Harvest Time Home Decor Review

Fall Trail Photo by Creation Photos

Harvest Time is a great time of year to decorate your home in Autumn colors that reflect the gorgeous changing leaves of Fall. It's also a time of holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving that include the lovely harvest-related colors of orange, brown, yellow and red.

There are many beautiful items that show off the bounty of the harvest season. Among the most unique are those that are handmade by clever crafters or created by fabulous Indie-Artists in art and photography.

For a very unique touch to your Harvest-theme décor this Autumn, come look at some of these clever, and often one-of-a-kind, handmade items available on Etsy.... and elsewhere across the web.


*The beautiful Fall photograph in the introduction can be found on Zazzle. 
 

Harvest Time

 

Harvest Time is the time of year when crops are harvested, especially autumn.

Harvest Wall Decor

Pumpkin and Gourds ~ Autumn Fall Gourd Pumpkin Art Photo / Print by eball photography on Etsy.

Bring a bountiful Pumpkin Harvest into your kitchen or family room with this outstanding photo to frame and hang on the wall for a lovely Autumn décor.

*Photographed by Earl Ball of Delaware for his Etsy Shop.

Pumpkin Coasters

Pumpkin Coasters on Etsy

Pumpkin design beverage coasters are perfect for home decor in the Harvest-time-Autumn-Fall season, or fun all year round for anyone who likes pumpkins.

This set of 4 drink coasters, each with a pumpkin design, measure 4 x 4 inches. They are created using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn in two shades of orange, plus brown and green on an off-white background. Perfect colors for your Harvest time decor.

Pumpkin design drink coasters also make an attractive and useful  hostess or housewarming gift. 
 

Pumpkin Patch People!

Pumpkin Patch People Pattern - Amigurumi Dolls in Crochet

If you are a crochet crafter, you can create your own Pumpkin Patch for Harvest Time.  This set of cute crocheted pumpkin patch people is perfect for your Harvest Season décor. Decorate your table throughout the Fall, or use for a Halloween Party decor.

Created by Janine of Worchester, England, it is available as a pattern to create your own harvest décor. Pattern includes "Pumpkin Patch Pete and Polly" dolls, along with pumpkins, ghosts and a black cat. This pattern is just one of a selection of original and fun Amigurumi crochet patterns found in her Etsy Shop she calls mojimoji design.

Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Useful and Attractive Kitchen Decor for the Fall

 

Autumn Leaves Cluster Embroidered Hand Towel

Embroidered towels with Autumn scenes  continue the Harvest Theme...

Beautifully embroidered Autumn designs on towels for the kitchen or bath set the scene for Harvest Time. Brilliant Autumn Leaves Cluster makes a perfect design for Fall.

This is the design of Embroidery Everywhere of Oakland, California. Visit all her lovely embroidery designs in her Etsy shop.

Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia Magnet

by Sandyspider

Harvest Time Refrigerator Magnet

Even the magnets on your refrigerator can be changed for the Autumn Season. This 'Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia' magnet is from the Zazzle store of Sandy Mertens, who is SandyMertens and Sandyspider on HubPages! Sandy's designs are created using a variety of vintage and modern photos and drawings.
 

 

 

 

 

 

THANKSGIVING

Handmade Turkey Beverage Coasters

Harvest Time includes the Thanksgiving holiday. These handmade drink coasters with an attractive turkey design make a perfect accent for your Thanksgiving table. 

Lovely Autumn and Harvest time Seasonal Decor and a terrific hostess gift for a holiday dinner invitation.

The design is created on plastic canvas using acrylic yarn in harvest colors. The turkey design is done in tans and browns with a touch of orange for the beak and legs. Turkey sits on a pretty yellow background. 

These harvest colors coasters measure 4 x 4 inches and are available in the Etsy shop of Coastal Crochet & Crafts.

The Harvest Time Season is Special

Get in the spirit of the season with a variety of seasonal decor.  

