Everyday Living

Autumn At Home

~ Decorating

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”
1 Samuel 12:24

Happy September friends…I can’t believe I am saying that!  Didn’t we just celebrate Memorial Day?!  Although the official start of Autumn isn’t for a few more weeks,  September announces that the cooler temps and fall foliage are right around the corner!  It is still in the 90’s here in the Deep South, so it is hard to think pumpkins and mums!  I haven’t gotten into fall decorating yet, but I thought it would be fun to dip into the archives to see how I have decorated our home…inside and out… in years past.  Have I mentioned that Autumn is my favorite season?!  

In the family room…

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Click here for more Autumn Graces


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“Sweet” Time Around The Coffee Table

~ Decorating, Food & Entertaining, Tablescape Tuesday

“For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation”
Psalms 149:4

 Blogging has opened up a world that I had no idea even existed!  When I began two years ago, I never dreamed that I would “meet” so many wonderful new friends!  I have found the blogging community to be such a warm and inviting one, and now you are all a part of my Everyday Living!  I feel as though I have sat on your sofas, tasted your delicious recipes, and conversed with you all through your kind and gracious comments!  

  Last weekend, Butch and I were able to drive over to Birmingham to meet Shirley from Housepitality Designs and her sweet husband for a late lunch!  We hit it off and it felt as though we had known each other forever!  I was the guest blogger for her yesterday, and if you haven’t met her, be sure to run over and see Shirley’s beautifully decorated home as she shares sophistication on a budget…she is so talented!  I so enjoyed my time with her and it made me think…I sure would love to have all of you into my home for some sweet time around my coffee table!  Today, you’re invited to sit down and make yourself comfortable…we’ve got some chatting to do!  

 
I decided to keep it simple and prepare an assortment of “sweets” to set up on my coffee table….because who doesn’t love sweets?!  Serving in my family room is more casual for this small get-together, and I don’t have to prepare a full meal!  I love to cook for guests, but you can easily buy many wonderful desserts from your local bakery or grocery store…and the kitchen stays clean!! In the foreground is sliced brioche topped with goat cheese, apricot preserves, and a sprig of thyme.

 
A mini angel food cake topped with raspberries and blueberries, doesn’t get much easier than this…and at least we get our serving of fruit in!

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The Hermitage {The Winter Palace}

~ Travel

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:33

In all of my dreams of traveling the world, Russia never crossed my mind…it seemed so distant and unattainable!  But in 2013, we found ourselves on a Baltic Sea cruise that would take us to eight different ports of call in eight different countries…something this small town girl never saw coming!  Three of these ports were in the former Soviet Union, and I, being the history buff that I am, found it extremely fascinating!  St. Petersburg was our only port in Russia and it is the second largest city and the most westernized.
(You may remember when we visited the Catherine Palace)

On our first morning, I was so excited that we had landed an early tour of The Hermitage Museum which meant that we would start one hour prior to the general public and not be bombarded by the crowds!  But due to unexpected hassles of immigration and visa issues, our group did not arrive on time, so we got the full experience…including the hordes of visitors! But we were determined not to let that spoil the tour, and were immediately swept into the intriguing history and opulent lifestyle of the Romanov dynasty!  The Hermitage consists of five historic interconnected buildings with the most impressive being the Winter Palace. With just one morning to take in this vast museum, we were only able to hit the highlights…but trust me, you could spend weeks exploring!  Let’s take a look!


The Winter Palace was the main residence of the Romanov Tsars from 1732 until the revolution in 1917.  This Baroque-style palace is also the main building of the Hermitage Museum and is located on the bank of the Neva River.  It is St. Petersburg’s most impressive and visited attraction with more than three million visitors per year.

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The Hermitage is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great.  Its collections comprise over three million items including the largest collection of paintings in the world.


The Jordan Staircase of white marble divides at the statue to meet again on the second floor.

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