Falling Into Fall

I  was going to go to Big Bear with Mom this morning, but we decided to wait til the weekend.  So, since I have some free time this morning, let's continue with the Fall post.
Let's start in the kitchen.  We enter and leave our house through the garage door, which leads directly into the laundry room, then kitchen.  So let's start here.

Our kitchen is long and narrow.  Galley style.  I have always loved my brick flooring.  I have very little counter space in here, which has always been my biggest issue.  I rely on rolling butcher blocks for more work surface, but right now, they are put away, and I am enjoying the additional space.  I put a lot of my ceramic pumpkins here on the buffet this year.  I used my glass dessert cake stands for alternating heights, and wove a Fall leaves garland in and out.  Then added a few more small pumpkins and a gold beaded garland.

I have always had our big kitchen table in here.  This house doesn't have a formal dining room.  But as our family has grown, our needs have changed.  I moved the kitchen table into the family room, removing the leafs.  We love it in there.  But as the holidays approach, I am wanting a big table in the kitchen again.  If my Mom decides she doesn't want it, I will put the kitchen table from the cabin in here.  For now, I have my rolling butcher block in the dining area of the kitchen, with the antique oak table top that belonged to my Dad's mother on top.  I have a pumpkin tureen on the table that sits atop a small quilt I made a long time ago.

I love having a comfy chair in the kitchen.  This gets used quite a lot!  This picture is taken from the opposite end of the kitchen, as the first photo shown that was taken from the laundry room doorway.

The chair from the front.  When Erika and Noah lived here, I needed more pantry storage space, and added this wall unit that we have had for 35 years.  It was a wedding gift!  I actually really like it in here with exposed pantry items on the shelves.  On the bottom are some larger things that I use often, but don't have space for on the counter tops.

I bought this hand painted Fall rug in a little shop in Big Bear, probably 20 years ago.  I have had to restitch the coils together in a couple of spots, as I wash it regularly.  It still looks great, and I love it!

From the dining area of the kitchen, you can see into the living room.  The living room is full of natural light.  I love the big picture window in this room!

Greg got me this stained glass several years ago for Christmas.  I had seen it in a shop and loved it.  Lucky for me, a friend who happened to be with me when I saw it, made sure he knew I would love to have it!

I have some of my most cherished treasures displayed here in this room.  My Dad loved to give gifts.  It was not uncommon for him to surprise me with some special trinket or mouse, from their travels.  I collect mice, because that is what my Dad's nickname was for me.  He has given me hundreds!  One day when I was at my parents house, only a couple of weeks before my Dad passed, he slipped something into my hand.  I knew it was money.  I can still feel his warm hand in mine, with the folded bill he was handing me.  He said, I want you to go get something special.   I get chills just thinking about this.  He couldn't go get it for me anymore.  He wanted to gift me something.  It was Fall, and I used to collect these Heather Goldminc pieces.  I bought two of them to commemorate that Fall, when my Daddy wanted to get me something.  I keep these two pieces in my hutch in the living room.  But in the Fall they come out to the living room tables to enjoy more closely.  

A Fall Cornucopia.

And another Fall house.

Out of all of the many gifts he has given me, these two are the most special.  I miss him every day.  But now, I can smile and remember how incredibly special our relationship was, instead of always cry with the sadness of losing him.

On the coffee table is a wicker or reed cornucopia that I bought a few years ago.  I love the rich colors in this.  And enjoy it so much every season.

I have some pretty parchment paper Fall leaves that I usually set this on, but I haven't found them yet!

I want to have crown moulding put in this room after the holidays.
Tomorrow, we will see the family room decked out for Fall.  Until then, here is just a peek.

See you tomorrow.
Happy Fall Ya'll!!
Kris