10 Things...Beginning to Decorate for Fall

I don't know about you, but I just can't wait for the leaves to change colors, & the air to turn crisp and cool!

Just as nature is changing (or soon will be!) all around us at the beginning of a new season, there are little things that we can be doing in our homes to reflect that beautiful new beginning and make our homes a warm, welcoming place to be!!

Here's a few fun & easy ideas for transitioning into our Fall Decor:

{photo: BHG.com}

1) Think apples! Not only is the start of school a clue (apple for the teacher!), but nature makes these delicious fruits available to pick soon for making pies, tarts, applesauce, cakes, & cider!




Go ahead and add some apples to your kitchen decor. Put some fresh apples in a pretty bowl or colander and place on the counter (or on your coffee table!) for a healthy treat that's perfect for eating in season.

Or pile a bunch in a large glass vase with a candle nestled in the middle for a lovely table centerpiece!

{photo: Pottery Barn}

Choose your favorite variety & enjoy!!

I'll be adding to this "10 Things" list over the next week!

Happy Fall Everyone!!!

Keepin' It Simple for Fall

I don't know about you, but this year I am keeping my Fall decorating super simple!


I wanted to show you my Fall planters that I potted last weekend for our back deck.
They are lovely in serene shades of green & white!

So Cheery & Welcoming!

Since my life feels so hectic right now, I went with soothing shades of green & white for my planters. The tall evergreen bush and green wintercreeper will stay looking green and pretty all winter long! Talk about getting your money's worth! I can leave them in the pots, or plant them in the ground for year round interest!!

And I'm personally not a fan of mums in general, but these sweet white ones really caught my eye!

Did you know that white blooms in a shaded garden or a garden mostly viewed in the evening really steal the show? It's true! They add a romantic little "glow" to my garden that is just lovely!

I also made sure to place these pots from where I can see them inside as well! They add some cheer to my day, even if I'm sitting indoors :).

Won't you come and rock for awhile with me?
We can talk over some hot apple cider--Yummy!

I'd also like to say a big "Thank You" to my dear friend Amy (ALVN) at Junkologie & Whisperwood Cottage for this awesome Because I'm The Queen award!

I like being queen!
:)

And Amanda at Serenity Now sent me this sweet award too!
Thank you Amanda! :)

And what's more is I was featured today at Tip Junkie!!!
Click on over and see for yourself!



Enjoy your day!

Creating a Welcoming Home Thursday

I just love our neighbors! We live on a block with some really great people! My children play with their children/grandchildren (there are actually 4 sets of parent/grandparent who actually either live in the same home or across the street/next door to one another! So cool!), and hubby and I talk with the adults on a very regular basis. It helps that we all moved here close to the same time from up north, and that the weather is just so stinkin' fabulous here for most of the year!

I get excited about my neighbors! Probably because I never had neighbors growing up in the country. I've loved every neighborhood we've had (3), which has run the gamut from us being the only non-retirees on the block to having a full mixture of elderly and little ones all having fun at a block party!!

Neighbors can give a hug and a meal after the birth of a new baby, or the loss of a loved one. They can babysit when you need to run to the store, or give advice on growing the greenest grass. They'll give a plate of cookies just to be nice. Impromtu pitch-in's when no mom feels like cooking dinner are the most fun! I like having neighbors!!

So, this year our family is going to tell our neighbors how THANKFUL we are!
The kids will be making cards with me today (handprint turkeys!), that say "We are Thankful....for neighbors like you!"

This Thanksgiving, think about sending an "I'm Thankful for YOU!" card to someone!! It'll make their day!

By the way, dear friends, I'm VERY THANKFUL for YOU!!

Won't you be my "neighbor"?! :)

Turkey and Tinsel and Time-Outs, Oh My!

Somehow over the weekend, I've gone from decorating a paper turkey, to decorating (at least starting slowly) my house for Christmas!! Yes, I am a little insane...but, hey, that's what keeps things interesting, right? LOL :)

I love doing little easy crafty things with my girls, and they made the paper above at our church class 's Fall Feast (a yummy potluck) this weekend. It now has a spot of honor on the fridge! I hope to make some Happy Thanksgiving cards with them this week to mail to family--I'll show pics of those when we make them!

And the Christmas thing already?? Well, I normally don't get started decorating anywhere close to this early in the season! But since we trade off every year which holiday is spent at which family, and more often than not we aren't home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, last year we decided to decorate for Christmas right before we left for Thanksgiving holiday. Follow me so far? :) It made for such a stress free, enjoyable December! So, this year I'm getting a bit earlier start and just taking my time with it...even more stress free!!

The above pics are things I have hanging on one of my trees :)!!! I have several, all of them decorated differently...this will give you a little preview!

