I know, I know. It’s only August.

But here in Vermont, you can already feel it coming.

There’s something different about the air. The mornings are a little cooler, the evenings come a little earlier, and every once in a while you catch that crisp smell that can only mean one thing.

Fall is on its way.

And I am ready for ALL of it.

Give me the pumpkins. Give me the mums. Give me the chunky sweaters, cozy blankets, candles burning in the kitchen and a pot of something warm simmering on the stove.

And yes, give me all things pumpkin spice.

Pumpkin spice coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin candles...I am not above any of it.

One of my favorite things about fall is that even the simplest things start to feel cozy again. That first morning when it’s actually chilly enough to wrap both hands around a hot cup of coffee. A warm chai in a big Farmhouse Pottery mug. Hot apple cider after being outside. Or really, anything warm in any favorite mug for that matter!

There’s just something about it.

Fall makes me want to cook again. To pull out the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, make a big pot of soup, roast something in the oven and actually sit down at the table for dinner. It makes me want to put a throw over every chair in the house and light a candle before the sun even goes down.

And then there’s Stowe.

There really is no place quite like it in the fall.

Soon the mountains will start changing from green to those incredible shades of red, orange and gold. Main Street will be bustling, the air will smell like leaves and woodsmoke, and there will be pumpkins and mums everywhere you look.

Including, of course, in front of The Country Store on Main.

If you know me, you know I don't believe in putting out just a few mums. 

Inside the shop, fall is arriving too. Warm colors, cozy throws, beautiful mugs, candles, pumpkins, kitchen linens and all those little things that make you want to come home, get comfortable and stay awhile.

I think that’s one of the reasons I love fall so much. Summer is wonderful, but it’s busy! By the time fall rolls around, I’m ready to be home, cook dinner, light a candle and get cozy.

Open the windows and let that cool air in. Put something delicious in the oven. Light the candle. Grab the blanket. Pour something warm into your favorite mug.

And enjoy it.

Because those few glorious weeks of fall in Vermont never seem to last quite long enough.

So yes, it may still be August.

But I’m ready. Bring on all the Fall things!