Is Pink the color of October?

     In our Midwest, when the Maples begin to turn their amazing colors, and "pop" against the perfectly blue October sky, I think October's colors are red, yellow and orange. But, when October brings cataclysmic drops in the stock market, and news programs frantic with bad news, and Halloween symbols everywhere, I think October's color is black. But, when October is surrounded by the  improbable color of Pink, I know something special is going on.
      Pink no longer just defines Bubblegum or Barbie, but it now stands for one big topic - Breast Cancer, and our determination to spread Awareness, offer Support and find a Cure! I actually love that freedom to talk about something so personal - the "big C-word" whose nasty surprise can sneak up on anyone while they are busy just living their lives. I've heard that most families have been touched in some way by Breast Cancer - so most of us are sympathetic toward the campaign against it.
     I love seeing pink on baseball players, buildings and product packaging. It means we are all on-board to do something about this mean disease...so, most certainly, I believe we will! At Furniture Gourmet, we are celebrating Pink with new Pink items - which make great ways to celebrate our own victories, and to give encouragement to our pink sisters who are going through the fight. If you're looking for something in pink, check out Furniture Gourmet's "Pink Rules" category 

Fall Decorating Tip - "Go Up!"

Most fall arrangements are horizontal...we scatter the leaves down the table, tumble pumpkins and gourds into a loosely contained river of decorations, and possibly add acorns or apples - and it's all good!  I love that look!  But if you want to change it up a little this year, without a big expense - our tip is..."Go Up!"

That is what we've done with this little collection. We started with a 10" x 6" clear glass vase. We then took a "wired" garland - in this case our artificial Bittersweet Garland, and created a corkscrew shape, rising up from the inside of the vase to extend up over the top, which draws the eye up to the rising bittersweet. We then added a Turban Squash, a collection of Gourds and a scattering of acorns. This look is rather compact, which you could use if you have a smaller area to decorate. You'll also notice a classic triangular shape, created by color, in which our eyes move from the red gourd in front left, up the bittersweet, (with its red berries)  and then down to the right, to rest on the red turban squash. Our eyes enjoy that kind of "movement" in displays. What ways have you used to add a different dimension to your fall decorating? We'd love to hear from you! These items are available separately or in a complete collection at Furniture Gourmet.
Click here to take a look!

"Start with what you have" Fall Decorating Ideas

Many of us are ready to think about how we want to decorate our homes for fall, and this year you might want to "spice up" your displays without spending a lot of money. That's why our series of fall decorating tips are to suggest you start with what you have, and just add a touch or two to freshen up and add a little surprise here and there!

 Start with the wonderful golds and browns and oranges that you already have.  You may have artificial or you may love to buy real pumpkins and gourds each year. We love our artificial Bittersweet that we can use each year.  Then, add the surprise of a different color - in this case, our elegant black pumpkins!  They're new this year, and we love them!  Some decorators say every room should have something black - think about whether your fall display would look good (to you) with a dash of black!  Burgundy is an interesting color, too, to add to the traditional fall colors. Our new burgundy pumpkins even  have a touch of green on them, which is a complementary color to red, so each color brightens the other.

Watch for more decorating ideas which help you to Start with What you Have. Bon Appetit!