I decided that over the next several weeks, I'm also going to be giving LOTS of time-outs. Yup, you heard me! But not to my children (although with them home right now from their year-round school on track out, that remains to be seen!)....to me, myself, and I! I need a time-out every now and then to BREATHE, ENJOY, and RELAX!!! I think I'll take one later today with some hot cocoa and a book -- Yum!

THANK YOU to everyone who left a comment about my sunroom decorating!!!!!

The advice you all gave was amazing, and very much appreciated! I love having so many great decorating friends :). You're going to have to wait and see what I end up doing! I'll have pics for you after Thanksgiving of the end result!!!

So, what are you waiting for?! Give yourself a TIME-OUT today!! What will you do during your time-out???!!

Creating A Welcoming Home Thursday

Ahh, the 5 senses of the autumn season are among my favorites of the year! On this Creating A Welcoming Home Thursday, let's focus on a few little things to enhance our family's enjoyment of this month of Thankfulness!

Sight -- Switching just a few things around from the "Boo" objects of October to items of fall bounty will do the trick! Leave pumpkins and gourds, scatter fall leaves found on a family walk, and place bundles of wheat or branches on the mantle or table. Light the 1st fire of the season! Add some of the accent colors found in nature: reds, oranges, browns, golds...it'll make everyone feel warm and festive! Do a family craft time and have everyone write down something they're thankful for on a paper leaf...add to a pretty branch placed in a vase for a table display/centerpiece, then add the leaves to your scrapbook later!!

Smell -- Light a lovely smelling candle (I'm just a wee bit partial to Yankee's Home Sweet Home scent!), bake an apple or spice cake, and air out the house on a day that's a little warmer for some fresh, crisp fall air before the house gets shut tight for winter!

Taste -- Carmel apples, pumpkin pie, s'mores, pecan pie, pot roasts, chicken pot pies, chili & cornbread...and let's not forget the turkey dinner! Yum!!! My mouth is a-watering already! These foods give our families a warm, cozy feeling -- they call it comfort food for a reason, y'all! :)

Sound -- The sound of a crackling fire, crunchy leaves during a walk, and prayers before a family meal are all blessings! Take time to enjoy each sound during this season, and be Thankful for the little things!

Touch -- Place a cozy blanket or quilt on the beds and one by the couch for snuggling on chilly evenings. Use fabric napkins in a fall color for meals...they are sturdy, pretty, washable, and less wasteful than paper! Pull out the fall/winter clothes and place away the summery things...a warm sweater is wonderful! Give lots and lots and lots of hugs to family and friends this Thanksgiving!!! Touch someone's heart by giving a donation to a local food pantry, coat drive, or shelter.


Let's focus on the simple things this November, and be THANKFUL for all of the blessings in our lives!!!

How are you going to enjoy this season to be THANKFUL???

To Be A Kid Again!

Doesn't this just make you wanna jump in a big pile of fall leaves yourself?! :)

I hope you don't mind seeing a few more pictures of my girls from when we were in MI!

They had so much fun raking up all of the leaves and then jumping exuberantly in the big pile!! This is the kind of thing I loved doing myself as a kid, and we try to catch a photo memory or 2 each year of our girls doing the same thing!

Some of you asked about the girls: No, they aren't twins -- they're 15 mo. apart! Although they are the same size, cause the oldest is a tiny little thing! I get asked if they are twins at least once a day!! :)

Have a wonderful day today, and take some time to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches of this Autumn Season! I think I'm going to make myself a cup of tea now!!!

It's {REALLY} Fall, Y'all!

Happy 1st Day of Autumn!

It's officially the beginning of autumn today, even though so many of us have been preparing for weeks now! My family went to the city Farmer's Market on Saturday and got several pumpkins to put in the house and enjoy! I put several tiny ones in this old sewing drawer, and added a vintage handkerchief, skeleton key, and vintage leaf pin that I got at the Junk Bonanza :). (Still needs some bittersweet or somethin', but it's a cute, compact little arrangement & I like it!)

Melissa over at The Inspired Room is having a fall linky party going on, so I thought I'd join in!

20 Little Things to Treasure in Autumn:

1. there is a crispness in the air
2. pumpkin & apple picking (cider mills if you're lucky!)
3. s'mores and roasted marshmallows around the bonfire
4. jumping in leaf piles
5. collecting pinecones, acorns, and pretty leaves
6. cute new fall clothes
7. snuggling under a cozy blanket
8. eating your kids' Halloween candy
9. large family meals
10. caramel apples (w/nuts)
11. rich fall colors
12. lighting the 1st fire of the season
13. warm apple cider in a pretty glass mug
14. switching to flannel sheets
15. comfort foods are truly comforting
16. getting to put on my favorite pair of jeans
17. nature walks as a family
18. burning my Yankee Home Sweet Home candle
19. old movie nights
20. fall feels like a fresh start, full of wondrous things to come!

Well, there's just a few of the wonderful things about Autumn!

