My college girl was home this weekend. I made a big pot of chicken and dumplings on Sunday and we ended up having a nice family dinner. My sister joined us and my other daughter came with her baby and husband. Everybody stopped along the way at Farmer’s markets and Fall festivals and brought donuts, apple cider and pumpkin cakes, adding to the feast.
The weather had been continuously dry and hot. The hibiscus went onto a second bloom. Overnight, rain came and a cold snap with it. Now, the leaves are suddenly turning and daytime temperatures have dropped 30 degrees. The outside plants have been brought in, cut back and repotted and Fall cleaning has begun. I guess that’s sort of a nesting instinct… getting things clean and snug and organized for the long, cold stretch ahead. Curtains, walls, floors, pillows and windows washed. Area rugs dragged outside and damp mopped with soap and water,front and back, spot cleaned and dried in the sun. Winter blankets pulled out of storage, washed and dried on the clothesline. Summer clothes put away. All the cleaning agents I use are natural..vinegar infused with orange peels, borax, essential oils, homemade soap. Soon my little old farmhouse will be sweet and sparkling.
I’m jealous of the efficiency you present! Well done on your preparations. It gives me a warm sensation of a Beautiful Life!
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Thanks, John! I get the same feeling from your blog!
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How lovely!
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Thanks, Judy!
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Oh, how ambitious you are. And the pictures show the loving care you put into your beautiful house.
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It’s a coping mechanism, Laurie! Lol. I hate winter so this helps psych me up for it. I do love my house though and feel so lucky to live here.
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We all have coping mechanisms for things we dread! Mine tends to revolve around chocolate 😉 Your house looks like a gem—so gracious and charming.
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thanks, lol. Chocolate works too!
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That all sounds wonderful and inspiring Cynthia, a real inspiration to me. That must have been such a nice get-together with your family!
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Thanks, Agnes! I hadn’t planned on a family Sunday, it just happened. Sometimes that makes for the best times! It was a really fun day. So different now with a baby part of the group, I just love it
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Yes babies make all the difference, I love my grandkids too, and the latest baby is always the sweetest. I have five now. 🙂
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I love the name of your newest little grandbaby…Willow, right?
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Yes, it is Willow Emily. She is very beautiful and sweet. I bought her a willow tree the other day 🙂
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Your blog always makes me feel so good and cozy, Cynthia. Love the pictures too!
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Thanks so much Michele. Your blog aways makes me feel good too. You have such a nice way with your words. They always strike a chord and bring things back into a good perspective
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What a lovely home! I must take down my curtains!
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Thanks! Curtains aren’t one of my favorite jobs. Somehow when it comes time to put them back up i go into ADD mode and they always end up the wrong way out. LOL
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What a beautiful house! And your cleaning regimen is definitely better than mine!
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Thanks, Susan! If I didn’t like doing this, I probably wouldn’t, lol
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It already looks sweet and sparkling. You set a good example for your daughters (and for us!) I must muster more energy to do likewise 🙂
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Thanks, Mary! I think I do these things partly because of my grandmother but also because I like the way it makes me feel.. sort of gives me a sense of order, maybe control … which is silly, of course
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We are who we are for whatever reason; I’ve come to accept it 🙂
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The garden looks very refreshed by the cold snap!
I must say, I really love the pale blue paint colour of the walls. It looks exquisite with the crisp white and cream details
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Amazing how things snapped back out there. Thanks, Matt! If I had my way, everything would be white with creams and pops of color here and there, except the kitchen. I like that to be warm looking.
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You actually make cold weather sound like a good thing! 😆 What a wonderful time with family and your home looks so lovely. Just curious, have you ever posted your natural cleaner ingredients/recipe?
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Thanks Linda! I actually dread the cold weather but this helps. The recipes are here under the natural cleaning products DIY category. Here’s the link for my favorite one that I use for almost everything. http://handmadehomegrownbeautifullife.com/2014/07/31/simply-wonderful-natural-household-cleanser/
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Excellent! I’ll have to get some and try it. Now I want to figure out a natural fabric softener for the dryer! 😀
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Your home is beautiful. Exactly how I would expect it to look after reading your beautiful posts.
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Thanks, Julie! It’s so nice to see that you’re back. I got excited to see your post and wow, that was really so very gorgeous.
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Wow, I feel very lazy after reading all that you have done.
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Oh no! That’s kind of funny because I am trying to learn how to just sit still and relax. It;s not in my nature and I kind of wish it was .
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in case you’re getting bored now, come on over 🙂
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lol!
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Your home is so fresh and inviting, beautiful. I’ve been making the most of the sunshine we are getting here and washing everything in sight 🙂 x
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Thanks, Sharon! I know how you feel with that! It’s like we want to catch the sun and bring it in, lol.
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I’m the same way with cleaning & fall. Everyone talks about SPRING cleaning – but I wait until fall to do all of the washing of walls and windows. I just finished painting the bathroom & sewing new curtains. Now, on to the attic!
Your dining room is so airy and inviting!
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Here too we went (seemingly overnight) from hot and dry to wet and cold. It’s been raining for days and it’s 45 degrees this morning. We’re hunkering down too. Our trees aren’t as pretty yet as yours, but they’re working on it. 🙂
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Looking good! Your home is lovely 🙂
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Cynthia, do you re-pot your plants every fall? I try to soak mine in water to get rid of the bugs, but it doesn’t always work. Perhaps repotting is the way to go?
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