Quilts and Plaids and Leaves, Oh My!

Todd and I went away for a long weekend, and while we were gone, there were some major changes outside.  Where there were leaves before, now we had nearly-empty branches.

Our driveway was almost completely obscured.

The pond was choked with fallen leaves.

The remaining leaves were so beautiful.

I pulled out my favorite plaid fleece...

...and decided it was time to "bring the outside in" and start my fall decorating. This is my favorite season, and although I try to swap out my plaid fabrics for blue/green/cream ones in the spring, I had to admit to myself this week that there wasn't much to be done to make the switch.  The house was already in full fall mode. 

The quilts are out.

The bookshelves are laden with dried seed heads, leaves, and other little outdoor mementos.

The little side tables, too.

The mantle  over the gas fireplace is done.

The kitchen has a little fall vignette by the sink:

The dining room has its fall-themed table runner and placemats:

Two weeks ago, I set up a glass cake stand with some old cheese graters on a side table in the dining room.  I used candles inside last year, but this year I used LED lights and it's much easier.  I scattered leaves and acorns around the edges and I really love it.  It's so beautiful at night with the light flickering through the holes.

So, although I meant to do a lot of all decorating this week, I didn't need to.  The house is fall-ready most of the year!

As soon as we got home, I made a cheesecake.  It had a crumble-crust bottom and crumble-sprinkle top, and a generous cup of sweetened cranberries stirred into the cheesecake filling.  The original recipe is here.  I modified it slightly by adding a handful of old-fashioned oatmeal to the crumble mix with a dash of cinnamon and 1/3 cup milk.  I'm not a cranberry fan but I have to say, it was amazing.

It was nice to curl up with a slice and enjoy the beautiful leaves outside my office window.

Have a great fall week!