For more Harvest-Time suggestions, check out these reviews by our Review This contributors.



© 2011 Wednesday-Elf. Updated for Review This Reviews on 8/30/2022

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

The Best Halloween Treats for Trick-or-Treaters & Halloween Parties

Bethany Lowe Trick or Treat Time Figurine

Trick or Treat, then Trade 

When I was a little child trick or treating with my siblings, there was a wide variety of Halloween treats that we would receive.  Some were coveted by almost everyone in our home and others seemed to be rejected by almost everyone.  If you happened to be the one who loved the unpopular treat, you really had it made.  Other kids would just hand it over to you.  No trade necessary.  They didn't want it and you were the happy recipient of their "trash."  To my fortune, I was the only one in our family who loved "Smarties".  Do you remember those? 

I had a brother who wanted all the jaw breakers. That was pretty cool for me because I certainly did not want them and he didn't like the "girly" candies.  Even as an adult, he would still give me candy corn, even though he had developed a bit of a sweet tooth himself and enjoyed his fair share of the little morsels. 

Everyone has a favorite treat and I hope you will each take a moment to tell us about your preferred Halloween "treat." 
 

Rice Krispie Treats

In our neighborhood, we always had the "June Cleaver" types who must have spent days baking the treats to hand out on Halloween.  One of my favorite Mrs. Cleaver treats were the Rice Krispie Treats.  Oh how I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I found the "Mother of Halloween" home.  I often considered running back to my home, changing costumes and returning for seconds.  I never did that though because my siblings would have gotten way ahead of me and who knew what other treats were waiting just around the corner. 

The Original Rice Krispie Treat Recipe 

 

Candy Apples

Another Mrs. Cleaver treats were the Candied Apples. 

No one ever gave those away!  We might only be able to eat 3 or 4 bits of it before we were either sick or full, but they would not be open for barter.  Thinking back now, I honestly don't know why we liked them so well because they would stick to our teeth and fingers.  Perhaps it was because they really were such a rare treat.  

If I made them now, I would cut them up into bite-size pieces, but I have no doubt, they would still stick to my teeth.

How To Make Candy Apples

Caramel Popcorn Balls 

To this day, I love Caramel Popcorn.  When I would see that Saran Wrapped Ball of Heaven about to be dropped in my bag, I would reach out and tenderly receive it in my hand.  I couldn't possibly risk having my glorious gift battered in that bag of less desired, envious pieces of tooth rotting contraband. 

Oh, the howl that would have ensued if the wrapping had come off and it had to be thrown away.  I can just imagine how we would have sounded like a pack of wolves moaning to the moon about our lost treasure. 

Recipe for Caramel Popcorn Balls

Halloween Cupcakes 

The mother who made cupcakes would have to receive my "Mother of All Holidays" Award.  I cannot even begin to imagine having the time or the temperament to create such delicacies to hand out to children on Halloween. 

I don't know, maybe they only gave them to their favorite neighborhood goblins or maybe we received them because our Mother was the PTA president for so many years.  Whatever the reason, we all loved the payoff.

Okay, full disclosure.  I confess that I do make Halloween Cupcakes for my favorite trick-or-treaters.  Even the big kids (adults) who won't dress up and go door to door for Halloween are recipients of my Halloween cupcakes.

How to Stencil Halloween Cupcakes Tutorial 

 

Dubble Bubble Tub, Original Flavor, 380-Count, 60.3 Oz(3.7 lb)Check PriceBubble Gum 

Bubble Gum was fun for the whole family.  We had the Biggest Bubble Contests and there was always someone (usually the sweet, timid one of the group) who would try to pop the bubbles by jabbing their fingers toward your mouth.  Half of the time, they would pull their finger away with your whole ball of gum.  

It was always interesting when we returned to school after Halloween to discover who had the new hair bob.  Everyone knew she was the one who had not listened when her parents said "Don't fall asleep with that Bubble Gum in your mouth."

