SHOP IT

Marble cake plate and dome, $62 at House Counsel

THE SWEETEST

CAKE DOMES

This stylish kitchen accessory combines form and function to create a pretty fall display.

WRITTEN BY HEATHER KANE KOHLER

 As the crispness of fall approaches, recipes of cozy breads, muffins and cookies begin to swim around in our minds. It wouldn’t be fall without baked goods, so why not set your baked goods out for all to see under a beautiful dome as part of your fall decor? These beauties will keep goodies fresh for days and make a lovely display at the same time. We especially love the modern design spin we are seeing in this stylish kitchen accessory at local home boutiques. Choose the perfect design to match your kitchen aesthetic, and dress it up however you like. 

CLASS ACT

HOME CHEESEMAKING

Learn to make an array of fresh cheeses at home in this gourmet cooking class.

WRITTEN BY HEATHER KANE KOHLER

Pickwick & Cherry Fine Foods & Gourmet Gifts is hosting their very rst cheesemaking cooking class this fall and cheese lovers around 417-land are lining up for a seat! Guests will learn the art of making cheeses like ricotta, fromage blanc and mozzarella at home with professional cheesemaker Ryan Mihalik. Mihalik has nearly a decade of experience and his passion for cheesemaking has taken him around the world, working with expert cheesemakers in Italy, France, Austria and beyond. 

Get Tickets

Wreathing

BENEFITS

Wild Elements’ creations can help transition your home from summer sunshine to the moody days of fall.

WRITTEN BY LUCIE AMBERG

E“ ven on a small scale... bringing a piece of the outside inside can have an incredible e ect,” says Priscilla Salas, owner of Wild Elements Farm. “Our wellbeing on every level is a ected positively by nature.” Wild Elements’ fall wreaths are a dreamy way to bring Mother Nature’s bounty inside. Around this time last year, Salas started sharing the wreaths on the Wild Elements Facebook page, but she didn’t realize she was introducing a new product line. She was just looking for a way to stay creative when chilly weather put the farm’s cut- ower business on pause. People responded to Salas’s moody creations, which feature evocative components like dried oranges, moss and mushrooms. She started retailing them at pop-up markets, such as Scho eld + Gray, and shops like The Plant Room and The Local Bevy. She also takes custom orders, though in some sense, every wreath is an individual creation. Given the beauty and diversity of 417-land foliage, Salas never wants for inspiration. Many of the wreath components come from the woods and roadsides near her home, and foraging has become a family affair. Her four children, who range in age from 6 to 14, often tag along, and when Salas needs quick insight about a plant’s safety or usability, she phones her dad. “He’s been writing a book about plants for years,” she says, and he always encouraged her interest in the natural world.

Curly dock, one of her favorite wreath components, is prevalent in Ozarks woods. Its leaves are vibrant green in early summer, but by fall, they’ve transformed to a rusty color that’s perfectly suited to the season. Because curly dock is a dry plant, she can snip and use it right away, which makes it a powerhouse ingredient. When plants need more help drying, she might air dry them. “I have plants strung up in front of windows and in jars everywhere,” she says. She also leverages her food dehydrator to remove as much moisture as she can.

When Salas is out and about, she can’t turn o her artistic eye. Once, when she was visiting the xeriscape garden at Nixa’s Rotary Park, she saw many plants that would work for wreaths, but she didn’t want to snip them without permission. So she contacted the Christian County Master Gardeners, the organization that maintains the site. In exchange for some volunteer hours, the Master Gardeners gave Salas permission to forage to her heart’s delight.

Salas’s enthusiasm is a great asset for Wild Elements wreaths, and it’s good for her, too. She says that taking time to examine a plant and envision how it might work in a wreath is a special way to experience nature. “To really slow down and connect, for me, it’s therapy,” she says. 

ORGANIC DESIGN Instead of adhering to a rigid formula or style, Salas lets the materials guide her. “The nature itself is what drives me,” she says.

Make It Last

Wild Elements wreaths are made with natural components, which are as beautiful—and as vulnerable to breaking down— as they are in the wild. With proper care, however, Salas says the wreaths can last a few years. Check out her tips for maintaining them:

1

Salas suggests spraying the wreath with a dried plant preservative (available at craft shops)—or even aerosol hairspray—a couple of times each season.

2

When it’s time to put your wreath away, store it in a plastic wreath container or in a box, wrapped in tissue. Keep it out of direct sunlight.

3

Wild Elements wreaths are well suited to indoor settings or covered porches. If they spend too much time outdoors, “they’ll break down as they would in nature,” she says.

DATEBOOK

The fall season brings cooler weather and noteworthy events to 417-land.

SEPTEMBER 16-18

SEPTEMBER

16-18 For an immersive weekend sign up for the CREAVA POTTERY RETREAT (creavastudio.com). Hit pause on the outside world as you throw, build and fire our own potter . Ta e home our creations and new knowledge surrounding the craft of pottery.

17-18 Celebrate the coming of fall by attending CIDER DAYS on Historic Walnut Street (itsalldowntown.com). Find creations made by local artists to decorate your home for fall and enjoy the staple of cider days, a glass of apple cider, while you shop.

OCTOBER

Find something for your home at the

SCHOFIELD + GRAY FALL FESTIVAL 01

AND ANTIQUE MARKET (schofieldgray.com). chofield ra is a one of a ind destination full of life and energy just 20 minutes away from pringfield. The mar et offers handpic ed anti ue home and garden decor vendors, good company and a great environment.

Discover new skills at a WOOD

BURNING & CHARCUTERIE CLASS 21

(wondersofwildlife.org) hosted by 417 Charcuterie and Wonders of Wildlife. Burn your own wooden board and learn how to arrange a charcuterie board that is sure to impress this season.

NOVEMBER 15

24 Dress in your most creative cocktail attire for the 99 TIMES PARTY at the pringfield rt useum (sgfmuseum.org). Experience a night of interactive art and performances inspired by John Grillo’s 1963 abstract painting Moon Goloph.

OCTOBER 01

NOVEMBER 12

Take home the perfect gift for someone on your list this year at the SCHOFIELD + GRAY HOLIDAY GIFT AND ANTIQUE MARKET (schofieldgray.com). Browse through a collection of vendors to find homemade and vintage gifts unli e an other. Treat yourself to desserts or snacks from vendors while you browse timeless pieces in a beautiful setting.

15

Sip on complimentary wine while you work on a colorful floral bou uet at ROSA-

MUNGTHORN’S WINE AND FLORAL DESIGN

CLASS roseamongthorns.florist . earn about floral design and take your arrangement home with you.

LIFESTYLE

AUTHENTICS P.22 RECIPE P.26 INGREDIENT P.31 ESSAY P.32

22

BOTTOMS UP Nothing says welcome home quite like a handsomely styled— and well stocked—bar cart. Turn to p. 22 to go behind the design of this eclectic home.