Elegant Fall Home Tour
Truth be told, it feels a bit scandalous to be posting an elegant Fall home tour this late in the season.
Partly because people already have their homes decorated and partly because we work so far ahead in Blogland my feed is currently packed with Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas posts.
Trying to strike a balance between planning for one holiday while staying fully present and engaged in another is not always easy.
But I keep reminding myself the effort is always worth it and I hope you will too.
After all, seasons were meant to be savored.
And like a lot of you, Fall is my favorite season of the entire year.
I almost convinced myself it was too late, and I shouldn’t even bother.
Then I remembered our trip to celebrate the one year anniversary of S’s accident. It was so far into the apple picking season we literally had the orchards to ourselves.
As we walked through the gates of one orchard, in particular, I wondered aloud why things were so empty and thought maybe we had missed all our favorite things about the season altogether.
But in the distance, I heard a voice say, “You’ve come at just the right time. You’ll have the orchards to yourself today. Walk through the apple maze, enjoy our cider donuts, take your time picking just the right bushel, and don’t forget about the goats. You don’t have to rush. There’s plenty of time. We’re happy you’re spending the day with us.”
I’ve thought about that affectionate exchange a lot lately.
And how those simple words changed our outlook on the entire day. It wasn’t just another activity to cross off our Fall bucket list.
It was an invitation to slow down and enjoy all the season has to offer.
A warm welcome that conveyed a happiness to share a time-honored Fall experience.
This time of year, I find myself feeling pulled in different directions trying to decide if I should add little touches of Halloween around the house, gear up for Thanksgiving, or start searching for Christmas inspiration.
I’m torn between living in the moment and being a planner pretty frequently.
Maybe you feel that way too.
My baby sister is currently in the process of building a new home and she’s had a lot of decisions to make lately.
I was listening intently on the phone as she shared her heart and lamented the fact she wasn’t further along in the process. “I mean, who would have thought a pandemic would have derailed an entire year,” she said.
As our conversation continued it struck me how easy it is to be lulled into a mindset of “next year” thinking. As in “next year,” I’m going to …
- invite people over
- travel more
- lose the weight
- host a Halloween party
- celebrate Friendsgiving
- bake pies for my neighbors
- attend an outdoor festival or event
- put up the Christmas tree I’ve been dreaming of
- turn the spare bedroom into an office, craft room, place of respite
- get organized
- declutter
- start working on _______________ (insert your own goal here)
… then life happens and a million different things or illness gets in the way and our plans for “next year” never really come to fruition.
And every year, we just put it off because “next year” seems like plenty of time to prioritize, accomplish, slow down, and enjoy.
The truth is, the invitation we were given in the apple orchard that day can easily be extended to our every day if we let it.
We were already created at just the right time.
We don’t have to wait to have the orchards to ourselves, we can enjoy an apple maze, corn maze, or the pumpkin patch the moment we make time for it.
We can bake cider donuts, seasonal breads, soups, and cakes right in our own kitchens.
We don’t have to rush from one season to the next.
There’s plenty of time to celebrate Fall right now and there will be plenty of time to soak up the magic of the holiday season too.
This year let’s be bold enough to create purpose-filled moments we can enjoy every day instead of wishing away or saving our plans for next year.
Because if this year has taught us anything, it’s that we never know what next year will bring.
Cheering you on as you take the pressure off and embrace unforgettable adventures this Fall. Even if they take place in your own back yard!
Other Fall Posts to Enjoy:
- Elegant Fall Porch Tour and Blog Hop
- Brown and White Transferware Pumpkins
- Autumn Apples Inspired Tablescape
- Fall Centerpiece in the Dining Room
- The Busy Girls Guide to Decorating a Fall Mantel
- Elegant Fall Entry
Many blessings,
CoCo
A reminder I needed to hear – savor the Now. Thank you
Speak to my heart, Gail, me too! It’s so hard not to want the craziness of this year to be over with already but I keep reminding myself there are still good things happening all around us. Hope your day was a special one, CoCo
Such a beautiful post, CoCo! Your fall decor is so lovely and I love the reminder to enjoy each day!
Thank you so much, Linda! I’ve been reminding myself to slow down all year and now that the holidays are upon us I don’t want to miss a minute of celebrating the little things 🙂 Hope you’re having the best Fall season! Hugs, CoCo
This is a great post and I would love for us all to read it. I try to savor this time of year.
I have been blogging long enough to know how rushed the holiday season is with blogging.
I take it slower than mist because I like to live in the moments. We get one shot in life to live in that moment.
Next year can bring other hurdles. Living with MS taught me that.
Unless it’s a craft I sm not rushing to share all the time. I am a rule breaker always have been. I follow my heart.
Cindy
Love that you’re a rule-breaker, Cindy 🙂 I know we all celebrate at different rates but I’ve been working very hard to slow down and enjoy each day. It’s definitely not always easy because I’m a planner but this year has taught me that each day brings its own blessings even when the days are tough ones. I know you must feel that way too. You constantly inspire me with your creativity and approach to life! Sending you hugs, CoCo
Thank you for the reminder to slow down and not make excuses for making each day the best it can be. You really said it well when you said “be bold enough to create purpose-filled moments.”
You are so welcome, Heidi, I need constant and daily reminders too! Creating purpose-filled moments takes time but the effort is always worth it. Sending you hugs, CoCo
Not too late and it looks beautiful!!!! Love the colors the most.
Aww thank you for the encouragement, Cindy! I’ve been feeling so behind lately and have been constantly trying to remind myself every day brings its own blessings and reasons to celebrate 🙂 Big hugs, CoCo
As usual CoCo, you made me stop and think! I love this post and of course, your home is absolutely beautiful!
Such sweet and kind words, Jayne, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Hope your day is a special one, CoCo
Your home is beautiful, CoCo. We all spend so much time rushing from one season to the next but it’s important to slow down and enjoy what is right in front of us. The holidays will be very different this year, at least around here, but I’m hoping for a much brighter and promising future after the insanity we’ve been experiencing. Here’s to 2021 being better than 2020. Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ’s, you are being featured on my blog Tuesday evening.
Such sweet and thoughtful things to say, Ann, thank you! Our holidays will look a lot different here too but I’ve been trying to remind myself there is still good in the world and plenty of things to celebrate. It definitely takes extra effort but so far, the effort has been worth it. Sending you hugs and thank yous, CoCo
The tour is just lovely, I enjoy your unique take on fall decor, so pretty! I love the sentiment behind this as well. I am not quite two years in on blogging, but that is what has struck me the most about the whole thing…the rushing to the next season. We have to be ahead of it all and then on to the next. I love to savor life, it flies by quickly enough on its own without me adding to the hurry! Thank you for the reminder!
Speak to my heart sweet friend, it’s one of the hardest things about blogging that people really don’t talk about. I know it’s our job to provide inspiration early enough for everyone to enjoy but it’s definitely a dance from one season to the next. I’m with you on savoring life, especially, this year and have been working daily to celebrate all the good things from this year no matter how big or small which hopefully is an inspiration in itself 🙂 Sending you lots of hugs, CoCo