Category: Style

Daily Happenings, Holidays, Style

6 Tips for Carving Pumpkins

Lora Knows...

While most have their Halloween traditions, none seems more iconic, to me, than pumpkin carving. This annual ritual began in Europe and made its way to the United States in the late 1800s, and am I ever glad it did!

Handling pumpkins can be quite messy and pose maintenance challenges. So go ahead and indulge and use the five tips below to make your pumpkin carving adventure smoother, and maybe less messy.

Tip #1: Instead of carving from the top, try cutting an opening in the pumpkin’s bottom. This unconventional method yields a cleaner pumpkin design and simplifies the process of lighting it up. Just lift the pumpkin, place a battery operated push light on the ground and carefully replace the pumpkin over it.

Tip #2: Upgrade Your Scoop: If you’ve ever wrestled with stubborn pumpkin seeds and stringy innards, and complained there has to be a better way, there is! Use a sturdy metal ice cream scoop – it is much stronger than the flimsy plastic scoopers found in carving kits, making the task much easier.

Tip #3: Sketch with Finesse: Use a dry-erase marker when outlining your design. These markers are much easier to use than their permanent counterparts. Plus, when you are done cutting any of the residue can be wiped away with a baby wipe.

Tip #4: Reinforce with Toothpicks: Accidentally severing a piece of your pumpkin might make you give up, or feel like you ruined the design. Fear not! Use toothpicks to discreetly reconnect the sections.

Tip #5: Add a Dash of Spice: Spice up your pumpkin carving by dusting the interior with ground cinnamon. This not only infuses your creation with the delightful scents of autumn, but also keeps those little animals like squirrels from nibbling on your Halloween masterpiece.

Tip #6: To find templates you can search online for printable pumpkin templates.

Now you’re ready to kick-up your Halloween festitivities with some fun pumpkin carving. Be sure to share the outcome with me.

Daily Happenings, Style

Flowers for Fall

Lora Knows...

Sunflowers are the beautiful flowers of summer, tulips (my fave) are for spring, and there are some wonderful blooms for autumn. They’ll certainly make you smile throughout fall.

Celosia – This striking flame-like ornamental plant blooms in vivid red and orange. It is a low maintenance flower that is durable and rigid. Because of these qualities it is a great addition to a centerpiece.

Helenium – This plant is also known as “sneezeweed”. It gives all the lovely colors of fall; orange, brown, red, yellow and orange. It is part of the sunflower family, so if you are missing summer this is your alternative flower.

Spider Mums – As much as I dislike spiders, I adore spider mums. These flowers are a nice addition to centerpieces. Arrange them in a shallow bowl with small twigs, maple leaves or any other fall foilege.

Pansy – This sweet little flower will be the main focus of our flower beds come mid-September. With two-toneed delicate petals it will add so much color and will thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall.

Real Estate, Style

White After Labor Day

Lora Knows...

If you think the rule of not wearing white after Labor Day still applies, think again. It’s acceptable to not only continue wearing white after the beginning of September, but to also decorate your interior space with white.

Soft white accents  

A neutral palette—any time of year—can instantly make your home brighter and more welcoming. If you still want to keep the autumn feel alive, add white gourds instead of orange. The options are endless for decorating with ivory and soft whites, making this the way to go for post-summer decorating.

Gallery wall

A black and white gallery wall could do wonders for your living room. It looks chic and clean, but still adds personality to the space. Stick with white frames with extra white space within the frame to keep the gallery wall minimalist.

Play around with textures

Too much white without texture can seem cold and boring. Research various wall textures to see if this is a viable option, or incorporate texture in other ways with throw pillows, accessories, and other decorative elements.

Don’t overdo it

It may seem impossible to overdo it with white—the most neutral color there is—but making your entire home white could have the opposite effect of cozy and lived-in. Still add splashes of color throughout your home, even if it’s just with centerpieces and other decor elements.