Good morning, dearest reader friends!
And a much belated Happy November to you as well! The month is literally half over, and I'm finally getting a few moments to sit down and write a post to share.
This autumn has been absolutely spectacular in my little corner of the world. The leaves were putting on the most beautiful display of colors for about three weeks, and then they all suddenly began to fall. There were shades of red and golden yellow, and little surprises of orange here and there. We find that orange leaves are definitely the least common, at least where we live. There is a house in our neighborhood that my mom and I pass on our (almost) daily walks and there in the front garden is the most gorgeous tree that boasts of bright, rich, crimson red leaves every October. We picked up a handful of the most prefect ones we could find for my sister to press inside books until they become nice and flat.
And now, as November gently rolls on, the grass wherever you look is now a carpet of leaves, mostly brown. For so many years, I thought the brown leaves were ugly and I just hated the look of such a dull color on the ground. Then, thanks to a favorite novel of mine, I began to see them as "a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon", which is exactly how the author so brilliantly described the look of wet, brown leaves on the ground at this time of year. Now, I think it's one of the most beautiful sights I ever laid eyes on. And something I look forward to every autumn.
Our home has become a cozy haven once again, as we have brought out all our warmest blankets and pulled out fuzzy socks and slippers from the drawers. Our coziest and comfiest pajamas have made their yearly return and the weather has actually been cold enough several nights to actually wear them...a real bonus where I live. And on one of our recent outings, I was able to find several cute and cozy sweaters at the thrift shop for a great price. Oh, and I've been wearing boots again...these little things make me so happy! {{smiles}}
My mom, sister and I have been working around the house, making adjustments and changes here and there to make our home suitable for just us three girls now. With my dad gone, there were certain things about our home that were "him". And it felt weird and strange with them staying as they were, as though we were just waiting for him to come home from work or something. So, we've made some changes that work for us, and it's helped things feel normal again...but definitely a new normal. We are also starting to work in the garden, raking leaves for the season, and such. With as many leaves as we get, it's a chore that must be done regularly all the way through early spring. And we were able to figure out how to work our new lawn mower all by ourselves, too, and we got the first go-round with it under our belts. I must say, it does feel quite wonderful to work outside in the fine, brisk, crisp air. Nothing beats Mother Nature!
Our Halloween feast was a grand success...and oh so scrumptious, too! We all worked together in the kitchen and made a huge pot of simmering vegetable soup with crusty bread. And for dessert, we enjoyed a pumpkin spice cake with maple cream cheese frosting along with a small batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. We enjoyed munching on those treats for several days afterwards, too. And my mom picked up a small pumpkin for us to carve and I did something I've wanted to for a long time...make a little pumpkin house for our gnomes. Oh, it was the most darling thing! We spent Halloween night watching the last two episodes of a new favorite Korean drama that was just perfect for a spooky night's celebrations. Cozy, casual, and comfy...just our style!
My mind is slowly turning towards Christmasy things and I've just placed an order for a few festive books that I want to read this Christmas and winter season. Fortunately for me, I learned that the author of my most favorite Christmas novel from last year had written another book this year, so of course, I had to buy it! It should be arriving tomorrow in the post...and you know I'll be checking out the window for it's arrival. {{smiles}} I've already watched a few Christmas movies as well, and have fallen in love with one, in particular. With all that said, we are still very much in autumn mode in our house. I've just barely tip-toed into Christmas territory on a few occasions. It will be here before we know it!
Well, my cozy, warm bed is calling to me...it's quite late at the time of my writing this post. With autumn's arrival, came the return of twinkly fairy lights in my room. And oh, how inviting they make my room come bedtime. I just love the magical touch they add...cozy season is just my favorite. Would you perhaps like to see a bit more of my room as I have it simply decorated for autumn? Then, perhaps a wee tour of it with Christmasy decorations? Do let me know if you'd like that!
Dear friends, I do hope you all are keeping well and warm...
until my next post, may your days be cozy and magical.
♥