Hello Girlfriends! I just want to say, your touching comments about our Dads (!), the Peter Rabbit Room, Domesticity City, and the newest recipes, plus all the connections we’ve been making with one another have made me so happy; I’ve been trying to think of a way to show you how much I’ve enjoyed reading them! This Fall Giveaway is the result! xo
Plus, October arrives this weekend! So let’s celebrate all us kindred spirit vagabonds and our wild gypsy blood with this . . .
. . . gorgeous quilt, which will soon be in the hands of some lucky winner! All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment at the bottom of this post, and answer one simple little question: What’s YOUR favorite thing about fall? ♣ Here are some hints and possibilities, to get your clock a tickin’ . . .
If you win, you could do this with your new, old, vintage quilt, and that might be your most favorite thing about fall this year. Putting the sweet in Home Sweet Home.♥
Or maybe you love outsmarting the first freeze and getting the last of the tomatoes in from your garden to ripen on the window sill… because they look so darn cute up there!
Or is it the cozy quiet back-to-school kind of morning when you’re alone in the kitchen with the cinnamon toast?
Or is it the way your house smells with your little dinners of acorn squash and homemade chicken and mushroom soup? That could definitely be it! ♣
You could eat that soup in front of this wonderful old movie, which if you haven’t seen, you would love. Have dinner with Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. Bring your twelve-year-old daughter. ♥ ♥ ♥
Or maybe the change of season is so wonderful because we get to have more fires, turn off all the lights and pretend it’s 1840.
Or could it be the sound the leaves make when we crunch through them and kick them into the air? Don’t we just love it when they cartwheel down the road, tip to tip? Or, when we get to make wishes on the ones we catch in mid-air?
Or is it this, the smell of cedar, juniper trees, bayberry, musky rotting leaves, thick dampness in the air, salt and ocean; being swept along the dirt road by the wind filled with flying leaves; looking at Joe, cute in his black beret, the woodland around us laced with spider webs sparkling with dew on foggy mornings . . . could this be it? Yes, it could!
Or, it could be when we reach under the leaves to discover the freebies in the compost heap, volunteers we didn’t plant? We even got a spaghetti squash this year!
♣ ♣ ♣
It’s a season of the little things in life that make it so special. Let the fun begin! What do you love most about the sweetest season? And btw, not to forget, Hellooooo down there in Aussie Land and everyone south of the equator! Tell us all what it is about spring that makes you fall in love all over again??? Inquiring minds want to know! xoxo Have a wonderful Day! You have until midnight tomorrow night (Wednesday Sept. 28 est.) to comment and be entered!
With Love from the Heart of the Home and Me! ♥
Pumpkins~witches~carmel apples! Leaves changing colors~the smell of fireplaces working~cool air. Sweaters~boots~flannel pj’s! My birthday~halloween and turkey!
If I have to pick just one thing I love about fall I will say the smell of my sheets when I take them off the line after a day of blowing in the breeze!!
Oh my, what wonderful posts everyone has made! Great reading. Of course I, too, love all that is Fall; the slant of the sunlight, the warmer clothes, cozier meals, snuggly blankets and the tastes of all Fall’s bounty. And especially the leaves; all the sizes, shapes and colors of the leaves! I collect them throughout the season and put them in the big wide bowl that I have on our dining table. They dry and crinkle and age into all sorts of wonderful colors. Until your post, I did not know you got to make a wish if you caught a falling leaf before it hit the ground. What fun! I’m going to do it, and when I catch the leaf I will wish for a trip to New England, which pulls at my heart…. especially in the Fall.
I adore fall. Love everything about it!! These are a few of my favorite things…leaves, wood smoke, pumpkins (especially white ones), comfort food, sweatshirt weather, the crisp air, apples and my beloved hammock…which would be extra special with a darling new quilt!!
My favorite thing about Fall is watching the amazing transformation of colors in the trees and autumnal flowers, although the preceding recipe for Corn Chowder could move up the list. Yum!!
The thing I love the best is canning apples! Apple cider, apple sauce, apple pie filling, apple butter! My kitchen smells so wonderful!
What is not to LOVE about Fall…..I love fall so much my oldest daughter is named Autumn…(she was born on the last day of Autumn) Clear crisp days, pumpkin anything, hot coffee, a fire in the fireplace, knitting in your lap, family and good friends around your table enjoying fall bounty…we know winter is coming!
I love fall-the fall colors, the smoky smells from leaves burning, bonfires, marshmallows roasting and the fireplaces burning a warming fire for homes. I can’t wait for Halloween-when my children were growing up, I loved decorated our small front yard with gravestones and spiderwebs. Carving pumpkins with big grins and removing the “guts” has a pleasure all its own! Fall also brings Thanksgiving and it truly is an American holiday that we can call our own! Other countries have Independence days and Labor Days but does anyone else celebrate Thanksgiving? I love preparing the turkey and, also, making my son’s favorite-mashed potatoes! The colors of fall are rich and smoky-browns, oranges, reds and yellows! It truly is a season for the senses!
Fall is special to me because we can slow down and cuddle under the quilts with our little dog on darker, cooler mornings. I love the falling leaves resting in the yard and blanketing the plants. The flowers have faded on the crepe myrtle and the berries left behind are turning beautiful colors. The house is decorated with pumpkins, candles and fall leaves. Friends are here and hugs are a little bit better and last a minute longer when the air is crisp!
