Dear Homemakers,
Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. My weekend was productive on the crafting front. I started a new tea towel in red work embroidery and cut out two aprons which I will have sewn up very soon. 
Saturday is a traditional day of baking so I made chocolate chip pumpkin cookies and pumpkin gingerbread cut out cookies. Both recipes came out delicious. The chocolate chip went very fast and Mr. Smith took the last few to work this morning. I saved a couple of the cut out cookies to take with me on a coffee visit with my parents today.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies
It was stifling hot outside yesterday! When I got in the car the thermometer read 108 degrees. It’s hard to get in the autumn mood when it’s that hot. Thursday marks the fall equinox so hot as the dickens or not I will start to decorate for autumn. Have you started to decorate yet?
Many years ago, as a child, I received A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays. It is filled with beautiful images that celebrate the year separated by months from the perspective of Tasha’s own childhood. This is a book that can be treasured for years and is truly an heirloom to pass down. Here are some images from September when the family would hold a doll fair. 
Another book I love to dip into each month is Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions by Sarah Ban Breathnach. I found this lovely book at Half Price Books a few years ago, and it too is separated into monthly “chapters”. The September chapter include Labor day, Back to School, Grandparents Day, and Michaelmas. All these holidays and traditions are described with the intent to revive Victorian celebrations. 
Do you have any images or ways to inspire you during this Autumn season? If you do please share in the comment section below. New ideas are always welcomed!
I am looking forward to a productive week one that is full of keeping and beautifying my home, nurturing loved ones, and appreciating all of what God has for me. May this be true of you as well dear homemaker.
Humbly yours,
Mrs. Smith
