Decorating for Fall ~ inside and out

I was hoping for something like a cool breeze or a dip in the humidity to inspire a fall decorating session.  I've given up on that notion only to pretend the A/C is really the autumn breeze I'm yearning for and set to work spreading autumn cheer in the house and garden.

Glad I didn't pass up this blue pumpkin at Home Goods the other day.  It plays nicely with the picture in the mirror.

I'm yearning to see pumpkin and mum displays in the garden, but our temperatures in the 90s would be less than ideal for their well-being.  For now I settled on a fall colored hanging basket coupled with the copper topped birdfeeder.

Back inside the table is ready for fall feasting.

As the days get shorter, the candle provides that warm glow which is always so welcome through the fall and winter months.

Heading back outside...

If you're wondering why we are hopping out and then back in, it's basically to keep from melting :).

Trust me, you don't want to stay out there too long unless you favor the humid heat.  As you may have guessed, I'm not a fan.

A pot of violas for the outdoor coffee table.

Back inside (thank you Mr. Carrier for inventing A/C) I spread a few touches around the kitchen.

A little vignette across from the kitchen sink.

Despite all of my grumblings, it is Fall and that makes me :).

After all, the worst of the heat is behind us now.

:) :):)

I was amazed to read that many areas of the west coast received record snowfalls.  Four feet in parts of Montana.  Wow!  Don't think I'd be ready for that quite yet, so perhaps I shall just ride out these last warm days and quit complaining.

Is that clapping I hear?

Fun Family Times

Well, finally there is something blog worthy to report.

After waaaaay tooooo loooong, I hopped on an airplane and headed for home.

Although I've been gone for 20 years now, I think Michigan will always be home to me.

Of course a trip back home as autumn approaches calls for a visit to one of the places we miss the most.  The local cider mill.  And since calories don't count while on vacation, two donuts for me and four for Brett seemed like a wholesome lunch.  Certainly the apple cider took the healthy factor up a notch.

 ~ Gardenviews in Northville, MI ~

~ Sideways in Plymouth, MI ~

 Back in the day I loved to shop in the quaint little towns of Northville and Plymouth.

One day when we had a couple of hours to spare, we went to see how much the shopping situation had changed in the last 20 years.

I must say I was thrilled to see that two of my very favorite shops were still going strong.  I guess that speaks for itself.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to do much but look and be inspired.  That galvanized turkey tray above was HUGE and also gorgeous.

The purpose of the trip wasn't to shop.  It was for something much more exciting than that.

My brother and sister-in-law flew in from California and my sister and brother-in-law live in Michigan.  It was a three day family reunion.  It's been a very long time since we were all together.

We enjoyed getting caught up, meals together, games (finally learned how to play Mexican Train Dominoes), laughs, a walk through the local state park and a lot of reminiscing.

 All too soon it was time to head back to the airport.

Since it was necessary to eat something before boarding, we scouted the dining choices until we located another Michigan favorite.  Funny how when we lived there I rarely ate coney dogs, but as soon as they were no longer available, I began having occasional cravings.

I must admit they tasted a lot better than they look :).

Using the same logic as the cider mill meal, we felt the shared Greek salad cancelled out the hot dog factor.

Do you ever use this type of logic while vacationing?

"The love in our family flows strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep"  ~anonymous