I think the best way I can describe my love affair with Autumn is….The Yearning I have for it. I went without it for five years and it was a long five years and it’s so refreshing to have it again, albeit shorter here in Montana. We tend to have 8 or so months of winter, so you really need to be in LOVE with winter!! Which I am!
I moved to Harbour Island in the Bahamas after meeting the love of my life there while I was on vacation. Who knew that was going to happen?? Love at first sight??I mean really…….that only happens in movies right? WRONG!! I got whisked away to a place very beautiful in it’s own right, but I missed Autumn in a way that I could never think possible. Like I was missing a piece of my heart. I grew up with the seasons changing all my life and it gets in your blood. So Fall to me is a necessary right of passage into the next season! Skip it and you don’t quite know where you are! out of whack! So every Autumn since I have moved home, I get the yearning and maybe I will always have it now? God Bless and may the force be with you Susan! Xoxo Polly
Love the force! Thank you Polly!
What’s not to like about fall? I love to go driving on a beautiful fall day to see the changing color of the leaves, scout out roadside farm stands to buy pumpkins, mums and apple cider….and to just smell that wonderful smell that says FALL!
I live near the coast of South Carolina, and my favorite thing is PRETENDING that it is fall here! The heat will stay for at least another month, and the leaves don’t change until it’s getting close to Christmas. Yet we all continue to purchase pumpkins and mums, even though they bake in the sun! There is a pumpkin patch near our house, but they truck in the pumpkins from up north and “stage” a real pumpkin patch for all the kids, who go out to pick the perfect jack o’ lantern specimen in their shorts and flip flops.
My favorite thing about Autumn is having the windows wide open on cool nights, bundled up under a quilt, feeling warm and content, waiting for sweet dreams.
Looking at this red-patched quilt easily brings to mind my favorite fall activity. Maybe you recall the song “Indian Lake” by the Cowsills. It says, “Indian Lake is the scene you should make with your little ones”. At Indian Lake in Ohio we celebrate an old tradition of the Seneca Indians called “Ring of Fire”. The Senecas would light bonfires around the lakes to celebrate their bountiful harvests. The tradition is now carried out by lighting red flares around the lake precisely at 9pm on Labor Day weekend. The community comes together to carry out this beautiful ceremony. Some add to the night by floating fire lanterns over the water. The red glow around the shores is breathtaking, peaceful and signifies gratitude. I was told that the color of red in the flares reflects the fall trees and calls to the Spirit of Autumn. This celebration warms my heart as one can feel such community as we bid farewell to summer and welcome in the season of autumn. Now go light a candle! Thank you, Judy
Cooler temps, anticipation of the upcoming holidays. The gathering of my family for those holidays, remembering and celebrating the lives of those no longer with us.
Wow! I love ALL the things you mentioned!! How do I choose??? Hmmmm… I think my favorite is how the angle of the sun gives everything a certain golden kind of glow to it. We actually begin to notice it towards the end of August in these here parts. (the Pacific Northwest) And maybe because we treasure what sunshine we do get, we notice it more! But I love All of it! The turning of the leaves, the crisp, cool nights, bringing in the last of the tomatoes, waiting patiently for the pumpkins to turn orange, cooking acorn squash from the garden, making the first pot roast with our home grown potatoes, onions and carrots…Mmmm!! (etc, etc….)
Leaves changing color, the snow line slowly making its way down from the mountaintops, firing up my wood cook range, and most of all canning and storing like a little squirrel for the upcoming winter
I love the windy days that carry a cool breeze, letting you know things are changing. In California, its a treasure hunt to find trees changing color, but when you do, its magical!!!
Last week I got out my “Autumn Book” book by Susan and read it cover to cover before bed! I wanted to think about how I was going to decorate my house and what cute things I should put in little vignettes in the nooks and shelves of my rooms. It really got me excited about my favorite time of the year! I have many books, stickers, calendars and notecards by Susan, but one of my favorite books is the Autum Book! My favorite thing to do in autumn is to put on a cozy sweater and scarf and walk through the woods and crunch through the leaves in the crisp air! Then come inside to a fire and have hot chocolate, tea or cider and snuggle with my family and watch any good old movie! My favorites are any movie with Carey Grant or Fred Astaire! Ok now I’m totally getting myself all excited just writing about it! I live in Ohio along the Northcoast on Lake Erie and this week it has cooled off so the mornings are crisp and then it warms up for the afternoons when my kids get off the bus. I put on my Wellies, jacket and scarf and took my Chocolate Lab, Scout to the park this morning and he seemed to enjoy the smell of autumn because he was very frisky today! We had a good romp and saw some geese flying over! I am really enjoying the blog and think the cross country train trip sounds fun. I love traveling and enjoy seeing scenery and sites. I also love the pictures, video clips and feel like your talking to me like a friend! It’s great! Thank you for sharing your life, travels and work!
Blessings, Betty <3
Thanks Betty!
I answered a similar question about Fall that it was in October my husband and I had our first date 54 years ago! We celebrate with strawberry milkshakes. Thanks for the lovely giveaway.
I love fall in my garden! After a summer spent pushing out as many flowers and fruits as they can, the plants slowly assume an inward focus, abandoning their lives to seeds and their leaves to bare branches in preparation for the future. There is such a quiet acceptance of things to come and belief of continuance.
I just love the crispness of the air—and the apples!! Here in central MA orchards abound. You can even still pick late raspberries!! Fabulous. I also start looking for those all-important special recipes to make for Thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful food time of year.
