it's pumpkin season

Happy first day of Fall,

so in my book,

this marks the official start of

 pumpkin season!

Let’s decorate to our hearts delight

with these happy orange gourds.

Place a few on the front porch and

a few small ones on a side table...

dress them up with spanish moss and spooky little owls.

Feature a few on the mantle,

or how about a whole mess of them

 spilling out of the fireplace?

Linus Van Pelt was right,

pumpkins are a sign of sincerity.

They’re the most honest,

natural symbol of Autumn,

and their cheery colors and fun shapes

are sure to bring a smile to your face!

Planting a gorgeous pumpkin

with your favorite succulents

is one of the best ideas yet!

Everything deserves a little 

pumpkin face this time of year!

I will have to get busy making some

jack-o-lantern faced empanandas,

using my mother’s secret recipe of course –

made the Argentine way!

Actually, it’s not so secret,

and I’ll share it one of these days,

if you’re interested  ; )

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:

1. Martha Stewart

2. Roger's Gardens

3. Good Housekeeping

4. Martha Stewart

5. Sunset Magazine
6. Roger's Gardens

it's the last day of summer ...

It's officially the last day of Summer…

and it happens to be the most un-Summerlike

day around these parts today.

It’s a gloomy and drizzly day,

but that doesn’t stand in my way

for anticipating the beginning

of my favorite season…

Autumn!!

You know 

I’ve been a little pumpkin crazy already,

and I’m just imagining what the neighborhood

will be looking like all decked-out

for Fall.

Do you remember the pretty curb appeal

from Barclay Butera’s home last year?

A few simple and elegant pumpkins

are all you need to dress up the

front of your home!

Sunflowers are another one of my favorite ways

to celebrate the season.

They’re like a little bit of sunshine

shining inside your own home…

treat yourself to some pretty sunflowers…

Trader Joe’s is always a safe bet 

for finding something pretty

without breaking the bank.

I’m really looking forward to the

Corona del Mar Home Tour on

October 24th…

just in time for my birthday.

You can count on the CDM Home Tour

for lots of inspiring décor,

and a full day of FUN!

Isn't this Fall counterscape 

from a few years back gorgeous?!

And what would fall be without

America’s favorite fruit baked with a little sugar

and spice, and yeah, everything nice?

You’ll want to try this easy

recipe for these yummy Apple Tarts.

And yes,

I know I’ve mentioned it before,

but Roger’s Gardens is THE place for

Fall fun and inspiration!

Coming up soon…

a blog post on how to add a little

vintage touch to your Halloween décor

with perfectly spooky antique books!

Wuthering Heights is the ultimate

haunting love story and one of my favorite novels.

And speaking of Emily Bronte,

a sweet little quote to usher in Autumn…

ciao! fabiana

tuesday in corona del mar

Just sharing some fun from last Tuesday

in Corona del Mar…

My first stop was Roger’s Gardens

and at the top of the list was

to pick up some white pumpkins.

They have a huge selection 

of beautiful pumpkins

in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Herbs and Pumpkins...

two of my favorite things!

And while I was there,

 I got another peek at their

fabulous Halloween display.

If you’ve never been to Roger’s

during this time of the year,

you definitely need to check it out!

Half their store is converted into

an amazing Halloween fun house.

This year’s theme is Magic & Mayhem…

I’ll share more on that in a few weeks!

Next was a stop for breakfast

and cappuccinos with my friend Nancy

 at Le Pain Quotidien, a super yummy

 and healthy Belgian café.

Nancy and I couldn’t wait to head over to

Anthropolgie to check out their update

showroom and expanded store… it’s huge!

If you’ve ever visited an Anthroplogie store,

you know how amazing their displays are.

And I had no idea that they carried

a full line of wallpaper, did you?

They have books and books of

gorgeous wallpapers and grasscloths.

The one pictured above in this bedroom

vignette is one of my favorites.

Fun and funky décor, for sure.

While I was there, 

I did pick up a few pairs of earrings for myself, 

one with little tassels (see below) 

and a ciao tee-shirt... fabulous!  

I still can't get enough of their styling and merchandising...

so cute!

ciao! fabiana

Just for fun...

photo credit: Anthropologie

photo credit: Anthropologie

a tiger sofa and more...

Do you remember Lee Radziwill’s iconic sofa that was upholstered in the most divine Scalamandré tiger-striped velvet? It’s legendary!

It was eventually handed down to her daughter-in-law Carole Radziwill and has been prominently featured on the Real Housewives of New York as the centerpiece of Carole’s SoHo apartment.

Well, this year, the shabby and well-worn 50+ year old sofa got a complete makeover and now lives on as a gorgeous blue sofa.

But the legend of the tiger sofa

lives on in Atlanta…

Enter Taylea Fowler,

whose obvious good taste quickly

caught my attention.

This striking blonde and her husband Robin

recently purchased this historic 1930's home 

in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, and

the starting point of the design

concept for their new home was a

Scalamandré tiger sofa, just like

the one that Lee made so famous!

And look at the rest of the décor!

Hello!?

This looks like my fantasy dream home!

More velvet anyone?

This little pink situation room

is the ladies’ lounge.

Her closet, amazing! 

And the stunning décor continues

outside in the pool pavilion.

Surrounded by nature’s pretty green,

how can anyone say no to sitting out here?

And sneak peek...

here’s the Fowler’s wedding photo

from their 2016 Mexican beach ceremony. 

Have a dreamy day…

ciao! fabiana

photo credit: Veranda

Interior Design by Melanie Turner 

fall table for the weekend

With Fall just around the corner,

I’ve started pulling out a few of 

my favorite cozy accessories

 to add here and there

around the house.

One of my favorites is this soft plaid throw.

It instantly puts me in a fall mood, and 

I love how it looks with these gorgeous pumpkins! 

I started with setting the

plaid throw on a diagonal,

that way the fringed edge is softly

draping over each side of the table.

The large orange and gray pumpkins

were placed in the center of the table.

They’re a beautiful, soft color

that’s almost chalky in appearance.

I found these and all the smaller

pumpkins at Roger’s Gardens.

Then, I arranged the smaller

yellow-striped and white pumpkins

around the large ones.

The gaps were softened with freshly cut

olive branches from the garden,

 a few elegant pheasant feathers

and some rustic little twigs.

This whole setting looks great with the

white pumpkin wooden flower box

that I put together on Friday.

That now sits on the cabinets in front

of the window, and I’m really pleased

with how they look together!

Have you started decorating for Fall

at your home yet?

I want to hear all about it...

ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.