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)