Signs of the Season

This year, I'm anticipating the arrival of fall more anxiously than in

years past.

Perhaps the many months spent laboring in the 

sweltering heat—restoring the gardens and clearing the barns—has

 intensified my desire for cooler temperatures.

As a matter of fact, I've been so engrossed in these tasks

that I've almost let the first signs—ones that signal fall is on its way—slip

right past me.

The purple, white, pink, and blue wildflowers that graced our fields, just

a short while ago, have given way to a more autumnal array.

Their bright cheery faces are but one of the many

things that make fall my favorite season.

I'm actually quite nostalgic about this particular time of year.  Some of

 my most cherished childhood memories revolve around

autumns past.

And...

we celebrate my Yankee sweetheart's birthday each fall...

in addition to our anniversary.

But it's also the colors of the season that make it so appealing to me.  The warmth

 of the saturated hues wrap around you like a well-worn,

 cozy quilt on a crisp, cool evening.

And...

around The Brambleberry Cottage, fall also means

it's apple picking time.   ; )

Those juicy, wholesome orbs find their way into pies,

cobblers, and a wide assortment of taste-tempting treats...

and, hopefully, this year, even fresh apple cider.

I'm so looking forward to gathering the benches, chairs, and tables

from the barn, and...

rounding up the extra quilts and pillows for our fall festivities.

It's a time when our family and friends assemble to enjoy

blazing bonfires beneath star-studded skies.

Happily, the signs of the season are upon us...

a season for celebrating a few of life's

 simple country pleasures.

Joining

It's Fall Ya'll: Outdoor Spaces Party with Thrifty Decor Chick

Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,

Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays, Susan's Tablescape Thursday,

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday,

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday,

Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink

It's FALL-ing

Each year, there are specific telltale signs letting us know fall 

is just around the corner.  First, our Asian pear tree begins to

yield its sweet, succulent fruit.

And the woodland creatures don their autumnal apparel.

The goldenrod shoots forth like luminous extensions

 of the sun's rays.

The dogwoods begin to blush with a variety of fall colors...

before exploding into the deep autumn shades

 of orange and red.

The saplings—which had blended into the forest, only a few short weeks

before—demonstrate a brilliant display...

beneath the pines.

And the crape myrtles are nearly set aflame.

The pines—daring not to be left out—show that they, too, can join the season's

parade of color.

Truly, with the deep green pines as the backdrop, the fall colors appear

even more splendid.

From my kitchen window, I observe the maple—by the pumphouse—turn from

radiant gold, with hints of orange...

into a dazzling fiery display.

And, of course, every season serves to make the delightful little well-house

appear even more charming.

Alas, all good things must come to an end.

And the breathtaking autumn beauty—that for a few brief weeks,

richly decorated the trees— 

...has now heavily blanketed everything in sight!

No doubt, I'll be working off my Thanksgiving feast

with this.   ; ) 

Tips and Tricks Tuesday #17 - How to Dry, Press, and Preserve Leaves

Fall has finally arrived at the cottage!  And the trees are being set

ablaze with vibrant color.

This is my favorite season of the year—a special time when

 nature offers up its bounty for creative

decorating and crafting.

I love to take leisurely walks—around the yard and through the woods—

to gather a lavish supply of pretty leaves

 to be dried for future projects.

My search usually yields a variety of fabulous

colors, shapes, and sizes.

Its really amazing the variety of hues that

one single tree can provide!

And I make a point of gathering several groups of leaves

that remain joined together, 



...as well as those of various sizes, but of the same type.

Once I've accumulated an ample supply, I'm ready to let my fingers

do the walking through the preservation process.

My method of choice just happens to be the old tried-and-true 

approach of pressing leaves between book pages.

Do you have an old phone directory lying around? 

I've found they perform the trick beautifully.

I start by cutting several sheets of plain white

 tissue paper into squares...

and arranging the newly gathered leaves on half of each sheet.

It's actually easier to place the paper inside the book first,

 then position the leaves where you want them.

After folding the remaining half of the paper over—to cover the leaves—

I sandwich it all between a handful of the book's pages.

When I'm satisfied that I've filled it with as many leaves as it will accommodate,

I place a few very heavy books on top to press it all flat.

I then leave everything in a dry, moisture-free area—undisturbed—

for at least a week.

Once the leaves are completely dry, they can be used for any of a

number of decorating or craft projects.

One of my very favorite craft uses involves the book Look What I did With a Leaf!

by Morteza E. Sohi.  It is a wonderful resource that provides hours of

creative fun for the whole family.  And it's the perfect way to

show off all those gorgeous jewels of the forest

you've carefully preserved.   ; )

Joining Mary's Ruby Tuesday and Susan's Outdoor Wednesday.

In the Eye of the Beholder

Have you ever found beauty in something that someone else thought of

as less than beautiful?

To many—including the Yankee—this modest, nondescript, little well-house, situated
 in a remote corner of our front yard, is anything but beautiful.  Yet, from the
moment I laid eyes on it, I thought it to be quite charming.

 It was midsummer, the year we located our small farm with its tiny, quaint
cottage—affectionately called the Brambleberry Cottage. 

I instantly fell in love with this simple, bucolic structure—its bright white architecture
 contrasting sharply with the deep greens of the lush environment surrounding it.

It was fall of that same year, when we purchased the property, and, by that time,

the landscape had begun to cloak itself in the various hues of the season.

Perhaps it was because it was my favorite time of year that when I spied the well-house,
 enveloped by a kaleidoscope of fall color, I became even more
enamored with it.

Even as the last of the gorgeous, multihued leaves cascaded from the trees, and

the scenery filled more with gray fog than fall-fanfare, my enthusiasm for this charming,

little structure did not wane.

Although I had witnessed its beauty in a wide array of conditions, all paled

in comparison to the dramatic display of its snowy winter covering.

As I have observed the little well-house through every distinct season, year after year,
it has become apparent that its surroundings have only served to enhance
the simple beauty I find inherent to the structure itself.

The Scottish philosopher, David Hume, expressed the sentiment this way,
"Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them."

Indeed, it is true. 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!