It’s after October 1st and you know what that means, right? Time when I allow myself to honor and celebrate my favorite season of all--Fall! The ritual begins with lugging my buckets of Fall decorations up from the dregs of my basement. I have three to be specific: one filled with just pumpkins, one filled with straight-up Halloween decorations and one whose decorations can stay up from October 1st through Thanksgiving Day. This is serious business in my home. I have also purchased, hoarded and stored all things pumpkin and Fall until now. Finally--it’s time!
So I light my most favorite Fall candle from Bath & Body: Leaves. Then I run around and plug in room diffusers with that same scent. I warm up a jug of fresh-pressed Apple Cider. I take out each decoration; whether it be store bought, hand crafted or a treasured piece of child’s artwork and lay them out upon my table. It could be my aging brain--I hardly remember from one year to the next where everything goes. So, I “shop” from the pile and place things accordingly.
Just a small portion of my shopping pile!
See, there are rules for this part too. Placement is key because certain things I want to see often, whereas other things must be placed together. Like for instance the rhinestone pumpkin and blingy sign must go side by side. So by nightfall, our home has been transformed into a warm fall festival, and my job is once again complete!
"Proper Placement!"
Fall-time dinners just scream soup, right? Which brings me to another fall favorite of mine--feeding soup to people. I believe it warms bellies as well as hearts. What a concept; gathering all the right ingredients together into one pot and making something wonderful. Sort of like how a team should work, agree? But best of all is that soups are easy, especially if you have an Immersion Hand Blender. Instead of pouring hot soup into my blender and inevitably onto my hands, now I just place this tool into my soup pot and voila! I really suggest adding this little guy to your wish list!
Since I have received so many pics and emails from readers about their very own pots of the Butternut Squash Soup from my recipe I shared a few weeks back, here is another favorite of mine. I bet you will love this one too!
My excitement is not just limited to decorations and soup. With the chill in the air, sweatshirts are back in action. I have to say, this next favorite thing I cannot believe I did not think up myself. I am referring to those sweet little thumb holes they now place in sleeve cuffs. I mean how genius to just having your fingers poking out through the comfort and warmth of your sleeve? I not only search for them now, but they have become a deal breaker for me. I even make thumb holes in my oldie but goodie sweatshirts now because that’s how much I love them!
Another one of my favorite fall things is a wood burning fireplace. One of the main reasons we fell in love with our current home was the huge brick fireplace in our kitchen. Between the smell, the warmth, the crackle and the mesmerizing dance of flames-- it’s just heavenly. Add to that our sweet dog, a pot of soup, good people and it just doesn’t get any better!
Finally, in our home fall is not complete without football. Is it one of my favorite things? Come on, who doesn’t love a great tailgate with friends and family? An exciting, unexpected win or just a win for that matter? But football ain’t all fun and games when your livelihood depends on it … there is that not so favorite side too. The one when we lose. The one that brings stress upon us as well as our family and friends. So if you don’t mind I’ll stick to candles, soup, thumb-holed sweaters and fireplaces for the time being.
Moral: If you really love something, then make certain you find the time for it.
your fall friend,
A little fall thing I like to do: I collect fallen acorns when I walk my dog. I glue their tops on. Bake them at 200 degrees for one hour. Spray them with clear shiny spray paint and then scatter them amongst my fall decorations. They sell for $14.50 at Pottery Barn, mine cost cents! Makes sense, right?