today i am simply captivated by these painted leaves by bicocacolors (discovered via sense and grace). i think it may call for a leaf gathering adventure!

wrap up: {autumn} {chevron} {fall} {leaves} {paint} {painted}

fall just seems to call for foxes, and here are some of my favorites. :) i own this fellow and he is one of my favorite pieces of art!

row 1: kids fantastic fall fox coat- $150, virginia red fox- $125, grayson the fox felt pillow- $35

row 2: fox art- $25, little foxes 2012 calendar- $21, red fox screen print- $30

row 3: foxglove print- $31, fingerless fox mittens- $36

wrap up: {autumn} {fall} {favorites} {foxes} {handmade}

I’ve been so enthused with many different ways to decorate a pumpkin lately, that I just had to try painting a pattern onto one. The idea came to me because I am about to paint a large chevron pattern in grey on my living room wall. To paint it on the pumpkin involves the same idea: painter’s tape, measured and spaced equally apart, and carefully peeled off to enjoy the crisp design.

Another great thing about painting a pumpkin is that you can leave it prettily painted in your home, as table decor, on your kitchen counter, or on your mantel, and when it gets closer to Halloween, the pumpkin can still be carved – the jack-o-lantern will just have an eye-catching pattern on it’s face. Let’s get started!

materials

- a pumpkin – size of your choice
- painter’s tape
- a ruler or measuring tape
- pen or pencil
- paint – color of your choice
- brush or sponge

Begin by deciding how big you want your stripes to be, and how close together. This will be largely influenced by the size of your pumpkin. I have a sweet little pie pumpkin, and I measured the dips of my chevron pattern two inches apart, top to bottom and left to right.

After I marked off where my dips should be, I measured out pieces of tape. Since my pumpkin was so small, I started in the middle with 3″ long tape strips, and created a zig zag pattern, as evenly-spaced as possible. For the top and bottom layers of tape, the tape strips only had to be 2″ long.

Special note: these are flat, rectangular strips of tape that we are applying to a round, uneven surface – don’t expect exact zig-zags. Pumpkins are organic forms that rarely grow evenly, so a little imperfection will still look great!

Carefully paint the pumpkin between the paint strips – painter’s tape makes it okay to be a bit sloppy here.

Once the paint has dried, carefully peel the tape away to admire your well-defined chevron stripes! Any paint that got peeled up with the tape, or extra paint that snuck under the tape, can be touched up with a small paint brush, or softly scraped away with a fingernail to achieve a straight line.

And that’s it! Now imagine introducing more colors, or layers of color within the stripes! Try outlining the stripes with permanent marker borders, or trimming them with a line of black upholstery nail heads – the possibilities are endless!
Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {autumn} {chevron} {decor} {diy} {pumpkin}

clockwise: autumn gazpacho soup, pan seared brussel sprouts, butternut squash pasta, corn medallions, cashew, coconut and pumpkin curry, fig pizza*

this week’s meals were hearty, wholesome and (as always) inspired by our local produce. our favorites for this week were most certainly the fig pizza and pumpkin coconut curry. yum!

what have been some of your favorite meals this week? please share with us in the comment section!

monday:

grilled veggie kabobs, autumn gazpacho soup, pan seared brussel sprouts and corn medallions

tuesday:

butternut squash pasta served with a garden salad

wednesday:

cashew, coconut and pumpkin curry with sauteed kale

thursday:

fig pizza*, garbanzo bean and veggie mashed potatoes*, stuffed poblanos (stuffed with last night’s leftovers!) and grilled squash

friday:

need ideas! what are you cookin’?

fig pizza

brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil over your pizza crust, then layer with spinach and slices of fresh fig. sprink with salt and top with fresh thyme or sage. bake at 400 degrees until crust is slightly brown, about 25 minutes. drizzle with honey and serve!

garbanzo bean and veggie mashed potatoes

saute in olive oil 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick (all chopped) until translucent (about 6 minutes). add 2 pounds of potatoes cut into thick chunks and 1 can of garbanzo beans. add enough water to cover slightly. let simmer until potatoes are soft to the touch. pour out liquid and transfer to mixing bowl and mix until a mashed potato consistency is formed (optional: add vegan butter and milk!).

