An Alternative Fall - Home Decor

Well, we had SO much fun creating pumpkins for our earlier Fabric Pumpkins Blog Post, and had so many compliments on them at a show we attended over weekend, we decided to share with all of you how wee incorporated them into our personal home decors. These pumpkins are fairly easy to make and perfect for adding a custom look to your house from early fall through Thanksgiving. Just pick a fabric or 2 or 3...that coordinates with your style, and get started...  As mentioned in our previous post, Stacy and Christine have different styles and created very different pumpkins, which of course carries over to our differently styled homes!  Everyone's home should be a reflection of their personal comfort and style. We would love to see pics of your style with your pumpkins!!

Antique Sideboard display - Out 2 Lunch 

My style (Stacy) definitely tends towards a classic coastal look; bare feet, the moon on the water, the breeze in a clear blue sky, the deep shade of moss covered oaks - these are the happy places I travel in my mind, and the decor of my home helps take me there. I grew up on the shores of Lake Ontario, and lived many years of my adult life in Charleston, SC - I am drawn to the water and find peace there. With three elementary age children, peace is a valuable commodity in our house!! When we made our pumpkins, I chose fabrics that echoed the sand, sky and water. In addition the paisley fabric was a baby sling I used with my youngest- I held on to it for over 6 years, waiting for the right project.

Beach Pumpkin- Out 2 Lunch 

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, to enjoy the outdoors and the changing of the seasons.  However, it IS NOT my favorite time of year to decorate my house. I'm not a big fan of creepy Halloween, so that doesn't leave a lot of options. My children love to decorate their play space with whimsical Halloween, and I am glad to finally have something that captures my style.

Each piece I feature in my decor has meaning for me, from family pictures to handed down furniture, to items sent to us by friends living far away. The fisherman in this area was a treasure we found going through my grandmother's belongings. Although she lived in Kansas      and Texas for most of her life, he was the perfect memento to add to the driftwood and fossilized rock my children collected in Charleston.



 I love that these pumpkins can add the warmth of fall without replacing my existing decor - they just seemed to fit in seamlessly - other than the large blue pumpkin in this picture. I loved that it was a "life size" pumpkin; lesson learned... consider the space before you create!

     

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Fabric pumpkins, milk glass decor - Out 2 Lunch Designs

For me (Christine), fall and the holidays are about textures and feeling.  I love the crisp cool weather that comes in at fall.  I love the changes all around me from the lush green, hot sun of summer, to vivid colors, and cooler nights, fire places lit up, and jeans, boots, and sweaters replacing tees and shorts.  With each season I enjoy and embrace the change-over.  I spent the bulk of my formative years in North Carolina, and love the distinct changes of seasons evident in areas from the coastal Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains!   As always, I am drawn to shiny, sparkly, glam textures, as well as vintage styles and nature.

Black Velvet Pumpkin

My fall most definitely incorporates a mix of natural elements along with vintage and sparkly/shiny items (milk glass, glam vintage fabrics, shiny accessories with rocks, twigs, etc).  With the coziness of fall I also always look forward to incorporating lush textures - my hands-down favorite? Velvet!

 

Fall Mantle  via Out 2 Lunch Designs

Over the last couple years, my home has taken on a more neutral mid-tones look, incorporating mixes of grays, greens, taupes, and golds in various combinations; so I stuck to those colors with my pumpkins, letting the mix of natural stems, and glam fabrics shine.  And of course, I paired them with my fave classic, vintage milk glass, plus other elements like: glass, rocks, pottery, and textiles.  Some of my little pumpkins even show up in my Fall/Thanksgiving table set-up...but that, dear reader, is for another post - stay tuned!  :)


If you follow our fabric pumpkin post and make your own, I hope you have as much fun with them as we did!  What I absolutely love about these are their versatility, and how everyone can make them to fit their own style and personality!  Happy Decorating!

Cheers,
Christine and Stacy

Ready or Not

Photo: Stacy, Out 2 Lunch, LLC

Although it has been over 90 degrees for the past few weeks, and I would like nothing more than to spend my days at the beach and the pool, we all must admit at some point that Back to School time is here. If you read Christine’s last blog post , you know that Pantone has released their Fall 2016 color palette; stores are stocking up on school supplies and pumpkins; my fall loving friends are dreaming of apples and pumpkin spice.  As a native of Western New York, I fondly look back on the cool crispness of fall mornings, the changing leaves, the fresh pressed apple cider at Sanger Farms and peaches from Tom Tower’s Farm that signaled it was time to go back to school. Here in the south, it is without a doubt still summer when our children return to school.  Some of our friends in NC attend year round school, which means that they begin a new school year just after Independence Day, other schools across the Southeast begin between mid August and just after Labor Day.  Regardless of start date, southern children often transition directly from swimwear and sandals to school clothes – with plenty of beach and pool trips on the weekends. 

