Inspiration for Autumn

I've done all the organizing I can possibly do around the house. Today, I sat down at my desk and brought out all my Autumn magazines...the new ones and those from previous seasons.
Love the inspiration from Southern Living and all the Hoffman Media publications!
Of course, I still like to look back at cute stuff I didn't have the chance to do in the years gone by...
Getting together some ideas for gift & treat packaging, decorating, and entertaining!
A little pumpkin pie for energy...
And...my new favorite Autumn coffee "Pumpkin Pecan Pie" coffee from Cracker Barrel. They are offering these little one-pot packs in various Autumn flavors. I divide the package into three servings, which will brew two cups each...just enough for moi! {I don't want to waste this special coffee...in fact, yesterday, I was hitting up all the local Cracker Barrels buying up these little packages --they are great for a quick hostess gift package!}
Pumpkin Pecan Pie coffee...yum yum y'all!
Thank you for stopping by today! Hope y'all have a fantastic week.

TEA & INSPIRATION

I'm sippin' a little Cranberry Autumn tea, available at HarneyTeas, while enjoying a tres healthy snack--a Pumpkin Spice Flax bar from Kashi. Just relaxing with a stack of awesome magazines...Southern Lady, Teatime, Paula Deen, Simply Southern, Celebrating Fall, Celebrating Halloween ....and planning some holiday events.

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to reconnect with family and friends and to begin planning all of your holiday events and decorations. Small events are my specialty. I love to entertain and create themed events--from potluck to formal dinners. Entertaining does not mean that you have to host a lavish formal dinner party. I'm sure that you have thought about entertaining friends, only to stress out that your home isn't decorated right, not clean enough, or you are not a Martha Stewart-type person. Well, you probably have more entertaining experience than you think--from birthday parties to casual cookouts--it's all about the social skills.

Please stop in on Thursday when I will be blogging about ways to begin planning YOUR event!

Tea and Inspiration

With one of my favorite trees (tea-theme) aglow, this month I am sipping a Gingerbread Spice Herbal Infusion. It's a caffeine-free herbal beverage infused with cinnamon, ginger, roasted chicory root, and roasted barley malt. Yes, these are teabags--I am not a tea snob! Remember that all tea comes from the Camellia Senensis plant and all tea has caffeine. If it's caffeine-free, then it's not tea, it's an herbal infusion.

I am browsing through two books from one of my favorite style mavens--Mary Carol Garrity. She is the owner of Nell Hill's home furnishing shops in Kansas City and Atchison, Missouri. 75,000 visitors a year travel an average of 100 miles to visit her stores. Nell Hill's Christmas at Home offers inspirational ideas for holiday decorating and gift presentation. Entertaining in Style includes tips, techniques, and themes for entertaining in the Nell Hill-style. If you have never read any of Ms. Garrity's books, you don't know what you are missing. Her books inspire me over and over again--I never get tired of her style! Check them out--I think you will love them. I just love this quote from Mary Carol Garrity:

"A well-set table is one that delights guests, sparks conversation, and reflects the host's personality."

Mary Carol Garrity

I hope that each of you find some time to slow down during the Christmas season, find one of your favorite magazines or books, and enjoy some holiday tea!