It LOOKS Like Autumn...Even If It Doesn't FEEL Like It!

The calendar last week indicated that the first day of autumn had arrived. That was difficult for me to believe, considering that temperatures here in the south were still hovering around 98 degrees. However, I made my trek upstairs to the attic where all of my fall decorations sat...waiting to be displayed once again. Perhaps, I could coax Mother Nature into cooperating with me by getting these items out.

It seems that over the years, my fall decorations have multiplied...MANY times over. So, that trek up to the attic, was actually quite a few trips. There were so many trips in fact, that I was absolutely exhausted from packing all of the boxes downstairs. Thus, I simply piled it all up and looked at it for an entire week before beginning to put it out. Every now and then during that week, I would wander over and open a box lid and peek inside. FINALLY, this week, I decided to tackle the job.

I LOVE decorating for for the holidays; especially fall for some reason. Perhaps it is because it is just the beginning of all the "holiday seasons". Fall starts the parade of seasons off with its vibrant oranges, reds and yellows. Add some jack-o-lanterns, black cats and witches and you have Halloween. Take them away and add some more pumpkins and harvest items and it's Thanksgiving. From there, you go straight into Christmas and then for us, here in Louisiana, next comes Mardi Gras. So, autumn decorations kick everything off in their beautiful array of warm colors.

I began collecting a Halloween Village several years ago. For me, collecting this village is almost like traveling back to my childhood, when I would play with my dollhouse and dolls. I strategically place each house and all of the individual figurines around on different furniture surfaces, making sure that they are near an outlet, so I can light them all up in the evenings. Next, there is the dressing of the mantles. I keep my mantles decorated year round, however, for the holidays, I really like for them to stand out. Adorned with runners, scarves, candles, garland and lights, these items create an eye catching arrangement that immediately sets the tone of each room for the season represented. Along with the mantle displays, both my kitchen and dining room tables are decked out with fall colored dishes, just begging for hot soups, warm breads and casual conversations to surround them. Upon entering the front of the house, one is greeted by an orange lighted, leafy garland, an array of pumpkins and candy corn wreaths. Inside, the aroma of autumn scented candles wafts through the air, permeating it with smell such as, Butterscotch Toffee, Cinnamon Streusel and Caramel Apple Pie.

It took me several days to complete this little seasonal transformation within my home. It still may not FEEL like autumn outside, but I can pretend. I'll just turn my air conditioning down, light some candles and pour myself a cup of piping hot pumpkin spice coffee and look around at my decorations. OK, Mother Nature I'm ready now...do your thing! Bring on the cooler temperatures to go along with my fabulous fall surroundings.