Recently we painted the trim in our great room and sun room.  That was quite a project!!  Have you ever noticed that when a room undergoes a dramatic transformation, everything in the room also undergoes a bit of a transformation?  What is it with us?

 

AnExtraordinaryDay.net - Piano Vignette with Burlap Pumpkins & Leaves

 

For the past year I’ve been living large in a 1,000 square foot home.

My piano…which my parents purchased for me when I was just 4 years old…is a major player in the great room.  (Haha…I love it when I’m accidentally funny!)   It has a wonderful mantel-like top which allows for some fun displays or vignettes.  Although I was a little late in embracing fall this year…once I jumped on the train…I started savoring every single second…from pumpkins to walks to leaf peeping.  Of course I had to fluff my nest inside with all the goodness autumn has to offer as well…and that includes the piano.

 

AnExtraordinaryDay.net | Piano Vignette with Oak Leaves & Buckeyes

 

Over time you’ll notice that just about everything I decorate my home with…if I didn’t make it…has a story.

Who puts oak leaves on their piano runner?  Me.  Upside down too.  I love their veins.  Though I have to say, these oak leaves were a major disappointment for me.  Last year I picked them from trees in the park, around the corner from my house.  They were not brown.  They were the most gorgeous shade of deep claret.   I wanted to preserve their beauty, so I placed them between the pages of an old issue of Martha Stewart Living, one of the fall issues of course.  When I went back to get them they were no longer red!!!  Will somebody please tell me why?  That was one big disappointment.  But…I’m not going to waste their brown beauty…so here they are….along with a pile of buckeyes picked from under a huge old tree at the farm where I purchase fresh brown eggs.  I think the farmer was glad that I did a little work for him.  He even offered to get me a bag for my buckeye treasures!!

The framed tiny woodland creature was drawn and painted by the sister of a friend of mine.  Isn’t it the sweetest thing ever?

 

AnExtraordinaryDay.net | Fall Vignette in Browns

 

The giant leaf I sticky tacked to the front of the picture (actually just some music pages from an old Etude Magazine) is from a sycamore tree located in the same park.  I can’t believe I managed to keep it for a whole year! I looked for more this year….but none of the leaves were even close to that size.

The mandolin was my mother’s.  She acquired it when she was in college from an elderly gentleman who taught her to play it.  Sorry….I won’t be giving any concerts.

The basket hanging opposite the mandolin on the wall is a Longaberger Harvest Bread Basket.  It was in my stash to sell when I had an ah ha! moment.  Under the basket is a thermostat.  When we moved in, I was bothered by this eyesore surrounded by a large plastic cover, which we immediately removed.  But, a large back plate still remained.  I asked my husband to remove it, only to discover a huge hole under it.   Hanging the basket over the thermostat seems like the perfect solution…until I’m willing to deal with another dusty DIY project.   Don’t you think it’s perfect with all the other things as well?

 

AnExtraordinaryDay.net | Vignette in Browns and Tans for Thanksgiving | Burlap Pumpkin

 

Does this pumpkin look familiar?  I teased you with it here and here with promises of plenty more members to the Pumpkin family, and even some DIY details.  (Are you interested in the DIY tutorial?) I love burlap with metals and this old silverplate sugar bowl of my mom’s is a great companion.  Priscilla Pumpkin has quite the perch upon which to rest.  This beautiful book, with the leather and gold embellished spine, was from a collection that my dad got as a small boy in the very early 1900’s.  (Just in case you’re counting…I was a miracle baby.)

 

AnExtraordinaryDay.net | Fall Vignette in Browns | Longaberger Harvest Bread Basket | Burlap Pumpkin

 

Penelope Pumpkin is perched on a beautiful vintage pedestal I picked up when antiquing with my dearest friend back in Michigan.  I pull it out nearly every fall and winter.  It’s taken on a bit of a warped appearance since spending time in the garage of our last house, awaiting its turn on the yard sale block.  That’s when I discovered it was made of some sort of plaster and a not very protective glazed coating.   I’m glad it didn’t sell.  I love it even more now.

 

Since these bits of extraordinariness were all put together the first of November, I think I could call the assembly my Thanksgiving vignette.   What do you think of it?

 

What prompts you to change your decor?

Do you decorate for fall and leave everything until Thanksgiving?

Or do you tweak as the leaves fall?

 

There’s more transformations in the works at my house….just you watch!!

Wishing you An Extraordinary Day!

Diane

 

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Comments

  1. Love your vignette! So pretty!

    • Diane says

      Thanks Susan for your encouragement!!
      Hope your weekend is extraordinary in every way!

  2. Carli says

    I love how you’ve used your piano as a mantel. It’s so pretty! It is also really neat that you’ve had the piano almost your entire life.

    • Diane says

      A girl has to make the best of a situation! 😀 Thanks Carli for your sweet words and for stopping by!

  3. Debbie says

    Hi Diane, Enjoyed your post. Just wanted to tell you I just returned from Muskegon and cold weather, at least for this California girl. I shared your site with my sister. She knew your mother as she was involved with her care while she was still at home. She couldn’t say enough sweet things about your mom and will enjoy reading your posts with your beautiful photos. Just wanted to pass this on as you had mentioned about the special things you had that were from both your mom & dad. Looking forward for wht you have for the Christmas Season.

    • Diane says

      Oh Deb…I’m so glad you were able to be “home” for a bit. Wish I could have been in Michigan to get together with you. Boo to the cold weather though….hopefully the leaves were beautiful. 😀 Your sister was so sweet to my mom. I actually have and enjoy the “moose” throw that she gave her for Christmas shortly before she died. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement…it means so much. {hugs}

  4. Mel says

    Well, I adore the whole set up–and the story behind each item. I’m so glad I’m not alone in that department! Even the funny waddling penguin sitting on the computer desk comes with a story.
    I must say–your arrange your stories/keepsakes magnificently! Me—*laughing*–notsomuch!

    I’m a blending kinda gal this time of year–so I’ve hung on to the gourds/punkins/leaves and dried weeds and simply added to. But trust me when I say yours rock!
    “Why are all the gourds stuck on the cabinet top with the feathers you found?” was the response I got. Hahahaha…..tells ya something, huh?! But I will get better at it!

    <– taking notes and watching you, tyvm!

    • Diane says

      What matters most Mel…is that YOU love what you do and it makes you smile. Of course it’s good for our families to smile with us and not laugh at us. :/ Hope your weekend is simply extraordinary!!

  5. It’s all so sweet and I love the stories! They make our treasures that much more valuable! I don’t envy you the painting project though! I just finished painting my bathroom and ugh! what a chore!! Glad it’s over – it makes the decorating so much more fun though so I guess it’s a necessary task!

    • Diane says

      Aww thanks Jennifer!!
      I decided that bathrooms are the worst to paint. It seems like there is always a hard to reach spot and tight corners. But isn’t it wonderful to have that clean fresh feeling when it’s all finished?

Trackbacks

  1. […] As you gaze up my faux mantel you may recognize many of these pieces from vignettes of the past. […]

  2. […]  Well maybe I could.  Wanting to do something a bit more special, I set the large one on the antique pedestal I previously had cradling the burlap pumpkin on the piano.  Hmmm…what to do with the two […]

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