Updating Our Home for Autumn

I’m not the biggest fan of fall, and if it weren’t for High Holy Days and my seasonal anniversary (another topic for another day), I wouldn’t care too much to do anything at all. However, since this is my first autumn in my new home with my husband, I’ve decided I want to make it special, and join you sisters in doing something for your home to usher in this season of Holiness and fellowship.

Because I’m a homemaker, my budget for seasonal décor and whatnot is very low, which I’m certain you can relate to. So, the changes I implement for fall aren’t grandeur or wild. They’re very simple and subtle, but help my home and family get in an autumn mood ???? No pressure if you also can’t afford a new rug or an autumn china set– I’m here with you. It’s all about Yah, after all. Let us praise His Name.

Scents

Summer has graced us with the pleasure of lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus. But now, for fall.

Firstly, I’m not a pumpkin spice gyal. Like, AT ALL. It’s okay; I drink it or use it if it’s the only thing available. I feel the same way about cinnamon apple scents, too. But when it comes to autumn nasal stimulation, I prefer:

• Peach Cinnamon – Definitely a unique twist on cinnamon, but one that feels more like home to me. Peach cobbler is definitely a year-round dessert, but it hits the hardest in the fall season, and lights up our home like nothing else. I still love cinnamon, but with peach instead of apple, I feel just a little less basic and a lot closer to the equator than we actually are.

• Sweet Potato – Nothing truly smells more like autumn (to me) than sweet potatoes– more specifically, candied yams fresh out of the oven. I guess what I really mean, is a mixture of brown sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and ginger! Smells like Grandma just walked through the door. My tummy is growling just thinking about it!

• Pecan Pie – …Maybe this section is more about food LOL. Autumn foods do have a way of setting the tone, though, more than any other seasonal foods. Pecan pie is another one of those autumn classics that just does it for me. No explanation needed.

• Pine Poutpourri – Most people wait until winter to bust out the pine, but it’s the strongest and most aromatic where we are in autumn! They look like autumn to me, too. There’s something about the smell of pine that makes me want to snuggle up on the couch with some fuzzy socks and a thick blanket. If you know of a decent pine candle, essential oil or scent defuser, let me know!

• Popcorn – Okay, I admit it. We love scary movies, and we do watch a lot of them until about December. What’s a movie without popcorn? We like to turn the light low, the surround sound high, and snuggle up together with a big bowl of fresh popcorn. But be warned, popcorn smell tends to linger and after a while, and begins to smell more like musty feet than a delicious snack!

Colors

Summer meant yellows, blues, and greens. Everything vibrant and lively. But in Autumn, we prepare to slow down, to spend more time with family indoors, and more time cooking. For this reason, I incorporate more consuming and engrossing colors this season.

Brown. “The Color of Traditional Comfort”. We have Tuscan / Mediterranean style, so brown is already a major pillar in our home. But Autumn is when I like to play with the various hues in different places. I add plashes of brown with our bathroom towels, a pop with accent pillows on furniture, and a swift change of window drapings!

Red. “The Most Intense”. Red definitely raises the energy in a room, in the warmest way. But I make sure not to go overboard. I like to change out our bathroom sink set from cream to crimson, bring some red dinnerware (hopefully) and faux red roses to decorate the dinning room table, and change out my blue oven mitts for a cute matching red set.

Textures

For autumn textures, I really just like to make things a little more plush and cozy. For me, this means two things:

1. Soft and cushiony spaces – I like to bring out the bean bags, the extra pillows, and keep the couches nice and fluffy!
2. Fuzzy, furry and knit pillows, blankets and socks – Especially with knit textures do I feel in an autumn mood! And who doesn’t love those fuzzy feet warmers to keep your toes toasty? It’s really the little things.

Sounds

Yes, sounds. Hmmm, honestly, I try to be a little more quiet at home. Autumn is a season of settling down and finding comfort at home and making home a space for intimate gathering. I feel like quietude nurtures this just fine, especially since it means you can hear the autumn rain, or the children at play outside during the evening after school, or the leaves stirring on the ground when the wind blows. There’s so much music to be heard this season, if we’re eager to listen.

I also find that the sound of a fireplace is really comforting. It’s still a little warm for us to light ours, but I do like to play fireplace or campfire sound videos in the background during the day to create that warm ambience.

Finally, I’m not encouraging this for you as these are my own preferences, but Mr. Driver and I really like scary movies, so we have that! It’s a plus for us since we have a pretty intense surround sound, to get that movie theatre experience.

Prayer

If you’re like me, your prayers do change from season to season. Sure, some prayers you just can’t live without, but with a new season comes new challenges and desires, so you adjust your prayer life.

This time of year, Mr. Driver usually has to work 6 days a week instead of 5 due to the nature of his work, and it can get intense for him. I do my best to be there for him in every way I can, but honestly, sometimes my best is just not enough. So I pray for him accordingly.

Also, because he’s working more for this final quarter, we spend a little less time together. I have to pray for myself, my patience, and my contentment with 1st. YAH and 2nd my husband’s contributions and sacrifice. I won’t lie, I do have my moments of ingratitude because I’m really clingy and I feel like my husband is my only friend (so not true but I often feel that way). So when he’s ultra busy, I get bored and bummed out. But, after prayer and quiet-time, I feel so renewed and refreshed, and more importantly, I’m able to better appreciate my husband so that when we ARE together, I don’t spend the whole time complaining about the time we’ve lost.

I pray for our community, our families and our sisters and brothers in this walk during this time. This tends to be the hardest time of the year for most people, and even myself. I have struggled with seasonal depression in the past, and I know how dangerous, dark and draining it can be. I pray for all of YAHUAH’s children to be safe, to feel loved, and to be secure in their homes as the temperatures get harsh and the dark spirits begin to stir! We all need support, and we all should be mindful of how this time of year impacts one another. Choose at least one person to pray for during this season, and don’t stop praying for them until this season lets up!

Finally, I pray a different prayer over my home. Because things change so rapidly in autumn, we have our anniversary, we hope to travel and spend time with family, and we have High Holy Days, my home needs a new set of wheels!

I pray for our fellowship, our safe travels or safe travels of our families, I pray for our love to be renewed and replenished and for our intimacy to blossom, I pray for our quality family time to be honorable and fruitful, and I pray for our feast days and convocations to magnify YAH and bring us closer and help us feel grounded in our true culture and customs!

As I said, I’m excited for this season because it is my husband and I’s first autumn together in our new home, but for this very reason I am also a little nervous. You never really know what YAH will open up in your life. I did get a Word from Yah towards the end of summer that the rest of the year would be better than the first half. I thought, WOW, better? How can it get better when so many wonderful amazing miracles have already happened? But that’s the glory of YAH and I’m excited to see what He has in store for us.

I hope this has given you a little inspiration and encouragement, at the least. I know that with kids going back to school and all that accompanies that, us wives and mommies can tend to be preoccupied with everything under the sun EXCEPT our husbands. Don’t forget about him this season, too.

How do you like to change your home for Autumn? Whether it’s decor or maybe just a mindset shift, I’d love to hear! ????????

Listen to The Power of Vulnerability to hear a bit more about what life has been like for me during this season.