October 1st.......

So we are near my FAVORITE month of the year, and I get all giddy with excitement! Pumpkins, fall leaves, pies and apples! I have new pics to up load and tips to share, so get ready y'all! What do you like to do to get ready for fall? Don't forget to visit TheNesting Place, to see Nester's 31 days blog...... knowing her, it will be mind blowing!

Fall Fabulous on a Budget

So now that I have a wee bit of time squeaked out for me to type to my hearts content, I will answer a question I get a lot from clients, and from friends who come to my house and need decorating ideas. So over the next couple of days, I will be posting ideas and if your not a stalker {which by the number of subscribers I doubt it..} I can tell you the name of my go to spots for the best stuff.

1. First if you haven't noticed, fall is one of the best times to redecorate, because there is inspiration everywhere. With that said, my go to, 2nd week of  September pick me up, is the Glade Apple Cinnamon candle. Dirt cheap, at $2.48 each, how can you go wrong?

2. Safeway {grocery store here on the west coast..} starts bringing out the small pumpkins in bags of 10 for $4.99 each, umm ya hello, can I tell you that is one of the easiest things and cheapest things to do......! seriously!

3. Farmers Market. So, I am a decorator, so I can get flowers at a wholesale price. Now even still, I am a cheap gal, and I try not to spend money on much. However, at the farmers market, you can get a bunch of Sunflowers for $5.00 that is 10 stems!! AND if you didn't know, Sunflowers last a very long time.

4. Lastly, the freebie!!!! {save the best for last ya know!} Branches. These are my "ace in the hole". They are everywhere. Mossy, Birch, Corkscrew, ones with fallish leaves, Maples....... My family has a rolling joke about my sickness for branches......{still trying to find help for that, ok not really!} However, they make the best statements, and if you find one with beautiful leaves attached, its a bonus!

So there you have it. A few go to tips, no go and make your house pretty!
xoxoxoxox

Broken Toe and Frustration.........

   {my booth that used to be at Found on Fremont}




So here it is, the first weekend of fall, and I have a broken toe. Its been in this state for about 3 weeks. uuuggh. There is nothing and I mean nothing that is more frustrating for you then to have to slow down and take it easy during what can be the most exciting part of the year.{for me at least}So I did little things here and there to "fall up" the place. So here is the list of the "go to. must haves" of the fall season:



1. Galvanized buckets, they are amazing, old. and can hold anything from pumpkins to corkscrew willow, and those yummy cinnamon scented pine cones......

2  Pumpkins. Nuff said.

3. Corkscrew willow and maple leaf branches: they are everywhere and people always have them. Its easy to take a branch and just incorporate it behind a stack of pumpkins on your porch. Instant texture {for free!}

4. Grasses and kale: they are the easiest fix. When I do people's porches or do the mantle, that is the go to item. They add height and they add drama. You  don't even have to take them out of the little plastic pot they came in... just put your pumpkins down, then the grasses behind, and kale on the side {sounds like I'm ordering dinner...} after the season is over, you can plant them in the garden.
So there you have it.  Enjoy your Monday, while I have a cup of Joe, and elevate my toe.
xoxoxox
Em

Fall

Well here it is. My favorite time of year. Fall is the best isn't it? I mean when can you see crisp mornings fresh with dew, and chilly east wind, warm up to a sunny beautiful day? Seriously. The colors are amazing, most of the best produce is out during fall, and there is an energy in the air. I remember when I was a kid, walking home from school, and the east wind was blowing, just thinking how fresh it was, so clean the air seemed. Even now when I know the east wind is coming, the windows need to be open. To air the house out. So when this time of year rolls around, I get a little {just a little}excited. Take pumpkins. Just looking at them makes you smile.
 Fall is the last hurrah  for all plants and flowers to show off before they go to sleep for winter. So take time and enjoy the sights around you and really take it in. Its quite intoxicating!

back to school...........

So its that time of year, which is always a conflict for me. On one hand I am happy to have my quiet and to be able to have freedom knowing that my kiddos are in a "safe environment" and I know where they are. But on the other hand, I miss them being near me. I have been called a helicopter mom, a hoverer {if that is a word..} and have been told on occasion that "you need to cut the cord". But I have had the same thought since they were all born, God sent these miracles to me to take care of, feed, love and watch over, and if I screw up its my fault. Now I do let them have their freedom but in times like these, {kids getting snatched at Target and the like} what is a parent to do? I am rambling, but like I said, I am always conflicted this time of year. Happy and sad. Enjoy your back to school time moms out there!