With the turn of the season, we turn favorably toward more ambient temperatures. Fall signals a time of greater ease as we start to think of the holiday ahead.

Now is the time to get out your carefully stored away silver and begin to polish it for the season of celebration.

Some ideas for old silver that will inspire you to pull it out and put it to use could be:

• Arrange a collection of pumpkins and gourds on a silver tray makes for a gorgeous centerpiece. The addition of leaves, twigs and acorns makes it even more special. Look around your yard for inspiration

• Gather wild persimmons from the local woods and place their blackened stems with colorful, curled leaves into a silver pitcher to showcase our local beauty

Many of us have silver covered dishes that seem to just sit in the breakfront. This would be a great time to take them out and use them as holders for fingertip-size guest towels to really make it special.

Slip your silver napkin rings over wash cloths and add to the same container. This adaptive re-use is a real conversation starter for anyone visiting your home.

Many of you already use silver julep cups for flowers. Do the same with baby cups and goblets. Group them on a mirror and fill with the golden hues of Autumn to bring an unexpected beauty to any place you find to use them.

On the window ledge in my own kitchen, over the sink, are small silver containers of every sort – things I have collected over the last 40 years.  I took them down just last week, polished them all to a gleaming shine and filled them with the last remains of tomato vines and rosemary sprigs. It makes me happy to see them there.

Silver has always has been inspired by nature. Have a look at some of these iconic patterns – “Fruit and Flowers” by Tiffany, “Harlequin” by Reed and Barton, “Pamona” by Towle – there are hundreds of ways that silver can inspire you. Use it to capture the past, re-invigorate the future and create golden memories for the next generation.