Decorating With Memories of Cooler Climes

Autumn is my favorite season. It doesn’t have quite the same appeal living in Miami, but it means four important things here: the end of hurricane season, a reprieve from the heat, the return of outdoor festivals, and the countdown to Thanksgiving and the year-end holidays.

Growing up in the Northeast, it meant watching leaves turn red, orange and gold, before they become brown, drop to the ground and reveal barren tree branches ready to collect snow. I remember having to rake them up into piles. Some I pressed between book pages.

It meant carving pumpkins, hot apple cider, pumpkin pie and enjoying a string of other mouthwatering delights that filled the house with the smell of cinnamon and cloves. They were real scents emanating from the kitchen, not from a candle or plug-in air freshener – not that those aren’t necessary substitutes here in the subtropics.

By this time in New York and New England, the most colorful aspects of the season will have passed. When visiting western Massachusetts in October, I soaked in as much as I could, although temperatures in the mid-70s felt out of sync with the season – a probable result of global warming.

Upon returning to Miami, the task at hand was preparing my home for Halloween and the Thanksgiving holiday. For me, it involves a décor transformation. Palm trees and sunshine may greet me when I walk out the door, but beginning at my front stoop before even crossing the threshold of my door, it’s all about being transported to parts north.

A collection of plastic pumpkins and vines adorned with artificial colored leaves come out to create the illusion of a pumpkin patch, complete with haystacks. The spooky embellishments are removed after Oct. 31 and replaced with turkeys and other seasonal emblems.

Inside, the seashells and beachy decorations are replaced with real, ceramic and colored-glass gourds; a cornucopia; bowls, trays and coasters in either the shape of maple leaves or painted with them – some containing acorns and pine cones. Sofas are tossed with seasonal pillows, adapted from a collection of pillow covers that reflect every time of year.

The harvest and earth tones stick around through Thanksgiving before everything changes over again for the Christmas season, when the red and green come out. My Jewish friends decorate with icy blue and silver for Hanukkah.

A few years ago, perhaps feeling a little down in the dumps, I tried scaling back thinking nobody would notice. My youngest Miami-born daughter, now 22, called me out. She may not have expressed her appreciation for my seasonal decorating before, but it was missed, inspiring me to keep the tradition going.

I’m not a professional decorator, just a journalist, wife and mother with my own taste that’s influenced by childhood memories, Martha Stewart, HomeGoods, Michaels, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma and Pinterest. I’m sorry to say that if you haven’t pulled out the fall décor by now, it’s slim pickings at the mall, which is already stocked with everything Christmas. You may find some leftover things on sale in a corner. Autumn décor will be heavily discounted online, so it’s not a bad time to shop. Save now and use it for years to come.

Revel in those autumn colors for as long as possible. I refuse to look at any shiny objects that hang until 24 hours after my turkey has been digested. Resist, I say! Then, give in wholeheartedly.

Decorating is personal. How subtle or elaborate you choose to go is up to you. I’m sure Williams Sonoma would love for you to walk out the door with an entire set of holiday dishes, but sometimes one or two pieces are all you need to mix with your classic white dinnerware for a splash of holiday fun.

Decorating is a lot like cooking – “season to taste.” But you can certainly pick up tips from the pros, magazines and store displays.

Whether your fall decorating is limited to just your front door or dining room table – or whether you go all out like me – what’s most important is doing what brings you joy, even if it’s just drinking a cup of cider and calling it November.

We’ve been suffering through the pandemic long enough. Live a little.

Emily Cardenas is the executive editor of the Biscayne Times. She previously worked as a producer at WTXF in Philadelphia and at WSCV, WFOR and WPLG in Miami.