Let's build a fire!

It's really, truly Fall now. Those leaves that were so stubbornly green when I wanted to take pictures for my Leafs Me Happy post are turning gold and orange and red. Even better, we finally broke down and turned on the furnace last night. Saner people might have done it a week or two earlier, but I seem to be the only one who feels the cold. And, according to the nice chimney sweet who just left, our fireplace is ready for crackling glowing flames! 

Have I  ever told you how much I adore our fireplace? I don't know if it's original to our 1920 farmhouse, but if its an addition, it was an early one. This is, in my mind, exactly how a fireplace is supposed to look. I've had guests tell me it's too huge, but I don't remember asking their opinion.

Those same guests have also picked on the paneling, which I refuse to part with. The paneling, which we've got in almost every room of the house, isn't old, but I love the look. I must not be the only one -- Knotty is Nice is an entire blog devoted to it. I suspect that thestuff they're talking about is higher quality than what we have, but you live with what you've got.

One of these days, I'm going to have a pretty mantel all decorated for the holidays. That will be after I convince the rest of the family to stop putting random things up there. It was a handy place to keep things out of reach when the little guys were still toddlers, but now they put things up there so no one will touch them. Apparently the fireplace has deep symbolic powers. 

This post is linked to Time Travel Thursday, Treasure Hunt Thursday,  and Vintage Thingie Thursday. If you want a chance to win a copy of Ebony Love's new book, The Big Little Book of Fabric Die Cutting Tips, and the die cut pieces to make my two color lap quilt, leave a message on the giveaway post before November 3.