Happiness is . . .

I spotted this message on Instagram this morning 

and it pretty much sums up my philosophy of life.

Happiness is the lavender trim and tidy

 because the bees let me work alongside them.

Happiness is fall decor in the dining room,

living room and even in the garden.

And, it is the angle of the sun in the fall - the pumpkins look like they have been lit up.

Happiness is making new friends on Instagram who challenge you to post for a hashtag like #plumplaidpickins, 

finding enough fall flowers to fill a drawer

and creating a new look in the entry.

Happiness is crying tonight from the beginning to the end of an uplifting true story

that evoked wonderful memories of our life in Jamaica.

I hope you had a happy day.

New Season . . . New Colors

Spending 4 days sitting on a trial as a juror left me little time to take pictures this past week, but I created a collage for the Instagram hashtag - #mysummer2016.

As I scrolled through my IG gallery looking for photos, I noticed that blues, aquas and whites filled my sumner.

But as fall slowly awakens in southern California, I am seeing new colors around the house.

Baby pumpkins in white and orange on my little green table are a departure from my usual palette.

While I was on jury duty, our painter was working his magic on our walls - my green pie safe looks crisp and clear against a white background.

Bouquets of colorful flowers are my usual centerpiece in the dining room, but pumpkins in a green box are a nice seasonal change.

Even the garden is sporting flowers in fall colors

and those fall flowers look lovely in vignettes.

Steve changed the painting over the mantel so I am trying out different ideas on the mantel that will compliment the colors of the sky and ocean.

The colors in the living room are softer - especially with the cute pillow I won on an Instagram giveaway from Bianca of  With Lavender and Grace.

The house is decked out in whites and pastels this season,

but you can see from the bench on our porch and the accents in the entryway

that my seasonal colors are all across the spectrum.

What are your seasonal colors this year?

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Layer Upon Layer

The other day we were kayaking in the late afternoon

 and for the first time in months, I was not stripped down to my bathing suit, but dressed in layers (I had even thrown in a sweatshirt "just in case")

and it got me thinking about how fall is all about layers.

Our days are still warm, but the night comes earlier and the evenings are cooler so both my clothing and decor get layers at this time of year.

In summer, I want uncluttered surfaces, but this time of year I frequently use a tablecloth and even my centerpieces are layered for color and texture.

In the summer, when Steve takes a nap, he uses this throw beneath him to catch errant sand,

but when fall arrives, we use it at night to keep our legs warm when we sit by the fire.

The mantel is another spot that is layered this season.

I usually keep vignettes off to the sides, but my latest design has dried branches strewn across the mantel.

Leaves, candles, books, clocks, etc. are layered to add height and interest.

My little red ladder is layered

with fall decor

as is my garden ladder.

This ladder was in the guest room, but it got booted outside when I found a shorter one and I love it in the garden because it allows for color at different heights.

 An extra quilt is added to the bed and a throw rug covers the now cold floors.

In the summer, I don't have time for crafts, but with the sun setting earlier I need something to keep my hands busy when watching movies

so my craft supplies become part of the decor.

I add layers to cozy up my house -

what's your fall decorating trick?

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