I'VE FALLEN...FOR FALL!!!

 

Fall is my absolute favorite season...and after our long hot summers here in the South I’m always glad to see it come.  Even though it’s not “officially FALL”, I couldn’t wait a minute longer.  I’ve hit HOBBY LOBBY twice along with Dollar Tree and Dollar General (where I found very little).  Soooo...I thought I’d let my pictures do this post:)  Hope you like my style!

MY  TIERED  TRAY...I love decorating it for the seasons.

 

Got this cute mug from ETSY...love me some pumpkin spice!

                 I adore GNOMES...came from Hobby Lobby.

           All the dishes came from Wal-Mart a few years ago.

Placemats were a gift from a friend who was moving...they came from Dollar Tree (surprisingly very good quality).

 

I made the wreath with supplies from Hobby Lobby...just                      something simple (to go with my simple skills!)

The porch rocker is very old and belonged to my husband’s beloved grandmother.  Not in great shape any longer but so hard to get rid of something so old and that belonged to family.  Pillow from Wal-Mart last year; scarecrow from Hobby Lobby.

                           Scarecrow from Hobby Lobby.

              Do the sunflowers look tacky??  Tell the truth!!!

 

Can’t wait for the cooler FALL air so I can once again enjoy my front porch.

 

And one last little scarecrow...from Hobby Lobby couple years ago.  They still have lots of cute ones.

Soooo....do you decorate for FALL?  What's your favorite season?

I'M FALLING!!!!

 

 

Even though the heat index here in south GA is 105 degrees today and it’s still officially summer, I decided I was going to start FALLing!  That is, I pulled out the FALL décor today.  After all, they already have CHRISTMAS decorations in many of the stores!!!!  (I am SO NOT ready for that!)  I decided I might as well enjoy a month of FALL decorations before I have to pull out the HALLOWEEN trappings.  Then it will be time for about 3 weeks of THANKSGIVING then I’ll pull out the really big guns for the end of Nov. and the month of December.  WHEW!!!!  I’m tired just thinking about it!

 

Have you seen the two and three tiered trays that seem to be the “IN” thing in holiday décor?  I have salivated over all those I see on PINTEREST for awhile, so not too long ago HOBBY LOBBY (love that place!) had theirs on 50% off so I figured that was my SIGN…true, right???  

I had a difficult time deciding between painted metal, galvanized metal, or wood but finally went with a white metal one since so much of my kitchen is white.  I’d really like to have the galvanized or wooden one for FALL holidays, but the white one will look really good with all my gingerbread items for CHRISTMAS.  Maybe HL will have another sale and I will grab another one😊

These are all from Amazon:

So, what do you think of my first time diving into TRAY DECORATING?  I’m sort of proud of it; it actually turned out better than I thought since I am so NOT good at decorating.  The chubby little scarecrow and the squirrel came from Hobby Lobby this year and the “blessed” sign came from $TREE (altered by me), but everything else I already had.  I love the FALL pillow with the LITTLE RED TRUCK.  It came from Dollar General last year. They had some other cute one this year, too.

 

 

Here are a few other tiered trays decorated for FALL…thanks to PINTEREST.

I also pulled out my fall plates and placemats.  The placemats were a gift from my sweet neighbor when she was downsizing to move.  They also came from $TREE but are super quality and well made.  And…they are perfect for a FALL  table.  (Thanks, Lois:)  I bought the plates just a few years ago from Wal Mart but I doubt they are still available.  They are also perfect for fall…a cream color with just a tad of brown around the edges.  (You know what a “tad” is, right?  We southerners sometimes forget we have our own vocabulary, so I’m never sure who understands what I’m talking about!!!)

 

I love this pumpkin soup tureen…but it’s never seen a single drop of soup!  I just thought it was beautiful for decoration and bought it a few years ago at TJMaxx. 

 I love to decorate my porch for the seasons.  Here is my ivy “tree”.  It will look better when I have some real pumpkins to sit beside it. 

 

And here is my rocking chair with a cute  FALL pillow (from Wal Mart last year) and a cute scarecrow  from Hobby Lobby.

 I love holiday flags.  This one is new.  Got it at Dollar General the other day for $1.50!  You know I love a bargain! 

 And here are a few more items that found their way into my FALL decorating frenzy.

 

 

 

Now for a sneak peak at two of the cutest HALLOWEEN items I found today at Dollar General….it’s not that I’m cheap, but when you live in a small town you are excited to have dollar stores cause you don’t have much else!

I just couldn’t resist the gingham check and well, the wine one was just too cute not to get…and it was the last one they had😊

 

Is it just me, or does it bother anybody else that you walk down an aisle in a store these days and you see FALL, HALLOWEEN, AND CHRISTMAS decorations altogether?????????????  Doesn’t each holiday deserve its own special time in the spotlight??

 

I am sooooooooooooooo looking forward to when it is really FALL!  I can barely wait for the cooler weather and my first....