I love to open the windows in the bedroom, causing me to snuggle under a warm quilt with the grand-daughters and listening to the wind whisper to those lonely leaves still hanging on for dear life in the trees outside the window.
It is so hard to pick just one thing! But I think my favorite thing is (are) the smells of Autumn. Wood smoke, crispy leaves, pumpkin bread baking. Have loved your website for years and your blog inspires me! 🙂
Thank you Patti!
…the color orange…..crunchy leaves, roaring fires, pumpkin patches, hot cider, bittersweet, sweet potato pie, mom’s old orange wool jacket that waits by the door for the next hike in the woods….. and, of course, candy corn!! simply the very best time of year…. ((^^)) ….(my pumpkin!….happy fall)
Ah, even in Los Angeles Fall is a lovely time of year. We still have some trees that change color, etc. However, when I lived in New England the colors were amazing!
Still do miss Fall in Massachusetts. But I do love the Winter in California! ♥
To me, Autumn is a season of possibilities. A season of magic, hope and romance. The stuff of fairytales. (Hey, Cinderella didn’t have a pumpkin coach for no reason, right? And wasn’t Snow White put under a spell with the bite of an apple?) Yes, Autumn is the perfect time to fall in love. A time when nature is at the height of her wondrous glory! Autumn is an explosion of senses! A cornucopia of tastes, smells, visions, sensations and sounds: The crunching of leaves on a nature hike. The earth smelling so ripe and damp you could taste it as easily as hot, spicy cider. The feel of the breeze in the air. The blazing hillsides, awash in fiery colors. The sound of honking ducks on their migration south. The hoot of an owl in the darkening twilight. The symphony of crickets that starts off the season in a blasting crescendo but diminishes as fall marches on. And then, as a Harvest Moon rises, a ball of flaming rust, you walk home to the comfort of a warm, smoky fire, the whistling of the tea kettle, the smooth and creamy taste of pumpkin pie in the soft, glow of candlelight. My only Autumn dream…someone to share this delightful, perfect, favorite season of mine! They say love is in the air when Spring comes around. But for me…..I know that my Prince Charming will come in the Autumn, when Mother Nature’s Show is at it’s finest. Autumn….the season when every tantalizing sensation becomes a favorite of mine!
Oh heavens, you know my favorite thing about fall is that it marks the end of our hot hot summers! And of course, there’s something about fall that brings out the nester in me, and I have a renewed interest in cooking (who wants to cook when it’s 108 degrees), and knitting, and I get thrilled to pieces when the flowers that have hidden away during the summer heat start to bloom again. Lately, our roses are blooming, and I can’t wait to go out in the morning to see how many we have today. And I have to say, even though I’m not a huge football fan, the distant sound of the marching band practicing in the stadium a few blocks away says it’s time to get out the plaid blankets, stadium seats and a thermos — brings back the best memories of going to games when I was young and snuggling up under a blanket next to my mom & dad with a cup of hot chocolate and wondering what in the world all those guys on the field were doing ;).
G
Susan, I do enjoy your blog! I didn’t realize I was getting into a bit of a rut, just doing the same old routine things. Time to get back with it! The sewing machine is back on the table and quilt blocks are starting to pile up… Fall is my favorite time; love the smell going out first thing in the morning, the look of our home surrounded with the different color trees as I come up the driveway, seeing all the “leaf peepers” going by on buses to see what I get to enjoy every day! Oh, and the smell of mums! Thanks for all your sharing!
You sound inspired! Another good reason to love fall!
Fall has always been my favorite time of year and the reason I love it the best is because it reminds me of Mama. Mama was German and my father had been an American GI in WWII and brought her here from Germany. My father died when he was 31 years old, leaving Mama with a 2 week old infant and 7 other children, the oldest only 10. My grandparents lived in another state and in Germany, so she was all by herself trying to raise us. How she ever did it still amazes me.
After Daddy died she bought a house ‘out the road’ and we moved into the house in September just in time to start school, and Fall always brings back those memories of all of us being together that first year without daddy. Even though I was only 9, I knew how Mama had to struggle and there were a lot of times I’d see her cry. She used to have us pick apples off the wild apple trees and we’d keep them in the porch. I remember all of us getting off the school bus on those cold days, crunching through the dried leaves of the big maple trees out front, up onto the porch and in through the front door and be greeted by one of the sweetest smells in my memory, my Mama’s apple cake. As hard as it was for her, she always thought of us first. There wasn’t a lot of money in that house but there sure was a lot of love! And Susan, that’s why I love the Fall so much.
Wonderful reasons! Apple cake, I bet you still make it!
I sure do, but somehow it never tastes as good as hers did. And I have to say Susan if she was alive today, she’d be one of your fans, too!
I love EVERYTHING about autumn! Crispy leaves, wood smoke, pumpkin muffins, windy days, curling up with a good book, flannel sheets, back to school … I could go on! And I love that today I had a swim, one of the latest fall swims ever for me from an eastern Canadian beach:-) And I love all of your books, have had them all for years, with several recipes now family traditions. Last year, I sent a box of Mary’s Mothers Snowballs to my son up in Whitehorse, Yukon!
Cheerio, Trina
I’ll have to tell Mary!
