WILL THE REAL FALL PLEASE STAND UP...

"Allow autumn's 

spirit of change 

to invoke 

a grateful heart."

Author Unknown

Welcome to fall everyone. 

 We have all caught 

the autumn bug and

 have started placing touches

 of the glorious season around

 but, as of yesterday, 

the real fall can now,

 proudly, 

stand up and 

be counted.

Do you remember 

when I said that...

...I was trying 

not to decorate...

...every available surface...

...and that I was 

getting 

really good at it...

...right then and there,

 I saw some of you 

roll your eyes, 

put your hands over your mouths and, 

discreetly,

 voice your opinions...

..."that 

will never 

happen"!

HA!!!

Well,

 this one is for you! 

 (And, you may say, 

"I told you so").

The old, new, newer kitchen, 

filled to the brim with 

autumn splendor! 

and here is the little jewel 

that started it all:

Our little found 

Ikea island,

 just big enough and 

I love it.

We have had this 

quaint little hanging shelf 

for a long time and 

never knew what to do with it...

now we do!

You will notice 

that her Ikea "big sister" 

has moved back under

 the old hanging cupboard...

...and the stove 

is back on the brick hearth

 where it belongs.

What looked like a 

piece of distressed wood 

with stenciling on it

 that I used as a teaser 

last week

 is now the mantle shelf

 for the stove. 

 It had been hanging outside 

the back door for about 

the last twenty years and 

was beginning to crack and fall apart. 

 Because I love it so,

this seemed to be the solution 

to keeping it safe for

 a few more years.

This sweet little window 

had cobwebs dusted off and 

panes shined and 

hung in a spot

 where it 

deserves to be the star.

OMG, 

look at the art

 one can create 

with a

 dirty chalkboard eraser!

Our black microwave

 went kapoot 

so now we have

 three matching appliances.

We brought these little chairs 

in from the screened porch. 

 I like them but

 am kind of missing the

 higher backs of the white ones.

 I love braided rugs and 

now I have two 

in the Cottage.

Here are a few over-all shots of the kitchen.  For some reason this arrangement makes the kitchen look and feel bigger to me.  My guess is it is that sweet "little sister", the orphaned Ikea island.

Well, 

that's the end of 

our autumn house tour for now.

I do have some 

other little something coming 

into the kitchen 

(of course, she does) 

but the order hasn't 

come in yet.

I have finished 
another Santa...

...#5 
in the series...

...and the first
 real pumpkin is
 put in place...

...so, for now, 

we mostly have

 all our little 

pumpkins in a row.

As we light 
a new Village candle,
 the scent of warm apple pie 
permeates the Cottage
 and we want to wish 
each and everyone a...

Happy Fall 

...Judy...

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TIME AND PERFECTION...

A good cup of coffee and 
sun shadows through lace curtains 
is a very fine way 
to start one's day.

 Fall is, once again, 
on the horizon and 
it feels as if it is easier to breathe.
  It is still warm but 
only to the point of being comfortable. 
 The time will come again
 when the weather will be the 
most complained about subject
 but, for now, 
it feels like perfection 
to me.

I started this post on Sunday and
 that's how it was.

 It is also the
 same this morning 
but...

...this is what it was like
 in the time between.

 A torrential downpour 
on Monday morning.

 Just keeping it real!

It seems like yesterday 
that I picked these hydrangeas 
from the garden and 
placed them in the guest room 
along side of a little pumpkin 
that I made from 
the sleeve of a sweatshirt...

...in reality, however, 
it was almost one year ago and 
now they have dried to perfection and 
sit, once again,
 in the same spot. 
 A sharp reminder of 
how quickly
 time passes.

Today, 
this is the bush 
that those hydrangeas were picked from. 
 You can see the difference
 in the color and the texture now 
as compared to 
one year ago.

Still beautiful, 
still perfection although different. 
 Picked and arranged
 in an old jar, 
we will see how they dry this year.
  It is only a story that 
time will tell.

