Embracing Autumn

I try! I really try to embrace autumn but I do it with sadness because it's saying good-bye to summer loveliness and my favorite season. Having said that, fall is truly beautiful, treasured all the more because it's so fleeting.

I put a few autumn decorations up which are mostly recycled from last year. If it's not broken, why fix it?

I put this basket together four years ago at Fleur Cottage where it hung on the outside door. I found these very realistic pears and apples at the GW.

I love my wide windowsills! There is something on them year round.

Two years ago I bought orange pumpkins on sale and spray-painted them white.

Then there's my canning jar rings turned into pumpkins by stringing together 24 rings, sticking in a dried stick from the outdoors and tying them with tulle. Glamour meets rustic!

And the lovely foliage we're surrounded with is so beautiful!

Soon this décor will be switched around for Christmas-another favorite season!

~ Esther

Porch {part 4}

I love my big porch! It's added living space in the summer, shelter in the winter plus what's not to love about a big roomy porch? I'm very visual in my head before it's a reality but even I didn't know how grand this was going to be.

 2014

 It became a family project all the way through. 

Son L, who is in landscaping, offered his expertise and equipment. I explained my vision using the boulders and he took it from there. It's beautiful and even better than how I saw it in my head. 

 

(Notice the hanging baggies? It's to keep the flies away; the jury is still out on that one for me. I think the porch is too tall for it to be effective but does seem to make a difference at the side door.)

This chandelier was an electrical indoor light fixture bought for a few dollars at a yard sale. I took it down to its bare bones and use it outdoors. It was painted white for a wedding and will be painted another color again. It's the perfect heft for the farm table made by my honey before his illness. 

Years ago on a BH&G's magazine cover, I saw a large boulder with an indention where rainwater collected as a birdbath and thought it was delightful. Now I have my own thanks to L for doing a fine job of balancing the rock...love that too!  

~ Esther