*~Fall Fun~*

Make no mistake--I am a summer loving chick. If I could pack up all my loved ones and live out the rest of my days in the Caribbean I would--no questions asked. Unfortunately, that's currently not an option so I'm adjusting to autumn as is the rest of Michigan. Unlike many others, I really dislike the fall--the temps are lower, the days are shorter--and for the most part I feel like I'm stuck in a page of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day.



And even if the season decides to be kind, we all know what's on the way--at least in my state. So to beat the depression of it all, I try making the most of the fall festivities--this week that meant decorating my house (scarecrow style) and heading off to the cider mill! *Yay!* There's nothing like donuts and cold (yes cold) apple cider to lift the spirits. 

Nothing says fall quite like corn fields

& picking pumpkins...

 

I truly had an awesome time with my family. After a day packed with hay rides, picking pumpkins, and stuffing ourselves with all types of ungodly goodness we were finally ready to head home. The next day I got up early and walked down to my neighborhood's nursery in search of some Mums. Note to self: do not walk to the nursery. Do not walk to the nursery and have to haul home heavy Mums. Do not walk to the nursery and have to exchange said Mums. Yes, I really had a heck of a time, but at last--my flowers were planted and my decorations were in the ground.

Here's some pics:

Originally, I wanted to do a yellow and white color mix--however, upon further review I liked the bright yellow Mums much more for the front of my house.

 

I picked up these ball shaped light fixtures at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago for  $.80 a piece.

Added a little spray paint and now I have poor woman's gazing balls :-)

And here they are in my flower bed! Excuse our bushes, we're waiting until they grow a bit more before we shape them again.

 

 

 

These little guys are from the Dollar Tree. I have a few of them in my beds.

Front view of the house (the big scarecrows were purchased at Jo Ann's Fabrics). Eventually I will add some Halloween things, but I like the harvest theme. These decorations will carry me right into Thanksgiving.

On guard! Protecting the Mums...

 



 

And we were all in for an extra special treat as the moon decided to don his fall colors!

September 27th, 2015 Blood Moon!

Nighttime shutter went crazy creating this cool kind of "dancing" moon image.

 

Another neat thing was earlier in the week my husband sent me this beautiful harvest bouquet to work to help with my "I hate the fall' transition--I thought it was sweet.

 



So while I'm not the type to get excited about layered fashion and leather boots, I was able to find my happy place with some good ol', wholesome fun. I'm also looking forward to a Fall Colors Tour of some sort this year, and then Halloween, and of course Thanksgiving! But even as I attempt to be content, 95 and sunny skies is forever in the back of my mind!!! Come back to me Summer!

Until then, here's some great Sunday driving music to accompany you on your Fall Color Tour!

 

What things are you looking forward to this season? 

 

Top Six Things To Buy From The Thrift Store

Hey guys, so I've stayed true to my word and cut back on some of my blogging. Honestly, I just don't have much to talk about these days. I'm currently taking a break from any real home projects in order to prepare for some things that need to be taken care of this winter--hopefully we can tackle it all. Of course I've been doing things here and there--just nothing that needs a whole post, maybe I'll forge them together into one later on. Last night the hubby and I took advantage of Lowes 50% off garden sale (and hope to go back)--so it's likely that I might have another landscaping post sometime in the near future!

Let's talk about thrift stores for a  moment. Currently they are my very first stop when I'm looking for something, however, it depends on what that something is. While some see thrift shops as dusty old stores piled high with hand-me-down junk, others (me, me, me!) see them for the treasure troves that they truly are. I can't say that every time I enter a thrift store I leave with something to love, like everything else--it's a process--one that will undoubtedly leave you with findings that are well worth the wait--so if you aren't into thrifting now might be a good time to start. Thrift stores open you up to a world of discovery, housing unique items from stores that you may not even be able to afford. From top of the line to the bottom of the barrel it's all there in the thrift store--just waiting on you to find it. In this post, I will discuss my top six items to get from the thrift store (and hope that you all don't become my competition) ;-)

In no particular order here goes:

1. Vases

A good vase can run you upwards of twenty bucks at Michaels and once you get into some of the higher end vases, it could easily put you in the hundreds--if not thousands. And get this, some vases sale into the millions. Insane right? Well, while you probably won't come across a Ming Dynasty Vase laying around anywhere, you can still pick up a pretty solid vase at your local thrift shop (think more in the $20-$40 range). Considering that vases are priced extremely low at thrift shops (I've paid as low as $1.99 for a quality vase) it still garners a super savings. As an added bonus, there are so many unique styles and colors to choose from. And just remember if something has a totally awesome shape but a horrid, ugly color--it can always be painted. Buy it!

