I live in a place where autumn flashes by quickly. I guess it explains why folks here revere it and why we feel compelled to capture moments in nature. The landscape changes daily now. And the weather! Flip flops weather earlier this week, and snow on my drive to Chicago today. Quotes of Thanksgiving & Noticing Autumn’s Wisdom invites us to open in fresh ways to the colors, changes, and golden comforts as we inch closer to winter.
![Creek in our backyard in fall - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-creek-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
Quotes of Thanksgiving & Noticing Autumn’s Wisdom
I’m sharing a few peeks around our house in fall where colorful leaves don’t stick around nearly long enough!
![Yellow fall leaves on trees in our backyard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-leaves-backyard-dunham-hello-lovely-studio-2.jpg)
The Science of Gratitude
Brené Brown’s research reveals a significant relationship between joy and gratitude. The direction of the causality of joy surprised her, and this is so worth a watch!
![Funny quote about November on Hello Lovely Studio. #fallquotes #winterquotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/001-whimsical-quote-about-november-no-afternoons-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
I never did get around to decorating the front porch for fall with pumpkins or cornstalks or even mums, but I’m looking forward to autumns in the future to have fun with it when the interiors are complete.
![Fall trees and front porch - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-front-porch-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
From a living room window…
![Fall trees and porch through the living room window - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-maple-through-window-living-room-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
It was from this window in the wee hours that I studied the blood moon eclipse earlier in the week. It was magic. Because I get up so early naturally now, I didn’t have to miss it. How grateful I am that aging comes with benefits like this since I was never able to rise as easily as I do now.
![Hygge quote on Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/HYGGE-quote-louisa-thomsen-brits-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
It felt so good to bring in a maple branch or two and finally feel as though I were decorating for the season after months of dust and reno.
![Entry with French console table, fall leaves in vase, and staircase - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-console-table-mural-wallpaper-entry-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
Renovation and delay of gratification will shape your perspective and gratitude. There is joy and so much thankfulness that comes when spaces get new life, when after months of planning and plugging away after work, a cozy feeling emerges.
![Atlas of the Heart Brené Brown quote about empathy, courage, boundaries and emotion on Hello Lovely Studio. #brenebrownquotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/atlas-of-the-heart-brene-brown-quote-happiness-pursuit-character-joy-gratitude-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
Is it possible to go a little overboard with a repetitive tree theme at home?
![French antique console table in our entry with vase of yellow maple leaf branches - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-leaves-console-table-entry-hello-lovely-studio-3.jpg)
I guess I’ll keep you posted…it’s just that I don’t know that I’ll ever get enough of them. They have so much to teach!
![Quote about awe and seeing by Cole Arthur Riley in THIS HERE FLESH. #inspirationalquotes #contemplativequotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cole-arthur-riley-quote-beholding-awe-this-here-flesh-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
I love these vintage brass deer we found at the antique mall on our visit to Franklin. They may get a little ribbon or wreath for the holidays.
![Marble topped French console table with](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-leaves-on-console-entry-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
Before there was a golden blanket of leaves on the front lawn, our tree lit up the cool grey guest bedroom we recently began tweaking.
![Guest bedroom with grisaille wallpaper mural and gold maple tree through window.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-maple-tree-bedroom-mural-hello-lovely-studio-1440x1079.jpg)
Can you believe these are unedited photos?
![Gold maple tree in our front yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-maple-tree-bedroom-window-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
It’s completely bare now, but what joy to watch it change.
![Our front yard with gold maple tree in fall - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-maple-tree-front-yard-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
The windows in the family room are visible from the breakfast room, and the colors reflected in them were glorious.
![Fall leaves reflected in windows and breakfast room - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-trees-breakfast-nook-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
Here’s a look at the back of our house from the wooded area beyond the lawn:
![Fall trees and leaves in backyard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-leaves-backyard-dunham-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
![Brene Brown inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #inspirational #quotes #brenebrown #gratitude](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-brene-brown.jpg)
Midwest autumns feel like such a privilege!
![My kitchen with farm sink and small work cart with urn and fall branches - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/fall-kitchen-urn-branches-farm-sink-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
I have said I just can’t live with orange, but I CAN (this was at our prior home).
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9748.jpg)
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes #dorisday](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-doris-day.jpg)
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9739.jpg)
Simple Gratitude Practice
I’m not great at keeping a gratitude journal. Here’s a very simple gratitude practice to adopt at each day’s end.
Simply write down one thing…the best part of the day…upon a calendar near the bed.
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9747.jpg)
Just think what a blessing it will be at the end of the year to reflect back upon 365 glorious gifts!
![Autumn berries in Northern Illinois - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-fall-2020-front-exterior-17.jpg)
It may be a small thing, but I am grateful that after having dinner out with my sister tonight, I was able to tolerate the food and drive home without issue.
![Tuscan style terra cotta urn with golden leafy branches in Shaker style white cabinets in simple serene kitchen. Viatera Minuet quartz countertops - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9346.jpg)
I’m grateful that at this very moment, as I type this, I can wiggle my toes without fear or wincing from the Raynaud’s. There was a serious weather shift, and that often affects my condition.