I have added 
a very little fall decoration 
to the dining room. 
 A few bright faux leaves
 mixed into the ever present
 yarn and twig wreath and...

...two pitchers of 
more drying hydrangeas 
with an old crow and 
a trio of pantry boxes.

The reason being 
is that I am using the dining room table
 as my painting station and 
I am not neat and tidy 
when I paint.

Since Bitty Morsel and Miss Gertie
 are delivering a wagon load of
 autumn delicacies to the Harvest Market,
 I decided to question them 
about the goings on this year
 Between the Moonlight and the Majic.

  They were quick to inform me 
that the Cottage Witch would 
probably not be
 returning to the Cottage this year.
  It only seems like yesterday
 that she was here last and 
her time is being taken up now 
with new projects and pursuits.  
She may make one return visit 
but, then again,
 maybe not.  
Sometimes "perfection" must be 
protected and preserved!

I don't have a new Santa
 to show this week
 as I am waiting on a new pattern book. 
 But, rest assured,
 you are not off the hook quite yet. 
 There will be more over time.

Here is a small peek 
of a new project
 that is being worked on right now.


Have a wonderful week!



...Judy...



And in the meantime 
my wish for you is 
a good cup of coffee and
 morning sunshine.

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A SATURDAY SURPRISE...

We were on the quest 

for a spray can of white chalk paint.

  We went to every paint store in town 

and no one carried chalk paint 

in a spray can. 

 We finally found an Ace Hardware 

that did 

but they were all sold out of white. 

 No thank you, 

cream will not do.

We have been wanting 

a smaller island in the kitchen. 

 As you well know by now,

 we have had a few 

and none have worked. 

 The working part of the kitchen (above)

 is pretty small

 in comparison to the whole kitchen 

and nothing has seemed to work out.

  I've been trying to get

 the Captain to take a trip to Ikea 

for the longest time...

...as I love

 the Ikea sideboard we have 

but he firmly believed that 

we wouldn't find anything

 we liked there.

So, by chance, 

we stopped into our local consignment shop 

and he picked out this 

cute little number and 

guess what, folks? 

 It is an original Ikea product! 

and that is why 

we want the spray can of chalk paint.

  So this is the simple story 

of the Saturday surprise. 

 I got to go to Michael's 

(who was also out of white chalk spray paint)

 but who can leave Michael's 

empty handed? Right...

...and I came away with 

these two little sweet things

 and we went on to Home Depot

 where we did find the paint, 

and then to In-N-Out Burger

 where we had dinner, 

and you know 

how happy that

 makes me.

I can't wait 

to get the little island painted 

and put in place 

which means there will be a few changes,

 yet again,

 in the kitchen.

Besides dreaming about the kitchen, 

I have put a couple of touches of fall

 in the parlor.

  The velvet pumpkins, 

along with some faux ones, 

sit on the marble table

 in front of the settee. 

 It looks pretty at night 

with the lamp lit 

in the background.

The mantle 

gets the honor this autumn

 of showing off the garland 

which has been adorned with 

sunflowers and zinnias 

that have been dried 

throughout the summer.

I pulled this old Christmas wreath 

out of the closet 

and after removing the red bow 

and adding a few of the dried flowers, 

it is a close match 

for the garland.

I love

 the earthy look and feel

of it all.

  
(I am fully aware that red candles are not what is called for here, but they were all I had, and I am not known for my patience when something needs to get done NOW!!)

"September

 is dressing herself in 

showy dahlias and splendid marigolds and

 starry zinnias."

Hugh MacMillan

Here is Santa #4. 

 I tried a little 

different approach on him and 

changed up the color 

of his coat...

...I'm not sure if I am liking it.

  In my mind, 

Santa is always wearing red. 

 That is just the way it is 

and has always been.

Maybe

 we will just call him 

Father Christmas.

Have a great week.

...Judy...

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