On the Home Front

It has been a month since I posted and oh what a full month it has been.  It began with Cider N' Cinnamon when I was on my own, because John had doctor's orders to lay low for the weekend.  I am very grateful to Devola who has handmade pillows, aprons, bags, and clutches in the store, along with her husband Chad, for pitching in and filling the gap. I could not have gotten through the weekend without them. By the way, Devola has expanded her line of goodies adding very rustic,industrial farm accessories and a few pieces of redone furniture. Be sure to visit. Some of her stuff is perfect for this fall season.

The next week was spent with John's seeing doctors and having tests and subsequently his having open heart surgery, which although very scary, went very well. Another thing to put on my gratitude list. 

Before and after surgery, days were spent going back and forth from the hospital, with daughters visiting and helping with the details. Gratitude again.

Finally home and getting used to a very new routine and role - that of caretaker- something I haven't done full time since our youngest, now 28, was at home.

That brings us to the point of this post: being home, and while there, adding fall touches, very often some of the old familiar elements, but always looking for new ways to arrange them.

Just adding a bit of bittersweet or leaves or both can turn everyday accessories into seasonal ones as is evidenced in this front hall photo. I again am finding that I want to simplify.

I love the warm wood tones of this chest in the living room.  The aqua pitcher picks up color from the chair and in the oriental rug below. I recently picked up the small oval dish at a sale and love it paired with the pitcher. Adding the white pumpkin says fall.

From the entry way to the kitchen is a walkway and along the walkway is a wall with the mirror shown below.  It used to be in the entry way, but when we picked up the "unfinished sketch" by Tom Heflin, I really wanted that to have the entry way spot, so now the mirror, which was a wedding present, is a bit further into the house.

Again, adding a fall "pick" is just enough. On a side note, you probably have noticed that I don't shy away from color. As much I love the whites and neutrals and pale whitewashed woods, I know it is not me.

Along that same walkway we enter the kitchen  at the end of which is another pine piece, a piece I picked up at a thrift store and was using as a kitchen island/buffet line piece for our family gatherings as well as every day extra counter space. After I refinished the kitchen floor, John and I decided we would try it in its present position.  It holds all the kitchen small appliances and anchors the large apple painting that daughter Faith did while in high school.  She is going to have to fight to get it back.:)

Close up of bowl of apples with 
bittersweet added for fall

                       

We used to have a bench there which has now been moved to the gathering room where sits our kitchen table and the seating area (with TV, which I can watch from the kitchen while preparing or cleaning up after dinner.)

                                            

Now the bench is in front of the windows and is the perfect spot for the herbs and succulents brought in for the winter, along with a plant sent to John while he was in the hospital by our son DJ and family.

 



















On both the kitchen table and the dining room table are other fall arrangements. I am not a big fan of Halloween.  I decorate for Fall in late September or October and we are set through Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, because it's all about family and GRATITUDE.