A Warm Fall Welcome

I have openly admitted before that I have serious issues when it comes to decorating.  I cannot leave things alone.  Exhibit A...the front porch.  Yes, I know it looked good the first way I had it...That would have been "good enough" for some people, but "good enough" just won't work for me.

Last week, I added the mesh and the leopard print ribbon + the wreath I made.  That looked great.  BUT...great is not great enough for me!!  I still wanted my cornstalks!!  BUT, alas, to my great dismay...no one had them for sale.  I know plenty of people who have them in their fields, but they  haven't cut them yet.  So, I kept hoping.  On the way to Lowe's last night, look what I found RIGHT BEFORE the little store closed in five minutes!!  I ran in, got my cornstalks, and drove off into the sunset.  :)

I couldn't wait to put them out, so after I got home and fed everyone and got them all asleep, I played on the porch.  I know people were wondering what on earth I was doing at 11 o'clock at night on the front porch!!  I couldn't wait to get up this morning to see it in the daylight.  LOL!!

Of course, I couldn't have just plain cornstalks, so I added a couple of leftover acorn picks that match the garland, more mesh ribbon and leopard print bows, of course!!

Another thing I added under darkness of night was a fleur de lis bench to the front porch.  I have two of these....thought about adding the other one, too, but I think I will wait until Christmas...

I have an idea brewing!!! 

Look how cute this is with my old leopard print pillows, my pumpkin pillow, and Mr. Pumpkin...

I also added a few mums...the little nursery that had the cornstalks also had mums on sale for $5.  MUCH cheaper than the big stores had them, and they were much prettier!

I also added a scarecrow, mum, and tiny pumpkin to my adorable zebra print fall flag!! 

I really think I am done now...seriously!!  I don't think I have an inch left to do anything else with.  LOL!!!

Less is more, but EVEN MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER!!! 

Happy Sunday!

Linking up to Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch, to the sweet Miss Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday party over at Coastal Charm, and a great blog I just found...DIY by Design for the Fall into Fall party!!!

 OH, and I have decided that IF I get to 200 followers, I am going to host a special GIVEAWAY in celebration of reaching the 200 mark!!!!  I just need eight more people!!!(And someone to give me pointers on how to do it!)

Leopards, Pumpkins, and Zebras, Oh, My!!!!

Yes, it sounds crazy, but I have all three on my front porch for fall!! I have been **tweaking** the outside of my house a little more, and somehow all three worked their way into the final product. (Final for now!) Still no new door, but I am waiting!!!  I left the topiaries alone, so don't freak out! I won't be changing those.  I adore them!!!

I actually made a new wreath for the front door and made bows to add to the railings I had already decorated. It's not that I didn't like the wreath I had....I just LOVE mesh ribbon and the leopard print ribbbon, and the sunflowers I used....what can I say?

 

I wish I could say I made the ADORABLE flag with the zebra print and the pumpkin, but I didn't. I'm not THAT talented!!! I saw it and immediately fell in love with it!!! Zebra print AND a pumpkin??? SERIOUSLY! What girl in her right mind could resist THAT? LOL

I'm not crazy about the mesh ribbon the way it is normally used. I wanted mine to be a little different, so I actually just cut and chopped it in chunks, and then bunched it in the middle with a pipecleaner. After that, I made a small bow out of my leopard print ribbon (can you say LOVE??) and also attached it with a pipecleaner. I love how it turned out with just the little sparkle from the mesh ribbon.

I still need to add my cornstalks behind the topiaries....that is coming as soon as I can find some that are legal to cut down!! I also will be adding a scarecrow and some hay/pumpkins out front. I have to add, however, that I am already **secretly** thinking about Christmas in my heart!! ;)

Have a great weekend!

Autumn Arrives Party

I'm posting a few pictures of autumn's arrival at my humble abode especially for the Autumn Arrives Party over at Savvy Season's by Liz!  I have more to share, but this is a pretty good start.  I can't miss out on a GREAT party!!

Let's start off at the front door...... I already shared my pumpkin topiaries...STILL loving those...but I couldn't leave it alone!!

   I added some mesh ribbon and leopard print to the rails, and I changed out my wreath.  I still have the other one...it's inside now hanging on a mirror!  This one just turned out so great with the mesh and leopard ribbon.  I couldn't resist hanging it on the door!!

Don't you love my adorable fall flag???  Who can resist zebra print WITH a pumpkin???  NOT ME!!!

Now, if I just had my cornstalks for behind those topiaries!!  I am still looking for them.  They will get there eventually.  I guess I could go cut some out of someone's field, but...I really don't want to get in trouble!!

Moving inside....


The mantle in the family room is all decked out for fall with my Dollar General pumpkins and my Kirkland's bejeweled pumpkins! 

Kitchen rooster shaking his tail feathers!!!  I made this arrangement last year, and I am still loving it. 

That is VERY unusual for me!!



I am in L-O-V-E with my Mercury glass pumpkins from Pottery Barn....LOVING them paired with my silver trays on the wall in the kitchen!!

If you like it then you better put a pumpkin on it!!  It seems like that is all I do during the fall...if it doesn't move, I WILL put a pumpkin on it!  Even the candlesticks on the sideboard in the kitchen are not safe!!!

My kitchen buffet all dressed up for fall!

My fall kitchen tree...LOVE the warm look of it!  