I can taste it now (sort of)!  Do you like PUMPKIN SPICE???  Some do, some don’t, but I’m one who DO!!

 

 

 

When Is a Chair NOT a Chair?

One of my favorite types of blog posts is seeing how creative people take a piece of junk and turn it into something beautiful and/or useful.  That is definitely not my expertise because I don’t have the “eye” for it, but I sure do covet that talent. 

Awhile back I was wandering through a local antique/thrift shop and saw this “part” of a chair.  Why in the world I decided to buy it I don’t know, BUT I DID!  (It was only $5 so I figured “what do I have to lose?”)

Well…it’s been sitting around very neglected for awhile now and I really need to either do something with it or give it to someone who loves to repurpose.  I decided I’d ask Mr. Google to give me some ideas and here are some that struck my fancy.  What do you think?

I love the turquoise color of this chair-turned-coat rack, but it would match absolutely NOTHING in my home…and not sure where I could put it.  Not sure I like the legs...I'd probably leave those off.

And here is a similar PINK one. I like the position of the hooks on this one a lot better.

Now this is an idea Mr. Chatter might possibly go for…or NOT!  I have a terrible habit of throwing my shoes in a pile on the floor in our bedroom.  I have soooooooooo many pairs of shoes, and it’s a real headache to get down the shoeboxes & put the shoes back in, yadda, yadda, yadda!  Not sure this idea would be a whole lot better than my pile on the floor, but it did catch my attention!

This shelf idea I could go for…and Mr. Chatter could probably easily fix this right up for me.  It could hang on my porch OR in a bedroom.

This would be a super cool idea for a party.  I don’t know what that round part is though and it might be hard to find, but could probably be adapted.

I love this idea if you have a similar chair…which I just happen to have. 

Here is my chair which gets repotted each spring with something different.

Of course, you’ve probably seen lots of planters similar to this one, but aren’t those colors with the green chair just delicious?

I really love this chalkboard but I would leave off the legs on the sides.  They don’t seem to serve any purpose and just take away from the cuteness…in my opinion.

And then finally, this is a really neat idea that I would definitely copy if I come across such a lovely and ornate piece.

I didn’t think to take notes of where I found each picture, so I hope I don’t get in trouble with anyone for sharing their ideas.  There sure are a LOT of creative people out there, and I am truly THANKFUL for them and for their thoughtfulness in sharing with others. 

So…which idea is your favorite?  Or do you have other ideas for my sweet chair back?

Bird  Watching 

If I were a bird, I'd sing a song

And fly about the whole day long.

And when the night came,

Go to rest, up in my cozy little nest.

---nursery  rhyme

I just looked out our back windows on this rainy, cold winter morning and smiled when I saw 5 male cardinals enjoying a snack of sunflower seeds.  My hsband loves to feed the birds and watch as they devour the seeds from our three feeders.  There are other types of birds there too, but the bright red feathers of the cardinals just stand out and lend a bright spot to an otherwise dreary day!

Birds certainly add a lot of beauty to our world.  Look at the colors of these sweet creatures:

And what about these gorgeous feathers?

Definitely beauty personified.

I've been noticing birds in a lot of decor and craft items lately.  Is there a trend I've been missing out on?  I may have to set up a new Pinterest board:  Birds for Other Things Besides Watching & Feeding!

Wouldn't this be lovely on a spring mantle or as a centerpiece for an Easter dinner?

http://www.creationsbykara.com/2013/03/spring-decorating-20-ideas-for-bird-nest-decor.html/

Look what this crafty blogger made from Dollar Tree birds!

http://cinnaberry-suite.blogspot.com/2010/03/springin-up.html



And this blue chest is just too, too sweet...wish I could paint like that!

www.missmustardseed.com

I love this...and it could be easily made.

www.mudpiestudio.com

But these???  These may be taking it a little too far!

www.goodideasforyou.com  (Really?? a good idea??)

Have you guessed what it is???  (smoke detector)

Pinterest has many, many cute crafts that involve birds, owls, and chickens.  These look easy enough to make.

bookmarks/flickr image

pinterest board

Who wouldn't love some cute blue bird cookies? 

My sister-in-law and niece could certainly whip these out in a skinny minute!  They have their own cookie business and they are absolutely amazing!  Check out their etsy shop for all your cookie needs for baby showers, birthday parties, wedding favors, and anything else that will meet your cookie needs.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoCrazyCookies  



Birds certainly add beauty to our world through their bright colors and beautiful songs.  God knew we needed some little bright spots in a world that can sometimes seem harsh and cold...plus he knew we needed reminders like this:



I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December

A magical thing

and sweet to remember;

"We are nearer to spring

Than we were in September,"

I heard a little bird sing

In the dark of December

--Oliver Herford

Even on a dreary rainy day like today, a little bird can bring out the sunshine.

Hang in there...because a little bird told me it would be Spring soon!