2. Lamps

By now we all know how much lamps can run, especially if it is of any type of quality. Well, there are no shortage of quality lamps at the thrift stores. No--sir-ree! Most lamps at the thrift will come in just under the ten dollar mark--you just have to be able to look beyond the 80's era colors. As I stated before, all it takes is a little paint to revive an old, ugly, outdated lamp. You can have a stylish lamp with just a coat of paint and a new lampshade and at the same time save another item from building up in our landfills. Now that's what I call killing two birds with one stone!

3. Furniture

Buffets, chairs, headboards, benches, tables--they can all be found at your local thrift store and the  furniture pieces are surprisingly reasonable (some stores are higher than others). Because of the popularity of thrift stores right now, some have used this to their advantage to raise prices. Be aware and knowledgeable about the price point of what you're buying! The other day I came across a really nice buffet ( it didn't require any work), but I couldn't take it home. Needless to say I was shocked to see that it was toting a $70 price tag. I left that thing right there where it sat. The saleslady went on and on trying to justify why it was marked that price. But at 70 bucks I could have easily gone to Target or HomeGoods and purchased something very similar brand new (it was on the smaller side). The thing about thrift stores is that I'm there to get a deal. If I can't get  a deal I walk. Don't get taken!

4. Picture Frames

So I'm in the process of creating a gallery wall. It always surprises me when I get on Pinterest and hear people speak of them as if they're this totally new creation. My grandmother has had a gallery wall since I was born--and more than likely before. Anyways, thrift stores are the perfect place to pick up some really unique frames, I can't tell you all the wondrous goodness I've been collecting as of late. I promise you, I will never buy another picture frame at full price ever again. Thrift stores have the type of gems that you just won't come across in the stores and at a more than reasonable price too! I don't think I've paid more than $3 for any of my frames and I can guarantee you that they were purchased for much more originally. Likewise, if you do find one of these quirky frames they are going to go for MUCH higher at the average retail store, no deal.

5. Knick Knacks

One thing that I love (and my husband hates, lol) is knick knacks.  There's nothing better than a interesting little statue on the mantel, or a elegant looking candle holder placed on the table. These things add to the overall look of your space--I like to think of them as jewelry for your house. Again, things like this are easy to come across at the thrift store, you just might have to do a little revamping to make it fit in with your style and taste.

6. Fashion Scarves

 

Now this is one of those things that I don't come across nearly as often as I would like to, but every now and then I can find a good, large scarf. While some creative projects may call for upcycling scarves that just isn't my thing, so with this one I have to either like it or not. Although finding a scarf that is my style is rare, the satisfaction when I do (and for a good price) is almost unearthly. $3.99 beats the heck out of $35, ey?


So there you have it, my top six things to purchase at the thrift store. What type of goodies have you scored lately?

Cheap DIY Decor!

 

Over the holiday weekend I decided to do a few cheap DIY projects. If there's anything I love it's working with my hands and whipping up some new creations, for me it's like therapy. But these aren't just any old DIY projects--no, these are super cheap (just the way I like it)! How cheap you might ask...try $2! Yup that's it :-) When you're not blessed with a lot of cash you learn pretty quickly to be creative. Creative and resourceful, that's me. So let's jump right in, shall we? The first thing I decided to make was some indoor wreaths. I had a bit of white space on my back wall in the living room and it was becoming a real irritation. Yes, I know that every inch of your walls doesn't need to be covered (less is more at times), but if the space looks empty then something really should be done about it. I shopped around for various wall accents and I really liked these sea urchin wall sculptures from Target.

