This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Embracing the Season

Use the fall colors to your advantage when planning an autumn party.

The air is crisp, the sky is a crystal, clear blue, the leaves are crunching under my feet and the days are getting shorter.  Ah, my favorite time of the year… fall!  The perfect time for football parties, fall harvest dinners, bonfires, hayrides and of course Halloween parties.  Whether you're planning an event for your business or your family, don't be scared off by the changing seasons.

Embrace the colors of the season.  Brilliant reds, bright golds and warm browns add to the look and feel of your invitation, table and decor. 

Bring a bit of the outdoors in.  Create beautiful centerpieces and displays using colorful leaves, dried pods and seeds, hay bails, cornstalks, gourds, pumpkins and cattails. 

Find out what's happening in Barringtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Warm up the menu.  Soup is the perfect meal for fall.  Hearty vegetable, spicy pumpkin, white chicken chili, grandma's chicken noodle or one of my new favorites, Trader Joe's Latin-Style Black Bean, with a warm roll or bread can take off the chill and leave your guests feeling full and satisfied.

Add a little spice.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves filled my house in the fall as a child.  Nothing greets your guest like the smells of the season.  Not to mention that a warm apple crisp, pumpkin pie, cranberry bread or pumpkin cookies will spice up their taste buds at the end of a meal.

Find out what's happening in Barringtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It's not about the tricks, it's about the treats.  Look for ways to give your guest something special.  A customized caramel apple, warm vanilla sugar candle or hand lotion, or their own hand carved pumpkin.  Make sure your guest feel they were treated not tricked!

Remember, it's only a few short weeks until the snow starts to fly so make the most of these wonderful days of fall!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?