Peak fall foliage has come and gone on the stream, but it’s still pretty. Instead of an upward display or color, the ground has a lovely crunchy carpet of gold, rust, and burgundy hues.

I gathered almost every dang piece of autumn decor that I have inside and outside the house and collected them in one spot on the side deck. With the sun setting so low in the sky this time of year, I knew the mid-afternoon light would create a warm atmosphere. I proved to be correct.

I brewed a pot of Double Spice Chai from Stash tea and pulled out my personalized Claddagh mug and teapot from Belleek Pottery in Ireland. Chai just hits the spot with those warm spices in both aroma and flavor.

Although I am TRYING to cut back on eating so many pastries, I had a cinnamon bun mix from King Arthur Baking just calling my name as the days have become much cooler and comfort food beckons. I haven’t had good luck with cinnamon rolls (or any yeast product for that matter), and this batch was a slight improvement although a little dry. Still tasty, however.

I pulled out a vintage dishware set produced by French Saxon China in the US in the 1950’s. This simple Pine Cone pattern was part of a set that my husband’s family had at their old camp here in Maine. It is well-worn and obviously used extensively, and I liked the woodsy theme for the setting.

The ONLY thing in bloom and alive in my “garden” are the two potted hydrangeas on the deck. They’ve had a rough summer with multiple heatwaves and killing drought. There is still some blooms and a little bit of color. The brand new mums, however added a huge pop of color, especially the dark burgundy one and the spectacular bouquet of carnations I picked up really blew me away with their stunning assortment of patterns and colors.

With the few pumpkins I picked up, a bunch of wheat, and vintage beer crate, I think it’s a beautiful setup. It certainly took a lot of time to product and I’m pleased with the photos. I’m still not sure why I put so much time into creating these photo shoots for the number of people who actually read and see my blog posts, but I guess it gives me something to do.

Cheers!