the first day of autumn

A few glimpses of what welcoming the first day of Autumn looked like today.

Usually I would have gone for a drive, but there were thunderstorms on and off today, so I decided to just stay home instead. Every now and then, the sun would break through and highlight the dark stormy clouds and everything would look so pretty.

I freshened all the flowers up with cuttings from the garden.

The leaves on the Chestnut trees in the front garden have started turning brown and are littered all over the lawn.

I've put away a lot of my blue pieces, but I left the pair of ginger jars on the mantel for now. I like the slow transition from summer to fall. When I'm ready to add some pumpkins and gourds to the mantel, I will find another home for these, but until then, they will stay.

Two really easy ways to add a little bit of coziness to a room? Some natural firewood by the fireplace, and some throws for chilly mornings or evenings by the fire.

This one conveniently hides my books and things. I learned this trick from my mother in law.

The first pumpkin has made it's appearance, along with a potted kale.

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I've washed and added warm weather clothes to the boys' wardrobes. It's no where near sweater weather right now, but at least I'm prepared. And in an unusual moment of foresight, I even ordered the needed snow pants and winter coats for the boys. That always sneaks up on me and by doing so early, I took advantage of a 50% off  Labor day sale!

It also looked like slices of peach pie after school. I made this one this weekend. I really only make pies in the fall, save cream pies with graham cracker crust in the summer. As Thanksgiving is not far off, at least here in Canada, I have to practice a few times before I make them then.

And while pumpkins have arrived, and I'm tempted to completely outfit the front entrance, I'm not  ready just yet to say goodbye to my simple Boxwoods in my urns, so they'll stay for a while longer.

I might however, see if I can sneak out once the littlest ones are in bed, to go sit with a Pumpkin Spice Latte for a while by myself. Maybe with a book? Hockey season has pretty much begun, so I don't think I'll be missed terribly.

welcome september - back to school, back to routine

I love the freedom that comes with summer - the unplanned days and the spur of the moment trips, but after two months of little structure, something in me starts to feel unsettled. I start to find myself longing for more routine. To return again to the familiar comfort of a well-planned week and a steady, slow rhythm to my day.

This year our summer, while lovely, has been particularly unplanned, and to be honest, I noticed I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. I think Ryan picked up on it, and decided to take the boys out over the weekend for back to school haircuts and a matinee. That time was so important to me.

I put on the kettle, found a calm Autumn playlist, lit some candles and spread out all of my lists. I filled out my month's calendar, then the upcoming week in detail, with to-do lists. 

Then I made a grocery list and filled out my prayer journal for September.

I'm quite particular about the products that I use to keep myself organized. I like them to be simple and of good quality. It's important that the aesthetic appeals to me, as well, because I have them out on my desk, and in the case of the weekly tablet, displayed on my fridge for my family. (The one and only thing on my fridge, though on the side of it, where it's mainly out of sight!) I know a few of you will message looking for sources, so I'll link them at the end.

Maybe it's from having four babies, or maybe it's just that our life seems to get a lot busier as the boys get older, but I need all the help I can get to stay on top of it all - physically, in front of me, not on an app. I need to see it laid out before more. I enjoy seeing it laid out in front of me.

A mini Pumpkin Spice cupcake went perfectly with my cup of tea, too.

Cupcakes are also therapeutic.

(Don't worry, I'll post the recipe soon!)

- sources -

Notes Notebook in Navy - Target

Monthly Day Planner - Rifle Paper Co.

Grocery and Weekly Tablets - Everyday Occasions

Yearly Prayer Journal - Val Marie Paper (I pre-ordered it in French Blue for 2020!)

And also, because someone will ask, the napkins are the Washed Cotton Napkins in Chambray from Pottery Barn, and right now they're on sale for $11.99 for a set of 4 (reg $20).

christmas in the living room

I spent most of last week hurrying about, trying to get the house in order for this year's Holiday Home Tour, a charity event here in town. It was a lot of work - my favourite kind of work - but a lot, nevertheless. We cut down and decorated four trees, I made garland for the stairs, set the table, wrapped gifts, arranged flowers and tried my best to keep everything tidy. Saturday saw 250 people come through the homes, and the event was a huge success. I loved meeting some of you who came out, and George stole the show. He entertained all the ladies walking past from his bassinet, all smiles and wide eyes. We even made the local papers!

On one hand, it was nice to know that come December, everything would be finished so I could enjoy the month. But on the other hand, I kind of missed taking my time transforming the house. Though nothing is stopping me from adding bit of Christmas here and there still.

Anyway, here are quite a few photos of the room. It looks similar to previous years, mostly because this is what I'm drawn to. I did, however, add a few hints of blue and green to mix!

Our trees are all cut in the wild on a neighboring farm near my grandparents' farm. We can go in and select trees to help space out others, which helps prevent overcrowding. They are never perfect, but I love the look of them.

It's a fairly sparse tree, so I keep it simple with white lights and my favourite ornaments. The mercury glass feels so traditional, and sparkles beautifully from the twinkle lights.

I keep the rest of the room quite simple, with just some fresh greens here and there.

I love that you can see the wreaths from the windows outside. We have them on all the windows around the original stone house. (I'll post a photo.) I also love that you can see the tree from outside, as it's in front of the window.

I always love the hints of blue in the Cedar Berry and Juniper. The ribbon picks up the blues and green from these boughs perfectly.

And an assortment of blue pots planted with bulbs on the coffee table, another inspiration for the hints of blue.

I loved this pretty dusty blue ribbon.

And I love the classic navy and moss green velvet ribbon. The pretty tags and wrapping paper are from Everyday Occasions. I will post in more detail on those later, as it's one of my favourite parts of the season, as well as the other rooms.

in the garden - lily of the valley

Currently you can smell our gardens before you actually see them.

We have three parts of our gardens that are full of blooming Lily of the Valley and their scent is unbelievable. Naturally, I pulled enough for a small arrangement and put them in the living room.

They always remind me of royal wedding bouquets.

living room mantel

I was struggling this year with what to do on our mantel in the living room. Some years I drape Cedar roping over it. Others, I tuck greens among the glass cloches. Truth be told, I kind of felt like just leaving it untouched this year. I mean the tree is pretty enough!

But it really is a beautiful mantel, and it deserves to be dressed up for the holidays.

Of course, by the time I went to purchase Cedar roping, it was all sold out. So I grabbed the largest bundle of Scotch Pine I could find for all of $14.99, and made my own. I have this really full burlap garland that is about 6 inches wide, so I used that instead of rope, and wired my greens to it. I had to keep it a little short as our youngest would pull on it if it dangled within his reach.

 

I then wove it between the bits on the mantel, tucked a few pine cones in it here and there, and done!

 

The Scotch Pine boughs are very sturdy and hold their own in the garland, which I like.

It also smells heavenly... which I like even more.