All I Need Are Some Corn Stalks...

 I've been making the outside of the house as pretty as the inside!

 

I love those yellow mums!



Mr. Scarecrow needed a friend so one day I brought home Mr. Ghost to keep him company.

Now all we need is the cool weather to stay!

Fall Mantel

The mantel has been done since the beginning of September, but I'm just finding the time to sit down and share it with y'all.  Just in time to change it in the next few weeks for Halloween!

Justin surprised me with flowers the other day and they went up on the mantel for us to enjoy!

Remember when I said I wanted another Willow Tree figurine for our anniversary?  Well, I got it!  Isn't it so pretty?

This is a pumpkin candle.  It was in our attic.  Candles don't do so well in attics over the summer in 100 + temperatures.

I wanted to have a main focal point for the mantel, but didn't have any money to really make something spectacular.  So I used what I already had and made this!  I covered up our poppy canvas with some craft paper that was used as stuffing in a box for an item that was shipped to us, drew a pumpkin and then painted it with some craft paint that I already had.  I'm not artistic, so I was very pleased at how it looked!

  

 

I love decorating for fall.  All the warm colors make the house so cozy!

Fall Wall Shelf

Do you ever make something,change your decorations in your house, or decorate for the holidays and feel like something isn't quite right?  Like something is just a little off?

That's exactly how I felt when I decorated our wall shelf in fall decor.  I liked everything on the shelf, but it just felt like there was something missing. 

Fall Table Decor

I've been decorating the house for fall and have lots more to share with you but here's the dining room table for now!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!

Over the Labor Day weekend, we had a cold front come through in Texas and we had about a 15 to 20 degree drop in temperature.  It was much needed!  We have been suffering through a very long, very hot summer so we welcomed the cooler air!  It inspired me to start decorating for fall.  It is September, after all...time for pumpkins, scarecrows, orange and red leaves, and anything that makes you feel comfy.  I went to dollar tree over the weekend and picked up some supplies to make a fall door hanger.

I intended to hang it outside, but I think that it dresses up our coat closet quite nicely!

Here's a closer, brighter look.  I used 4 bunches of glitter, fall leaves, 2 bunches of cattails, floral styrofoam, and a hanging basket for a total cost of $8.  It sure does beat a $30 wreath from Michael's!  This week I'll be dragging out all the fall decor down from the attic!  I can't wait to show you how lovely our home will be decorated for the fall!

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A Time to be Thankful

Mr. Scarecrow says hello from our front door!  Thursday is Thanksgiving so I wanted to share what we are thankful for!

• God-I'm so thankful that God chose me to be His.  I'm so grateful that He accepts me despite my short comings, loves me unconditionally, and continues to guide me, sometimes pushes me ;), in the right direction.
• A loving husband-It took me a while to find him, but I'm so thankful that he loved me enough to ask me to be his wife!  I'm so very grateful for his gentleness with me, his support, and his level headedness.
• Family-we wouldn't be where we are today if it was not for our families.  Thank you for teaching us, for supporting us, and for loving us.
• Molly and her sweet kisses when I get home from work. She can always make me feel better when my world is upside down.
• Friends-thanks to all of you that listen to our venting, give us a shoulder to cry on, and make us laugh!
• So thankful that Justin and I have jobs and are in a financially good place.  Though some days it may be hard for us to drag ourselves out of bed in the mornings, we have jobs that allow us to pay our bills and to put food on the table and that is a wonderful thing.
• Our health.
• That we live in a great nation that allows us to be individuals.  That we are not persecuted for our beliefs, for being a woman, for the clothes we wear, for what we say.  We feel so blessed that we were born into this country and do not have to face the challenges and persecutions that immigrants face coming to this country and becoming citizens.
• CHOCOLATE.  Everyone should be thankful for chocolate.
• And Justin is probably thankful for his Mama's meat and beans ;)

Thanksgiving is not only a time to be thankful for what you have, but it's also a time to give back to those that may not have as much as you have to be thankful for.  Last year I volunteered with my church to provide and serve a thanksgiving lunch to those who are less fortunate.  This year, Justin and I are serving together!  It's so exciting for me to be able to serve along side my husband during this time and being able to share with him my passion for helping others.  We also decided to sponsor 8 thanksgiving meals so that 8 people will get to enjoy a tasty Thanksgiving lunch.  I hope that we will be able to do this every year and that it will become a family tradition.

We're traveling down to Corsicana this year for a big Smith Family Thanksgiving.  We hope all of you who are taking trips out of town are safe and we hope all of you have a great time with your families and loved ones!  Happy Thanksgiving!