 

Candy Sucker Lollipop Assortment (144 pc)Check PriceSuckers 

Now I ask you, what child doesn't like a sucker? 

The green ones were especially popular.  For some reason, my brothers always associated the green suckers with flatulence.  I swear they ate those suckers just so they could have an excuse to do what they wanted to do.  Around our house, if you saw a green sucker, you knew what was about to happen. 

My parents wore stern faces while the rest of us roared with laughter.
 

Taffy wrapped in Black and Orange Wrappers

5 LB. Halloween Mix (Assorted) Salt Water Taffy - Gourmet Taffy by Taffy TownCheck Price
This was the candy I grew to hate.  For days after Halloween, you didn't know when you would have a taffy torpedo aimed at your head.  The harder they got, the more dangerous they became. 

I truly believe we had a few neighbors in cahoots with my brothers.  It seemed like every year they received a ton of these diabolical disks.

The taffy is no longer wrapped in the plain black or orange wrappers, but I bet the pieces still pack a punch when hurled through the air. 

 

Halloween Candy Bars 

MARS Halloween Candy Bars Variety Mix 96.2-Ounce 250-Piece BagCheck PriceIf you can't have homemade treats, this was the next best thing.  It was obvious which neighbor was handing out candy bars by the huge gathering of ghosts, witches and goblins at their door.  Back in the 60's, it just wasn't as common for people to splurge on store bought treats as it is today.  No, they were few and far between.

Candy Bars were definitely the best bargaining chip.  Amazingly, I could get my brothers to trade at least 3 or 4 Smarties for one candy bar!  Well, at the time I thought it was a great deal.  We were all happy with the trade so what did it really matter.
 

Trick-or-Treating Fun

I would be the first to admit that I was blessed to grow up in a large family.  It had, and still has, many advantages.  The Halloween candy in-house traders market always made trick-or-treating more fun.  It is wonderful to look back on those memories and laugh.  Just remember, in a large family like ours, anything bad that ever happened was the dog's fault and I had 5 built-in witnesses to testify to that fact!

You don't have to have 5 siblings to start your own Halloween candy trader's market.  Simply grab a few friends to trick-or-treat with and meet up at someone's home afterwards.  Then, let the candy trading begin! For those of you trick-or-treating with me this year, I have dibs on the Smarties!

 House-Mouse Designs® - Jumbo ToteCheck Price

 

Check Out More Halloween Fun Reviews at
Halloween on Review This!

 

 The Best Halloween Treats for Trick-or-Treaters & Halloween Parties Written by:

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Review of Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

Bread for Fall Menus

When the weather turns cool my thoughts turn to baking and baking breads is one of my favorite fall activities.  I have tried many recipes over the years and have combined different recipes to come up with tastes my husband and I enjoy.  

Banana Bread

It seems like we always have bananas that have gotten a little too ripe and when we do I use them for banana bread.

• Tip: If I can't bake that day, I peel the bananas and put them in a freezer bag to freeze for later use. When I'm ready to use them I just sit them out for a few minutes and add them to the recipe.

I have tried many different recipes over the years and have combined several to come up with the recipe below, which is my favorite.  The secret ingredient in this recipe is the sour cream, which helps to keep the bread moist and delicious.

Recipe for Favorite Banana Bread

 

Start with: 2 mashed bananas, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 2 eggs well beaten.  Mix together.

Mix together 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 t baking pwd, 1 t baking soda, 
and 1/2  t salt.

Mix together wet and dry ingredients.  Fold in one half cup of one of the following:
    your favorite nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries.

Pour into 1 sprayed bread pan.
Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour.
Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Adding Extra Ingredients

I particularly like adding nuts to my banana bread, but I have found it is also delicious with chocolate chips and cranberries.  Experiment with your favorite additions to create new taste sensations.  I have also combined nuts and chocolate chips and that  produces a delicious bread.

