hey there


I finally had to replace my old computer with a new one and I've yet to figure out how to transfer photos to it.  I pretty much lucked out getting the above photo to cooperate.  I actually purchased this Chromebook instead of a computer.  Please don't ask me the difference because I really don't know, I just have to trust L on this. I do love that it is so quiet and lightweight, but you'll have to bear with me til I get the hang of it.

The fact that the weather here in southern California still says summer, it is indeed fall. I brought in these dead branches because I adore their color.  The season change is so subtle here but I love it nonetheless. And like the rest of the world, I confess to have been making pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.  It's easy to turn just about any recipe into a pumpkin recipe with teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

I only have one last slipcover to get washed before the heat ends and summer is officially over.  The fall garden clean up has begun and the days are getting shorter.  What is fall like in your area?  x



67 comments

  1. Haven't seen much of Autumn in London as yet. I have my fingers crossed for warmer than average weather for a few more weeks.
    Those dead branches look very seasonal. Are they dead because they fell off a tree? I didn't think that southern California had Autumn foliage.
    I haven't left a comment for ages but I have been reading. It's not been the best year but your blog is a real comfort.

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    1. hope next year is a better one for us all jo. they were dead on a dead tree. :)

      xo

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  2. San Luis Obispo was 108 yesterday! Today the fog is back here at the beach, hallelujah!
    The oven is on for the first time in days with pumpkin spice granola just finishing up.I guess we are all part of the hive mind!

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    1. gosh it was a hot week. hopefully cooler temps really will be coming. x

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  3. San Luis Obispo was 108 yesterday! Today the fog is back here at the beach, hallelujah!
    The oven is on for the first time in days with pumpkin spice granola just finishing up.I guess we are all part of the hive mind!

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  4. Backbreaking! It's very beautiful and my favourite season but as we're surrounded by trees it's non stop leave work which takes till December - I'm bowing out now unless I can buy a kevlar spine on Ebay.

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    1. what little glimpses you've shown of your garden it is gorgeous. trees are the hardest bc they are so expensive to have properly pruned. take it easy t. xo

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  5. It's a beautiful photo. Fall in Northern California is a little mournful - we wait for rain, and feel the browning all around us and it feels like almost too much.

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    1. great description lisa. what will we do if the rain doesn't come this year? x

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  6. Fall in my area is spectacular. It makes up for the shitty, bitterly cold or swelteringly humid weather we otherwise have. Finally summer has broken and we've had rain and wind and the temperatures have dropped enough to have the windows open. The leaves are just starting to have a little glow around their edges. Today I'm wearing layers and going to the farmers market to get apples and Hubbard squash. So I'm in full autumnal glory today. One of the farmers was telling me that she thinks hubbards make better pumpkin pies than sugar pumpkins.
    I need to get a new computer too. It's literally the last thing I care to spend on. Even a cheap computer is a set or two of china!

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    1. Where are you Stephen? Sounds like the Northeast.

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    2. New England's trashy cousin and presidential race epicenter, Ohio. Northeast in geography but "Midwest" by cultural definition. By the way pride always comes before the autumn and after bragging about my autumnal glory the farmers market was rained out except for two vendors.

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    3. I read that canned pumpkin is actually Hubbard squash! All these years I thought I was making pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread! I feel so deceived!

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    4. What?? That would make sense though. I've done the whole thing where I get the pumpkin and gut it and roast it and peel it and press it and sieve it and purée it and then roast it again only to realize that a $2.99 can of Libby's is far far superior. I'm excited to try the Hubbard that way now. I will post about it!

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    5. i do the same. as soon as it's out of the 90s i'm in cable knit sweaters. lol
      i put off the new computer until the last one blew up. i hate spending money that way too.

