turn, turn, turn...

Yes, it's that time of year again.

Leaves have been raked and bagged.

The deck has been stripped of its summertime finery.

Flower pots and garden hoses have been stowed away 'til spring.

Firewood was delivered yesterday.

An extra blanket graces the bed.

Flannel sheets will return on the next wash day.

Jackets and scarves are a pleasure to wear.

Oatmeal with blueberries is back on the breakfast menu.

google images

Monday morning

I did something last night that I haven't done for a long while. 

It started out innocently and with the best of intentions while I painted my nails:

Read for an hour, let the polish dry and be in bed by 10:00.

Next thing I knew it was after midnight.

The nails were dry.

The book was finished.

It was a very satisfying tale.

Tuesday morning

It's too wet to rake leaves so I've been in the kitchen:

whole wheat pasta with artichokes, mushrooms and spinach in a light alfredo sauce

 and

pumpkin muffins from a pinterest recipe

So very tasty!!

I've also tried something with the fireplace.

The colors on the following picture are skewed on purpose - trying 

to get more definition for the masking tape on the walls.

It's been terribly humid these last few days 

and the masking tape does not want to adhere.  It is

falling even as I write...

probably not the best conditions to try this.

Oops - one side is down.

The picture is so poor but there are boxes taped off on the walls

representing the placement of narrow trim painted in a contrasting

color  - in this case about 6 inches from the ceiling and side walls.

If you click to enlarge it the tape is much easier to see.

This was one of my inspiration photos:

I'm on the look-out for a set - yes, a matched set, of sconces to place in the boxes.

About 15-18 inches tall.  The cabinets can be painted. Or not.

That this will be a very traditional look surprised me but 

hey - it's calling my name.

And while it may be more traditional than expected our own 

touches will keep it on the casual side.

Would you believe I chipped the polish on one nail messing with the masking tape!?

I work after while so I will need to do a quick repair job.

Friday morning

Today's attempt.

I'll let this one sit for a few days. The candlesticks have 

already been rearranged.
The window panes sit at an angle rather than
 flush against the wall.

Squirrely days

 This post could just have easily borne the title of Jackdaw days 

as my attention seems to be drawn to any variety of shiny distraction these days.

Squirrels, though, with their heads down bounding from spot to spot, 

digging, planning, working so hard at  what may be a fruitless cause in another month or so 

are an apt comparison to the prevailing mood chez moi.

Tuesday morning

There is no lack of reasonable tasks available each day.

More-urgent is not always the same as most urgent.

The siren song of interesting ideas lures me 

from the safe productivity of my lists.

Is it the layering of leaves outside

that prompts such a desire to replicate

the colors and clutter of fall inside our homes?

Is squirrelishness our response to the changing  seasons?

Tuesday night

One of my recent obsessions has been the fireplace mantle.

My pinterest page is suddenly full of mantle pictures. 

Studying them has made me aware that 

the mantle may be only a part of the problem.

It really is a big picture issue.

Let's start with a reminder that I love my fireplace.

Maybe not the glass doors - but the idea and use of it I love.

I've tried a variety of things over the course of the last year.

We have talked about major renovations:

a tile surround

paint

built-in bookshelves.

This week, though, the emphasis has been on 

spending no money - re purpose what is already here - a challenge

I always enjoy.

Wednesday morning

The windows come from Dad's house in Hampton.

They flanked his fireplace.

He gave them to me during the siding/windows project and I've 

carted them several times across the Midwest since then.

There are sliding glass doors opposite the couch which 

limit the seating options in the room.

The small cabinets on the side provide storage and balance.

Perhaps a bookshelf-type hutch on top?

The lamp relieves what had always been a dark corner.

Do I need one on the other table, too?

Well, this is today's look.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Another month will mean decorating for Christmas 

and it will all change again.

Confessions on a cold morning

My Kindle is searching the Oxford Dictionary for "succumbation" as I start this post.  

The yellow bar is barely crawling along...

My venerable print copy was checked first - found nothing - so I figured I should 

put the resources available through technology to work.

That yellow bar is still crawling...

If it proves to be a word then I may claim the privilege 

of poster child.

You may remember the recent meatloaf incident...

This latest succumbation resets the bar.

I bought Christmas ornaments the other day.

Still crawling....

Yes, I've had a list of projects posted for several weeks already.

Hold on while I put another log on the fire.

 0 results for succumbation.

Yes, I've revised the list several times and actually begun several projects..

Yes, I've looked through Pinterest and various books/magazines

 for Christmas ideas.  

None of that counts.

Buying ornaments is in a different category.

I've succumbed.

Color my world

I was on the road yesterday between Fort Dodge and Grimes.

The sky was blue and the fall colors were incredible.

Screaming reds.

Vibrant oranges.

Pulsating burgundies.

Flaming yellows.

At one point I caught sight of the traditional calendar shot

of a country church on a hilltop

surrounded by a wondrous array of color.

Unfortunately, this photo courtesy of google images only begins to 

capture the familiar scene.

It was the iconic image that we all recognize

or have our own variation tucked away ready to be conjured by 

the nostalgic magic of a classic fall day.

Our neighborhood is also arrayed in it's finest fall collection.

Bronze, purple, and gold intermingled in stunning 

                                           combinations as the trees morph from one color to the next.