Five ways to warm up your home for autumn

Some people are bemoaning the end of summer, while others are already up to their necks in pumpkin spice everything.

Whichever side you're on, we can all agree that decorating your house is one of the things that makes it a home. If your home reflects changes in the season or holidays, it helps to mark the passing of time. And if you do it well, familiar scents and sights start to feel like a tradition. 

How to get cozy
The not-pumpkin-spice-fall-spice

Pumpkin spice isn't the only seasoning of autum. Cinnamon and apples go together like chocolate and peanut butter, and this fruit is in season. Bring on the warm and fuzzy with spiced apple cider, spiked apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, and this new treat at Ladles and Linens: Cider Pancake and Waffle Mix. On lazy fall mornings, you can whip up a batch to fuel the family before a trip to the pumkin patch, or go right back to bed to doze off and digest. 

Trigger memories, or create new ones

Scientists say that our sense of smell is most sharply tied to memory, which means we should be igniting our  our olfactory nerves. Simmer this concotion in a saucepan on your stovetop, and the smell of autumn will sweep through your house. You likely have all these ingredients on hand:

• 1/2 lemon (thinly sliced)
• 1 small apple (thinly sliced)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (or a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
• 2 tbsp whole cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• water

Textures, layers & gourds, oh my!

Remove any summery remnants from your living space, such as collected seashells and flamingo throw pillows. Save them for bringing joy next year, when it starts warming up. Decorate the mantle with striking bare branches, perhaps found on a walk. Wicker, burlap and berries evoke an earthy feel, while velvety throw pillows in burnt orange feel luxurious. Faux fur throw blankets, brass candlesticks and white pumpkins make the space feel lush.

 

Curb appeal

First impressions matter, even if you are rolling up to the same home on the daily. Be greeted with warmth even before opening the door! Harvest is a time of abundance, and it's fun to convey that outdoors. Collect rare gourds and pumpkins, grouping them together on the porch. It's not only appealling, but compostable and good for little critters storing up for the winter. In a word, sustainable.

Know that dried Indian corn just might produce a crop, as evidenced by three homes on my block, ourselves included.

Getting Baked

In the dog days of summer, I often eat cheese, watermelon and crackers for dinner. Not only is it a tradition from childhood, but it kept the oven off! Come fall, the oven becomes our hearth, and a gathering place. Throw on an apron (like pictured above) and get baking! Fill your home with the smell of warm sugar, croissants and beer bread. 

 As they say in the South, happy fall y'all! Can I get away with that yet?