My favorite thing about fall is the smell of the air. The earth has a certain organic smell and it’s delicious. But my all time favorite thing is the migration of Canadian Geese. Right about this time of year “huge” flocks of geese travel down from Canada for their stop over here in the Twin Cities. Typically they’re here until mid-late November. Since I live near one of the many lakes in the twin cities, Lake Nokomis, some of the migration patterns go over my neighborhood. When I am outside working in the garden getting it ready for winter I first hear the loud goose calls, and as the calls get louder I look up to see the huge flock flying over the house. It is absolutely a sight to behold with the point bird leading the way and the rest of the flock trailed out behind; and if they fly low enough you can hear the whoosh of their wings. The site of them brings a smile to my face and all I can do is stop what I’m doing and watch and listen until I can no longer see and hear them. Along with leaves turning and cooler temps, the Canadian Geese migration is another visually striking seasonal marker for me. Mother nature in action, life in action. It’s amazing.
Bridgemor
I love all things Fall…leaves changing colors, football games, mug of cinnamon tea, soups and chili for dinner, flannel pajamas, apple pie, Thanksgiving dinner.
I live for fall! I love everything about it, the food the air the leaves, and the activities. To me fall is better than Christmas. The only thing I would change is to make September and October last longer than two months! Thank you for your Autumn book, because when I’m feeling blue, I can look through it and think happy cozy thoughts.
That makes me soooo happy to hear!
I love so many things about autumn – the crisp breezes, the vibrants colours as the leaves change, little squirrels running about, falling acorns but most of all the sense that everything is slowing down, becoming quiet and still.
Fall to me is the onset of a rest-a time. To open the windows, breathe in the cool, crisp air (even if I have to wrap up in a quilt!) and give thanks for the wonderful summer that will soon be put to bed. To look up into my very old, beautiful tree and thank her for the shade she has provided as she sheds her summer coat. I like to set in my swing and imagine the summers end of so many years gone by-my sons finishing up their fall baseball leagues, the pumpkins we searched out with the “one that will be scarier than everyone else’s”. Now that I am in the fall of my life, I truly appreciate each and every change that comes with autumn. It is time to make warm cider in big mugs with cinnamon sticks, light the cinnamony candles that are a “no-no” during the summer and feel no guilt for being idle. I will say goodbye to my garden and promise her that next spring, she will be the top of my to-do list. Welcome, fall! I truly love you!
Fall is my favorite season. I collect 9 bunches of fresh herbs from my garden and tie them on a 20″ oak stick and hang it on the kitchen cabinents over the stove. The smell is heavenly, very decorative and makes my kitchen soooo cosy!Now I’m ready to enjoy every day.
I love waking my son up for school with a warm glass of fresh local apple cider and a pumpkin scone, the fall colors I never got to see when growing up in the southwest, and all of the festivals which bring family and friends together before the snow hits up here in Wisconsin.
My favorite part of fall is walking in the crisp fall air and smelling all of the new fall smells while the leaves rustle under my feet.
Autumn is my favorite season. I was married in the fall and had my two babies in the fall too. So many special memories tied to this season! I also love apple pie, pumpkins, colorful leaves…… everything!
Fall is by far my favorite season because my two beautiful daughters were born in October and November! Spring was always my favorite season (and still wonderful) but fall now has a special place on the calendar and now in my soul. We take full advantage of the last few crisp, warm days….late evening soccer practices, playing outside till dark and it gets too cold, camping and best of all breaking out the soup recipes!!!!!
what’s not to love – it’s a feast for all of the senses! a macintosh is its crispy-tastiest in the fall; the woods smell and look more rich and colorful than at any other time of the year; the smell of the vines, heavy with purple grapes in wine country; love the crunch of the leaves under my feet in a foggy morning walk in the woods. it’s truly my favorite season of the year.
My Favorite Thing About Autumn
By Vickie L. Thorp
To me, Autumn is a season of possibilities. A season od magic, hope and romance. The stuff of fairytales. (Hey, Cinderella didn’t have a pumpkin coach for no reason, r right? And wasn’t Snow White put under a spell with the bite of an apple?) Yes, Autumn is the perfect time to fall in love. A time when nature is at the height of her wondrous glory! Autumn is an explosion of senses! A cornucopia of tastes, smells, visions, sensations and sounds: The crunching of leaves on a nature hike. The earth smelling so ripe and damp you could taste it
as easily as hot, spicy cider. The feel of the breeze in the air. The blazing hillsides, awash in fiery colors. The sound of honking ducks on their migration south. The hoot of an owl in the darkening twilight. The symphony of crickets that starts off the season in a blasting crescendo but diminishes as fall marches on. And then, as a Harvest Moon rises, a ball of flaming rust, you walk home to the comfort of a warm, smoky fire, the whistling of the tea kettle, the smooth and creamy taste of pumpkin pie in the soft, glow of candlelight. My only Autumn dream…someone to share this delightful, perfect, favorite season of mine! They say love is in the air when Spring comes around. But for me…..I know that my Prince Charming will come in the Autumn, when Mother Nature’s Show is at it’s finest. Autumn….the season when every tantalizing sensation becomes a favorite of mine!
My favorite part of fall is the crisp air and smelling the new fall smells while walking with the leaves rustling under my feet. Fall is my favorite Season!
Hi Susan. Your fall pictures were so charming. I think what I like best about fall is collecting nuts. Especially the pretty brown horse chestnuts. I like to have a whole basket of them.
Fall brings to mind cozy days of curling up with a quilt and sipping cider while a fragrant candle is burning and a pot of soup simmers in the kitchen. We welcome Fall by going apple picking as a family. We look forward to it every year.
