Isn’t fall the best of all? I admit I love every season for different reasons- except for March, I just can’t make myself love the endless gray days that are too warm for snow and too cold for anything else. Besides that I can honestly say that I love every season. I love fall, I love the colors in nature, I love the crisp evenings that are perfect for having campfires, and most of all I love the coziness associated with this season- give me that cup of hot Chai tea, pass the blanket and let me curl up with my book!
Below I have a few ideas, ones that I do and that you may enjoy for fall, but I would like to put in my two cents for those thinking- Why bother? To make life more enjoyable! I love Christmas, so does my husband and we really make an effort to go out of our way and enjoy the season. The sounds, the scents, the decor, time with family and friends, and special events, all contribute to making Christmas a special time of year. But. We still have to make the effort to do them! The same is true with all the other seasons. There are special and fun things about every season and while we may not be able to make every season as special as Christmas, we can emphasize the things that we love about each season and thereby add that much extra joy and happiness to our everyday life! Here are several things I do around my home to welcome the season and make my home that much cozier and more inviting for Fall.
Out with the Old, in with the New!
Every season change is a good chance todo a little audit and do any necessary purging! I know it may not sound like fun, but this is a relatively easy way to stay on top of and developing clutter! Along those same lines make sure that you remove anything that is too summery, and pack away a few items that you know you will not need again until the following year.
Fall Flowers
We usually start to get a few frosts here in PA by the time the beginning of October rolls around. That means that it’s usually safe to get rid of any flowers I’ve had in pots, on my porch or patio. To help things not feel as stark I usually like to get a few mums or pumpkins, or if you don’t want to invest annually, a cute fall sign can help to warm up an empty entry way or porch.
Candles
The first thing I think of when I think of fall is cozy, warm lighting; fires in the fireplaces,candles, candles in lanterns, and of course jack-o-lanterns! I love a big lantern. I think they look great almost anywhere; beside a fireplace, next to an accents chair, a medium lantern as a focal point in a vinette, and of course they are very welcoming outside a front door. If you have a lantern and have had different decor elements inside try pulling all that out and add a candle, I usually do battery operated.
Scents
Speaking of candles- the scents of fall can’t be beat! There are delicious sweet smells; pumpkin latte, apple tart, and cinnamon roll. If you aren’t someone who likes sweet smells filling your home,(no judgement!) then there are candles and essential oils that invoke scents of campfires and falling leaves.
One of my favorite candle companies is the Chestnut Hill Candle Co. They have a variety of scents-all of them delicious- and the scent really permeates your home. I dislike when a candle smells good burning but can only be smelled if you are within six inches of it! Some of our favorite candle scents for fall are from this company are: White Pumpkin, Farmstead, and Coffee.
Cozy Up!
It is officially time to pack away the lighter throw blankets up here in the north! Time to pull out the softer throws: flannel, knit, or even some plush blankets! This is also one of my favorite ways to work in some fall color into my decor. There are really cute fall plaids in a variety of color combinations. Just adding colors in a plaid, even if they aren’t traditional fall colors, is enough to add a touch of fall!
The other comfy, cozy touch is to switch out decorative pillows, for a cute fall pillows! If you don’t want to store a bunch of bulky pillows you can get pillow covers,(look on Etsy or Overstock), and that way you just have a slim cover to pack away instead of a pillow!
Music
Again, at Christmas time we play Christmas music to get us in the mood. In summer I hear a lot more country being played. So why not play fall music for fall? I do think this is very subjective, I like me some Michael Buble, or Sinatra, but others like banjo music. Regardless of what kind of music you like, I would like to challenge you to find something that feels special to you, and to the season, and embrace it as your own special playlist to get you in the fall spirit!
Lights
Little twinkle lights are often saved for Christmas but as the days shorten I like to add a little additional brightness to my life. I’ll toss in a strip of lights in my fall centerpiece, intertwine a strand with fall twine woven throughout my mantle or the top of my piano. Many of these have a timer setting that wil come on automatically everyday. I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I come home after dark-and forgot to leave any lights on- only to see my little lights are all ready for me. It feels like my house is welcoming me home!
Charles and Emma was a book about Charles Darwin and his wife Emma, specifically about how her faith, and his lack of faith shaped their marriage. After Charles returned from his famous voyage on the Beagle, he had an important question to ponder- to marry or not to marry. At the age of 28, he was definitely of marrying age and, as his father reminded him, he wasn’t getting any younger.
Charles, taking the scientific approach, observed his married friends and then proceeded to make a pro/con list of the advantages and disadvantages of getting married. Getting married would make it harder to travel, it would mean less time, and less money, to devote to his pursuit of science. Lastly but certainly not least there was also the matter that after his voyage around the world, Charles had come to doubt that God had created each individual species. Rather Charels was working on a theory that, counter to the mainstream thoughts of the day, would prove that God had made a creature and then the creature would evolve based off of its need to survive and adapt accordingly.
