Autumn???

 Today I woke up early to temperatures that were a bit lower than we have been having. When I checked the day's forecast, it was clear that those numbers would be going up but I thought maybe I could get a bit of garden and yard maintenance in before they did! And, it was very obvious that I haven't been very diligent in that maintenance of late. The flowers in my terraced garden along the pool were beautiful and bushy but, I usually try to keep those down a bit because some of my snake friends like to hang out there if it is too thick. And don't even ask me how I know that!

I guess the rains we have been having have given everything new bursts of growth and I now have several cans of trimmings just from that one area of the yard. Of course, once I get going I can't stop so lots of things are looking a lot less beautiful and bushy right now. Of course I was correct about those temperatures. They rose quickly so I am now back in the house and thinking I will post the next stop on our house tour-the kitchen. Come on in...and please excuse any fingerprints you might see on stainless steel. I usually forget to give everything a once over before I snap photos but a lot of the times even when I do they still look "smudgy"...sorry.

I love these little tea towels. This one was a gift from daughter #3. She got it at a local gift shop and they carry them for many seasons and holidays.

I realized that I always have the biggest smile on my face when I am carrying in the pumpkin Dutch oven from the garage. That is just one of my all time favorite things and once it comes in now, it will remain somewhere in my decor for the next three months!

Here is where the new cutting board ended up. I like the little pop of color I added...and these boards help to cover the unsightly electric plug from Alexa. 

 

I changed up the top shelf of the baker's rack this year. I have always had two of the tree pictures that my grandchildren made me there but once I found a way to display the fruit wreath canvas that I actually liked, I thought it might look better here as a complement to the Fitz and Floyd ceramics on the second shelf. I also kept the olive branches out and put them in an autumn vase I have had for a long time but seldom use. 

And here is where the grandchildren's trees ended up.

The framed photo was a gift from daughter #1 and she purchased it from a long time friend who has a wonderful photography business. My daughter knew I would love it because it captures my favorite season of the year but, even more so because it captures the path up to my friend's home in Tennessee. The vibrant autumn colors fall over the rustic fence and I just can't imagine being able to see that beautiful scene in person every day of my life!

So that is the kitchen this year. I'm not sure what the rest of the week holds for me but I'm hoping to tackle a lot more of the yard so that maybe by next weekend I will be able to enjoy sitting out by the pool and not be bothered by how much work there is to do! We'll see if the weather co-operates! Stay safe and stay tuned.