I LOVE everything about fall. The crisp cool weather. The beautiful foliage of New England. Apple picking. Pumpkins- I am even growing my own jack be little pumpkins. Baking. Halloween.
I love the almost mystical change that begins to occur, with the change in the air, the gorgeous colors of the changing leaves and, most of all, “that certain slant of light.”
I love the aromas of fall the most. Pumpkin, apple, cinnamon…those smells make me want to cuddle up in a quilt and savor the season.
I love the change in the air, opening my windows, the beautiful colors, enjoying the outdoors again, sweaters, and having my birthday during my favorite season!
Aww….Fall my favorite season! It’s still hot in the southwest desert.
Relief is just a click away….Susan’s website & blog
I love it!!! Here, we are preparing the garden for
planting cool season crops, looking forward to baking again, hot tea & soups.
Thanks, Susan for making my world a better place!
I don’t know that I could limit myself to one thing that I love most about fall – I love it all! The colors of the leaves, the clothes, the home decor. The smells of the outdoors and the fall flavors of food cooking. The fall fashions – snuggly sweaters, tights, wellie boots, clogs, and leather boots. The Indian Summer days and the chilly autumn nights. I could just go on and on. I’m in Connecticut, and it’s a cool, rainy, fall night – we have the windows open, taking in the chill in the air!
I love the watching the leaves change color in the fall. While out walking I always bring home leaves as they start turning colors, red, orange or yellow. Doesn’t really matter as long as they aren’t green! When my boys lived at home we would collect them, holding carefully by the stems so when we arrived at home they could be use for our fall decorations. I still collect them and display in the entryway. It’s still 90 degrees here in California. I can’t wait for sweater weather and cozy foods! Fall has always been my my favorite season.
My favorite thing about Fall is my Anniversary on Oct. 5th. I like to reminisce about my honeymoon at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island twenty years ago. Fall colors, crisp cool air, rocking on the porch, and waking up to the clip clop of horses hooves thinking I had traveled to a different time! Every year in October, my husband and I grab a blanket, start a fire in the fireplace, and watch our favorite movie, Somewhere In Time, which was filmed at the Grand Hotel– the reason we honeymooned there so many years ago! That…..is my favorite thing!
I LOVE Somewhere in Time, that music too! Lucky YOU!
Hi Susan, I so enjoyed “our”train trip! Now I want to travel that way, my Dad was a train engineer, he didn’t carry people though he hid me on his train and took me for a secret ride once! My favorite part of fall is the leaves changing color. We live in Brown County Indiana,right outside of Nashville and we are famous for our leaves, the village bustles with tourists to our Art Community. I have my own cleaning business and have several old cabins that I clean on a regular basis, such fun imagining the original owners back in the early 1800’s! Antiques,”new”tiques(crafts that look old),quilts galore! You must come visit sometime(we have a Culver’s about 15 minutes away)teehee….the quilt would look at home on my antique white iron double bed a friend recently gifted to me! Love your sweet art, can’t wait to get my calendars!
How adorable of your dad! Loved that!
Cooler temperatures, changing leaves, pumpkins, blue skies against golden aspen trees, my fall scented candles, fall decorations, my birthday, fall cross stitch patterns, bittersweet vines, fall favorites in the kitchen, and oh, so much more. You are amazing! Thank you.
Fall is absolutely my favorite season. It is the time I married my best friend 30 years ago, it’s when two out of three of my children were born. It is the riot of color here in Maine that changes every day from September through October. It’s the apple picking, pumpkin farms, corn mazes and all the yummy treats fall harvest brings. The days are warm and the nights cool and crisp. It makes you happy to be alive!
Leaves changing colors, Longer nights, .
Baking, cooler weather, Baking
Beautiful colors,hot apple cider,pumpkin anything,caramel apples,and hayrides.
I love taking walks in the cooler weather with my kids and grandkids! Apple picking, baking…the colors..
Fall is my favorite season! I love the orange, yellow and wonderful colors of leaves and flowers. I love baking and enjoying the smell of cinnamon and spices, leaving my kitchen with a wonderful scent! Nothing is better than a cool fall evening, a roaring fire in the fireplace and enjoying a cup of tea and a good book or movie. To me……………this is Fall…………..
I love every single thing about fall, it’s my favorite season and has been since I was a child. Every thing you mention in this post are the main reasons I love fall, and another one would be, pulling out your Autumn book and rereading it every year 🙂
I have a lot of happy fall memories, but the main one is having my first child born in October…sitting outside under the bluest October sky ever, holding him, and smelling his little head…you know, that baby smell they have when they are newborn, drinking it all in and thinking, isn’t God wonderful? That’s been a lot of years ago, but I still think of it every time the weather changes a bit and one can finally smell Autumn in the air 🙂
I love the warm days and cool crisp evenings. The change of colors on the trees and the beginning of sweater season!!
Fall is my favorite season! I love having a fire on a cool crisp night sipping tea or cider and enjoying all my fall decorations leaves, apples, pumpkins. So cozy!
I love everything about fall…from the weather changes and color changes to the comfort food and closeness of my family. Everything seems to turn “homeward”. All of my sweet babies, who are grown with babies of their own, always come home during the fall with their requests for their favorite foods that have become our family’s traditions. Thank you, Susan, because you have added so much richness to our family through your writing, artwork, calendars, and inspiration that has encouraged all of us and put plenty of smiles on the faces of everyone in our family! Hope you and your family have an awesome fall season!!