Taking God out of the creation story was not a popular view. To make things worse, when he really got honest with himself, Charles didn’t believe that God interfered with anything on earth after He started the world. Charles wasn’t even sure he believed if there was a God- how could a good God let all of the horrible things that happen in this world occur?
After much pondering Charles went to talk with his father, a man who didn’t really believe in God, and wouldn’t be shocked by Charles’ thoughts and beliefs. Charles talked over with his father how his counter culture beliefs would affect his marriage. Should he just avoid the institution all together? His father put his worries to rest but he had one little piece of advice- don’t tell the lucky woman about his lack of belief.
Charles decided to move forward with plans to marry. And he found his girl! A smart woman, a cousin of his.(This was quite normal and often even preferred among the higher class during this time period.) He asked the question and she said yes. There was just one problem- Emma was a devout believer. They both entered the institution of marriage knowing that they could well differ for the rest of their lives on one core belief. The rest of the book talks about their married life, how Charles career progressed, and how they juggled life, split as they were, yet still very much in love.
I found this book fascinating. I didn’t know much at all about Charles Darwin and had always supposed him to be a strict atheist; in fact he was more of an agnostic than an atheist. Emma held fast to her Christian beliefs. This book did a good job of showing how in day to day life compromise can be found, happiness had, but ultimately tension does arise from different belief structures when trouble comes. I enjoyed learning more about Charles and Emma from a strictly academic point of view, but I also think this would be an excellent book to recommend to high school students and young, unmarried adults. No matter how much you love the person to which you plan to marry, be very cautious if they don’t hold the same core values as you. Regardless of what your beliefs are, if they are vastly different from the person you marry, it will create strife and tension within the marriage and this is why the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 6;14, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” How united can we be in a marriage if we don’t share what is closest to our hearts?
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
1 Corinthians says, “Now we see through a glass darkly, but then we will see face to face,” KJV.
My grandmother has always had, “ugly” hands, in her words.I think back in the day when she grew up women paid more attention to their hands than we do now- or at least more than I never ever paid to mine! Regardless her hands aren’t beautiful in the traditional sense; they are spotted with age, her fingers are a little knobby and her veins stand out on the back of her hands. She always said her veins are so large because of how she always had to milk cows growing up, I think heredity plays a bigger role but of course I never mentioned it. Still she always gets a hint of pride in her voice when she mentions how her father used to praise those ugly hands for their good milking abilities.
My hands aren’t the prettiest either, but they know how to do a lot of things and the work I do with my hands puts bread on the table so I have never despised how my hands look. I always think back to the part in, Little Women, when when their father comes home from war and praises Meg’s hands, that though they are no longer soft and smooth, they have worked hard and become calloused through helping her family during a difficult time.
One day when I was visiting with Grandma she looked down and mentioned her ugly hands. This caused me to look down at my hands and realize that my hands were not looking too gorgeous at the moment either. “Grandma, my hands are the same way- look.” I said placing my hand in hers, “Golly, they are aren’t they,” she said before catching herself and apologizing and her inadvertent insult of my own hands!
I chuckled to myself on my drive home that day. But it did cause me to sit and think for a moment. She always viewed her hands as ugly, I always viewed our hands as strong, and hard working; hers even more so than mine. Think of all the things those hands know how to do; milking cows, sewing, baking, cooking! She is one of the best seamstresses, really. She had a business for a while before deciding that she much preferred sewing just for family. My grandfather did not have a shirt or suit jacket that my grandma didn’t make. She is a great cook and baker and has always made the best peanut brittle! To me her hands are not ugly because I know the beauty they have brought to this world. So much of reality is our perception. To me her hands are lovely, but it’s all a matter of how we view the world, and what lens we use as our filter. 1 Corinthians says, “Now we see through a glass darkly, but then we will see face to face,” KJV. What are we looking at in this world through a dark glass? What things that God has blessed us with do we choose to view as an inconvenience rather than a blessing in the first place? What a reminder to view everything through the lens of God’s Word, for it is the only true lens.
Hey! May I Send You Something?
If you are here, chances are you just might like my writing. (wink) If you Drop your email address in the box below I’ll save you time by emailing you the link every time a new post comes out!
I have always wanted a well done home. One that feels cozy and inviting, that is well kept and fun to live in! I want this not only so that people feel welcomed and comfortable in my home- I want them to come over and feel welcomed by the wreath on the door, to be able to settle in on the couch with the pillows, and to have a throw blanket handy if they start getting chilly. I want to be intentional in my decor to have a home that is not only styled to my tastes, but also one that is liveable. While there is still so much out there that I can learn, and so many ways that I can grow in my decorating skills, I do believe that I have come along way from where I started. One of the tools that have helped me along the way are decorating books- I love them! Below I have listed three of my favorite decorating books, each one focuses on different elements of creating a well planned home, that I feel have given me the most tangible tools for laying the groundwork to a well done home.