![Inspirational quote about fall, autumn, flowers, and nature on Hello Lovely Studio. #inspirationalquote #autumn #nature](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/goldenrod-inspirational-fall-quote-baldwin-autumn-hello-lovely-studio.jpg)
![Vintage clawfoot tub in a serene white bath with plantation shutters - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/001-hello-lovely-studio-fall-bathroom-clawfoot-tub-table-hyrdrangea-candle-plantation-shutters-4.jpg)
I’m thankful that even though our primary bathroom is not yet usable, there’s another down the hall that stays toasty warm and just perfect for long baths.
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9746.jpg)
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes #eckharttolle](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-eckhart-tolle.jpg)
I’m grateful for hands that create art (and they created some in the quiet of the early morning today.)
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9745.jpg)
My heart is grateful for the glow of candlelight as the days grow shorter.
(Psst. This white milk glass candle below is often burning at our house….it’s right here and hard to beat…)
![Capri Blue Volcano Jumbo White Candle - Tulips](https://tulipshome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/volcano1.jpg)
Faded hydrangea blooms are another favorite of mine in fall…do I really have to hide them away when December comes?
![Dried hydrangea in zinc vase with candle in window sill - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-fall-dried-hyrdrangea-candle.jpg)
I just love how those little petals cling even as oak and maple leaves fly free.
I’m so thankful there is a thing as lovely as frost forming on pumpkins…
![Snowy trees in my winter yard in Northern Illinois - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9326.jpg)
and how the scent of a campfire or burning leaves can usher in a flood of autumn childhood memories.
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-enough.jpg)
No matter what the season looks like this year, I hope we will be able to see that what we have is enough.
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9743.jpg)
We Can Be Still and Know
If we are challenged to find blessing or eyes to see the good, I hope we can forgive ourselves.
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9742.jpg)
I hope we can let our weary minds fall into our hearts.
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes #lionelhampton](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-lionel-hampton.jpg)
I hope we can remember to find moments of stillness, moments to kneel for embodied prayer.
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9741.jpg)
The day will come when I am no longer physically able to kneel near the earth. Let me not take even this simple posture for granted.
And let me remember I am but one prayer, one moment, one simple breath from seeking the grace I need for every task, for every care, for every struggle.
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9740.jpg)
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes #lyubomirsky](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-lyubomirsky.jpg)
The Art of Gratitude
Surely the art of gratitude takes a lifetime of practice.
Now that half of mine has been spent, I can see all the ways I was blind to gifts that did not at all feel like gifts when they were given. As a result, I could not access gratitude for them.
“Gratitude is good for you. Taking a moment to give thanks can improve your digestion, mental health, and even your emotional health. It doesn’t just make things “feel” better, it actually makes them get better.” -Ocean Robbins
But now!
Now?
Well, if I am honest, I am still mostly blind to the gifts; always judging and weighing and sorting the joy from the sorrow.
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes #melodybeattie](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-melody-beattie.jpg)
Which is why I must daily surrender and seek the grace to see beyond my own deeply rooted biases, privileges, entitlements and blind-spots. To see beyond the finite.
Beyond the glare of my wounds and trauma.
![Vintage metal watering cans lined up on the stone wall of our French inspired courtyard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9762.jpg)
Even now, I write these words from a place of deep forgetfulness. Relearning is often necessary.
![Serene reading corner with linen egg chair and grisaiile wallpaper - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-guest-bedroom-egg-chair-silver-tabel-diptyque-pomander-photowall-sweden-glass-bead-cross-necklace-4-Copy.jpg)
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-shown-in-acts.jpg)
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9753.jpg)
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio from Willie Nelson #gratitude #inspirational #quotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-willie-nelson.jpg)
![Fallen leaves, autumn trees, and turning colors in my Northern Illinois yard - Hello Lovely Studio.](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_9738.jpg)
![Inspirational quote about gratitude on Hello Lovely Studio from Thornton Wilder. #gratitude #inspirational #quotes](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hello-lovely-studio-inspirational-quote-about-gratitude-thornton-wilder.jpg)
Thank you for reading. I’m aware of the millions of websites and blogs in existence.
![Inspirational quote about gratitude and courage: the most powerful weapon against...#inspirationalquote #quotes #courage #personalgrowth](https://www.hellolovelystudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/farrow-ball-green-smoke-inspirational-quote-hello-lovely-studio-daily-battles-courage.jpg)
It’s a blessing and source of great joy to me that you choose to visit this one.
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Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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There may be millions of blogs in existence, but none quite like yours! ❤️🤗I’m grateful for it!! My middle son is up your way @ University of Chicago for first time in his life for NCAA soccer National Championship…they actually lost last night so his 16 year soccer career comes to an end as a Sr in college. I’m thankful for all the memories of that season of our lives as well! And as I write this I’m sitting in front of a warm cozy early morning fire @ our farm with complete quiet except for the flicker of the flames and thankful for this too! I just sent another prayer up for you about your latest health concern. You bring encouragement to so many…praying God grants you encouragement in all the ways you need it most today!
Author
So good to hear from you always, Amy. Thank you for your heartfulness. Boo for the loss of the match, but yay for him nearly completing college. My husband received a full scholarship to University of Chicago to play baseball, but chose instead to attend Northwestern – which was perfect because it was always my dream to go to NU where we ended up together. Your fire sounds cozy lovely – wishing you many more moments of holiday warmth this season. xox
I love all of your blogs, but this one will be a favorite…a blessed reminder.
Author
I’m so lucky to have you here – thank you for the kind support, friend.