Recipe Card

Below is the recipe on a card you can purchase from Zazzle by clicking on the link.

Favorite Banana Bread Recipe Postcard
by mbgphoto

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

The Chef at the Water's Edge by Kee Patterbee - A Mystery Review

Chef at the Water's Edge, Where Mystery and Romance Meet

Mix a celebrity lady chef, an assistant who looks almost like her, an obsessed fan, a controlling husband, a greedy agent, a gorgeous niece, a jealous ex-boyfriend, and you may have a recipe for murder. Although the police ruled chef Julia Karas' death as an accident, many who knew Julia well had their doubts. Too many facts didn't fit. Too many people had motives to kill Julia. And someone bribed the medical examiner to hide facts in the toxicology report that suggested suicide. Was Julia's death an accident, a suicide, or murder?

Purchase Chef at the Water's Edge by Kee Patterbee

The Obsessed Fan, His Friends, and Ex-FBI Agent Hannah

The obsessed fan would be Louie Woolridge, a food critic, who lived and worked in the small town of Zebulon where Julia and Asa Karas lived and worked. He was never able to accept the fact that Julia's death was an accident. The official story was that Julia had gone out to the gazebo next to the lake on a dark rainy night and died around 11:30 PM. 

The groundskeeper found her body the next morning when he was cleaning trash from the ground around the lake. The coroner called the death an accident. Evidently, as Julia stumbled in the dark, she bumped into a beam of the gazebo and it sent her into the water. 

Louie could not accept this story because Julia had been deathly afraid of open water and also had night blindness. He could think of no reason she should have gone to the water's edge on a moonless night, unable to see. 

Louie's friends were Buster and Cate Jordan, cousins who had been raised together in the small town of Twilight. Cate was a librarian who was also a computer whiz.  

Hannah Starvling the ex-FBI agent, age 31, was their friend.  She had spent her summers with her grandparents in Twilight while growing up. After she had been wounded in a shoot-out while working for the FBI and could no longer use a weapon, she came back to Twilight to recover and decide what to do with the rest of her life. 

Her grandparents had owned a restaurant in Twilight, and her grandfather sent her for culinary training in Paris when she had to quit the FBI. She then became a restaurant consultant who worked with some of the most famous chefs in the world. 

Hannah also had a pilot's license and a reputation as an amateur sleuth. She had flown her friends to Zebulon for a food festival to commemorate the anniversary of Julia's death. Louie had invited all the friends to stay with him. After they became acquainted, Hannah agreed to look into the real cause of Julia's death. 

Get Price of Chef at the Water's Edge

What Really Happened to Julia?

Hannah is determined to find out! She knew Louie and Julia had been close friends when they had both trained as chefs at the Goddard Institut Gastronomique in Paris. They had remained friends until Julia had married Asa. Asa then kept Julia from him. They occasionally met in public at culinary events Louie covered. 

Hannah could tell Louie had never stopped loving Julia. He kept a collection of memorabilia associated with her, along with a file of news clippings. Hannah thinks if she can prove Julia died in an accident as the police reported or find the murderer if there had been foul play, Louie might finally get closure. 

Many people had motives for killing Julia. She had argued loudly with her husband Asa the afternoon of her death because she'd heard rumors Asa was having an affair with their niece, Jazlyn Karas. Before her marriage to Asa, Julia's agent, Jack Miller, had tied her into a bad contract that gave him half of all she earned, and she wanted out of it. Xabierre Dauphin and Timothy Holloway were Julia's sous chefs, but Asa had fired them both and they had vowed to get even. Julia had chosen her assistant Vera to eventually replace her on her cooking show so Vera might have had a motive. And, of course, the husband is always a suspect, especially one rumored to be having affairs. 