I thought these were really cool and originally wanted them for my half-bath. Eventually, I considered them for the living room also. However, while the sea life theme was fine for the bathroom  it just wouldn't work for my living room. Giraffes, birds, and sea is just a little bit too much!

So I headed to one of my favorite places,The Dollar Tree, and decided to recreate the wreaths I made  last Christmas. I love it's burlap--and it is completely not seasonal in my opinion. Since my space has a bit of a rustic feel, burlap serves as the perfect combination.

Here's what it takes to make the wreath. You might have noticed that there are two different types of burlap--that was completely by mistake--but it worked to my advantage. The jute-like burlap can be found in the Halloween area, while the other burlap ribbon creates a neater look and can be found in the Christmas section.

I love textures so in my book variety is a plus! While one ribbon made for a more refined look, the other provided a bit of a wild feathered appearance--I appreciate imperfections ;-) To make the wreath simply wrap the ribbon around the base and secure with hot glue. With the jute ribbon it will be necessary to cut away frays (fly-aways).  Here's a close up of some of the wreaths (I made 6 in total--excessive right?).

 Can you see the different textures? :-)

 

And here's a pic of all three wreaths hanging comfy in their new home. I'm still struggling with their current positions, not sure if I should lower them a bit or not. Luckily, I used Command Strips and not nails!

 

If you haven't noticed already, there's a lot of circles going on in my décor, I think it's fitting. Circles commonly represent unity and wholeness--things that I desire for my home & in my life.

 

While I was on a role I  decided to add two wreaths to my room just above my dresser. At $2 per wreath why not?

Sequins & wood makes these more fun! This is what I call using up materials. Note: the wreath to the right is made of raffia and not burlap.

 

 

So moving right along, you might recall the table that I upcycled a few weeks ago. Well it has just been sitting there idly because I don't know what I want to do with it yet. As I stated earlier, I really dislike blank space so I figured that I would stage it until I figured out how to decorate it. The problem, however, is that the table is huge. I had no idea what I was gonna do to cover it...until I looked out of my window.

 

In my yard was a limb that had fallen from the tree (as they often do) and instantly the light bulb went off. I went outside, stripped the branch of its leaves, broke off a few too large ends, and brought it inside to make sure that it was the right size--it was perfect!

Here's the limb before I did anything to it.

 

Once I made sure that the limb was an actual fit I decided to spray paint it. I made it gold of course!

 



Once I sat it on the table I had the splendid idea of enhancing the branch by adding gems. However--it didn't work out at all how I expected. Whomp, whomp, whomp!!! For this step I purchased a string of metallic purple beads and some head pins.

 

In case you don't know what a head pin looks like here they are for you to see. You simply stick a pin into the bead and then wrap it around your project to your liking.

 

What I envisioned were beautiful cascading gems. When I was younger I liked to write about far away lands with golden trees with diamond leaves--I wanted to nod to that. Unfortunately,  I would have needed much more beads (& much more money) to achieve a cascading look. So I settled for what I call "bead berries". When the little purple beads didn't give me enough bang, I added pearls for a little more of a statement--because pearls make everything better :-D

 

Here's a glimpse of my "bead berries".

And a close up shot!



 Once I finished with the beading my table still looked pretty blah--which I told myself was ok because I was just staging--but it wasn't ok. So I grabbed some frames that I had sitting around, picked out some shots of some of my favorite people and placed the frames in-between the branches.

I really like the natural twist and curves of the branch. Pictures doesn't do it justice by far, but in person it has a really whimsical/enchanted feel.

 

 

 

This entire table look cost me $4--two dollars for the purple beads and two dollars for the head pins. I already had the spray paint, pearls, and  picture frames. So here it is, a final look at my table décor for the moment. 

I like it, even though this is only supposed to be used for staging it is sooo me--I might keep it like this for awhile (or forever). The only issue is that I wanted to add some height to the table. Decisions, decisions...

 

So as I was writing this post I decided to Google: Limb Table Décor, and it is definitely a thing!  I love some of the ideas out there. And I have to say--the candle one is pretty awesome!

 

A Pop of color!

Nice and clean.

Intriguing, alluring, romantic...

