Carolyn Westbrook Summertime

This time of year is always leaves me looking forward to getting the house spruced up. The kids have been home all summer, and school is right around the corner. The house looks like a bomb went off after a summer of the kids being here 24/7 and the pantry is bare. In just a few short weeks, it will be back to getting up at the crack of dawn shuttling kids to band, football, and dance team. I always love to do my Spring cleaning and re-freshing. Thinking that I need to do a fall re-fresh, as well. I have had a week of being able to spend some time at home, and seeing all kinds of projects begging for my attention. Thinking that I need to do some serious paint touch up and start preparing for a fall decor. For some reason when the kids go back to school, makes me think of freshly sharpened pencils and new backpacks. Not only that, but it also makes me think of how I am bored with what my house looks like. Time to pull up the straw rugs and bring in some fall colors. The hydrangeas are long gone...time for a big bowl of apples or perhaps some monogrammed napkin rings. I know it is early in the season, but can't help myself. Once they go off to school, in my mind it is time for fall. As these long hot days of summer drone on, I am ready to move on and see something new.

I have said a million times how I love the smell of clean. I am ready to smell that again, for more than an hour, until it has been cancelled out by the kids being here. First, got to get it clean. That means a thorough dusting, mopping, and lots of Pine-Sol. Ahhhh, the smell of Pine-Sol in the air, is almost as good as Chanel, when it is clean that you seek. Then on to a fresh coat of paint. Amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for your soul. I love to feel like I have accomplished something. Then moving on to bringing back in my chocolate velvet bedspread, landscape paintings, brown transferware, and cooking up some new color combos. Don't ya just love it. Would love to hear from y'all to see what you do to bring your home into the fall season. I am putting up the Ironstone and bringing in my blue Spode. I have not had it out in a while and have missed it. I am a hoarder of transferware. I think that I have every color, and there is something about the beautiful blue with the cows that reminds me of when I was a child. Not only this, but I want to bring in some more French pieces. In one room that has upholstered walls, ready to strip that down and do some paint, while one of the upstairs bathroom is in need of some more modern looking wallpaper. It is currently painted black and I am growing tired of that. Don't worry, pairing it with a 9 ft. white linen shower curtain and a Venetian mirror, thinking that will be fabulous.
It's like before the first autumn wind starts to blow, which we know will not be for another couple of months, that I begin nesting. Instead of storing up nuts and seeds, I have to redecorate and re-fresh the nest. Then when the cool breeze begins to take over this warm air, I hope to be ready...until Christmas decorating begins, of course.
XOXO Carolyn