Other Questions Readers Will Have 

As Hannah worked with Officer Miles, nicknamed Hymn, to reopen the case and investigate, it becomes evident to the reader that they are fast becoming friends, and maybe even more. Will it develop into love? How would they handle a long-distance relationship?

Vera looks a lot like Julia. In fact, Louie did a double-take the first time he saw her. She was very close to Julia. Vera explained to Louie, Cate, Buster and Hannah that she'd never known her birth parents. As she tells it, 'Someone left me with a family, Lenora and Jacque Bessinger. They were to care for me for a few days...but it turned into a lifetime.'

Jacque was a baker and the couple owned a little shop in Arzon. One day Julia had come in looking for rolls when Vera was very small. She learned Vera's story and kept up with her whenever she was in Arzon. As Julia became richer, she never forgot Vera, and she saw that the Bessinger family always had enough money to meet their needs. Later, she paid for Vera's education and even set up a trust for her. Hannah isn't sure she buys Vera's story. Readers will also wonder. Who is Vera really?

My Review and Recommendation

The Chef at the Water's Edge: A Hannah Starvling Twilight Cozy Murder Mystery Novel (Book) (Volume 1)

The three main characters in Chef at the Water's Edge - Louie, Vera, and Hannah, were credible. By the end of the book, readers will know them fairly well. I personally liked all of them, even though Louie was a bit obsessed with Julia. In the end, it is more evident why. My favorite character was Hannah. She was compassionate, thoughtful, analytical and smart. She also tried to stay objective. The minor characters added interest and widened the circle of suspects, but they weren't as well-developed as the main characters. 

I enjoyed looking over Hannah's shoulder as she investigated. There were many twists and turns in the plot and I kept changing my mind about the murderer as I read.  In spite of this, I was not totally caught off-guard at the end. It was a satisfying conclusion that made sense in light of what came before it. 

I highly recommend the book to those who like police procedural mysteries. Hannah adds the amateur sleuth dimension. The setting in a culinary town devoted to a celebrity chef will add interest for those interested in the culinary arts. Lastly, dog lovers will enjoy the important role Louie's large Mastiff, Critic, played near the end.  If you love mysteries, don't miss "Chef at the Water's Edge".

Please share this on Pinterest
Photo © B. Radisavljevic

Unattributed photos were created on https://getstencil.com/app, paid subscription version.

See more book reviews by our contributors here. 
See more of my book reviews on my blog, Bookworm Buffet. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Halloween Dress For Women Reviewed

Add A Seasonal Dress To Your Choices

Halloween Is Coming 

Having a Halloween dress available to wear is a really fun idea for women. Fortunately, you do not have to choose something that looks like a costume.

Back when I was a working woman, I liked to wear seasonal items to work. It was one way that I could show my festive spirit, no matter what holiday was approaching. It was easy to find things for the Christmas holidays but not so much for Halloween. 

I could usually find fun earrings to wear but when it came to clothing there wasn't much of an option. There were sweaters but they could be bulky and sometimes too warm for daytime wear.

Working women today do have more options to be festive in the workplace and still be dressed appropriately. One dress that I particularly like is suitable for many different women. It can be dressed up for the office or made casual for shopping or parties.

I have always liked to have items in my own wardrobe that can function more than one way. The old trick of dress it up or dress it down kind of thing. I don't know about you but my closet isn't big enough to have clothes that are only worn once a year.

Dress For Halloween

There are so many ways to wear the dress shown above! It could be worn in the office with dress shoes and a gold necklace. In the evening, it would look just as cute with a pair of black leggings and more comfortable shoes. Mom could wear it to the Halloween party in her child's classroom or while taking the munchkins out for trick or treating. I see a lot of versatility in this Halloween dress.

It is made with a nice soft fabric that will have a little stretch to it; making it comfortable to wear. A variety of colors and patterns are available to really personalize this new addition to your wardrobe. The length of the dress should come to the knee which is also a versatile style for dressing up or down depending on where you will wear it.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: