The Fallen Leaf Lantern

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The Fallen Leaf Lantern

I don't know if I ever formally announced this on Poppy Haus, but I started a visual display internship with Anthropologie last month; the best part of which is the opportunity to create three dimensional art installations out of ordinary materials "as a job", because as you know, I really like doing it for my home. Today's post has been in the works and a little delayed because of my ever tightening schedule with school, interning, blogging and kid wrangling.  I am very excited to share this new paper lantern project, particularly because it's a project that you can do with kids, at least the leaf collecting part (we got our leaves from Jasper's school). The lantern can hang from a string or can be illuminated with a light cord. Here are some more pictures and a tutorial. 

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Luxe Pumpkin Luminarias

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Luxe Pumpkin Luminarias

I've had a couple of craft store pumpkins sitting in my work space (aka my dining room table) for several weeks just collecting dust while I worked on other things. I finally got to them, now that you've been totally inundated with Halloween decor ideas, so just know that I'm planning on rocking them on the Thanksgiving table as well. These are "transitional" pumpkins. That's right, I said transitional. Also, they light up, so they are magic. I'm planning on making several more, because we are hosting this year and if the weather cooperates we'll be eating at an extra-long table extending out into our backyard. This project is easy enough for a mid-sized kid to work on, so I'm enlisting an enthusiastic Jasper to help me poke all the holes. I love my sweet artsy boy. Here's the tutorial and materials list...

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Picnic Soup

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Picnic Soup

(Today's post is being dispatched from The South of France by Lisa Fontaine. Enjoy!)

I'm excited to be back at Poppy Haus today as a guest contributor, thanks Heather for having me!  Fall is always one of my favorite times of the year.  The kids are back in school, the tourists have fled the Bay Area- reducing commute times (only slightly), and the weather is warm and glorious for our Indian summer.  This year, things are a bit different, although equally enjoyable.  My husband and I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and are spending the year abroad in France with our three young children Bijou (8) and twins Eero & Wilder (3).  We are living in the countryside in southwest France in a 200-year-old farmhouse and our children attend public school in our nearby village of only 800 inhabitants.  Needless to say, things are quite different than our urban life back home.  

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White Bean Chili Verde with Pumpkin

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White Bean Chili Verde with Pumpkin

This recipe is one of those things that came together on a day when we might have been just too tired to cook, and could have very well ordered some take out to get us through. Instead we turned to our old friend the slow-cooker, because I had a hankering for chili verde. The addition of pumpkin makes it a hearty, autumn stew, and we ate ours up with sliced avocado, and honey cornbread.  Here's the recipe...

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The Autumn Flower

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The Autumn Flower

A while back I asked my friend, the floral designer turned painter, Jen Daily to teach me how to arrange grocery store flowers to make them look more lovely than their $10 price tag.  When I spotted these blush colored dahlia's at the market the other day I thought about her advice and got to arranging.  Dahlias are my favorite fall bloom, they remind me of the peonies of summer time.  Dahlias come in a variety of colors ranging from deep dark purple to nutmeg, to this pale hue.  I used trimmings from my yard, including Japanese maple, and a mystery flower that I just love.  You can't do this wrong, just keep it loose and mix textures. See how I built this arrangement below.  And before I say goodbye for the weekend I wanted to give a quick plug to Jen Daily and her new project of tiny little paintings now available for purchase in her Etsy store.  I bought this one and I can't wait for it to arrive...

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