Easing into Fall

I'm one who appreciates all four seasons of the year. Living in the Midwest, we get the true experience of cold and snow in the winter, beautiful spring blossoms, hot green summers, and lovely fall colors. The retail world seems to push seasons and holidays upon us harder and faster. I want to savor the seasons and live in the moment of holidays and family birthday celebrations. Seeing pumpkins, artificial orange foliage, and supersized skeletons in the stores doesn't do much for me in July or August. I still want to enjoy days at the pool, tend my summer garden, cookout on the patio, and watch the stars and stripes fly in front of people's homes.

As in nature, I like to slowly introduce fall into my home. No pumpkins just yet. To begin introducing the change of seasons, I've just added a little bit of gold and red foliage to my arrangements. This week, I also added some turquoise vases to my vintage vase collection. Their lovely shapes are a great addition to my mantel. The color coordinates nicely with the turquoise grass cloth on the wall.