Finally Fall and Finally Back

Since school has started, I have been on a little hiatus. Of course, what I was too sick and exhausted to tell you all at the time was that there was another reason aside from the regular beginning of school exhaustion.

Luckily, things are on the up and up, and I’m feeling much better and gaining some of my energy back. Because of this new found energy, I decided to pursue some of my fall decor dreams since I haven’t done that in a couple of years.

Thanks to some very generous people I have pulled this together with a limited budget and made a decent fall scene that can be used until Thanksgiving. Is it bad that I’m already planning for Christmas though?

Don’t worry! I don’t break out the Christmas decor until after Thanksgiving even though it’s getting harder and harder to adhere to that.

Starting at the front door…a small touch with pumpkins and dried limelight hydrangeas.

And then it moves straight to the front porch….pumpkins, cotton, hay bales, ferns, planters, and a lantern to top it off.

As for the planters, I used a combination of marigolds, creeping fig, celosia, and scaevola.

I’ve got plans for a fall mantel, but it’s just a matter of following through with them. Hang tight…I may surprise you.

On to the doctor tomorrow for our second ultrasound of baby brother. Hopefully will have a video to share soon! We’re taking Landry, so that should be interesting. As always, keep us in your prayers for a healthy baby boy. I’m always nervous until everything is confirmed. So thankful for all God has given us!

Welcome Y’all!

Our porch is officially ready for fall! It’s taken me several weekends to put it all together. The neighbors were probably disgusted at our porch in all of its unfinished state. Great first impression, huh? Seriously….they probably don’t give a hill of beans, but it would be nice to think they actually look and notice such things {not the unfinished part, but the effort put into making our porch fall ready}.

I’ve found and been given so much to make this fall extravaganza happen, so I must first say thanks to all of those who contributed. You know who you are, and I sincerely appreciate your generosity.

I used a galvanized tub {gifted to us by my BIL and SIL} to house a mixture of pansies, violas, and a couple of wandering jew plants. In an effort to cover some ugly containers that the plants come in, I used some burlap and gently wrapped it around the container. It’s not even permanently attached or attached at all for that matter.

The other side of the door is outfitted with another bale of hay, some cotton, pinecones, a gorgeous and unique pumpkin from the Whitfield’s, and finally a scarecrow and unknown plant.

The steps are adorned with a variety of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, pansies, hay bales, and corn stalks. I don’t know where you get your pumpkins from, but if you live around here, you should go to the Whitfield’s. I love that place so much, and to be honest there is nothing that great about it. It’s a person’s yard on the side of the road. However, there’s no pressure when picking out pumpkins. You’re on your own. You pay by the honor system! Seriously….that makes my day that these folks are such trusting people that they allow that. To me, it makes me believe I’m living in another era. AND….there are so many choices! All sizes of the typical orange pumpkin are there, but then there is a variety of shapes and sizes and colors of others {or gourds}. I get all excited about going there, and I anticipate my trip every year around this time.

Yes, I did get a little out of hand with all of the “welcoming”! I’m aware.

As for the grapevine crosses, I discovered them at the Jay Peanut Festival. Needless to say, I will be going back. If you have kids, you definitely need to go and bring them along. They would have a blast! My dad thinks that our front doors look like those of a church, so I think I really accentuated that thought. However, I haven’t had our “visitors” since I put them up. You’ll have to ask me privately if you want to know who I’m referring to, but if you know me really well you have probably heard or overheard me fussing.

Hopefully, all of our guests will feel a nice, warm, fall welcome!

A Fall Tablescape….Updated!

A week or so ago I shared with you our dining room, but I was in the hopes of adding a little more to the tablescape. It was on the right track, but it just didn’t feel complete, and I knew exactly what would do that for me. Twine. Deer antlers. Pumpkins. And that’s just what I added.

