Farmhouse

Although we've been having insanely beautiful weather lately that feels more like summer than fall, I know that the inevitable change of seasons is just around the corner. Usually not a huge fan of fall, I'm embracing it this year as we enjoy long walks around the neighborhood with Louie Louie, await the arrival of Dan's new niece, bake lots of apple goodies from last weekend's orchard trip, and plan for our 2nd annual Halloween/House Anniversary party at 9-oh-6. And, as much as I hate the cold, I don't really start despising Chicago winter until the holidays have passed, so I plan to do my best to stay warm and enjoy the last few months of 2010.

I'm certainly not one of those people that keeps the dining room table set at all times and switches out dishes depending on the season, but some of the latest offerings at West Elm have me wishing I wasn't so short on storage space as I would definitely consider these for fall -

And these for winter -

Not one for fancy china (even our "nice" dishes are from Kohl's), and clearly not the most decisive person in the world, I can't imagine ever choosing just ONE set of dishes to register for when I'm getting married. How on earth do you do that?!? Maybe I'll be difficult and pick out simple white "everyday" dishes, and add in single sets of salad/appetizer plates like the above to mix it up? (Or maybe I shouldn't even be thinking about things like registries just yet?) :)

Outside of the incredible tabletop selections, West Elm also has a new collection of woodland creatures that I'm just dying to get my hands on. I have noticed lately that I could use more little decorative pieces, but I have a feeling all of the below would be overkill and, again, would need to be switched out now and then so the house isn't full of little animals.

One of these would be an adorable addition to the shelves in the living room -

This little guy would look GREAT on top of the hutch -

And these are fun for the holidays -

The best part? Items marked "For St. Jude" indicates a certain amount of proceeds going to the charity, which justifies the purchases a little bit, right? ;)

One last image from West Elm is a reminder that I still need to try out DIY mercury glass. This tablescape makes me think it would be a perfect project for holiday decorating -