Rainy Fall Days

Fall has been making itself known this week by showering us with unending rain, hiding the sun, and lowering the temperatures.  As much I am not a fan of autumn, I am loving my recent mornings when, with a hot cup of coffee (gone are the days of iced coffee), I stare into the rain while planning my day.  There's something about the sound of rain and the view of fog that lend themselves to introspection and solitude.

I've been closely observing the slight and steady changes in our apartment that prove it is time to cozy up the place and prepare for roaring fires and savory baked foods.  The bright summer sun has disappeared and been replaced by a dark and moody light that barely makes its way past our windows. Our potted garden is beginning to wilt and is looking tuckered out after a productive summer.  Our houseplants are begging to be put back up against the window where they can suck as much sunlight from the world as possible and settle into a slow and lazy winter.

This weekend will be filled with unpacking candles, fluffing up blankets, filling jars with acorns and pinecones, and preparing to hunker down for our winter hibernation.  I know summer has disappeared when I begin craving soft and cuddling blankets and texture over color.

What do you do when the light changes, the temperatures drop, and the world begins to settle down for winter? Do you make subtle changes to your home or do you go for a drastic overhaul? Do you keep the same decor season after season or do you introduce changes with the changing months?

PS I have always collected acorns from the places we go hiking and camping and I have noticed a significant difference in the acorns I find in North Carolina compared to the acorns of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. They are long and big and not very acorn-like. In fact, when I throw them into my acorn jars, they look very out of place. Random fact from Turning a House into a Home.