We are about to wrap up one of the best fall seasons in memory here in Minnesota. We have had eight straight weekends of sunshine, warm, daytime temperatures and cool evenings. These are all the requirements for beautiful leaf color everywhere. I try to visit the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum this time of the year. It’s a pretty spectacular place with great architecture and sprawling acreage of beautifully landscaped gardens and forests of every kind of tree possible that thrives in this climate. Never underestimate the power of spending time in nature. (more…)
Seasons
Gardening and decorating
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAT!
For over 40 years, I have been celebrating birthdays with the same group of friends who have honestly, become “family” after all this time. This all started when we had young children and would get together in each others homes to celebrate birthdays during the day, which also served as a play date for the kids. This tradition continued through the grade school years, high school and college years of our children, and now we are exchanging pictures and stories about our grandchildren and having dinner – yummy dinners. It’s a great time away from….well frankly, everything. (more…)
PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS AND MORE PUMPKINS
For those of you who have followed my career, you know I am a little obsessed with pumpkins. I love the shape, I love the variety of colors and I suppose I also love them because they remind me of my favorite season of the year. In this part of the country where I live, pumpkins are grown in home gardens everywhere. (more…)
LOVE ALL THINGS AUTUMN
Fall is definitely my season. I look forward to it all year. I love the colors, the temperatures and the tastes that fall brings. For me, it is a more relaxing season…fewer garden maintenance things on my list, cooler temperatures, the bounty of garden goodies that inspire me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I am always excited about the produce at the farmer’s market here in town when fresh vegetables start to appear in the summer. But there is nothing more glorious and inviting than the stands in the fall. (more…)
Cozy Campfire
These photos are from my daughter’s Blog, Darlingfig.com. They capture sights and activities of early fall at the cabin. The jacket Kerry is wearing is one I made for her almost 20 years ago from an antique cotton camp blanket and a Simplicity pattern. If my memory serves me correctly, I am sure it was a Beacon Blanket from the 40’s. It hangs at the cabin for anyone to grab on chilly nights, summer or fall. It is truly a classic…and don’t you just love the colors!
With the fire pit put away for the fall and winter seasons, we thought we would take the opportunity to have a good old fashioned campfire (more…)
Apple Harvest Time
Apple inspiration . . . here’s a painting I recently finished using Honey Crisp apples from the tree at the lake for inspiration.
I hope you find inspiration in this Apple Stand Runner pattern. It’s a fun and quick project for fall. Visit CREATE to read more about apple harvest time in Minnesota and to download this FREE pattern.
Apple Stand Runner is taken from Beautiful Blocks for Beautiful Quilts by Lynette Jensen and available from Landauer Publication.
For a delicious fall treat, try this Apple Pie Bites recipe. Go to YUM! for the complete recipe.
Apples(s) of My EYE
We have a tiny apple tree at the cabin, and this past weekend was harvest time. The kids have been watching and waiting for the apples to ripen all summer, and were anxious for the big day to arrive. The tree is very young didn’t bear much fruit this year, which worked out well for our purposes – many more would not have held the kids’ attention, and Trevor’s (my son-in-law) arms needed a break.
I have included a yummy quick recipe for individual apple pies of sorts, Apple Pie Bites. I found this recipe online and added a powdered sugar glaze for a little more sweetness. They were a big hit at a family gathering over the Labor Day weekend. You can find the recipe on YUM!. (more…)
Goodbye Summer
Our grandson, Taylor, taking one last jump off the dock for the summer. What a way to say goodbye to the lake. Now that Labor Day has passed, we start thinking about closing down the cabin. Soon we will be taking out the dock and boat lift… all jobs to be done before the weather and water gets too cold. (more…)
New Venture
Last August, my daughter Kerry, decided to start a blog (darling fig.com) featuring fashion, home decor and DIY, leisure activities, food and entertaining. As a wife, mom of two children ages 3 and 6, and a corporate franchise attorney, she is working hard at fitting this into her busy life. Needless to say, she has her hands full. (more…)