I have a friend who is turning 100 and he is 100% wonderful and I think his family is going to have his big birthday bash here. That will be in early October, so this week I got a jump start on my fall decorating. I brought down my beautiful ceramic pumpkins that I bought from Target last year and added a new acquisition of black pumpkins of all things, also from good old Target. My Target has some beautiful pumpkins on the shelves right now and the prices are great, but they do go quickly. Of course I also have my pomegranate branches that I love for their colorful scraggly (but realistic) beauty. Later in mid October I’ll add a tiny bit of Halloween to placate my grandson, then in November I’ll whoosh all that away and replace with a few turkeys. I picked the end-of-summer hydrangeas and they are drying on the kitchen table in my collection of old glass bottles. Drying hydrangeas is so simple, learn how to do it here. I kept my dining room simple because when I have a dinner party the table decorations will be festive enough. In the hallway, which is dark to photograph, I filled my Pottery Barn glass cage with white pumpkins and added some pinecones to the shelves. 

You may have noticed that I've placed ads within my posts. This will generate a little bit of income for me as I have run this blog with little or no revenue for it's entirety. There are costs involved with running a blog, and while I don't know if I'll ever be paid for my time, I do know that I now want my blog costs to be covered by revenue. The ad spacing may seem a bit wonky while they are first implementing them and I hope you'll be patient through the process. My goal is to not diminish your reading experience and I'm certain I'm working with the right team. 

I just finished an audiobook by Priscilla Presley, Elvis and Me. I hardly know what to say about this book. She is very honest about her life and relationship with Elvis but it seemed very strange to me and I can't believe she would want to let the world know all about it. Still, I did find it interesting and if you are into Elvis, it's definitely worth your attention.

And finally, Queen Elizabeth. She is a woman I have admired for decades. I'm going to spend the afternoon watching every documentary I can. She always came off as a wonderful mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, wife and as a leader, showed strength and devotion throughout her reign. I don't know if they make them like her anymore. She will be missed.

xo Kristen