wrap up: {autumn} {butternut squash} {dinner ideas} {fall} {fig} {menu} {pumpkin}

flowers of all kinds are still in bloom here, so i’m soaking up the opportunity to photograph them while i can. soon i’m sure we’ll have our first frost and all i’ll have to remember the summer by are these pictures. that will be alright though, i know they will be back again next year.

photos: © bonnie forkner

wrap up: {autumn} {blooms} {flowers} {pictures} {roses} {summer}

in the past, i haven’t been the biggest fan of cold soups, but this one rocked my world (but, you can also serve it warm, if you like). adapted from this recipe, it’s one of the easiest soups i’ve made and it’s great for a group of people with different dietary needs. the flavors are just right and it’s so filling and satisfying. i hope you’ll enjoy!

ingredients

- 6-8 medium to large heirloom tomatoes
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup pureed veggie juice (on the juice isle!)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt

topping:

- 1 avocado
- 1 small red heirloom tomato

directions

chop all ingredients into thick chunks and combine in a food processor and pulse until pureed. (that’s right, just puree it all together!). season with salt and top with diced avocado and fresh tomato. serve chilled.

wrap up: {autumn} {cold} {fall} {gazpacho} {gluten free} {raw} {recipe} {soup} {vegan}

Last week I made pumpkin spice lattes, and with a lot of pumpkin puree left over in my fridge, I had to use it for something. Enter: DIY pumpkin pasta sauce. I experimented with the flavors as I went – it started as a sweeter sauce, but I quickly realized adding herbs and black pepper would make it perfect. So, this sauce is thick and savory, with just a hint of sweetness in the nutmeg – perfect on top of plain pasta or ravioli. It’s also very easy to make, and it’s vegetarian – I’ve included substitutes for vegans as well!

ingredients

 
- 1/4 cup butter (vegan substitute: 1/4 cup vegan “buttery” spread OR 3 tablespoons canola oil)
- 1 shallot
- 2 – 4 garlic cloves (depending on your taste)
- 1 – 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (or follow Bonnie’s instructions for pumpkin puree in this – recipe)
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup milk (vegan substitute: 3/4 cup soymilk, rice milk, etc.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 teaspoons fresh, minced sage leaves OR 2 teaspoons dry ground sage
- 2 teaspoons fresh, minced thyme leaves OR 1 teaspoon dry ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- pinch of nutmeg

optional toppings:

- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- parmesan cheese

directions

After shallot and garlic are minced, sauté in skillet of melted butter (or vegan substitute) on medium for about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, and stir in pumpkin puree. Continue to stir for 3 minutes, and slowly add stock, milk, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme. Allow sauce to simmer, covered, until ready to serve. Top with walnuts and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {ashley pahl} {autumn} {fall} {pasta} {pumpkin} {recipe} {sauce} {seasonal}

this weeks meals were full of fall veggies and new recipes. this week at the farmer’s market, we had fresh corn, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, red onions, spinach, eggplant and sweet potatoes. as always, you’ll find this week’s menu was inspired by our seasonal produce. what’s growing in your town?

monday: purple potato cakes*, roasted veggies and grilled corn

tuesday: farmer’s market burritos* and strawberry salad

wednesday: dinner on the grill (too hot to cook inside)! grilled tofu, corn and eggplant, served with a salad topped with avocado and cranberries.

thursday: ceviche spring rolls (minus the cod and + fresh basil) with a summer sprouted salad, zucchini pasta and baked sweet potatoes

friday: roasted fall vegetables with lentils with whipped sorbet and no bake brownie bites

*purple potato cakes

these remind me of my childhood. any time we used to have leftover mashed potatoes, mom would always make us potato cakes the next day. these were purple because i used purple potatos (not to state the obvious, or anything) and were leftover from this shepherd’s pie. simply make patties and pan fry with a little olive oil. yum-o!

*farmer’s market burritos

we make burritos a few times a month and i always just throw in whatever is in season. this week i stir fried corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans and black beans. i also used quinoa instead of corn (an excellent replacement!). add cumin, nutmeg and chili pepper to taste and serve in sprouted whole wheat tortillas. i always top mine with sliced avocado as well.

all pictures: whole living recipes

wrap up: {autumn} {burritos} {dinner} {fall} {ideas} {potato cakes} {recipes} {seasonal}