Food Market in Rome

One of the most fun places to visit while visiting Rome was the food market. 

I wish I could have transported the food back to North Carolina.

 fresh pasta - everywhere you turned. 

 Look at the glorious color of those tomatoes. 

 The variety of mushrooms was amazing.

 Every cut of meat that one could imagine.

 Salt cod.

 Bison carpaccio

A delightful man carving any type of prosciutto that your heart desires.  

 Coda di Aragosta- or lobster tail with Chantilly cream.   Crispy and light with a sinful cream filling.

My absolute favorite new treat.  Where can I find them here?  I am on a mission.

And finally- the most perfect fig tart that I have ever seen. From the Colina Bakery in Positano.

                                                                Sheer perfection. 

Elements of Fall

Fall in Western North Carolina is heavenly.  You wake up to very nippy temperatures- turn up the heat- light some fireplaces and get a cup of coffee.  Magically the clouds over the river disappear and the sun appears by 10:30 in the morning.  By noon it is warm enough to still wear your sandals! But by night fall, you are lighting the fires again!  I love it!

Fall brings a different approach to decorating.  Cozy fires and lots of candles add a special warmth to the home. My fall decorating must haves- pumpkins, feathers, candles, bittersweet, throws, copper, horn, mums, kale and gourds.

So it's off to the Western North Carolina Farmers Market to gather bittersweet, pumpkins and mums.
What an incredible selection to choose from-

 This was one of my favorites this year- bright red orange color!

This one was very cool- a beautiful pink with "peanut shell warts"- 

 Then back home to start fall décor-

The stone fireplace gets a makeover with fall foliage .

 It's time to bring out the horn flatware and orange plates from East Fork pottery.

                             A glass cloche is filled with velvet pumpkins, feathers and more bittersweet.

 Trees off the deck are starting to turn golden. 

 The river is low, but sounds louder as the leaves fall away.

Velvet pumpkins and feathers- a perfect combination.

Rhinestone studded pumpkins dress us the foyer. 

The living room fireplace gets new bittersweet and feather arrangements.

 Time to mix in the old horn with the crystal decanters to add warmth.

Pink and gray pumpkins for the master bedroom.

Time to bring in all the ferns and plants from the decks into the conservatory for the winter. 

 Making a few fresh arrangements for the house too! Companies coming!

Mums, kale and gourds for the front of the house.

 I was going to pull the potato vine and parsley out of the planter and plant pansies and mums.

But the potato vine and parsley are still growing like crazy and I didn't have the heart.

The sun goes down quickly and the temperatures fall. 

Back inside, it is now evening and time for the lights to come on. 

The fall light comes softly through the windows and

casts a soft yellow glow- much different than the summer months here. 

 The range seems to glow with the copper pots that are handy and ready for service. 

Time to cook dinner.

And while all this fall decorating is going on, the dog does what dogs do.  

He naps on a few of my best pillows and waits patiently for the next meal.