Hello friends, it is Leslie here with Color Me Pretty for October. I recently visited a beautiful apple orchard on Vancouver Island because it is that time of year here. The days are crisp, the leaves have changed color and the nights are getting very cold. Having lived the last fourteen years in Los Angeles, I have forgotten how cold nights can get back up here in Canada!
While I was wandering (and shivering!) around picking and photographing all the fruit, I got really inspired to bake. There is something about apples and cinnamon that just gives me a cozy home feeling. Especially when you come into the house smelling them cooking after freezing yourself outside. How about you? There is usually some combination baking in the oven that makes you feel like home, right?
Keeping with this simple pairing I thought it would be fun to use my apples in the kitchen as inspiration for this months column. A classic favorite of red and pale cinnamon brown from my home to yours.
One of the apple recipes I used was this rustic looking apple crostata, it got gobbled up by my family pretty quickly which is a good sign of a recipe success.
I also made some cranberry and apple conserve which, looks really pretty for gifts in some glass jars and tastes great with poultry or as a condiment for a cheese platter.
Since the days are getting shorter, I have been lighting candles later in the day. Old jam and mason jars look pretty filled with a little water and a tea light. The water helps keep the glass from cracking from the heat of the candle. You can line these inexpensive candle holders along a window or group them on your kitchen table. These recycled jars are always pretty.
You can even use twine, ribbon and/or washi tapes from Japan to dress up plain bottles and add them to a shelf or windowsill. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive – just think outside of the box and customize what you have with what’s laying around your craft room.
Try translating what inspires you from nature, for instance a trip to an orchard, into something handmade. You can try making your own cards, a notebook, or simply pinning things according to a specific palette onto your mood board to inspire you and decorate your work room.
Lastly, I have been seeing coffee filters used for wrapping all over lately. I had first come across this funny use of filters in some Japanese craft books and was not entirely convinced. However, for a small gift I now think this ruffled thin paper looks quite sweet for wrapping. I am partial to the unbleached natural color of the basket filters paired with baker’s twine and a little red accent. Of course they are food safe so I can also imagine using them for wrapping holiday cookies in a couple months.
I hope you have enjoyed this apple inspired post and I look forward to seeing you here next month. Until then take good care and maybe take some time to bake something yummy. – Leslie Shewring.
(images/styling: leslie shewring)
Tags: Color Me Pretty
October 24th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Love the apple serenade. Red is my favorite color. Thank you for sharing it with us.
October 24th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
This is SO inspiring! I love the mix of patterns and textures – and so resourceful!
October 24th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
SOLD!!! Love the journal. and all the pics are absolutely stunning. SO have to reblog these. Have a great week Holly and Leslie.
manvi @ mochatini´s last [type] ..Happy Friday
October 24th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Mmhhh, lecker and cosy…
Veridiana´s last [type] ..Engelzeit – time for angels
October 24th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Inspiring work…Love the journal and I so love your beautiful blog!
Take care
Marinela
Short Poems´s last [type] ..Season Poem For Children
October 24th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Thank you for this great post! I live up north, too, in Finland, so any idea to brighten up the dark days of autumn is very welcome! The jars with tea lights are my favourite among these great decorating ideas! I have to try that NOW! :-) I love your colour story of apple-red and cinnamon-brown, too! AND: I love seeing how the light and surroundings in your pics reflect your new home! :-)
Eva´s last [type] ..hoodie
October 24th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
SO inspiring! I love the mix of patterns and textures. Red is my favorite color. Thank you for sharing it with us.
October 24th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
I always love your posts, Leslie!
Lisa´s last [type] ..October Flower Workshop
October 24th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Love it all! Thanks for another week of lovely inspiration! :)
Jessica Senti´s last [type] ..{30 Days 30 Photos} Day 22
October 24th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Leslie, this is absolutely stunning!! The colors are so warm and you have included so many different textures. It is so, so cozy! Stay warm, sweet friend! Best from Copenhagen!
Traveling Mama´s last [type] ..in a little town called {paris}
October 25th, 2011 at 2:53 am
I have those very filters kicking around my craft room waiting for something. I think they were going to be a flower project but I LOVE them as wrapping especially with twine and a touch of red. The journal image is also so inspiring. Thanks Leslie!
Tracey Fisher´s last [type] ..Felt Flower Ring
October 25th, 2011 at 4:34 am
everything looked yum! makes me want to go visit an orchard. unfortunately there isn’t any close to that one you’ve shown around here in Singapore. there are gardens yeah, but nothing like that.. the only ‘orchard’ we have is the place where all the malls are.. XD
Wave Avenue´s last [type] ..rd favorited Chingchingaaa!’s blog post ‘Fave Pics of the Day – Revisited’
October 25th, 2011 at 5:09 am
i, absolutely, love this post.. the rustic tart looks amazing. can’t wait to try it! and those floating tea lights? too cute.
October 25th, 2011 at 5:38 am
We went on our first official orchard visit this year. I don’t know why I hadn’t gone sooner! (Oh yeah, I grew up on a farm with our own two large apple trees. That might have been why…) But there is inspiration and beauty everywhere in an orchard, true autumn storybook goodness. I really like how you’ve translated it here. There is a modern edge as well, that really rounds it out nicely. And oh dear, the smell of baking apples… what is better this time of year? =)
Shanon´s last [type] ..words to shoot by
October 25th, 2011 at 6:43 am
Love this yummy apple post! Great wrapping idea too. Thank you Leslie :)
October 25th, 2011 at 8:01 am
Just beautiful! So cozy and perfect for fall :) I definitely want a hot apple cider now!
Caitlin´s last [type] ..September
October 25th, 2011 at 10:35 am
There are some awesome ideas here! Looks like you have been having a great time :)
Nat @ Dear Little House´s last [type] ..Rockn’ brides.
October 25th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
So warm, cosy and lovely hun….as always. And yes, that smell( especially when you are coming in from outdoors) is the best….I love this time of year, I really do and this post sums it up so well. Just beautiful, thank you for sharing it with us sweet Leslie!
xo
Melis
Melissa de la Fuente´s last [type] ..Cheap & Chic
October 25th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
oh, I am so inspired by this post ! simple, wonderful ideas here- thank you :D
October 25th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Apple picking is one of my favorite new traditions now that I live in New England, it really spells Fall to me. I still have a big paper bag full in my cupboard, so I think I will be needing to try out that crostata – yum! Plus, with a very limited budget on gifting this year, I am keen to find creative little presents to create by hand, and I love your ideas to craft simple notebooks and also jar cranberry-apple conserve, which sounds scrumptious and looks so lovely all ruby red in the glass jars.
Hope you and your family are doing well, dear Leslie! xo Laura
Laura Gaskill´s last [type] ..A Stylist’s Abode
October 26th, 2011 at 12:25 am
Leslie,
Thank you for the divine inspiration – this post has inspired me to get out into the paddocks and grow grow grow… Although it’s a little too warm for apples here in Byron Bay – citrus and stone fruit loves the conditions…
sx
October 26th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
This is a gorgeous colour palette Leslie! The crostata looks delicious and I love the tea lights in glass jars! I’ve got more than a few jam jars around that would be perfect for this. Thanks for the inspiration!
Lynda Naranjo´s last [type] ..Apple Season!
October 27th, 2011 at 5:41 am
leslie – i’ve missed your posts. so glad to see you over here. promise you’ll blog about your new home soon. okay?
your small collections always enchant and inspire.
happy autumn way up there in the north.
sending you warm los angeles breezes…
mary ann´s last [type] ..savoring the experience
October 27th, 2011 at 8:09 am
Another lovely and great post from you, Leslie. I am a huge fans of this Column. Never get enough to discover new inspiration from your post every time I read.
I am not really fans of Apple, but surely this post makes me change my mind to at least have an apple pie for snack later this week haha…
fenny setiawan´s last [type] ..Baby’s breath flowers
October 27th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
glorious, i love seeing your autumn on the island. are they just regular tea lights, or rounded ones made for floating, leslie? my mother does this at christmas, i could gaze at it for hours. x
October 28th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Wonderful pictures….Just makes me happy to look at all of it! Thanks Leslie
October 29th, 2011 at 1:42 am
Hi Elisa, these are just regular tea lights and I took the silver cup off the bottom. Thank you!
leslie´s last [type] ..Apples & An Update
October 29th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
BEAUTIFUL !
INSPIRING !
COLORFUL !
HAPPINESS !
AND MUCH MORE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS WONDERFUL BLOG !
MERCI BEAUCOUP POUR LE REGAL DES YEUX !
ELIANE