Road Trip to Iowa

Where do you find your inspiration? For me, nature is a great place to start.

This past weekend, my family and I took our second annual weekend road trip to Iowa. My husbands step-dad owns land there in South English.  The view above is what you see from the kitchen window of his house.  I so much enjoy taking a walk outside of his home on a crisp morning and taking in the surrounding beauty of the fall landscape.

While driving through Iowa, I loved looking out my car window at the old weathered barns, cattle, and rolling hills of corn:

My husband commented on the abundance of beauty of this land: the corn fields, the animals, the weathered wood of the barn boards in contrast to the metal roofs, and the colors of fall, to name a few. It comes as no surprise to me that these things have influenced what the rest of America has brought into their homes through furniture design and home accents and decor:

via Glimpse of Style

These past two years we've also had the opportunity to witness the fall corn harvest. I love to see the awe in my three year olds eyes as the combine approaches us in the field:

I'm not sure there is anything much cooler - in the eyes of a three year old - than a ride in the combine for the fall corn harvest!  This morning, before leaving, my oldest son and I, along with my husbands step-dad, took a ride in an old red pickup truck to survey his land. 

Here is what we found:

Osage Oranges, also known in some parts as Hedge Apples.  I've purchased these in the past from flea markets and florists just to use as fall decoration around the house.  On this land in Iowa, these oranges fall freely from the trees.  We took home a bag full of them!

You have to look closely, but that is a baby dear in the picture above.  Just moments before, he or she and his mama must have been grazing or sleeping in the woods.  When they heard us coming, they darted for safety, but the baby managed to get seperated from mama while waiting for us to pass. 

A spring or two ago, a deer left behind a pair of antlers, which I got to take home!  My step-father in law tripped over them while walking in a field, and they were just laying around in the garage since then.  They're with me now, along with the oranges, waiting to be used:

Here are a few ideas I have in mind for these things: 

via Pottery Barn

via Sweet Something Design

via Apartment Therapy