Recovering from Summer Fun

It is always hard to watch summer go—I love, love, love summer—it’s my favorite time of year. And although I miss the bluebird summer days and relaxed summer evenings, I can’t say I dread the arrival of fall. The beauty of autumn is right around the corner with the breathtaking yellows and golds lighting up the hills all around town.

I think I love the gold of the aspens shimmering under a screaming blue sky because I know what awaits: the barren gray trees before the snow comes. I love nature, I love being outdoors but the colors of fall hold a true place in my heart. And speaking of the captivating yellows, my heart skips a beat when the school bus pulls up for the first time. Watching my boys get on, I am ready to get back into a ‘normal’ routine, and soon enough summer is a distant memory. I am ready to hunker down at work and get back to a set schedule—back to designing spaces that incorporate our the active lifestyle and natural beauty we all love here in the mountains.

Autumn for me is one great outdoor bonanza: I make it a priority to tailgate, catch the local homecoming football games, listen to my feet scuff through the freshly fallen aspen leaves on our weekend hikes, sip a stein of pale ale at Oktoberfest and cozy up the annual bonfire. It often catches me off guard just how quickly the seasons change, when suddenly I am layered in my favorite wool sweater that I am thrilled to put away at the end of winter and am just as excited to pull out in September.

So, I am going to sit down, study some plans, create some inspiring spaces, take a bite of this perfectly crisp apple (found at the farmers’ market and harvested just west of here!), enjoy the shortening days and cooler nights before I’m bogged down with winter cold.

This inspiration brought to you by designer Kim Toms, who has a creative streak and is a tinkerer at heart. As a child she was often found in the arts and crafts barn at camp. Later, when most of her friends got jobs in the mall she wanted a job at the local hardware store. She graduated with an interior design degree from Iowa State University in 1993, moved to Vail, and has been in the world of interior design ever since.