Come on in! Fall home, 2021

 Happy Tuesday, friends! Happy FALL! Insert all the heart eyes emojis and pumpkins here. It's my favorite time of year, especially when I need something to help me feel happy and cheerful. Anyone? I thought I needed that last year, but it seems even more necessary this year. 

I'm jumping right in with today's post. If you're new here, welcome to our home! 

This was taken back in the early days of summer when the flower beds were a little more precise and the grass was super green. We ended up having bug issues with some of our plants, which is what that dust is that you see on the soil and plants. Everything has grown a lot this summer! The bushes in front of the windows are almost up to the bottoms of them. Also, we have a "Don't tread on me" flag hanging under the American flag. I'm blaming Todd for that one.

This porch picture is from last year, but because the heat lasts so late, I won't get a mum until October.

Speaking of this mum, I did not keep it alive last year. I'm rolling my eyes at myself. I did manage, however, to keep all the hanging baskets alive all summer long, which I feel like needs to be documented. I did NOT inherit my mom's green thumb.

All throughout the house, I have small touches of fall. None of it is extravagant and I'll never win any home decorating awards, but somehow when it's all put together, it makes our home feel warm and inviting. 

Most of what I use is more than a decade old. A lot of it was handed down to me from my sisters. I like to use what I have, so I'll find books that are sitting around that look a little more "fall", like the Harry Potter books, or books with a darker cover. 

I don't move a lot of things around, I kind of just rearrange some of it and work in the fall stuff here and there. The lights on the mantel stay up all year, but the banner is new.

I can never decorate without giving the house a thorough cleaning. Because of our dogs, it gets dusty so quickly. I don't know what I ever did before we had a Swiffer duster. I use that thing just about everyday! It's great at catching dust and hair. 

This bookshelf above used to be where I kept our homeschool curriculum. There is a little bit of that left, but it's mainly my books and Bible studies that I've completed now. I need to finish clearing off some of the clutter and get rid of the studies and magazines I don't want to hang onto. One of these days...

(I like it better without the banner and will probably take it down.)

I love decorating this three tiered stand in the kitchen for all the seasons. This was a birthday gift to me one year and did you know they NEVER go on sale? I didn't know that then. 

I struggle so much with our dining room. It's a lot of wood furniture and flooring. If I were more gung ho, I'd paint the hutch with some chalk paint change out the knobs. Again, maybe one of these days.

Pretend you didn't see the dusty top of my fridge. I do clean it, I promise, but I obviously missed it on this day. I still love this arrangement my mom made for me years ago, but unfortunately it has to be stored here for when I decorate. My cat likes to eat dried floral arrangements. Again, with the eye rolling.

This little area gets used a lot. The plates get used all the time, that Google mini Nest you see is usually playing some music that sounds like the season at that time and the cutting board gets used on occasion. 

I got that saying from a Pinterest board. I love this letter board! It was a Christmas gift.

I *might* have a slight fall scented candle addiction. I have new ones now, though. I replenished my stash at Aldi's a few weeks ago.

I came across this image a few weeks ago on Instagram. It's something I have to remind myself of often. Our home is older and it could use some major updating on the inside. We are busy, though (I'm saying "we", because I cannot do things I want to do without some help) and realistically, this is nothing that is going to get done anytime soon. Maybe once our sons start moving out, we'll do more. Just one night last week, Todd and I were talking (dreaming) of all that we'd like to do. It's so much more than I'll mention on here and some of it may never get done. I'm okay with that, though, as long as minor things are accomplished, like painting in rooms that need a fresh coat. This is just the stage of life we're in, but I have to be really, REALLY careful and pray continually for the Lord to help me guard my heart. 

For me, this means that I have to limit my time on social media and to try and remind myself not to get caught up in the comparison trap. I have to remind myself that "stuff" and what our home looks like isn't all that important, in the grand scheme of life. Sure, I want it to look and feel welcoming for those of us who live here and for anyone who visits, but I don't need to focus on that so much that it becomes something I obsess over. There is nothing wrong with wanting your home to be beautiful for your family, that is not at all what I'm suggesting. It becomes an issue when it takes over the first place in my heart. First place in my heart should always be reserved for the Lord.

More than anything, I want people to feel welcome when they come over. I want them to feel the love of God and be able to sense His presence as we visit. I want our home to feel like a refuge and a safe place for all who come. I'm not saying that this is something that is always accomplished, especially after my Monday and a puppy with her SECOND UTI in as many weeks. All of Monday I felt irritated and frustrated and un-loveable. But, God is good and He is sufficient. I pray all the time that the Lord would help me to remember to focus on kingdom things, not on the temporal and earthly things I get sidetracked with every few days. 

I feel like this should be a linkup, but I'm about to just give up on those. They're so much more of a pain than they're worth! I hope you consider sharing some of your own home, if you're a blogger. If you're reading through this on social media, share some pictures of your home! I'd love to see them. 

Thanks for reading my blog, friends. I'll do this same post in another few weeks when I decorate for Christmas! Love to all. ❤