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
HomeBody by Joanna Gaines
If you are into decorating then you have undoubtedly heard of the Gaines family and Joann’s signature farmhouse style. However, even if you aren’t a farmhouse style fan I would still urge you to pick up this book! This is a great book for a foundational look at building your home decor. Johanna walks you through a variety of different homes room by room, highlighting the functionality of each one. What is the purpose of your entry way and what elements do you need to add for it to function effectively? Do you need a table with a tray for keys? A runner or welcome mat? What about a light as soon as you step inside the door? Joanna walks you through several different examples discusses each, and then includes a troubleshooting guide at the end of each section. At the end of the book she includes a design template so that you can sketch out your room, and make a plan for how you will tackle decorating it. While a lot of the houses featured in this book have a farmhouse or rustic feel I don’t think the tools thought in it are limited to a a specific style. Homebody is great guideline of what things to consider and other helpful information that will help simplify the process of decorating your home.
Domino- Your Guide to a Stylish Home by Jessica Romm Perez and Shani Silver
This is such a fun book! The pictures are beautiful and there are a variety of different styles showcased in this book focusing mainly on, Glam, Eclectic, and a Midcentury Modern feel- but you can find examples of just about every type of style in this book. The book starts by helping you to identify your own style and then moves to different aspects of your home tackling decorating by topic; tables, lighting, etc., rather than by room or style. This book help you to identify what kind of decor you like and then shows you how to incorporate elements of that style into the decor you already have. Every chapter ends with a short interview with someone in the decorating/styling community sharing tips that they’ve learned along the way, in their respective area of expertise. I found this book very helpful as a way to up your decorating game after you have the foundational pieces of your decor selected, as a tool to help you transition from one decor style to another, or just as a guideline for incorporating elements of a new style!
This book isn’t as much about starting to build your decor from ground zero as it is about how to style and work with what you already own. In the beginning of the book, Emily includes a quiz on how to identify your personal style and taste, shopping tips and then she launches into the huge difference tiny styling tweaks can make in your decor! She covers all basics like making sure your room has good flow, making sure that you aren’t over decorating part of a room and neglecting another part, and how to tell if your decor is competing with itself. She also throws in fun sections like how to style a sofa in 4 different ways based of your preferences. A lot of the styles featured are not quite my style- many of the photos featured feel very mid century modern/eclectic, but that didn’t stop me from getting a TON out of this book. What I also loved about this book it that unlike so many of the decor books out there that make you feel like you need to run out and buy new things, this book emphasizes on working with what you already have, and that is where true decorating skill is learned.
Show, don’t tell, is one of the rules of great writing. Don’t tell your audience that the plush blanket is soft, show them how the million little plush fibers kiss your skin as you pull the blanket close and warm around you. This is how I felt Brian Stevenson handled the telling of his professional life in his book, “Just Mercy.” I’m sure you’ve noticed that there is a lot of tension in our country right now. Things always heat up when a presidential election is less than 2 months away! Add to that that this year we are also dealing with the coronavirus, and heated race relations and it seems like gasoline is being dumped on every fire that usually lies simmering within this country. During the course of discussions being had over the current events in our country, someone recommended a book called, ”Just Mercy,” to me, and I checked it out from the library.
Wow. I’m not sure what exactly I expected; but this book surpassed my expectations. I think I expected a book that was either so agenda driven that there wasn’t much of a plot line, or one that went into so many statistics that I wouldn’t barely be able to focus, but that’s not at all what this book was. Instead this was a book with a compelling plot line spun throughout its pages that showed the flaws in our justice system, and that got its point across in a fair, example driven manner.
Bryan Stevenson, the author, has spent his life as an attorney representing the underprivileged wrongly convicted of high level crimes. At the beginning of his career he focused just on cases of individuals who he believed were wrongly sentenced to death row. There are truly frightening examples given in this book of how the facts have been manipulated against certain individuals, and how many have paid the ultimate price for someone else’s agenda.
I found this book very eye opening, the issues of our justice system are not ones that I have done very much research on, and while I plan to do more learning on this topic, I thought this book was a good intro. However, a lot of the examples given in this book are from the 1980s and 1990s. A lot has changed in our country since then. Some things have not. If you are looking to get a perfect snapshot of what the justice system looks like today then I’m not sure this book will give you the best picture. If, though, you are looking to see where we have been as a country, how far we have come, and where we still have to go, then I think you will really appreciate this book. Regardless of your motive for picking up this book you will find it well worth your time.
I do want to warn you that while this book is very well written with a compelling true story line woven through it, it deals with very heavy topics. There are disturbing and very sad stories, all true, that you will read in this book. Be forewarned that this is not a light and fun book to read, although there is hope and optimism woven in as well. Prepare yourself- and dive in!
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