As it was, I had some orange and cream pumpkins hanging around from a past fall season. I think I found them at Wal-Mart once. The candle holders were picked up this year from the Dollar General. The candle is sitting upon a silver-plated tray {found at a consignment shop}, and it is within a hurricane I found at Goodwill for less than $1. I then added some pine cones from our very own yard, and it was done {as far as the center table décor was concerned}. Was I satisfied though? Well, you know the answer to that since I’m back for an update.

My point for giving all of the information about where I purchased all of those items is to prove that you can shop your house or places that sell things for basically nothing. You do not have to spend a fortune. Sometimes, you just have to think and use what you have. Trust me. We don’t have money growing from the trees in our backyard.

Like I said, I added in pumpkins, twine, and deer antlers to complete the look I was going for. Oh, and I added in some mini tart pans.

And the final look….

Fall is in the air?

When school starts back and football games begin to be announced for their upcoming arrival, I immediately start thinking that it is time to break out the fall décor. When is it finally ok to put the leafy wreathes on the door and start burning all of my warm and toasty scents in the Scentsy? I’m about to bust to put it all out and go raid the stores for even more stuff. I’m trying to hold back until September 1st, but it is taking every bone in my body to hold me back. It seriously doesn’t help my case that the stores have it all out now. FYI {Stores rack up when I walk in the door during the month of August….school supplies and fall décor….oh, dear!}

Since I haven’t actually put any of my seasonal items up for fall, I figured I would share with you some photos that I found on Pinterest {yes…again}. It’s the top ten reasons that I really love fall….and I’m sure I’m going to forget some things. It might be an ongoing list.

{One}

Jeans, boots, sweaters, scarves…those are my favorite things to wear. I swear I sometimes wish I could move somewhere in which I could practically where these items all the time.

{Two}

S’mores….dear heavens! I can taste the things in my mouth now. Now that I have a fire pit at the house now, I think I’ll be cooking me up some on a nice, cool night.

{Three}

Football…college or high school. I’ll take either really. I’m more a college football kind of gal, but the occasional appearance at a high school game doesn’t hurt. I actually adore the sounds and smells that come with attending one. College football is exciting to me though, too. We’re not the tailgating at the game type {not that there’s anything wrong with it}, but we do love to watch a game at the house. I’m hoping that this year we can even have a few friends over to watch the games with us.

{Four}

Fall scents….anything warm and cozy. I have been saving up my scents of mochadoodle and pecan praline. When I open my scentsy basket, all of those scents combined exit into the air, and it makes a heavenly smell.

{Five}

A cozy fire. For the first time, Colby and I actually have a fireplace and a place to put our wood inside the house. I am dying for it to be filled to the brim with wood and to hear a crackling fire as I relax on the couch.

{Six}

The changing of colors and a nice breeze. When fall is really in the air, the leaves will slowly but surely begin to change and the wind will so gently blow them to the ground. That breeze is one of the best feelings in the world to me. I could sit outside in the afternoons for hours just soaking up the atmosphere. I have already spotted a few color changes here and there. So, do  I have permission to throw up the fall decorations yet?

{Seven}

Everything to do with pumpkins! I have a gigantic front porch and a lovely back porch that I’m ecstatic about. I can see pumpkins and mums and all of the rest on it this year. It might not actually become reality because of the moo-lah that is involved with such, but I’m willing to give it a good shot. Going to the pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins are some of the best memories you can make. It takes you away from the hustle and bustle that can really come with all that happens during the fall season.

{Eight}

Hay rides and harvest festivals, oh my! I have even made a Pinterest board {surprise, surprise} for such things. I’ve heard talk around church about a possible harvest festival, so I’m trying to get up some new and creative games for it. Every year we have a hay ride through the fields behind our church, and it is so peaceful to be curled up in a blanket {another love of fall} beside the one I love and gaze at the stars with all of those who are dear to me as well.

{Nine}

Trick or treating! Last year was the first year that we had trick-or-treaters, and Colby was more entertained by my excitement of little ones showing up in the costumes than the kids themselves. It’s a sight to behold. Since I’m on a budget, I’m going to try to find a cost-efficient way to have some trick-or-treaters this year without breaking the bank.