What is your favorite thing about fall??? Leave a little comment and let us know! :)

Romantic Autumn Birdcage

Do you remember the birdcage from my earlier fall post? It was pretty sad with bad fake greenery and ugly pink birds inside. I was originally going to paint it black (nothing new for blogland :) and put it on my tv armoire with black crows, etc. But it didn't look quite right up there. Sometimes in decorating you have to try different things till you find one that "clicks"!

The more I stared at it, the more I thought it might look great up on my bedside table! I decided not to paint it for now (although I probably will later and move it to the playroom), since the finish sort of went with our darker bedroom furniture.

I added beautiful ribbons to the top, a pale grey-blue velvet, a leopard print!, and handmade lace from the 1880's. Then I crushed some fake creamy flowers to look more vintage and added some real dried hydrangea to it. Antique chandelier crystals of different sizes completed the over-the-top romantic topper!

Our bedroom has a Nantucket feel to it, since that's where we honeymooned and went back & spent our 10th anniversary last year! There's no overt "theme", but we used dried hydrangea in a real Nantucket lightship basket, shell prints, a few bleached shells and starfish and used pale grey-blue as an accent color.

I originally wasn't sure if I was crazy trying to bring some fall accents in our bedroom, but The Nester's post here gave me just the inspiration needed! Bonus--I had everything I needed already!

A real nest, old books, starfish, pinecones from our neighborhood, a glass doorknob, and more dried hydrangea...just awaiting a creamy white pumpkin! (Still have to go to the Dollar Store later!)

It turned out so soft and romantic and pretty! This is as "romantic-style" as I get, but I love it!

Like I said, after fall it will probably get a nice coat of spray paint and end up doing something fun in the playroom! The possibilities with decorating are endless, especially when you get objects that you can repurpose in different ways!!

Blessings,

Stacey

A is for Autumn

I've loved seeing some other blogs and the banners they've created, and decided to make my own! I love how it turned out!

Give me a : A-U-T-U-M-N!!!

I made this with scrapbook paper, photocopied sheet music for some b&w, and glitter letters from walmarrt. I was smiling the whole time...I love being crafty and creative. It truly makes my spirit happy!

It's so lonely hanging on my mantle...it wants some pumpkin friends to join it! I was going to go to the store today (no fresh pumpkins here for awhile--keep forgetting I'm not in the midwest!) to get some faux/fake pumpkins & bittersweet, but Tropical Storm Hanna has us staying inside. We just got rain & wind, but not as bad as the coast. No power loss or anything. But it's windy enough I don't feel like driving around. So the rest of my mantle decorating will have to wait! ;)

Have a great Saturday!

Blessings,
Stacey

ps--Do you think I should change the ribbon to a black & white check ribbon?? I might, let me know what you think!! :)

Fall Dining Room

Okay, folks, here's some dining room decorations I did this morning! Sorry that some of the pics are a little dim...the light just bounces off the house next door, and so you might have to click to enlarge! I might also say that general decorating isn't done in here yet! We are planning to paint above the chair rail a cafe' color (I might have to check out the Tobacco Road that everyone is raving about!), and below the chair rail add wainscot molding and paint to match the trim.

I already had the black chandie shades with a champagne-golden lining. Very dramatic in the evening as it softly diffuses the light. Also had the black chandie cord cover. I love those scrunchy cord covers! All I had to do for fall was add these cute little garlands. Guess what they really are? Candle rings!! They go around the base of a larger candle! My mom & I thought they'd be perfect on a chandelier, and I always get lots of complements on these!

Next, I put together my fall urn arrangement! I took a large black urn and added lots of moss inside to hold all the things I would be placing in it. There's branches, birds, and fall looking faux greenery. I know the Nester & HGTV say you gotta use the right faux or none at all, but I like these and think they look pretty realistic! I got these orange-glittered branches and acorn branches at a local boutique last year, but you could get branches out of your yard and spray paint and glitter to get a similar look for less!

I placed all the branches in and added little fall birdies with browns and golds! Don't be afraid to go big with your arrangement! Turn the urn as you go to make sure it's balanced and looks good from every angle. Do this especially if your fall urn arrangement will be on your dining table or a sofa table that people will be viewing from all sides.

My daughter found these HUGE leaves, and we placed them in a crystal bowl on the "buffet", which is really a 1920's dresser! I love the sparkly crystal next to the natural faded leaves!!

Here's a fuzzy close up of the birds in the fall arrangement!

Trying to get a clear, bright shot, but the lighting isn't the best.

Well, that's a start! I'll be showing other projects I've been working on other days this week!

Thanks to everyone who's been leaving me little comment candy lately!! I just love those kind little comments--they make my day! It's been especially fun to hear from my "lurkers" & get to visit their blogs in return :). So leave me a little sumthin' sumthin' in the comments section & say "Hello!"

Blessings,

Stacey