Traditional Fall Vignette

There are many reasons I love Fall.

The obvious reasons are the colors and textures.

I am definitely a “Fall” gal in both my home and

my wardrobe.

But, aside from my Home are the memories and

feelings that Fall evokes.

Every Fall when the crops were in, my parents would take

us  out of school for a week and we would go to the

mountains to enjoy the Fall leaves.

So, I can’t help but get sentimental this time of year.

Today I am sharing my

Traditional Fall Sideboard Vignette.

 

I shared this sideboard during my Fall Tour, but

wanted to share a little more of the details.

As a little girl, I always knew it was officially Fall when my

sweet Mama got out her Fall-themed dishes and started decorating

our formal dining table.  There was one more sign – when her pretty

lace, Fall tablecloths showed up on the ironing board with a

hot iron and a bottle of starch.

My mama looooooves her lace tablecloths even today.

In fact, as long as they were able to make the trip – I would take them

back to the same NC/Tennessee montains we visited so many

times while I was growing up.   We would always have to make a

trip over to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to a shop called “Mr. Tablecloth.”  

Yes, there is a shop called “Mr. Tablecloth.”  

😀

It’s a tradition.  Lunch at The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge…

• plus a little shopping at the Old Mill General Store for some

stone ground grits and cornmeal. 

I remember Mama setting tables like it was yesterday.

I watched in wide-eyed wonder as she performed her magic.

Once Mama ironed her tablecloths, she would make a

centerpiece.  I definitely got my love of flowers and

beautiful centerpieces from my Mama.

Sometimes she would use fresh flowers, sometimes she would

make something with a group of vases or pottery she collected.

But once she was done, I would be amazed at how pretty it was.

I have a favorite memory of her letting me cut the stems on some

Brown-Eyed Susan’s she had freshly picked from her garden,

some of the last blossoms of Fall.

I wanted to help.

But, honestly, if the truth were known, I think I just wanted to

get my hands on those sweet orange-handled, old clippers she had

owned since I could remember. 

I just wanted to cut something.  

😀

So she asked me to clip the flower stems off about halfway 

so they would fit in the crock, and she even showed me

how far down to cut. 

I did just what she said.  I clipped them off halfway.

But gosh darn – that was soooo much fun.

Those old, orange-handled clippers made the

coolest squeaky noise when they opened and closed. 

Open…squeeeeak.  Close…..squeeeaaak.

That squeaky noise was entrancing. 

I needed the squeak.

I longed for the squeak.

The squeak called to me.

So, as Mama went to wash out a crock and fill it

with water, her baby daughter (that would be moi) – who had suddenly

and inexplicaby developed a passion for squeak noises

(or maybe it was the cutting?) 

… discovered her first neurosis of cutting flowers and stems.

 

When Mama came back, she found a pile of stems.

And a pile of de-stemmed flower heads.

And me – clip, clip, clipping the stems into smaller, tiny pieces.

“Barbie, what are you doing?” I remember her asking.

I can honestly say I was in a clipping trance. 

Centerpiece be damned.

Clipping those stems was the most fascinating thing I had

done since watching my cousin try to tie her hair ribbon

around a bullfrog for a leash.

Mama should have been mad.

She should have grabbed them clippers away from me 

and shoo’d me away.

She should have been angry that I had ruined her planned

centerpiece.  Instead, after taking away the clippers away for the safety

of myself and anything that closely resembled a flower –

or a stem…

she grabbed a large glass bowl and poured the water from

the crock into the bowl….and floated the Brown-Eyed Susan

heads in the water with some ivy.

“Beautiful,” I remember her saying. 

And as always, she was right.

It was beautiful. 

I will never look at Brown-Eyed Susan’s without thinking

of that day and thinking of my blessed Mama.

And when my son was small, or even now, with my

Grandloves, when they have tested my patience or done

something they shouldn’t do…

(like cutting all the stems off the heads of the flowers)

I say three words to calm myself down and to 

bring things back into perspective.

“Brown.  Eyed.  Susan’s.”

 

Did you catch my Fall Tour ?

And don’t forget to check out my

Gather Sign…

 

 

Have you been following along with me on Pinterest?

I am sharing some fabulous inspirational, Fall

projects, ideas and recipes.

While you’re at it – I would love for you to

PIN these images to your favorite boards.

 

 ………………………………………. 

Thank you for spending a few

minutes of your day here with me. 

 

You can follow along with

The Everyday Home here….

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GOOGLE +     HOMETALK

BLOGLOVIN‘

 

xxoo, Barb

Here are some of the Link Parties I may be sharing this post with.  

You can find more parties on my Linky Party Page.

Metamorpis Monday | The Scoop |  Do Tell Tuesday  | homework |  Get Your Shine On

Inspire Me Tuesday |  The Handmade Hangout |  Share Your Style 

French Country Cottage  |  Inspiration Gallery |  Tatertots and Jello