Hello sweet friends, I hope this post finds you well. I am happy to say that the temperatures have finally dropped in my neck of the woods. It’s still rather warm by most standards but it’s beginning to feel like autumn. Did you know that I often add special touches to Storybook Cottage that my neighbors or readers such as yourself never see? Let’s take a peek at my Secret Fall Decorating.
A Sorry State
Monday was an absolutely glorious day!
The Fashionista and Ponyboy were coming for dinner and I thought it would be lovely to dine al fresco.
However, the back garden was in a very sorry state!
There has been almost four months of constant extreme heat (110+ f /43 c). It has only rained twice.
People with Lupus should avoid extreme heat and sun exposure. As I am trying to achieve remission I have not worked outside much and it showed.
Someone who lives in the home creates wonderful projects but leaves the excess behind.
Hint: It’s not me.
My mantra is: Putting it down is not the same as putting it away.
I set the timer for 30 minutes and began putting everything back in it’s right place. Tools go back in the tool box, etc.
Then it’s a quick tidy up of sweeping and moving the table and chairs back to the center of the patio.
Just doing these simple tasks makes the backyard looked SO MUCH BETTER!
Fall Color
I made a quick trip to my local nursery to add a bit of fall color to our patio pots.
I did have two assistants who added joy to the tasks.
Secret Fall Decorating
My neighbors will never see these efforts.
Most of the time I don’t share such tasks on the website either.
But I consider it my most important decorating.
For it is my family who always comes in through the back entrance.
This vignette is so much more welcoming than the previous clutter. It features one of Mr. Decor’s old fencing projects.
I then set the table for dinner.
The dishes once belonged to Mr. Decor’s grandmother and were recently shared with us by his sister, Bonnie.
What’s For Dinner
Dinner was turkey and roasted vegetables for me. The family also had rice pilaf.
It was delicious!
Dessert Always
Dessert is tricky as I am still not eating any type of grain on the AIP diet. But dried orange slices and certain types of dark chocolate are approved.
Ginger tea pairs beautifully with both.
The best part of secret fall decorating is talking long after the sun goes down with those I love.
Do you secretly decorate?
Laura
This is beyond perfect, Laura. It looks lovely — that’s the perfect menu for those lovely dishes. The blooms and easy fit and yes — putting away and putting down are not the same — a lesson that continually requires reinforcement! I love it when you keep it real — because we’re always real. I am reminded of the research on TikTok and its impact on the self esteem of young women. I think the same often goes for blogs that only show the perfect — the readers are left possibly with tips, but equally, with the potential for feeling inadequate. So seeing some of our favorite bloggers who do design so well show the “not public’ spots is wonderful. Thank you.
This all came together so beautifully! How inviting the table looks with the candles lit!
You created a lovely tablescape & backyard area for your family! We live on the Gulf Coast & have had almost no rain all summer & temps well over 100° as well. My hubby spread some grass seed in the spring, & it did not go well with no rain & searing sun. Our neighbors have patches of brown, dead grass throughout their yards, but ours is completely dead! It looks like we burned it, lol! Your yard looks lovely with your cleanup & addition of flowers & a beautiful fall tablescape!
I have a terminal autoimmune illness as well, so I know it can be quite miserable at times. Living away from people in your 30s (so I don’t get sick) is no fun. When I hit 30 my body started to fail quickly. When they removed my large intestine & then got a large blood clot mm from my heart about 6 weeks later, they told me I wouldn’t see my youngest graduate. We’ll see, because God has saved me from death so many times! He has been with me through it all. I felt like he led me to start blogging for something to do & as a way to maybe help my hubby with some bills. I’ll be praying that you are able to go into remission & that your pain & discomfort will go away or be as minimal as possible! I haven’t shared much of my story on my blog, though I have considered it. Thanks for sharing just a bit of yours with us! Also, thanks for sharing on Happiness is Homemade!
Holy-moly! What a beautiful job you did!! I’m so, so sorry about your health. You are not alone. Always remember that.
Wendy
TheInspiredEater.com