{Ten}

Hunting season….actually yes! Praise the Lord that I am finally going to be free to do as I please this year and won’t be tied down with school {in a degree seeking way anyway}. While I don’t love the mess that sometimes comes with it, I do love the way Colby smells after going hunting and seeing his excitement after killing “the big one” thrills me just as much. It will be nice to spend some time at the cabin here and there on the weekends and just break away from reality. If you teach second grade Reading Street, you will understand this next statement. I love a rural area! For all of you who are not teachers of the second grade, ‘rural’ was one of our amazing words this week.

That’s my top ten list of why I love fall, y’all! I know you have your own things that just make you desire this time of year to hurry up and arrive just like I do. What did I miss? Any suggestions of things I should try and do this year to celebrate this amazingly wonderful season that our Lord created?

A Thanksgiving Table

Ya’ll, it has been two weeks since I’ve blogged. I haven’t fallen off of the face of the earth, but I sure haven’t had the time or the energy to muster up a post. To be quite honest, there hasn’t been too much happening other than just life in general. School gets busy this time of year with tons of activities for the kids. You know the ones I’m talking about…..Christmas play practice, Thanksgiving dinner with parents, Santa pictures, etc. With all of those things going on, it puts us in a hurry to make sure we get everything in.

This week I have been enjoying a break from all of the craziness, but it will start right back up again next week. While rest is what most everyone would do on their week off, I have been tackling some home projects that have been screaming to be done {or re-done} in this case. I’ve also been on edge for the past week. A rather large {in my opinion, of course}  lizard got into my house somehow. I swear I wish I knew how he got in, so I could put a stop to that. Anyhow, I’m terrified of lizards or any kind of insect or reptile. Ugh. They just gross me out.

After he continually caught me off guard by appearing in various places in my laundry room and bathroom, I decided enough was enough. Every time I would go into the laundry room, I would be stepping carefully and looking everywhere to spot him. Then, no matter how hard I was looking, he would still pop out, and I would scream and run the other way. It was a sad cycle that I have no idea why I’m admitting to. Of course, I got to hear everyone say that they won’t hurt me and that they eat bugs {as if I didn’t know that}, but that doesn’t do anything about the fact that I still hate them.  In response to the sneaky lizard, I spotted him and hopped up onto our freezer that is in our laundry room. I tried my best to scare the dickens out of him with a broom. To no avail though, he was still in there and still alive and well. Knowing I had to get ready to go eat, I bravely entered by bathroom to touch up my makeup. I keep all of my makeup and hair supplies in a basket. The shower curtain had gotten tucked under something and was stuck in it just a little bit. As I was carefully loosening it being fully aware that the lizard was probably going to pop out, I looked up and there it was on the shower curtain. Needless to say, I threw the basket, and everything went everywhere. Colby finally came home, and I sent him in to assess the situation. No lizard. As he was brushing his teeth though, he spotted him….hanging from the light fixture!!! Thinking that Colby was going to chase me with him or tease me with it, I ran out into the yard until I saw him throw him out. The neighbor kids probably thought I had finally lost my mind. The good news is that I’m not longer on high alert while walking through my house.

Anyhow…this post got way off base. I guess it’s what happens when you haven’t posted in two weeks.

Even though Thanksgiving dinner is not at my house, I still wanted to set the table and share it with you in case you were looking for a budget friendly option for setting your table.

To start off, I set the mood by hanging this bunting on my china cabinet. I used a printable bunting template from BusyGirl. Super easy! All you have to do is print, cut, and attach with some kind of ribbon or string. I used twine, and it worked for me.

Then, I moved on to the table.

For the centerpiece, I used a burlap runner that I made myself. My tip to you is to use a runner that you already have and use it as a template to cut out a runner from burlap. You will want to make it just a tad bit wider if you are planning on using some hem tape to press it down to make a nice, clean line. I also used three pumpkins {one I picked up in Tennessee on our trip and the other two were given to me from another wedding I was in….thanks, Erin}. The greenery is made up of cedar tree greenery and fresh pine needles. I just kept tucking it in until it was nice and full.

