Changing Seasons

The past few days have felt more like spring than fall, with temps in the high 60s and low 70s.  I have been running around in t-shirts and jeans, but with booties just to remind me that it is in fact autumn.  Today, mother nature gave me a gentle reminder that as much as I would like it to be springtime, it is in fact just a few weeks from Thanksgiving, and colder weather is on its way.

I can't believe we are in the middle of November, and as the falling leaves so vividly remind me, I can't do anything to turn back the clock, or hang each leaf back upon their branches.

I am a huge tea drinker, with my current flavor obsession being green ginger, and on days like this I grab a mug not long after I roll out of bed.  I have never been a coffee drinker, except when I was very little and my grandmother would fix me a cup which consisted mostly of milk and a healthy helping of sugar I am sure!

Even though the weather has been playing tricks on me, I did break out all of my turkey day regalia last week.  And though I don't like decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving has come and gone, I am strangely excited to put out Christmas, but I will fight that feeling until Tom Turkey above has had his day in the sun. :)

I am working on a story at the moment, it's a lovely home located in California.  I will keep you posted on when it will be out, and in which mag, I know you will love it!

Whenever I am working, I always have company of the 4 legged sort.  Whether I am working, processing pictures, or just surfing the web, I almost always have a furry foot warmer.  Quinn and Misty take turns at laying under my desk, and as you can see from the picture above, Quinn leaves me very little space for my tootsies.  Misty is more generous with leg room, but Quinn seems to think this is his spot and I should work around him!

Our border collie Kylee used to have this spot all to herself, no one dared take her place at my feet, but Quinn and Misty have managed to work it out so that both of them get a turn.

Even if it's not her turn under the desk, Misty Belle manages to settle in not too far away from her mama.  I love these two, even if they bark too much sometimes!  

I used a grunge overlay on the pictures in this post, I love how it creates contrast, adds grungy texture, and really makes things pop.

Along with tea, I listen to lots of music while I am working, so since I haven't shared any music with you lately, I've linked one of my favorite songs below.  It is sort of melancholy, but reminds us that we really can't slow down the days, the seasons, or the years as they fly by, but we can learn to love every moment as it is happening.

I hope you have lots of wonderful moments to cherish each day!

                  

Begin at the Beginning

Another month has flown by, and it was jam packed as all months seem to be these days.

I am officially a great aunt, and oh how great it is!!!  And I swear, these gluten free cupcakes I made are not burned...they just look like it in this pic?! :)  I should share the recipe sometime, they are delish!

Just a couple of days after these pics were taken at my niece's baby shower, sweet blueberry (the name we have all called her since she was conceived), decided to make a surprise appearance...6 weeks early!

Thankfully Momma and Baby K, aka Baby Blueberry, are both doing well.  Baby K will spend some time in the NICU, but only to gain a bit more weight and to learn to regulate her body temp without the aide of an incubator, so we are thankful and overjoyed that she is with us and healthy.  And did I mention adorable?!  She looks so much like my niece did when she was born.

Along with a new baby, we have a new car.  Our faithful Jetta bit the dust shortly after our daughter's wedding, and I have to admit that I got teary when we traded her in.

I even got choked up while driving the new car, which I have named Pearl, because it's not a stick.  I've never been without a manual transmission vehicle since I started driving tractors at the age of 6 or 7!!!  I then told myself to get over myself...I mean, I am driving a brand spank'n new car for gosh sake, I should be feeling grateful!  Sometimes I need a little kick in the pants to remind myself of how lucky I am!

If March can go out like a lion, then November can surely come in like a tiger!  We had ferocious winds last night, and I was sure the bird feeder outside my bedroom window was going to come through the window at about 2 am...thankfully I have a wild imagination and that didn't happen.

We had gusts of over 55 mph, and most of the leaves are gone from the trees now, signaling that fall is officially here to stay.

Somehow, this little guy is flying around today.  I love the way his shadow shows up on this desaturated pic.

The winds are still howling, but not as badly as overnight, and even the pups don't really want to be outside.  The leaves on our maple have been blown to bits, though a few still cling to their branches in defiance.  And the field is decked out in muted shades of amber, wheat, burnt umber, and even a little amethyst.  It makes me want to wear clothing in these exact shades...it's that time of year after all.

In other news, Fifi O'Neill told me that her new wedding book, Prairie Style Weddings, will be out December 2, just in time for Christmas, and it is available for pre-order on Amazon.  For all you romantic, nature loving brides, or mother's of the bride, who are looking for great rustic, chic ideas, this is a must have!

To learn more you can watch this charming video about how she discovered her love for prairie style, and how these books came to fruition.

Fifi O'Neill Prairie Style Books from Natalie Neto on Vimeo.

Wishing you all a very happy and cozy week! xoxo