Welcome to my Christmas in the kitchen tour!
At this time last year we had only been in our new home five short months and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't pay much attention to the kitchen when it came to decorating for Christmas. Last year my focus was on the living room which you can see here and here and I was so happy with how everything turned out. The kitchen, not so much. In the past I know I've rushed decorating and eventually regretted my choices - especially when I've gone with something trendy. When you're dealing with a new space, I think it's best to take your time and get a feel for it, mull your options over, and only bring in decor that you're really happy with - and not just because you've seen it on HGTV and everybody has it. Last year with the focus on the living room, the kitchen ended up looking unfinished and very "decorator beginner".
Just because it's fall it doesn't mean that your window boxes have to be empty and lifeless. Fall can be very pretty for a few weeks when the leaves are at their peak color, but what about after the leaves have fallen? I wanted to keep those bright oranges and yellows around until at least Thanksgiving because once the snow flies, it will feel like forever until spring is here.
When we were in the process of building our new house this past spring, I was unsure how I would like the size of the front porch. Our last home in Wisconsin had a huge front porch - just over 200 sq ft. You can see what I'm talking about here. I was determined to pay just as much attention to the outside of our house as the inside here in Minnesota. I've always had no problem making our home's interior look pretty, but the outside....well, in Wisconsin it was our landscaper friends and next door neighbors who made it look good. 
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it's always been my favorite holiday to host. This is our first Thanksgiving in Minnesota, in our new home, and thanks to family that are willing to make the trek over from Wisconsin to spend Thanksgiving with us, the tradition continues and I'm hosting Thanksgiving again this year! So this year, even though my Christmas tree is already up, I'm going all out with our Thanksgiving table. 
This fall has been the season of decorating with fresh flowers for me. I can't seem to get enough of them and I wish I had discovered my love of decorating with fresh flowers a long time ago. I think most people tend to accessorize their homes with fresh flowers during the springtime because it's a way of welcoming new life and the new season. This autumn, I'm decorating with fresh flowers to bring in the warm colors of the season and celebrate my favorite time of year. 
