Fall Days on the Porch

 During the hot summer months, the front porch is a wonderful place to be with its shade and cool breeze.  Now we'll begin to spend more time out here in the evenings with the warm sun shining during cool fall days.  We love sitting on the front porch swing, watching the sunset and listening to happy little girls chatter away.  During the summer it can be a tad too warm... but now, now it will be just right.   

 

Well, I did make it to the farmers market this weekend for pumpkins and other fall treats.  My mom and I were so excited as we had a little time for a trip just the two of us.  Unfortunately, it started raining as we left and we rushed through our stops, driving home less than an hour later with it pouring rain and storming too!  I was laughing so hard, trying to lug my pumpkins to the porch with the rain coming down in buckets, and bobbing for recently purchased apples in a huge rain puddle as (naturally) they had all fallen out in my haste.  By the time I got to the door, I was so soaked my clothes were literally hanging and I was still laughing!  That was just the beginning of my rain-drenched clothes this last weekend...

 Anyway, I finally filled our front porch planters with pansies.  Justus helped me plant the five flats (in the rain again) and they look so pretty. 

Every year I say this, but... next year I really want to try to grow our own heirloom pumpkins.  I think if I had a bounty of pumpkins, I would have them everywhere during the fall!  All shapes and colors, I love them. 

 The neatest thing happened a couple months ago.  I didn't write about it, but one day we heard a knock at our door and it was the sweetest couple that stopped by to introduce themselves.  The man had spent his childhood in this house as it belonged to his parents.  His wife told me that there was a swing hanging in the exact spot we hung ours, and as as they came to visit later in life, with their own children, she would sit on the swing and watch them play.  I loved getting to hear some of their stories (I knew this was a special house) and now every time I sit on our swing I think of other generations sitting in that same spot, likely enjoying the same things I do. 

Hope you have a lovely fall week!

P.S.  We decorated our flower stand too!  Thought you might like to take a peek.  ;-)

Dahlias and Fall Decorating

 It all started with the dahlias.  We went to the flower garden after being gone for several days, and there was our flower garden in full bloom.  Suddenly, standing there with a cool breeze blowing and clouds in the sky, it finally felt like fall. 

 So I came home and opened up my cupboards and gathered together all my fall dishes. 

 This year doesn't look much different from any other in the dining room, so these pictures aren't anything exciting... I swapped out my dishes and moved just a few things around.  Still, the room feels fresh again.

 I think I've said this before, but I love that about seasonal decorating... just changing around a couple things can make everything feel clean and new again, plus it always inspires me to tackle cleaning/organizing other rooms as well.  (Which means I moved onto sorting through our girls' clothes today that they've outgrown - never a fun job!) 

 Changing around the piano top today reminded me that I've got to get some photos taken of our girls... I'd like to hang a couple prints beside the piano and hang a large photo in the living room.  That's something I've had on my list all summer... looks like they will be fall pictures now!  ;-)

 

 This plate design makes me think of the colors we hoped for when we planted flower seeds in the garden this summer for fall... reds, purples, yellows. 

 We're just beginning to see the changing colors of leaves here and the cotton fields appear as snow when I look out the windows.  I imagine I'll be off to the farmers market sometime this week for pumpkins and those fall pansies I still need to plant.  Homemade applesauce will be on the table again this week and I may even try a new pumpkin recipe.   

Thank you, beautiful dahlias, for reminding me today of all the many reasons I love this season.  

Hope you are having a happy fall!