DRAMATIC FALL
When the market opened this morning shares of the biggest US based oil companies fell sharply as deepening gloom over the economy and mounting losses on Wall Street pointed to further reductions in energy demand. On our street this morning our dogs, full of energy, demanded a morning walk through their market...our backyard. As we tumbled out of our front door my mind raced about the international, domestic, economic and social issues at stake in this Presidential election. Are we going to make it out of this mess alive? Who's going to pay the bill? What's going to happen to the housing market, Wall Street, our jobs, our futures? Who's going to hire a designer in these tough times? Will I have to resort to selling Mary Kay Cosmetics, Tupperware and Cutco Knives to make ends meet? More important, will Joe get a bonus this year so he can buy me Christmas presents? Then I stopped my dramatic downward spiral as I watched our puppies running through the field behind our house, not a care in the world other than finding the cat. As their paws bounced through freshly fallen leaves, I thought of a few dramatic tips for fall.
LEAF NOTHING BEHIND:
When times are tough find easy ways to decorate without breaking the bank. In LA I went to craft stores to purchase leaves for my Thanksgiving table and other fall decorations, in the Northeast it's a different story. In the last two weeks autumn has definitely arrived and with that, falling leaves everywhere. Here are just a few things I like to do with mine:
1.) AS A DRAMATIC PLACE SETTING: I like to gather as many leaves as I can(if you live in an area like LA where Palm Trees don't shed their leaves, head to a craft store or have relatives ship leaves to you!). For fall dinner parties place the leaves on top of a charger (larger white plate on the bottom) and glass dinner plate on top (I purchase mine, believe it or not, at the 99 cent store in LA). Your guests will admire the leaves through the glass dinner plates!
2.) PLACE CARDS: With a sharpie, glitter pen or gold marker, write your guests names on leaves as place cards, labels for food at the buffet table, etc.
3.) CENTERPIECE: I like to fill a large glass vase with small pumpkins, leaves, twigs and berries. It's beautiful, dramatic and can last the entire holiday season!
4.) PLACE MATS: I purchased inexpensive place mats in white at Bed Bath and Beyond and a can of gold spray paint. I placed leaves on the place mats in various configurations (holding them firm to the mats with double stick tape) then spray painted over them. After drying for an hour, remove the leaves to reveal the patterns beneath!
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Fifteen Minutes
COST: Most projects above: Zero Placemats $1.99 each at Bed Bath and Beyond
STRESS LEVEL: Falling into a good mood: LOW
