On November Or In November Either Way, It’s Stick Season

“On November or in November,” either way, it’s stick season in New England—the season between when the leaves have fallen and the snow flies.

And sometimes the seasons actually collide, as they did on Tuesday with our first snowfall just one day after we welcomed tricker-treaters on Halloween.

Join me today for a bit of chatter about the goings on here at Dabbling & Decorating, along with inspiration for you from all around the web.

On November Or In November

Do you say “on November or in November”? Did you know this is actually a thing?

It is!

One should say “on November” when referring to a specific date and “in November” when you are not referring to a specific date. Who knew?

November always seems a bit dreary to me. How about you? I suppose it really depends on where you live. Stick season really isn’t the most beautiful time of the year here in Vermont. We tend to get a lot of rain and cold temperatures. It’s about the time we really start looking forward to snow.

Thrifting at Goodwill

I rarely shop at Goodwill, do you? I’d love to, but I haven’t had much luck with the Goodwill stores in Vermont. But on Tuesday, I tried again at the Goodwill in Bennington, Vermont.

And I found three fantastic finds!

First, I picked up three red and white antique tea cup saucers for $1 each.

I made three more DIY Dishy Kitchen Hooks out of them using old spools of threads. These dishy kitchen hooks are one of my favorite DIYs. You can make these adorable wall hooks in under 10 minutes!

See more in the Dishy Kitchen Hooks You Can DIY in Minutes post.

Second, on this November day at Goodwill, I picked up this antique wash basin paired with a white pitcher for just $14. It’s fantastic with all its chippiness and dimples. And I adore the blue-green faded color accent.

These antique wash basins were used in bathrooms and bedrooms before inside plumbing was readily available. The pitcher would be filled with water and poured into the bowl with a side of soap and a towel to wash your hands and face.

This antique wash basin and pitcher, coupled with a vintage towelette and soap, will welcome guests and family in our small guest bedroom.

A full bedroom reveal will be coming to the blog soon. In the meantime, you may enjoy the 3 Wallpaper Bedroom Designs Emblematic of a Cozy Vermont Inn post.

You may also enjoy the 6 Best Foraging Basket Arrangements for the Off-Season post to see more of this foraging basket, along with the previous wash basin and pitcher, which rested here.

My third Goodwill find was a blue faux flower bouquet with a stick foundation. Appropriate for stick season in November, don’t you think? Faux flowers can be rather expensive at the big box stores, and this faux arrangement was just $4.

You may also enjoy the Eclectic Vintage Interior Design Ideas with Old Holiday Stuff post.

November Bermuda Basket

In November seems to be a good time to start cleaning out closets and, more specifically, our basement, where I have acquired quite a bit of stuff… But truthfully, I love going down to forage for long-forgotten items. I have a corner filled with just baskets, for example.

And just sitting there was an abandoned Bermuda basket I purchased for myself on my 40th birthday in Hamilton, Bermuda. I always adored it.

Next, I discovered some old dried magnolia leaves left over from a Christmas table garland. I thought the two together would add a touch of November color to this breakfast nook’s cobbler rack.

And do you like this little “Gone Antiquing” sign? It would be so easy to make with a piece of wood and a little paint.

Mums in November

Here’s a fun tip for you today. Every year, early in November, I will visit our local nursery to see what the Mum situation is looking like, as this is the time of the year when the nurseries start to deplete their fall foliage and turn towards Christmas.

Our local nursery composts whatever Mums are left over and give the Mums away for FREE! I saved this large yellow Mum from its soon-to-be compost, added it to a favorite basket, and centered it on our breakfast nook table.

I love the color it adds. And if you’re not in a hurry for Christmas decor, this is a fabulous and budget-friendly way to beautify your spaces for Thanksgiving. Our nursery was begging me to take more home with me…

You may also enjoy the 15+ Ideas to Make Your Thanksgiving Decorations Joyful. See the orange Mums that I picked up this time last year.

Christmas Decor

If you have followed me for a while, you know that I find Christmas decorating cluttering. I am a minimalist when it comes to decorating for Christmas compared with most people, and especially other home decor bloggers.

I embrace the old New England ski lodge decorations, including vintage skis, snowshoes, backpacks, sleds, and more. See more in my Ski Lodge Decorating Series.

And one of my most popular blog posts ever, and where I turn for much of my Christmas and winter decorating inspiration, is from Homes in Sweden | My 10 Favorite.

But I’m excited and ready to start my Christmas decorating this year. Maybe it’s all the rain and lousy weather we’ve had this fall. And that snowfall on Tuesday really helped kick things into gear.

I’ve ordered 5 of these fresh Maine Victorian Kissing Balls with burgundy bows to hang on our front porch to get started. I’ve always been reluctant to hang anything from our porch, as I’ve never wanted to block the mountain views, and the winds can get pretty blustery around here, too. But I decided to give it a go this year. The kissing balls are due to ship on 11/13. I can’t wait to share more of them with you.

I’m thinking about all fresh evergreens and trees this year, and I’m really crushing on MacKenzie-Childs’ new holiday plaids and checks.

See more in the Celebrate Holiday Preparations With Christmas Plaids, Checks, and Hot Chocolate Mugs post.

Ella Update

Ella’s come a long way in the last week. As you may know, our Bernese Mountain Dog, Ella, had ACL surgery back in July and then a second surgery on the same leg for a chipped bone in August. It’s been a very long recovery. But as of this week, we are starting to let her off leash, and she seems to be doing so much better. She’ll get her final x-ray over Thanksgiving weekend.

What’s In My Cart This Week

I bought 2 packages of these Bottle Brush Christmas Trees to make holiday wreaths with. More to come on these.

I replaced two rug runners in our kitchen this week with these brown and blue braided rugs. They are VERY budget-friendly and ideal for high-traffic areas.

This frayed velvet ribbon is stunning, and I’ll be using it with all my fresh evergreens this holiday season. It’s so flowy and soft!

These blue glass candlesticks are absolutely adorable and can be used as bud vases.

I’ve loaded up on these tree-free fires to enjoy on the porch this November season.

Love this Essential Mini Bucket Tote in Blue and Nimes Wallet. I can’t remember the last time I bought a new pocketbook and wallet!

I’ll be getting cozy at home this November in this Aspen Travel Set.

You may enjoy the post, Vintage Market Days Fall 2022 Vermont, to learn more about these Vermont Jack Jumper sleds I found last year. So great on a Christmas porch. They are displayed here in the Ski Lodge Winter Porch Decor on Full Display post, too.

Inspiration From Around the Web

I hope you enjoy a few of these inspirations from around the web that I found this week that I have certainly relished in…

Setting a Holiday Table with Spode Christmas Tree China from this wonderful log cabin.

I adore this outdoor teak table in the post, An Outdoor Harvest Table, Set with Fall’s Bounty.

And because I’m not much of a cook, 6 Mouthwatering Thanksgiving Pie Recipes To Try For 2023.

These 21 Quick and Simple Cottage Chrismas Decor Ideas to Try.

You must make these in the post, How to Make Your Thanksgiving Table Smile.

I’m so glad you dropped by, and if you are new to my blog, welcome! I hope you enjoyed your visit with us today at our Home in Vermont.

Be sure to check out our Home in Coastal Maine, too, where we spend summers and weekends when we are craving a walk on the beach or a visit with old friends.

I’ve created the above custom pin just for this post!  Hearing from you makes my day; your comments mean so much! Please join me over on Instagram and Pinterest to see more!

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