Kisses~~Karen
Thank you! Wishing the same for yours!
I love putting out all my autumn decorations. Cornstalks on the lampost, pumpkins on the steps, scarecrows, bittersweet and black cats all around. The house seems a little friendlier with some old friends visiting once again.
Susan,
My husband and I just had this “fall discussion” . His birthday is September 30th, and mine is October 9th. So, is this why we like fall? I don’t know. I love fall festivals, the first smell of woodsmoke in the air, and my favorite candles are pumpkin spice. But, mainly, the reason that this season fits me, is that things begin to slow down to a pace that I feel like I can keep up with. Spring is just a little too overwhelming for me, summer is fleeting, but fall makes me feel like I have the time to take a deep breath and actually catch up with myself. Another thing we talked about was that, each fall, I remember getting my new shoes for school. The ones I recall the most were tan and brown suede saddle oxfords that my daddy took me shopping for. I wore them with my red plaid dress.
Susan, thanks for asking, and for all the lovely ideas and inspiration you share.
Love,
Rebecca in Arkansas
I love the quilt!
Happy Birthday to you both Rebecca! I love the oxfords with that dress!
Cool, rainy, windy days – light the candles and enjoy!!
The things I love about Fall:
*Watching the trees dress themselves in the colors of Fall, all the reds, oranges, yellows and browns, just lovely;
*Hunting for crunchy leaves (I love to step on them to see if I can find a really good crunchy one, lol);
*Watching children play in fall leaves, tossing the leaves about, hiding in them, chasing the leaves;
*The crisp air that comes with Fall;
*The wonderful harvest veggies…my favorite is PUMPKINS, YUM! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin spread…in other words, anything PUMPKIN, lol;
*Halloween! and all of the great decorations that come in anticipation of this day + getting to see wee kidlets all dressed up in their great costumes, I LOVE to see them filled with all of their childlike excitement over getting all dressed up, what fun!;
*And finally, Thanksgiving, a time when I get to see most of my family all gathered together to enjoy each others company and share in giving thanks for another year coming to a close that has brought joy as well as a wee bit of sadness, but just a wee bit to each of us. Seeing many of my grandchildren, how much they have grown and getting to laugh and play with them. Since we do not get to celebrate Christmas with them, we have ‘Family Appreciation Day’ and share gifts with each other so that we all know how much we love each other and appreciate one another. Fall makes all of this possible, and so much more…Thank you Fall!! (I am thankful this year for discovering you Susan Branch, you helped me re-discover my passion for painting!)
>>>> hugs <<<<<
SO happy about that!!!
Candy corn, pumpkin pie, and anything apple.
We love fall because it is our favorite time of year to go sailing. Great winds, cooler weather and the wonderful fall colors make for great sailing. I also love all the delious soups and anything made with pumpkin. Love all the hot coffees, teas, lattes, chai tea and of course hot chocolate!
Red leaves against a bright blue sky… LOVE it.
Fall is my favorite season. I have twenty-two Gladys Tabor books and am re-reading the chapters about fall!
There is nothing I do not LOVE about Autumn. I love the cool crispness to the air. My sisters Pumpkin scones, the leaves the acorns and pine cones oh My.
Fall is my favorite time with fall break coming in just a few weeks and I have alot of ladies that will comment about what they did in “Home Ec” class, do you have some great memories of your teacher to share? :~) I am a FACS teacher and love the beautiful quilt!!
I loved Home Ec, cooking, and sewing were my world, and very luckily, typing! All the things I use today, along with good penmanship!
Apple pie with lots of cinnamon, and a cozy corduroy jacket.
My daughter recently asks…” ‘Mom, Tell Me Your Story’…why do you enjoy this harvest season so…?”
“My favorite part of ‘Autumn’ would be reading SUSAN BRANCH’s all good news ‘Willards’ and ‘Blogs’!!! Her concepts of art and decorating inspire every bit of me in ‘The Heart of the Home’-I’m sure just as much as all her ‘Girlfriends Forever’ think so too. All the ‘Homemade Recipes’ are just ‘Sweets to the Sweet’! And as all the fall ‘Days’ go by with the pumkins, hayrides, corn-mazes and pies, I never want the ‘Celebrations’ to ever end….as we all know that ‘Summer’ soon will be on its way again! But before that…Ta-da!!! We must make ‘Christmas Memories’ happen!!! ‘Christmas’ is a special time with SUSAN BRANCH, Family and Friends—this ALWAYS brings ‘Love’ and ‘Christmas Joy’ to all! After all it will be a ‘Home Cooking Holiday’ season! Sometime before this happens, my favorite cousin (your second cousin) will be getting MARRIED and we’ll be sending them off with many beautiful ‘Wedding Blessings’…maybe soon there might be a little ‘Baby Love’ to come!!! I am just so excited to celebrate the ‘Vinyard Seasons’ with you…and as Susan would suggest, we MUST cozy up with a QUILT, Hot Tea, and our Warm Fuzzies by the Fireplace and enjoy every quiet waking moment we have…along with our Special Friend, Susan Branch! I <3 you-Always have, always will!"
So nice! Thank you Lorrie!