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  7. It was cool here in Fort Worth this a.m. but, it's up to 88 now. We had a front come through last weekend and we sat out under the porch enjoying the rain. A few more weeks and it will be officially what we think of as "fall". I can't wait! I am anxious to start baking again without heating the house up. I think the boys at work are anxious for me to start baking again too! I've already been given requests for carrot cake and banana crumb bars. I'm so cheap I don't even own a computer at home. I spend my day at work on it, and can take care of my personal things to. That's one good thing about a small company. I spend all my "extra" at estate sales. Lisa in Fort Worth

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    1. nice that you get paid to cruise the internet. lol all that baking sounds so delicious! x

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  8. The leaves are turning here but the days have been sunny. Our mauvey-blue hydrangeas are still putting out more flowers but the limelights are turning to a burgundy red...soon I will be busy dead heading and cleaning up the garden for the winter.
    We have the young royal family here in town this week and that makes the possibility of a royal sighting exciting.
    Hope you figure out how to transfer all your photos to your new computer...I know how frustrating it can be when new technology is forced upon us!

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    1. my hydrangeas have really been suffering. really small blooms this year. tragic. your garden is such a beauty. x

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  9. Hot, hot, hot. But as you know it is 'hopefully' supposed to cool down later in the week. My poor roses are making a valiant effort to set their fall bloom but the continuing heat makes it very difficult.

    I love your idea of bringing in the dried branches, it is a lovely way to add a bit of autumn. Very cleaver.

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  10. Hot, hot, hot. But as you know it is 'hopefully' supposed to cool down later in the week. My poor roses are making a valiant effort to set their fall bloom but the continuing heat makes it very difficult.

    I love your idea of bringing in the dried branches, it is a lovely way to add a bit of autumn. Very cleaver.

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    1. oh it's been awful right?! so brave of your roses to keep trying. mine have shut down blooming at all. :(

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  11. 98 degrees in. Santa Barbara 😳. Not much chance of wearing Fall clothes around here!

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    1. oh man. if you can't wear a sweater in SB where can you??

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  12. Thank goodness it is finally feeling like fall! I don't like hot and humid, even in the summer, and we've had a lot of that kind of weather until just very recently. I hope it stays away for the rest of fall.

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  13. I've been at the sea shore in North Carolina for the last two weeks, but look forward to returning to Central NY in a few days. Autumn is probably the most beautiful season in CNY. We are at the entrance to the Adirondacks and the fall show there is spectacular. Pumpkin farms, vibrant leaves, apple season and football games mark this glorious season. If you want to visit Upstate NY, this is the time. Wine country is gorgeous and the wines are fine. Lake Placid is surrounded by glorious color. My hometown of Utica features fabulous food and is the gateway to the Adirondacks. And the price is right. Can you tell I am a hometown girl?

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  14. Autumn is really very mild in the UK right now,Janet. In fact, I had to strip off down to my vest top whilst having lunch outside in a garden cafe today!

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    1. i hear ya. same here. still in sleevless tops and summer dresses. x

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  15. I saw your lovely photo on Instagram and was inspired. As soon as I see an autumn branch I'll be snipping it for my myself! I'm in SE Michigan and the season is changing into classic fall weather. It cooled down most of last week, 70's, and this week 60's with spotty rain today. No brilliant color change to enjoy here just yet, unless you travel up north. Today I'm washing window panels that caught all the dust from open windows and fans. With lows in the 50's, the nights of pulling in cool air are over. On the photos, I downloaded mine to an external hard drive. It's pretty easy to plug in and access.

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    1. yes that is what larry did re the hard drive we just can't get access once plugged in. he'll figure it out tho. i need to wash my windows! x

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  16. It's finally cooled down in Austin... instead of 100 it's in the 80's. I'll take it! It's green and beautiful for this time year, due to a freakish amount of rain.

    When I see your house, I always want to translate that calm into my space. I'm not sure why it's so hard for some of us. Do you think it's visual issues? My daughter can look at a space and know what needs to be done. I look at it and see... space. How I wish you could stop my and inject your calm here.

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    1. oh i'd love to stop by. i haven't been to texas since i was a child. x

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  17. Still swimming in our pool here in Northern California. We've got solar heat for the water, but summer temperatures are hanging on. Hoping for a very wet fall, winter and spring!

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    1. we are still swimming too. sounds like it is hot everywhere! x

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  18. It is feeling like fall in the Sandhills of NE…The hills that were so green all summer thanks to plenty of rain, have turned tan overnight it seems. The grasses have hints of yellow, red, and purple in them also. The native cottonwoods are starting to drop their golden yellow waxy leaves. The nights are cool (40's) and the days are gorgeous (70's). We haven't had a killing frost yet, but it won't be too much longer. The asters, mums, and sedum in the border are putting on their show. Love this time of year!