Hair Bows: Out 2 Lunch; Photo: Stacy, Out 2 Lunch

Whether Back to School means fall weather or an extension of summer, everyone enjoys the chance to purchase back to school clothes and school supplies. And as more schools (both public and private) have added uniforms, accessorizing becomes a great way for children of all ages to express their personalities.  Both Christine and myself have children that are full of personality and attend schools that require uniforms. This makes our Out 2 Lunch accessories the perfect way for all of their friends to express their styles.  Children, like our products, are truly one of a kind. 

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing Fabrics....

 

 

 

When I decided to blog about Back to School fashions, I  must have felt like fall was further away than it is was.  I decided that moving, finding new schools, and running a business wasn’t busy enough, and I added a little extra challenge to this project.  I put a call out to my children and their friends (ranging from rising Kindergarten to 5^th grade) and asked them to participate in a Back to School photo shoot – that part was easy enough, we had plenty of adorable models step into the limelight. From there I upped the ante a bit – I told the parents that I wanted each child’s clothing to reflect their personality, they could wear uniforms or not, and I would create accessories to compliment both the colors and their styles. My young models came through with flying colors – their personalities shine through, and I had a great time creating for some of my favorite people.

Below I will feature our products that are most commonly used as school accessories.  For those of you that are new to Out 2 Lunch I will also be giving a brief description of each item and its name.  When we began our business, we wanted to create accessories that would bring a modern twist to any “out to lunch” wardrobe (hence the name….) ranging from a formal garden party, to a casual picnic, to lunch out with friends. As we developed new products we named them after some of our favorite southern luncheon staples – items whose traits are reflected in the products.  I hope that you enjoy and can find some accessories that are useful and bring personality to your childrens’ back to school wardrobe! 

Hair Pin, Hair Bow and Organizer: Out 2 Lunch, LLC

Photo: Stacy, Out 2 Lunch, LLC

Fried Pickle (Tie Wallet) – Like one of our favorite appetizers, these little guys aren’t fancy or elaborate.  They are functional with a twist of fun.  There is some variation to the dimensions of these tie wallets, as there is variation in neckties.  Each wallet comfortably fits several standard size credit/gift cards, and secures with a snap closure.  These little wallets are perfect for holding earbuds, so that they do not tangle in backpacks and purses.  For older students, they are also perfect for carrying flash drives and student ID cards.

Organizers and Bows: Out 2 Lunch

Sweet Tea (Snap Pocket Organizer) - The most versatile carry-anything soft pocket you'll find! This one will show up everywhere! With its cute envelope styling, you can pack it full of sunglasses, make-up, art supplies, or use it as a pencil case! Just throw it in your backpack and you are ready for homework anywhere.   It's even cute and stylish enough to just grab and go!

Hair Pin and Purse: Out 2 Lunch

Lemonade (Denim Purse) - Comfortable and easy as your favorite old jeans - oh wait, they practically are! These denim "jeans" bags are cute, fun, relaxed and in the smaller sizes they are perfect for any age. Each has its dimensions listed on the website, has a magnetic snap closure.  They are perfect for an afternoon at the mall, and hardy enough to be carried in your backpack during the day.

Bow and Organizer: Out 2 Lunch, LLC

Divinity (Hair Bow) - Delightful, fun, and a little "nutty"; these hair clip bows bring a vintage twist to an everyday classic.  Bows vary in size.  Each is created on a covered alligator clip, and includes a piece of vintage jewelry as accent. There's something for everyone-  all ages and hair-styles -  to love!  Simply divine! 

Hair Pin: Out 2 Lunch, LLC

Praline (Hair Pin) - Fancy and everyday at the same time, these hair pins can dress up your day to day and add sparkle to any formal occasion as well.  A perfect accent to short hair or a dramatic updo!!

These products can be found for sale on our website (www.out2lunchdesigns.com) and are also featured on out Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. If you are looking for a specific color group or style, please email us at out2lunch@out2lunchdesigns.com.  We can only feature a limited number of products on our website, as each is one of a kind, but we have a back stock and can help you find what you are looking for! In addition, the Fried Pickle and Sweet Tea will be on sale – 20% off!! -  through the end of August. 

I'd like to close with a special thanks to all my models, and their parents, that braved 90 degree temps, and what felt like 90% humidity.  I couldn't have done it without you, thanks for letting your personality shine through! You can see more of them on our website and instagram!  

Sophia: Gr 1, Lily and Louisa: Gr 2

Evelyn: Kindergarten

Ava and Clara: Gr 4, Makayla Gr 5