My pleasure! We are very much looking forward to finally meeting you in SLO! Yippee! 11 days left…long drive…yet…SOOO WORTH IT!!!! 🙂
How great you are coming Lorrie, see you there!
this may be a repeat post – if so, I apologize. Note to self: don’t try to respond while lying in bed! You just never know when you might hit the wrong button! My habit is to read your blog before I go to bed because it always gives me a really nice feeling before falling asleep. Autumn has always been my favorite season. It seems that we in New England love to spend every waking moment of summer outside – as if we are gathering all the fresh air and warm sunshine that we can and we store it up to last throughout the winter. At least that is the way it has always been in my family. When fall first arrives and we pull out our turtlenecks, comfy cozy sweaters, jeans,and knee socks – it is as if we are welcoming the time to settle in, cook all those great comfort foods like homemade soups, yankee pot roast with gravy and mashed potatoes, apple pie….well…you get the idea. Then the best part – spend long evenings with family and friends in front of the fire – The old fashioned pleasures in a world that sometimes is so busy, we can forget what is most important. Fall is always the time in our family when we consciously slow down and appreciate all our blessings. Thanks for this little nudge that got me to actually write this down. Sweet dreams!
We just spent the most wonderful 40th anniversary day driving through the mountains of WNC watching the fell peaking through the green knowing that in a month it will be the most beautiful of colors all through! I love to watch the continuous painting of the trees this time of year!
xoxo
When you start your travel back to the Vineyard it’s going to be so beautiful!
that’s a lovely quilt! I love Fall because the weather FINALLY cools off in Central TX and I love opening up the windows in the house; although not quite yet – we had 100 earlier and it was still 93 about 8 pm. ugh
Blowing coastal California air your way right NOW!
In Ca. we don’t really experience the season changes but I love when the weather cools enough for a sweater but not for a coat and you go outside and feel just a crispness in the air. Enough to go back inside and make soup and yeast rolls. It gets you in the spirit of doing things, sewing, getting ready for the holidays, decorating and looking forward to Holiday activities!
Fall means back to school! It’s always so exciting to meet my new class of second graders. I feel so fortunate to help them discover the special joys of reading and writing. Each day brings new discoveries. For the past 34 years, I’ve had the delight of seeing the world through the eyes of my second graders.
Happy Autumn Days to all of the kindred spirits! Thank you so much, Susan, for all you do to make the world a more beautiful place. ~Dawn
My favorite thing about Fall is that I can bake more again and have the windows all open for the neighborhood to get a whiff of my baked goods. And that is just one of the many things I love about FALL!
I love the cooler temps and the new “fall” smell of the air.
Here in West Texas “cooler” may mean only 80’s. And maybe only a few days here and there, and then back up in the 90’s and possibly even triple digets! But there is definately a new “crisp” smell in the air on those “cooler” days!
With an October birthday, fall feels like an old friend, a kindred spirit. I love so many things about fall, the colors, the smells, the tastes. If I had to choose just one thing it would have to be pumpkins. I adore them. Thanks for such a wonderful giveaway! Happy Fall!
Fall is my favorite season and I LOVE everything about it…cooler temperatures (in Alabama our summers are soo hot), the leaves changing glorious colors and then turning loose and falling in the wind, pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins, the smell…outside and inside, and celebrating my birthday in October! 🙂
Happy Birthday Melissa!
Fall for me is saying goodbye to the oven-like temps Texas has had this year and the ushering in of family memories; cuddling with quilts and little ones in footie PJs, spicy baked goods and feeling blessed for all of life’s sweet treasures.
Thanks for showing us your world. You bring joy, smiles and yes a few tears to all that visit your sweet blog. Loved the train trip BTW…
xo Kay, thank you!
Susan,
Along with all the wonderful colors and scents of fall, it’s also a reminder to get out my pile of treasured books that I’ve been wanting to read. You have posted so many wonderful pictures of your treasures, I was wondering, after you get back home, and really settled into a “fall” routine, that you could post some pictures of your favorite books and bookshelves. And maybe some nifty ideas of how to display them. Just a thought.
Would you remind me Regina, I’d love to do that!
I just love the fall – warm days, cool and cozy nights, the grey blue colour of the sky when rain is on the way, snuggly turtlenecks, the colour of the leaves, the way the wind rustles the leaves. For me though, fall is about new beginnings. Although I do not have any children of my own, I am fortunate to own a small, family-like Montessori school where I am immersed in the wonder of childhood, experiencing small, precious moments that make my heart smile and fill my days with joy. The first day of school marks a new beginning for some of our students. Each September, as I welcome our new students and parents to our school, I marvel at just how lucky I will be to get to know them better as time passes.
Good for you! How wonderful…your own school!
My favorites: The slightly damp and dank smell of leaves mingling with the faint smell of smoke (when it was legal to burn leaves), picking up leaves on the walk home from school looking for the “perfect” leaf in form and color, and then my mom pressing my samples between pages of waxed paper so I could hang them in my bedroom window. The sweet fragrance of ripe apples everywhere and the sudden–and brief–appearance of pumpkin donuts and maple sugar candy. The fall colors reflected in my school gear–red Mary Janes, sharpened yellow pencils, the umber and sienna Crayolas still pointed standing soldier straight in their green and gold box . . . . Oddly, though a season of harvest and ending, for me a season of beginning, promise and hope.