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  19. We are expecting a heat wave over the weekend. The weather is going the wrong way!
    Amalia
    xo

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  20. Slowly, slowly changing here in the Pacific Northwest with cool mornings and sunny afternoons.

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  21. Weather here in southwest France has been hot and dry all summer. Now the temperatures are dropping ( mid 20s centigrade) with clear bright blue skies.The grapes are being harvested and apple picking has begun. Hopeful of rain soon as our river is very low and looking forward to the change in the colours of the countryside that come with the new season. Also looking forward to more time in the kitchen trying some new wintry recipes,

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  22. Definitely feeling like fall here just outside of Toronto. Cooler nights, autumn colours peeking out of the trees just slightly, temperatures in the 60's, maybe low 70's, it's been a gorgeous September. Now the real autumn can begin and our Thanksgiving is only 10 days away, I'll be out sourcing pumpkins this weekend to place on the front porch.
    We were up north at a friend's cottage last weekend and many of the leaves had turned, I love driving north and seeing that slowly unfold.
    I'm wearing jackets everyday and while it's not boot weather yet it won't be long. Autumn is my favourite season but I'm looking forward to winter too. XO

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  23. I'm ready for boots and a light sweater!! Still high 70's and low 80's here in CO, but I want it a bit cooler! J'dore autumn, but I don't like cleaning leaves!

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    1. haha emily. i let them pile up for thanksgiving decor but then they all get swept up! x

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  24. Hi Janet, I'm so ready for the weather to cool down...yesterday was 92. By Sunday it's supposed to be in the 70's! Can't wait until I can get back out in the yard again.

    Just tracked your package and it should be arriving today. :)

    Linda
    xo

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    1. got my package and i screamed when i opened it. you are so incredibly gracious and generous. i'm in love with it linda! xo

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    2. Wish I could have been there to witness that haha!! xo

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    3. honestly i was shaking. L couldn't understand my ridiculous happiness over a book. lol

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    4. Oh my husband is probably wondering the same thing...I'm a little obsessed with it too. lol

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  25. Northern California...as LPC said, we wait for rain with Indian Summer temperatures. Rain is promised for Sunday, and would be a welcome relief with fires all around us. In the meantime, I'm heading for the coast tomorrow to enjoy the wild and rugged beauty that is Mendocino.

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    1. oh gail what a beautiful description of mendocino. perfect! x

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  26. Here in Maine the nights are in the 40's and days in the low to high 60's. Sunshine. A few maples have begun to color. Pretty soon we'll be looking at blazing reds, yellows and oranges. Been a very hot, humid and dry (no rain) summer here in Maine. Fantastic tomato, peppers, blueberries and apple crops. We need rain.

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    1. we all need rain and it's scaring me. your crops sound fantastic! x

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  27. Still hot down here in South Louisiana but it actually got down below 70 degrees last night! Hoping fall is on the way soon!

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  28. It was 95*F here today in San Fernando Valley, but yesterday we had a light drizzle ... for about twenty seconds. My daughter and I ran out to the backyard to feel it, we were so excited! Sad, I know. We'll take any amount of moisture we can get here in So. Cal. right? We are aching for relief from this drought.

    I am so anxious for Fall weather that I hung our Fall wreath on the front door, bought a pumpkin as soon as they appeared in stores, and excavated out the rest of our Fall decorations for the rest of the house, all in August!

    D.

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    1. a 20 second drizzle would have me dancing too! so funny! x

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  29. Helen AUS. Here in Melbourne Australia we are experiencing a late and very wet spring. Not that we mind the rain as we are always teetering on the edge of a drought. I love your dried arrangement. I often do similar with eucalyptus gum branches which have clusters of fat gum nuts draping off it. As we move into spring and out of winter the days are becoming longer which always makes us feel better.

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    1. oh helen i adore branches that have berries dripping from them. glad you are getting the much needed rain. x

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  30. I love reading all the comments from across the globe. It's like all the reporters checking in.
    ~skye

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  31. Finally cooling down in Connecticut. I have started wearing socks this past week and it may be time to put away my sandals; a sure sign of fall for me.

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