Hey Wanderer

We love pumpkins for decor, and we did it last year. Our coffee table even has some right now, BUT this year we wanted to try to not use them in a fall tablescape. There are so many great fall things that get lost while the pumpkin remains the poster child for Fall. I know, I know, not using pumpkins is almost like not using Christmas trees for Christmas, but what can I say- I just wanted to do something different this year. For this tablescape, we went with Fall colors, flowers and textures to give the same cozy feeling. Think golds, coppers, flannel, leaves, rusts, etc.

One great thing about this tablescape is that we were able to use a lot of things that we used at our last party. Even though the theme then was boho, we were able to reuse the neutral colored candles and jars and napkins.

At our last party we went for a very large floral arrangement in the middle of the table. This was okay then because the table was only holding the food and we weren't going to be sitting at it. This time we went for 4 small floral arrangements so we could all sit at the table and be able to see each other over the arrangements. There is nothing worse than sitting down to a meal and not being able to see the face of the person you are talking to.

*Pro Tip- Don't be afraid to use utensils and glasses as part of your table decor. Without the flatware and champagne glasses, this table seemed a little bare. We also decided to put dessert (the macarons) and the mimosa ingredients on the table. This gave the table a more relaxed an inclusive feel. It's always a good idea to give your party a family-style element. It would be a disaster to put everything on the table and pass around every dish to a group of 14 people, but when you put a drink or dessert on the table, it creates just the right amount of forced interaction. Always keep the guests interacting!

We used our wood slices again for displaying centerpieces. The next time we have a smaller dinner party, we will probably use them as chargers.

The goal with the flowers is to keep it really neutral and use one color. We chose a rust color, but you may have to base that on what you can find. Since I made this flannel table runner, rust is the only color that would've worked, so glad we found some! Our next option would've been to use no color, but glad it worked out because rust is as fall of a color as it gets. We also had some tiny white roses and tons of eucalyptus. Simple, yet beautiful.

Champagne glasses were on the table, and we kept water glasses with the water dispenser by the food. This was a potluck so it was a serve yourself kind of thing.

*Pro Tips*
- When you are dining outside, always keep glasses upside down to prevent dirt and bugs from enjoying your glass before you do.
- Go ahead and break down and buy real champagne glasses. You can buy them for $1 each (we got ours from Old Time Pottery) We bought 24 and use them a lot! The throw away plastic ones can cost more than the real ones.

Still mastering the art of the macaron... I've had some turn out really great and some really bad, but they've all been delicious!

These feather napkins are a favorite of mine now because they are pretty versatile. They can be interpreted as a feather OR a leaf, which is what I'm going with for this tablescape. The patterned taupe napkins are neutral, so they could go with practically anything!

And if you're wondering where the table runner came from, it was a DIY piece and I wrote a post about it here. It would be great it any flannel color!

Okay, one more thing, this bucket is something I got in the paint section at Home Depot. Turns out it was a really great $3 to spend. Keeping wine or champagne cool right on the table is a fabulous thing to do. We also used it and a couple others to serve different kinds of canned drinks at the bar at our last party.

See our Thanksgiving Tablescape from last year here and our last party tablescape here.

And if you like this post, please pin it on Pinterest!

xo, Savannah

After our last camping trip to Nolin River Lake, we booked two more camping trips almost immediately. What can I say, we are hooked! We had a few days in October with nothing scheduled, so we were looking for a place to camp for those days. Casey found a brochure for Cumberland Falls State Park and it was talking about something called a "Moonbow". We were intrigued. So if you didn't know, a moonbow is a rainbow that happens at night time. You can see one at Cumberland Falls when there is a full moon and no clouds. Turns out, the moonbow was happening on the exact dates we were wanting to book something for, so it was settled. And, this is the only place a moon bow happens in the western hemisphere! Pretty cool.

They call Cumberland Falls the Niagra of the South, which cracks me up! But let me tell you, it really is spectacular. It is bigger in person that I thought it was going to be- you really can't tell in photos how grand and magnificent it is.

And of course, the dogs were with us again!

If you look behind me in this photo you will see some tiny little people- that is where the waterfall is. We first saw the waterfall at night right after we set up camp, but we went back the next day to see the waterfall in the daylight.

This is a view of the sun rising over the river from the Lodge. If you aren't into camping in a tent, you could always check out the rooms there!

We explored a lot around the park. It's in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest, so there is no lack of beauty.

Okay this is my second favorite part of our trip. We randomly found this abandoned parking lot on the other side of the river. It was huge! We were so intrigued and ended up taking photos here for a while. We couldn't make sense of what it was because the parking lot was pristine in places and grown over intensely around the edges- like it had been abandoned for years. But it was so big, it seemed like a theme park parking lot of a massive walmart parking lot.

We asked the people who worked at our campsite and no one knew what it was. On our way home we stopped at a gas station and they knew what it was and good thing, because curiosity was killing us! It was apparently something called Tombstone Junction. Look it up and read the Wikipedia page- it's a bizarre thing. What is crazy is that we couldn't see any evidence of what used to be there at all.

This wildflower bush was just growing in the middle of the parking lot. How resistant does a plant have to be to burst through asphalt or concrete?

Here is a view of one part of the parking lot.

This is another part...

The road to the park was beautiful so we stopped and snapped a few photos here and there.

This is actually a picnic area in Cumberland Falls State Park. It's up on a hill overlooking the river, so could be a great place to stop and eat after checking out the waterfall!

In case you were wondering, the dogs were always with us. In all the photos, the dogs were just off to the side rolling their eyes.

Our campsite (TG20) was really spacious and it had electric and water- what a dream! If you decide to camp here, I would recommend booking TG19 or TG20. TG19 is bigger and perfect for large groups, but both are pretty private and level and beautiful. They have many other spots but these were the most spacious- some spots have your tent right on the road, which is no bueno for us with dogs (or children).

Our last night camping we played through a whole game of Phase 10. Have y'all ever played this? I used to play this in high school and it would get really tense. We were always playing with a bigger group of people and it was cut-throat! Sometimes we didn't even make it through all 10 phases because we were tired of playing. But Casey and I made it through and it was less stressful than with a huge group!

I'm happy to say that after this trip we decided to upgrade our tent. This four person tent just isn't cutting it for two air mattresses and three dogs. I mean it has worked just fine for our last 3 trips, but we are ready to be able to stand up and have a tiny bit of room. Anybody have any recommendations?

Okay, here is one more photo of the moon bow. When you see the moonbow in person, the colors are so faint, it's like a rainbow made of pastel colors. It almost seemed white at times when you just glanced quickly. I know that doesn't sound as cool, and that the photos look really pretty, but nothing compares to seeing this in person. It happens once a month, so maybe look into a trip there?

What a privilege it is to be able to see things like this with our own eyes. I know this word is overused, but what an epic moment it was. Things your brain hasn't even thought of exist in this world. And sometimes you get to see those things and be in awe of the phenomenal creation we live in. Finding these kind of things is so rewarding and enjoyable. The opportunity to experience extraordinary things is not lost on us and we hope you find time to make your own adventure!

Our favorites from this trip:

- Wide Angle Lens

- Strand of Lights

- Phase 10 Card Game

- Birkenstocks (These are just a camping must have for us!)