I then tucked in some pine cones, and some of them held another printable that came from Bird’s Party Blog.

For the place settings, I chose to use a set of dishes that my mom was trying to get rid of in yard sale. When she offered them to me for no charge at all, I hopped on them with the intent of using them during the fall.

The napkins are just plain orange ones that I picked up on the clearance aisle once that are tied up with twine with the utensils tucked inside.

To add in a personal touch to the guests, I attached this printable from Simple As That. They are actually supposed to be toothpick flags, but why use them for their intended purpose?

On the front, it has a Thanksgiving word or print, and on the back you can write the guest’s name.

So that’s my Thanksgiving inspired table! I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving. Count your blessings and be thankful for all of the things big or small that God has provided you with this past year. Spend time with your family, and don’t let this Black Friday that is slowly creeping into our Thanksgiving festivities fiasco interrupt the true reason that this holiday is celebrated.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From,

My Family to Yours

My First Halloween Experience

For the first time since Colby and I have had our house, Colby has actually  been home on Halloween, which meant that I could have trick-or-treaters that weren’t family. I could actually turn my lights on!

I’m not going to lie. I was so excited when they started showing up. Of course, it pays to be a teacher because you end up knowing the majority of the kids. They were all so cute in their costumes.

Since I’m not in the mood so much to narrate the entire night, I’ll just share it in pictures.

My very first trick-or-treater with her homemade pirate costume! So cute!

And the others….the always dependable family….

If you’re wondering about the pumpkins, it was one of the few fall projects that I actually got accomplished. I painted our street numbers on the pumpkins.

Now, on to Thanksgiving and a week long vacation!

The Big Day: Wedding 2 of 4

On Sunday, despite my want and need for sleep, I forced myself out of bed to shower and prepare myself for the big day. We didn’t have to be at the wedding site until 12 to get ready, so Colby and I ventured out early to see what we could see.

To start off, we traveled on over to Cades Cove. No matter how long we are going to be there, Cades Cove is a must-do item on the to-do list….and it may get done two or three times while we are in the area. This time we limited it to two. If you have never been and want to see beautiful scenery and relax, this is the place for you to go. You will be hooked. We have been going there for years with our families, even before we met.

It was lovely to see all of the leaves changing colors.

And to see all of the wildlife {while we interrupted there sleep and breakfast eating}.

This little guy was out like a light. He had two friends in two other trees though that weren’t quite so tired.

If you’re ever driving through Cades Cove and cars start backing up or the people are standing around like the picture below, you have come upon what is called a “bear jam”, so you might as well get out and go see for yourself. Traffic will not move quickly. On that note, if you’re in a hurry, just do everyone a favor and don’t go. There’s nothing more annoying that being in front of or behind someone who is in a hurry.

This is my favorite barn in the whole place….

By the time we made the loop, it was time to make our way over to drop me off to get dressed and ready for the evening wedding.

I was in love with my shoes for the wedding. Instead of choosing the dyeables from David’s Bridal, we had the option to find some champagne shoes on our own. These are from Zappos.

The bride was beautiful as always!

And because I couldn’t decide which one I liked better, I’ll provide you with this…

Unfortunately, I don’t have one photo of the wedding since I was in it. Colby had offered to take photos for me, but signs were up stating not to take pictures per the paid photographer. I will just say that the wedding was heartfelt and sweet. I wish you all could have been there!

So, now let’s just move on to the reception where everyone celebrated the marriage together!

The first dance….

And then came the speeches from the best man and maid of honor…

And then the fun began…

And I may get killed for putting these on here, and I will be more than glad to take these down {if I must}. For my sake though, let’s just enjoy what we see and get a good laugh out of it.

Please draw your eyes to the first picture on the top left and the second picture on the bottom left. HILARIOUS!

It was an awesome wedding, Andrea and Whitney!

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Qualls!