Fabulous Felt Fall Foliage Barrette
Sweater: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney
Skirt: Mossimo, Target
Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily
Bag: Olivia Miller, JCPenney
Red and yellow bangles: B Fabulous
Maroon bangle: Iris Apfel for INC, Macy's
Top: Xhilaration, Target
Skirt: Mossimo, Target
Shoes: Penny Loves Kenny, Zulily
Bag: Nine West, ROSS Dress for Less
Sweater: Poof, Marshalls
Dress: Wet Seal
Shoes: Forever Link, Zulily
Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's
This post is all about fall, that diva of seasons that insists on going by two names: 1) the aforementioned playful descriptor of the tumbling leaves and 2) the more sophisticated and somewhat haunting autumn. And really, who could blame it? It's a very confusing time, cold one day and hot the next, with Halloween and Christmas decorations competing for space in the stores as you shuffle by in your parka and flip flops.
Speaking of change, I'm settling into my new house. Which is more fun than I ever imagined. You see, I've never thought of myself as a "house person." People would talk about things like wainscoting and accent chairs, and my eyes would glaze over as I went on a shoe shopping spree in my head. But now that I'm a homeowner (a word, by the way, that I used to find very pretentious), decorating is the best craft project and game of dress-up combined. Each room is like an outfit, with its own colors and textures and personality, and each picture frame, knickknack, and pillow is like a shiny new accessory. Just when I think I'm done, I get another idea, and then it's off to the races. Or, more to the point, HomeGoods or Michaels.
On that note, I had a wonderful time making these leaf barrettes. As autumn activities go, crafting beats bobbing for apples or jumping into piles of leaves that may or may not harbor earthworms. I've been wanting to make these for years and finally said, now's the time! Maybe this tree in my yard tipped the scales. It's no maple, oak, or other icon of fall foliage. But that's what makes it so special. It's a snowball tree, so named for its round flower globes, which were white at the height of summer when the husband and I first saw them. Now the blooms are a dusky purple, which, albeit less vibrant, have their own old-fashioned, autumnal charm. Just like those withered old cornstalks that, light-leeched and decrepit, replace summer's bright kernels.
This is all getting very Walt Whitman. You know. If Whitman got glumly gushy about produce. He's the guy who wrote Leaves of Grass, that classic (if convoluted) exploration and celebration of nature and the self. Not to be confused with the guy responsible for the chocolates that come in the yellow box. Now there's a dude who deserves a shout-out. Maybe next time I'll post about Great Profiles in Caramel: Up Close and Delicious With Whitman and Russell Brand.
I mean, Stover.