Fall is the Season of Harvest and the Season for turning our hearts towards home. the scent of the air changes………the scrapbooking and watercoloring and ceramics classes are back in session, I get to paint, dig into my ephemera and find time for me. It’s the acorns falling out of the 400 year old oak trees and plopping on the roof of my Carriage House, where I do all my h(art)work and it’s the squirrels running around the yard building there mountains of food for the Winter. Fall is that ‘back to school’ feeling, when you just want a pair of new boots, and maybe a new pea-coat and you still have that urge to get to the shore and have the salt spray leave salty kisses on your lips, but you can’t get away because of land-locked committments. Fall is a fire in our 79 year old fireplace, it’s about the harvest of emotions, and getting back to Earth School – the school that each of us as women participates in every day, learning the messages of life and seeking to give back those stories to the next generation. I love the Fall. I love warm woolly old sweaters, hiking in the Palisades and Bear Mountain, turning on that oven and baking, dragging out the crock pot and creating voracious stews and soups. The colors are astounding and the blessings that God has bestowed upon those of us who live where the seasons change, the ability to have each of our senses touched, moves me to relish all that is around me. Getting every last Farmer’s Market basket of late veggies, heading up to the Catskills to go Apple picking, a warm cup of mulled apple cider – seeing the Hudson Valley come alive in Sleepy Hollow with BLAZE, millions of carved pumpkins – what a sight! I am most aware of Fall when I begin to notice all that I have ( and take my eyes of what I don’t have) Since I am a quilter, this prize of a quilt would be a star on the top of my Christmas Tree of life. I think it’s beautiful, red is my favorite color (my house is red, my car is red, my coat is red, my duck boots are red)
Anyway, I entered for the opportunity to own this quilt and cover myself with the love and tenderness that went into it by the hands that created it. Each quilt tells a story, each block was someone else’s work of h(art) and for that, I would love the wrap myself in it’s story and pass it on to the next generation. Susan, you inspire me each and every day, your blog is a welcomed respite and everything about you resonates joy. How wonderful is it that you realized your GIFTS from God and you bestow them upon all of us, near and far. Lucky you, Lucky us!
It would be that first crisp morning, after a long hot summer, that you can sit on the front porch and really enjoy a hot cup of coffee. By the way I was in Cambria for a few days – went to the cute little tea shop you recommend and bought some ‘Gardening’ tea – now I just have to wait for a nice crisp afternoon to enjoy it.
You are going to love it, I’m having withdrawal now, will go to tea shop in Cambria and get more soon as I get up there!
My favorite things about fall – sitting in the swing in my front yard with the leaves all colors falling to the ground, drinking a cup of hot tea and looking at the pumpkins on my front porch, seeing my children all dressed up for our fall festival.
Each year lately, we go kayaking/camping with friends, about 9 of us. We go north and pitch our tents on a lake’s edge so we can build big campfires for chair sitting till nearly midnight. We shiver and freeze as the temps often dip to 32 degrees during the nights; we can see our breath when we wake up. The trees are bright with colors, the water is colder and the winds pick up all weekend. When we get back home after two of three cold nights, we appreciate running water and hot showers, soft,warm beds to sunggle into and refrigerators instead ofcoolers filled with melting ice. We are all happy that we squeezed one more weekend filled with camping memories before we get snow. One more weekend camping is my favorite thing about fall.
Every fall season, I remember my Grandpa Cress who had an apple orchard and people from all over the county would come to buy apples – mostly on weekends. This was in the 40’s and Grandpa would bring the apples out of the orchard with a horse and sled. My sister and I and our cousins would get so caught up in the excitement of so many folks coming and going. Our grandmother would always prepare a lot of food not knowing how many would stay for dinner as many of the customers were relatives that we didn’t see very often throughout the year. Beautiful Autumn memories! Wishing you a glorious October birthday!
I love everything about Fall. The beautiful leaves. The holidays. Cozy flannel nightgowns. Wearing my favorite sweaters again. Watching the squirrels scurry around my yard. Decorating the house, inside and out. Candles. Curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea while holding my cat, Molly. My very favorite thing, though, is that I can start baking again (too hot in the summertime) and enjoy filling the house with the wonderful smells of apple pie, spice cake, ginger cookies, banana nut bread, and so many other delicious goodies! “What’s not to love” is exactly right!
Love fall baking. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, gingerbread, spice cookies, pecan pie, and too many others to mention.
In Southern California we sure can’t get to experience the kind of Fall you see on the East Coast. But we do have the mountains close by and we can go to a place called Oak Glen. It’s a beautiful village with apple orchards, shops and restaurants. You can pick your own apples, raspberries and even a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. It wouldn’t be Fall without a visit to Oak Glen for me. My family has been going there for years. I know you would love it!
I would have to say the best part of fall for me is after the suntan lines have faded and I pull on my favorite pair of boots and wrap my scarf around my neck to pull the ever so slightly chill from my neck but yet love to feel the coolness on my cheeks. Taking walks and listening to the leaves underfoot and the laughter in the homes I pass by as families gather in the shorter days of sunlight. Returning home to warm a fire and roasting marshmallows with the people I love.
There are lots of wonderful things about fall – leaves floating to the ground and the sound of them crunching underfoot, nature’s amazing warm color palette, jacket-weather temperatures, and baking now that summer’s heat is past – but the best thing about fall is the gathering of gifts from God.
I love the colors of the pumpkins, the leaves, and my daughter planning her Halloween costume. The chill in the air, the thought of warm chili on the stove, and the smell of wood smoke. I just love your blog, it inspires me to cook more, read more, and discover the pleasure of small and simple things.
xoxo Tina!