fall inspiration: natural + black + white

Hello, friends. So, it seems fall is approaching, though the hot weather won't relent for a quite a while yet. My daughters have returned to school. We are reestablishing our school year routine here, going to bed earlier, and attempting to be organized. It's very challenging to arrive on time - and with the appropriate snacks & gear - to school, ballet, playdates, orthodontist appointments, and so forth. It can be tricky to keep up with everyone's schedules, not to mention library books, permission forms, lunch boxes...and of course I would like to accomplish all of this with a minimum of time and effort - so that I can turn my attention Fair Morning Blue. 

All of this has me thinking (like I do every year) about how if I take a few weeks to do spring cleaning now, in the fall - and really focus on clearing out clutter and finding a place for everything, then our entire semester will go more smoothly. To be honest, I find this kind of work a bit tedious. Worthwhile, but tedious all the same. To entice myself to do it, I plan to treat myself to a few audiobooks, and also to allow my thoughts and daydreams to turn to redecorating, replenishing, and making our home a comforting little sanctuary, where we can relax and spend a few quiet moments recovering from our too-busy lives.

With that in mind, I spent a little longer than I intended - I'm supposed to be cleaning out the pantry - on Pinterest looking for fall inspiration. You know how it goes, right? One click leads to another. What I found is that I'm currently drawn to all things black and white, but with a touch of rustic thrown in - unfinished wood, baskets, jute rugs, twine. These are the images I will hold in my mind as I head off to tackle my sweet disaster. I hope this note finds you all well, and these pictures can be an inspiration for you as well. Cheers!

1. Maison Estate / 2. Oct. 2011 Country Living via Design for Mankind / 3. Lily.fi 4. photo by William Abranowicz for Elle Decor