Something I really love and miss is the changing of the leaves. I grew up in Michigan, where autumn leaves are truly a spectacle to behold! Out here on the Northern California coast, we mostly have evergreens. But I do have one small oriental maple on my property that changes color every year, and I adore this little tree!
Throughout the month of October, I like to bring in branches from the little maple, to have a bit of the autumn colors inside. I take the loveliest leaves and press them into books, because that was what my dad used to do. Whenever I open one of his books, Michigan autumn leaves of years gone by come fluttering out. It warms the cockles of my heart.
When I see my little oriental maple, I am also reminded of my dad's sugar maple trees on his woodlot when I was growing up. He would tap them and make his own maple syrup, which was a long and labor-intensive hobby. It takes 25-75 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup!
I decided to make this little vase out of the branches that I brought in. It was supper easy to make with just glue and scissors. The glass vase is from an old salt shaker, but any old jar will work fine! It's just a matter of letting the glue on one side dry completely before adding more twigs.