Outdoor fireplaces were a hot topic at last year's Tulsa House Beautiful Show.
One of Kimberley Bevins' best fall-decorating tips: Fill ceramic bowls and platters with butternut and acorn squash and apples. Tuck in silk fall leaves for texture.
Here's one for your weekend to-do list: Check out the Tulsa House Beautiful Show.
I've heard so many people say they let their gardens go to pot this year. The brutal weather was too much for many of us – and our water bills.
If the outside of your home needs a boost, the inside likely does too. This is the time of year when we're transitioning from summer to fall, and it's always nice when our homes reflect that. So, get inspired at the Tulsa House Beautiful Show, which runs Friday through Sunday.
Q&A with Kimberley Bevins
Kimberley Bevins is one of the demonstrators at the show. We talked to her about the show and her fall favorites.
Q: What are you demonstrating at the show this year?
A: On Friday at 4:00 and Saturday at 12:30, I'll be making my Apple, Walnut and Blue
Cheese Salad with Tiny Cream Cheese Biscuits. Both of these recipes are great for either a fall brunch or to complement a delicious fall soup. Also, at 5:30 on Friday and Saturday I will share a quick and easy Mexican meal including Skillet Chicken Chilaquiles and my Mom’s Spanish Rice. These recipes are featured in my latest cookbook, “Fabulous Foodie Favorites: Cook, Eat, Smile, Repeat!,” which is a compilation of my very favorite recipes for fall and winter. My cookbooks are available on my website, but I'll also have them this weekend at the show during my demonstrations.
Q: Can you give a tip on something you do to spruce up your home for fall?
A: Starting with the front door, I always put out a seasonal grapevine wreath wrapped with colorful fall leaves. Each year I change my wreath a bit by adding mini pumpkins, gourds and a colorful ribbon to dress it up.In the kitchen and dining areas, I like to fill ceramic bowls or platters with beautiful fall produce such a butternut or acorn squash, and bright colored apples. Sometime I tuck in a few silk fall leaves for added color and texture. These arrangements can be used as a gorgeous centerpiece on a table, and then part of a delicious meal later on.To add some pizzazz over my solid colored tablecloths, I buy a yard or two of complementary fall fabric and either drape it or scrunch it up as a table runner -- no sewing involved!Then, throughout the house, I add fall candles in scrumptious scents like pumpkin, butter rum and warm ginger. These simple and inexpensive touches can make a home feel very special and warm.Q: What are your favorite things to do around Tulsa in the fall?
A: In Tulsa, there are so many great things to enjoy in the crisp fall air.
Here are a few of my favorites:
An outdoor lunch with friends and then a nice, leisurely stroll along Riverparks to enjoy the sunshine.Antique shopping. There are so many areas to shop around here, from Main Street Jenks to Cherry Street, there is a surely a treasure hiding somewhere.Being a big kid at heart, I think you're never too old to enjoy the Tulsa Zoo. The animals are amazing to see, and I really enjoy the train ride.Football! Whether it's hosting the big game at my house, or catching a local high school or college game, fall is definitely about football. When hosting at home I love to put out a great spread of game-day foods, including big pots full of spicy chili.Q: Where is your favorite place in Oklahoma to go for a Sunday drive, especially when the leaves begin turning colors?
A: My favorite place for a Sunday drive is anywhere in the rolling hills west of Tulsa. From the hilltops there are gorgeous views of downtown Tulsa, and an endless array of colorful leaves in the fall. Typically we drive to the Sand Springs (Pogue) airport, and stop for a bit to watch the planes as they take off and land. The cooler air means great flying conditions for the pilots, and lots of air traffic to see and enjoy. As aviation enthusiasts, it's something my husband and I truly enjoy together
Q: What will you be checking out at the Tulsa House Beautiful Show?
A: The Tulsa House Beautiful Show has something for everyone, but I am especially looking forward to all of the cooking demonstrations this weekend, as well as seeing the beautiful Tablescapes on display. It's also always fun to see the Tulsa Decorator Showdown - they get quite creative. It will be a fun weekend.
Tulsa House Beautiful ShowWhen: Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: QuikTrip Center at Expo Square, 21st Street and Yale Avenue
Cost: $8
