In an Autumn Kind of Place

I was cleaning out a closet this past week and came upon a spiral notebook that I had completely forgotten about. I had taken it with me when Mother and I traveled back to southern Illinois for the last time in the fall of 2007. I used it to write down the stories she shared about her youth, her own hard-working mother and her courtship with Daddy. But I also collected beautiful fall leaves along the way. At each place that meant something to her, I picked up a few leaves and put them in the notebook to press. I even labeled the pages with information about where each of the leaves had come from - Dixon Springs, Horseshoe Lake, Vienna, etc.

Seeing those leaves, put me in the mood for fall and crafting.
Without a doubt, it's my favorite time of year. So, why not?
Maybe it will help make this intensely hot day feel a little less torrid and humid.

So, gather your supplies, we're going to make a wreath/photo frame that will spice up any space, and the best part is - it only takes moments to complete.

You're going to need: an old photo frame, glue gun and glue sticks, silk autumn leaves, scissors, pliers and ribbon.

I used a cheap, skinny, 8X10 wood frame I bought for $1, removed the backing and glass and then removed the metal glass holders.

There's no need to paint the frame or prepare it in anyway. Just cut the silk leaves off the plastic stems and begin hot-gluing them around the frame.

Remember, as I say every month to my Crafting Sistas, "It's your project. Make it your own and do what ever you want to do."

You can glue leaves part way around the frame, embellish it with a bow, put the glass back in, and use it as a seasonal photo frame. But for this project, I'm continuing with gluing the leaves all the way around the frame to make a wreath.

I had some little Styrofoam berries that I used to embellish my wreath by gluing them down in a few places.

Isn't it beautiful? And oh so easy. I took mine just a little further and added a big bow to the top, but I think it's equally as pretty without the bow.

You're going to think I'm crazy, but I can tell the start of fall is only a few short weeks away.
Yes, I know yesterday's high was 100-degrees and today's is not expected to be any different (which is why I'm not with my friends at the outdoor music festival in our quaint downtown).
Yes, I know that those who are not at the music festival are at the beach.
Yes, I know we live in south-central Florida, and there's really no such thing as "fall."

But every year, towards the end of August, the sun begins to cast its afternoon shadows somewhat differently than at the start of summer. In about two-weeks, I'll begin to notice a difference in the air; not cooler temperatures, but a lightness wafting through the heat that will definitely be the start of our fall. I notice that slight change every year, and I don't know if Mom also truly noticed it or if she just humored me by saying that she could see the difference, too - but it was nice knowing I wasn't alone.

For me, especially in these times of extreme weather, those not-so-noticeable changes soften the blow of the scorching sun and put me in an autumn kind of place.

In October of 2007, Mother and I traveled back to southern Illinois one last time. This is a photo of her standing next to the Willow Oak Tree that we planted in memory of Daddy back in 2002. The tree is planted

in Dixon Springs, Illinois - my father's favorite place to be in this whole wide world.

 I would love to see how this tree has grown.

 

Thank you for passing your creativity on to me, Mom. I love and miss you.