Autumn At Home

We are deep into autumn and winter is knocking on the door. We've had the gamut of weather lately - beautiful sunny autumn days, freezing cold nights with frost, blustery winds and grey drizzly days. Last Monday as I drove to work I saw that there was snow on the mountains! I wasn't really surprised because Sunday had been freezing and wet. Autumn is absolutely, hands-down my favourite season and it inspired me to get creative. Earlier, when summer was weighing us down with her heat, I did a bit clear out of things and went for a whole "minimalist" look. I always think I like this look, but quickly learn I like it better in pictures than in my own home! I thought I would share with you some autumn shots from what's been happening around our home lately. So, grab a cuppa and come enjoy some autumn goodness.

The lounge room got a bit of colour injected into it! I bought out all the things I had packed away over summer - the deep navies and ruby colours which are so cosy at this time of year. The space above the sideboard (photo above) was empty for a long time. I decided to make a gallery wall with art we already had. The painting in the middle and the stone mosaic picture in the bottom left were handmade by family. The gold framed architecture sketch on the right is one of my favourites and the little one, top left, is a gorgeous old picture of Rome with gold inlay. I was feeling a bit decadent with all the gold and deep colours! The lounge is old and well loved - can you see the dip on the back where the cat likes to sleep on the blanket?!

In my little library area I moved out the heavy secretary desk (I loved it, but it was becoming too much of a cluttered catch-all). My sister loaned my this lovely little mid-century Parker table which is the perfect size for me to sit and at do my work. I simply swing one of the chairs around and I'm good to go. I find this smaller desk also helps me keep my clutter under control!

In the garden, there has been some beautiful displays of glorious autumn colour. The leaves have been more luminescent than they have been in years! My orchid, which lives on our covered deck, has also flowered this year. I am in love with its beautiful brown-y/burgundy tones. These cuttings have been gracing my entryway table for weeks and they show no signs of slowing down!

Fruit and vegetables have finally come down in price around here lately, so I've been incorporating a lot of these into the kitchen lately. For breakfast, porridge with fresh raspberries and blackberries (my favourite) on top. Salads for lunch with colourful lettuce and baby spinach from the garden. Our silverbeet also performed well and appeared in a stir-fry one night. I made this soup from Jennifer L. Scott (The Daily Connoisseur) last week and it was a big hit. If you don't want to watch the video, the recipe is in the description box. I've enjoyed eating more fresh fruit and vegetables these last couple of weeks, and my clothes are fitting better too - win- win!

Style-wise, I've slimmed down my wardrobe considerably to include only the things I love and that I know I will wear. I tend to go overboard with knit jumpers at this time of year, but often will wear the same ones on repeat. Shoes are still ballet flats and loafers, but I have pulled out the Chelsea boots a couple of times in the last few weeks. I hate having cold feet!

On my to-be-read list I have some great ones that I can't wait to dive into! This photo is just a small selection - there are at least five others that I'm hoping to get through this winter too. Have you read any of these? What's on your reading list for the coming months?

I hope you've enjoyed this little brush with autumn at our house. If you are diving into spring, what are some things you are enjoying? Seasonal living is one of my favourite topics here on the blog, and I find it such a wonderful way to be intentional, creative and mindful. 

Thank so much for stopping by,