 

There is something I love about adding natural elements to a space--there's nothing quite like God's beauty, and right now I am loving my table. Have you ever used limbs/branches in décor? How so? Would you try it if you haven't already? Whether you like the look or not, it's one thing you can't deny--I decorated a HUGE table for four bucks so I am absolutely winning! Until the next time...

 

Xo 



Personal Reflections (Inspired by the Baby Angel)

If you've come across this post you've done so on your own. I decided not to "share" this the way I normally would. In fact, this is a selfish post--completely for me, an attempt to find a little peace of mind. In essence, I suppose you've stumbled across one of my personal diary entries. I warn you, my thoughts are all over the place at the moment--so this might read as a jumbled mess. This last week has been hard for me. Really hard. My former classmate lost his son--he was just four years old. I'm not sure why his death effected me so. Perhaps it was because I knew his father. While I can't claim that we were friends, he is definitely someone I would speak to if we came across each other in public. On Facebook I'd casually like his post and type my signature little smiley faces if something was going good in his world--but that was that. Perhaps it was because my classmate is one of the first people (my age) that I've known to lose a child. Of course people have experienced miscarriages--which I imagine to be equally as devastating--but this was a child with a personality--a very real contributor to his family dynamic.
Perhaps it was because I am now a mom myself and can fully relate to the love that a parent has for their child. I can't imagine, not even for a moment, not having my little bad butt--it's too painful.  My son means the absolute world to me. Or perhaps it was the fact that the boy did not die right away. He was a fighter and he fought the good fight for days. Had the initial Facebook post been a definitive announcement of death maybe it wouldn't have shaken me so (who knows). Instead it felt like there was hope, it felt like there was something I could do. I could pray...

I can't tell you the last time I prayed so hard--honestly I can't. I was at work when I found out the full details of the situation and I excused myself to the car. I prayed until my body shook and tears fell from my eyes. This child, this baby meant something--even to me, a woman that had never even met him a day in her life. I was devastated when I found out that he had passed. Words can't describe the way that I felt--the way that I still feel. I mourned his lost, a child that I didn't know, more than I have some people that I did. His death left me with so many questions and for the lack of a better word, it all felt so unfair.

I must say, my classmate (as well as his wife) has been a shinning example of putting your whole faith in God. Through it all they have continued to praise Him and they've  made it quite clear that they still believe in His goodness despite the situation. I hope that I can be that strong in my faith, but I pray that I never have to. This situation has actually put a lot of things into perspective for me. Today I came across a size 4t blazer that I bought for my son when he was around two years old. I couldn't do anything but stare at it for awhile...had my reaching into the future been faith or ignorance? My husband and I live for the weekend and make plans of what to do each week with our little one. So often we go through our lives thinking that our plans will come to fruition unless we have a mind to change them. Unfortunately, that doesn't have to be so.  Never before have I identified so closely with the notion that life is a gift. More than ever I realize that nothing is truly promised and every day should be savored for the precious treasure that it is.

I can't tell you how many times I've looked at my son over the course of the last few days and simply appreciated him for being.  He's actually avoided a few whoopings because I've been caught in my feelings :-) What can I say? I'm just thankful that he's here. I am sure that my classmate would give anything to have a tantrum throwing brat in his house right about now. Somehow, I just know it.

As the days go on, my prayer is that the family finds peace--the kind that passes all understanding. I also hope that the transition for the other children can be as good as one can expect.  I trust that baby boy is having a heck of a time playing in heaven. His life, though short, touched me in such a way that he will never be forgotten. Perhaps he may even be the vehicle to bring me closer to God. The situation has left me in such a place that I can't turn to anyone for understanding, but Him.

If anything positive can come out of a situation so heartbreaking, for me it would have to be my new outlook. The things that I thought were troubles all seem so insignificant now. Moreover, I feel the need to truly go after what I want. I 'm a romance author--the rest of the world just doesn't know it yet, but it's fine time that they do. I want to chase after everything that God has for me and I think you should too. But most of all I have a new appreciation for those that I love.

At the end of the day, the most important thing in life is life--we only have one and we have no idea when it's going to come to an end. So my new mission is to make sure that the people I love know it and to seize each and every day that I am given. Rest in Heaven Baby Angel & thank you for the lesson...

Xo