Five for Friday {October 9, 2009}

...A steady downpour of rain cascades past the windows, it seems a picturesque fall has yet to materialize, but no matter, I adore October regardless of how Mother Nature chooses to dress it up or down. In the coming days there are many reasons to celebrate and smile, from Thanksgiving on Monday to my wedding anniversary on the 14th (which just happens to fall on the same day that one of my uncles and my maternal grandmother were born!), and my beloved sister’s birthday a couple of days after that. This weekend bridges several days of feeling ill with a week chocked to the brim with glorious joy and earnest gratitude. A time for soulful thoughts and stick to your ribs food, of shared blessings and treasured memories that always bring great happiness...


♥ ♥ ♥


{To inspire this year’s seasonal mantle display}


{I love fireplace mantles with a burning passion (too obvious? ;D), there are few household surfaces that lend themselves better to being the perfect canvas upon which to add a hearty dose of festive decor to your abode. If I had a mantle (alas, this apartment dwelling gal does not have a mantle, despite her adoration of them), I would take copious amounts of inspiration from this photo and deck mine out in pale hued pumpkins that seem to telegraph thoughts of autumn frost and the natural fading of gardens everywhere at this time of the year. Photo by melissann on Flickr.}


{To ensure your wrist never has to go unadorned again}


{Eight beguilingly gorgeous cameos grace this elegant bracelet, each one slightly different from its peers. I could easily imagine pairing this refined piece of jewelry with everything from pencil skirts to evening gowns, its perpetually lovely cameos make it a most versatile of accessories. “Ms. Darcey Bracelet, $15.99 from ModCloth.}


{To bring the blazingly wonderful beauty of fall’s foliage to your wardrobe}

{Head to toe orange can be a tricky colour to pull off successfully, but one look at this smashing 1950s Betty Barclay chiffon and brocade dress and you can just tell it would look amazing and anything but costumey on whomever is lucky enough to call this dress her own (which isn’t to say of course that you couldn’t wear it out on Halloween, just that it would also work wonders for a cocktail or dinner party any other night of the year, too). Orange 1950s “prom dress”, fits a 26” waist/34” bust, £75.00 (UK pounds) from Natasha Baile.}


{To fill with your favourite nippy weather beverage}


{Timeless shades of oak and fresh cream play off one another exquisitely in this vintage set of Purinton slip wear pottery from the 1940s. Comprised of a tea pot that calls to mind the shape of a harvest pumpkin, a creamer and a sugar bowl, this set would look amazing on any autumnal table! Three piece set, $49.99 from etsy seller Jolly Time One.}


{To help the last three weeks until Halloween zip by}


{Whether you walk, run, or fly on a broomstick, be certain to pop on by Miss Matilda’s immensely fantastic blog, where she’s posting spooky, eerie and wonderfully frightful vintage images everyday right up until the 31st. Such an awesome Halloween treat, thank you, MM!}


Many thanks to you, sweet friends, for your immensely kind well wishes earlier in the week, they mean so very much to me. I am feeling a bit better at the moment and hope that my health will be in a cooperative enough mood to allow me to partake in all of next week’s delightful celebrations. Thank you as well for your fantastic positive feedback regarding yesterday’s first installment in my “10 per decade” series of posts. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed reading about some of my favourite elements of the 1900s and look forward to putting out further posts covering the rest of the 20th century in the coming weeks.

Wishing you each a splendidly beautiful weekend!