Come December, he will be all decked out in gingerbread!!

There's more to share...I have been playing in the mesh ribbon again, but I can't  get my camera to stay open.  Don't know what has happened to it.  I am sure hoping SANTA will bring me a new one!!! 

So thankful to Liz for hosting the Autumn Arrives party over at her blog!! She is definitely one of my favorites, and the first person I ever blog-stalked!!!!! :)

ALSO....a BIG HUG and a HUGE thank you to Kristen at Kristen's Creations and Linda at Coastal Charm for giving a shout out for my topiaries!!!  Thank you, ladies, for featuring me!  I am truly honored.  BIG SMILE!!!!!

Pumpkin Topiaries

For three years or more I have been wanting to make pumpkin topiaries for my front porch.  I never did do it!!!  I would always end up putting it off and then it would be too late.  This year, I decided that I was going to finally make those pumpkin topiaries, especially after I saw the pumpkins on sale at Michael's for 40% off.  Educators also get a discount there (15% I believe???).  I got everything I needed for around $50!!! 

Here's the porch all decked out with a little fall decor...I'll be adding some more things soon, though!!!  BTW, I HATE my front door.  My husband bought me a new one for my birthday, but it has to come in.  It will be wrought iron!!!  I can't wait. I almost waited to take the pictures, but I couldn't wait to share!!

I already had the urns (WalMart about three years ago on clearance for $15 each.)  The stories these urns could tell!!  They have been in the house, on the front porch, on the back porch, at the school, at homecoming, at graduation..you name it!  Whatever my ADD has directed, these poor things have had to endure.  I love the shape, the color, everything about these urns.  I believe they were part of the Better Home and Gardens collection at WalMart.

So, here's what I started out with....

I actually have three different size pumpkins, but I forgot to take a picture of all of them. 

Materials I used were:

1. 2 grapevine wreaths (small) to give a stable base and add depth
2. 6 white pumpkins (2 small, 2 medium, and 2 large form Michael's)
3. a little bit of raffia
4. 1 leaf garland (Hobby Lobby)
5. 6 acorn/leaves picks from Michael's
6. one $2.00 glitter orange leaves bush from Michael's
7. Leopard print sparkle ribbon (Michael's - Christmas section)
8. hot glue!!!!

Start off by placing the wreath on top of the urn.  Next, take the large pumpkin and fit it snugly into the urn. 

I didn't hot glue mine, it fit just fine. 

Next, take the mid-size pumpkin and flip it over.  Take a regular sharp kitchen knife and cut out the tiny indentation on the bottom of the pumpkin. This is super easy because they are foam.  Do the same thing for the smaller pumpkins that go on top.

At this point, I positioned my pumpkins on top of one another to ensure they fit snugly and didn't need to be trimmed any further. DON'T GLUE IT  YET, just look at it and make sure it works!

 

At this point, I started taking it apart and hot gluing in a little raffia, a portion of the leaf garland (just cut off chunks as you need them), and one of the floral picks.  Repeat these steps for each "layer" of pumpkins. Once I got each layer "right", I would hot glue that pumpkin to the other one.  Then, I just repeated the gluing process again with the raffia, leaf garland, and floral pick. 

To top it all off, I cut off another strip of garland and wrapped it into a small circle for the top.  I just twisted it together and hot glued it on top.  I then made a small bow with the leopard print ribbon for the top and hot glued it in, too!

After you look back at it, you may want to take a few spare leaves and hot glue in here and there just to suit your taste.  I also put some in the grapevine wreath base and added raffia and an acorn leaf pick there as well just to round it out a little.  

I am really pleased at how these turned out.  It didn't take me but about fifteen minutes to make two of them.  SUPER EASY!!!

Can't wait for the new door to get here in a few weeks.  I'm still going to use the same wreath because it matches my leaves on the porch rails and on the topiaries.  LOVE the burgundy/green garland for fall!  One last look....  I'll be adding more.  This is just the start!! Waiting on my cornstalks and burlap ribbon. I'm going to put the cornstalks behind the topiaries for more depth.  Also, the mums will be placed this next weekend!!

Happy Fall, Ya'll!! 

I'm linking up with Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, Kristens Creations, Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, AND with Liz over at Savvy Seasons for her AUTUMN ARRIVES party!!!!

Autumn Mantlescape

I've had the things for my fall mantlescape since August, but I have yet to put it all together until this week.  I have just been so busy with work and other things.  I really didn't intend for it to look like it turned out, but I am rather pleased with it.  :) 

I used many of my "old things", including my wreath, garland, candlesticks and book boxes.  The only new things I bought this year were the metal pumpkins from Kirkland's and the mesh pumpkins from Dollar General.  Can you believe these mesh pumpkins were only FOUR dollars each??  LOVE them sitting on top of the Kirkland's Caramel Swirl candlesticks.  These are the most versatile candlesticks I have ever owned.  They are perfect for every season!

I took a picture of the tag so everyone would believe me!!  FOUR dollars!!!!

It's probably a little much for some people's taste, but I love me some stuff, stuff, stuff!!!  I love the sparkle and shine all the different pieces have!  I'll probably tweak it a little for Halloween, but this is how it will be for now and in November. 

I'm linking up to Debbie Doo's Newbie Party and also to The Fall Linky Party starting over at the Lettered Cottage!