Transitioning to Autumn and The Winners!

Not everyone has a "transition" wreath...I get that...

I do.  

I have a front-door wreath I refer to

 as my "transition wreath".

My sunflower "transition" wreath has been 

up for a few weeks now. 

It's the wreath I like to use when it's way too early 

for full blown orange and black pumpkins...and a 

wee-bit too late in the season for daises...

You know,

 that awkward in-between time...

 Mornings when you wear a sweater and 

really enjoy a hot coffee

 and by lunchtime you are thinking,

 "Is the pool still open??"

It is after all the season of transition, right?? 

 This wreath has plenty of sunflowers 

that feel like fall, 

and yes, there may be a few small pumpkins 

 peeking out... but overall, it feels like a

 good fit for this time of year.

 a transition wreath... 

...how perfect.

A new school-year is upon us, making new friends

 and learning new schedules...

New cooler weather (hopefully)... 

New opportunities...

Change is hard sometimes, 

but it can also be very good...

and necessary. 

How else could we ever get to the pumpkins

 and fun-sized candy bars of October??

So... 

Speaking of rushing the season... 

or transitioning...

I was recently at two of my very

 favorite haunts... (see what I did there?)

The thrift store... and the Target One Spot.

 Good stuff to be found at both of these amazing places.

I spied super-cute Halloween decor last night... 

I mean reallly cute.

I promised my husband that

I needed to run inside

 Target for

 just one thing...

One. Thing.

and quickly...

 (quickly...as in, I might have said "be right back")

...and a whole fifteen minutes later... 

I had this.

and maybe a little of this...

Really cute stuff, like orange and black pom-pom

 garland for our mantel... 

which we will absolutely need as soon as

 we are done transitioning and all...

and ghost garland...

because...the season of ghosts and goblins

 is just about to begin...right??

When is it "too soon" to decorate for Halloween?? 

 Just wondering...

So, my advice is do not walk, but run to

 Target and check out their new 

line of fun autumn-seasonal decor...very cute. 

 I loved it all.

Then, just like that, I bought mums for the porch...

Mums...

It IS fall according to my porch, 

however we are still very much transitioning

 according to my thermometer.

While at my other favorite haunt today, 

I picked up this darling vintage 

(1981) recipe book. 

I know, vintage??

How could 1981 be vintage??

But my friends, 

It is. 

I checked.

Anything 20 years or older is 

indeed considered vintage.

 I really loved the shiny, silver

 Philadelphia Cream Cheese package logo 

on the front cover... 

Like a moth to the flame... 

or a recipe lover to a snazzy "vintage" cookbook cover... 

whatever the case may be...

I was intrigued by the food-artistry... lots of molds...

 interesting display choices...

I would have never thought about 

serving up deviled eggs with tacos...who knew?!!

I am seriously not that creative...

What in the world were the food stylists thinking in 1981...?

Was there such a profession as a food stylist

in 1981??

 I do wonder if, in thirty-five more years

Will we feel the same about 

the recipes of 2016??  

Will we wonder why 

every other dessert was branded a 

salted-caramel 

or

 pumpkin-spiced

 something-or-other...?? 

 We probably will...

And some food blogger, 

out in the middle of the Midwest,

will probably make fun of my 

food styling...

and I will deserve it.

Thirty-five short years from now,

 our carefully pinned, Pinterest recipes 

will all be vintage too...

Fast-forward 30-something years into the future:

 I predict a new trend... smell-a-vision 

or Internet taste-testing... 

 I could very well be right... 

I hope we transition slowly...

into the brave new world of

smell-a-vision...

 I'll need some time to adjust... 

Just like sweaters in the morning and shorts by noon... 

or sunflower wreaths that

bridge the gap between summer and fall...

Take it easy friends... and enjoy this easy, slow slide into the 

rush of what will soon become the holiday season... 

(I often say October is by far the busiest month of all...

there's barely the time to do all the apple-picking, 

cider-drinking, marshmallow-roasting, 

hay-wagon riding and football cheering that was intended

for that golden month.)

 We might all look back soon enough and wish we still had

 that old sunflower "transition" wreath hanging on the front door.

Where does the time go?

I'm off to make one of these vintage recipes...

I'll let you know how it goes.

P.S.

Congratulations to the

 Ohio Country Living Fair Ticket 

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!!  

Winners:

Karen

Lori Leigh

 Sandra F.

 Rebecca Fuelling

Please send me your mailing

address to: BlueRibbonKitchen@aol.com  

I want to get those tickets to you right away!!  

Best,

Karri