing your home for the Thanksgiving Feast can be difficult at best - there will be tons of people in your home, and busy work creating fantastic meals to be shared around a family table. It's the start of the most wonderful time of the year. Decorating with pumpkins and squash may sound funny - but it is - every year, a reliable and relevant trend in holiday decor.

There are many different ways to incorporate gourds, pumpkins and squash into your interior design during Autumn.

According to Martha Stewart (and she is in authority on this sort of thing...) Autumn is the easiest season to decorate your home because of the use of a just even a single pumpkin, some squash and a little creative thinking can make a huge difference in the entire atmosphere of your home.

Sur la table, you can clean out your pumpkin and use for a dip dish, and place on a nice platter with your favorite crackers. You can also use a cleaned out pumpkin for soup or chowder.

Use the big pumpkin for your Thanksgiving Day feast centerpiece. Place in the center of your beautiful dining table and place some small squash, random leaves scattered around it. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

The great thing about pumpkins and squash are their unique and wonderful natural fall colors. Decorating your home or work place with these wondrous fall colors such as the different types of pumpkins can not only be unique but also will save some money. You can use these decorating tips from mid-September up until the day after Thanksgiving.

Visit a Farmers Market to get some great unique and no-two alike pumpkins and squash to scatter on the front porch steps to give that inviting and warm welcome to friends and family.

Entertaining Indoors

Just because the weather is beginning to change, and the winds are starting to blow a bit cooler - doesn’t mean that you have to stop entertaining. Sure, outdoor barbeques and hot days drinking lemonade on the patio are definitely coming to a close, but you can easily still entertain outdoors in some settings - or bring entertaining indoors!

Make the biggest POP during Winter and Fall seasons by letting the food and the dining table set the mood and tone for the evening. Decorating the main food table can help make your life easier – and allow you to change your home's look instantly. Add some red tones and you can have an Italian bistro party right there in your own home, or have serve savory classics with classic Fall colors.

And here's another tip to save time and money! Recycle! J. Douglas Design loves keeping organic and 'green' elements in the equation when decorating a home - and especially when decorating for a party or just having friends over to fellowship. Reusing and 'recycling' your seasonal accessories and furnishings year-round will really save a dollar and when done creatively, add new sparkle each time you re-use the piece.

Recycle your summer wicker by adding Fall/Winter throws or new cushions. Reuse wood pieces and get pot plants to add some color. Use what you have left over from summer and spruce up with some twigs and leaves for the blasts of autumn. Bring out the terra cotta pots from the garage and put herbs in them to assist in the décor and them of the party or celebration.

Most importantly - don’t over-think decorating. Whether you are re-decorating your home for the season or simply for a get-together it’s imperative that you keep things simple. Getting hung up on small details can ruin the mood and remember that decorating your home is about you and your personality.

Furry Fine Furnishings For Pampered Pets Only

Some people have it all... and so do some pets...

There are a few very lucky pets out there, who live in the same luxury their human parents enjoy. And there are some, even luckier - who get to sleep in a custom bed by exclusive designers of fine furniture, Marge Carson.

The Murphy Pet Sofa from Marge Carson is just one example of the posh home accessories you could lavish on your furry friend. With it, you can of course, brag about and display your pet's keen sense of style.

Like most Marge Carson pieces, the attention to detail is second to none. Your best friend can return to his or her animalistic roots with the fashionable (but not overdone) plush animal print bedding and pillow accessory. And, they'll be barking for years about the circular, comfortable shape of the piece, the rich leather, and the stud detail along the perimeter of the base and accents along the edges.

Not too RUFF....