Happy Fall, Y'all!

In Florida, where I grew up, this was what I knew in the form of seasons: Summer, AUGUST, Summer, and Christmas. In other words, the weather didn't change much and the passing of time in my memory is marked more by holidays and hurricanes than actual cyclical change of seasons. As an adult, I have managed to migrate in a northerly fashion and have come to experience firsthand the phenomenon of seasons they taught about in school all those years. Now that I am living in the North Carolina mountains, I can say that I ***LOVE*** fall!!! Something about the dramatic colors of the leaves and the reprieve from the heat (that never seemed to occur in Florida) just makes me want to sing on a hilltop a la Julie Andrews! Well, anyway....reining in my autumnal enthusiasm...I thought these images reflect the joy I have this time of year and, so, you should see them!

My Mom gave me the idea of using a ribbon to hang this wreath on our front door. I just happened to have a handy fall-ish orange ribbon on hand and voila! A simply elegant fall wreath. I love it! It's just the right combination of casual and fain-cy. Thanks, Mom!

These days, snapping a quick picture of this child that is not blurry from her constant state of movement is a minor miracle. So, when I saw how dreamy, sweet, and still she is in this photo, I knew it was a "must share"! NOTE: She is only still because she is absolutely mesmerized by the glowing box also known as the television.

In the background of that photo, you might have noticed this:

To make this gorgeous version of nature's stained glass, I first cut out pieces of contact paper that would fit on each pane of glass. Then, I peeled off the backing to the contact paper and pressed leaves bright side down onto the sticky side. Then, I just pressed the whole shebang onto the window pane. Then, in the morning light, it shines like nature's stained glass! This simple, cheap craft has made me so happy this fall.

And, of course, what would be fun about all those falling leaves in autumn, if it weren't for those amazing leaf piles to jump, roll, and lie in?!?

My baby loves to sky gaze! This makes my heart sing.

While I would like to think that my daughter is studiously contemplating the intricacies of a leaf in her hand, the reality is that she is merely fascinated by the band-aid I put on the palm of her hand just a bit earlier. Still, it's a cute picture!

Hope this fall has been as good to you as it has been to me and my family!