Mums and pumpkins add some autumn cheer

I am behind on my blogging! I have several recipes I still owe you and I need to post pictures from my Halloween party...until then, here are some pictures of our front porch planters with a little autumn flair. Nothing says "fall" more than a pile of pumpkins and some mums!

My sweet potato vine is still going strong! I love that stuff.
It has been growing like crazy and I had to trim it back to make room for anything else.

This planter just makes me smile every time I walk in the front door :).
I kept the dracaena spikes from my spring planting and added a yellow mum and a cabbage plant. And of course I had to nestle in a little pumpkin to add more color...

Has your front yard/porch/planter(s) been given a touch of autumn?
Happy Fall Y'all!

Are you ready for some football? Food that is...

Here is the spread from our Texas Tech vs. A&M football game party.
Tech lost, but the food was definitely a winner!

Table centerpiece:
The Football Subway Art can be found HERE and is available in other colors too.
Dollar Tree hurricanes adding some red candy color to the table

I was so excited to find Texas Tech plates and napkins in the clearance bin at the grocery store for 50 cents a package!

I picked up these cute red and black pom pom toothpicks in the dollar spot at Target.
They make my sausage balls look really festive!

Here's a rundown of the menu:
A big crockpot of chili
chips and queso/salsa
sausage balls
apples picked from the apple orchard with caramel dip
"Elizabeth's 1st prize at the fair" cookie bars (recipe coming soon!)
spinach artichoke dip - courtesy of Joanna
red velvet brownies - courtesy of Roxanne
bread bowl dip - courtesy of my mom
(I will share the recipe for this soon! It is always a winner!)
chocolate chip cookies - courtesy of Shanna
Puppy chow - courtesy of Roxanne
veggie tray - courtesy of the Cluff family
tamales - courtesy of my mother-in-law

As you can tell, we had a TON of food! But it was oh so delicious!
What food do you like to eat for football watchin' / tailgating?

Wire Pumpkins...courtesy of Dollar Tree!

I'm joining the "Under $10 and Under 1 Hour" party over at 320 Sycamore with these easy-peasy wire pumpkins using wire from Dollar Tree.
The inspiration comes from Jessica @ Mad in Crafts.

They are so quick and easy to put together...

Using this floral wire from Dollar Tree (comes in several different colors), wrap it around a cylinder shape of your choice - a toilet paper roll, a prescription bottle, a hairspray bottle, etc. Whatever you have on hand.
The smaller the cylinder, the smaller yet more full your pumpkin will be.
I used a can of air freshener for the larger pumpkin and a prescription bottle for the smaller pumpkin.
Remove the coil from the cylinder and using a twist tie (reuse the twist ties that come with the wire!), tie the middle of the coil together.
Leave some excess wire out to make the twisty stem of the pumpkin.
Then pull the wire around to round out the pumpkin shape.
You can get a picture tutorial of this process over at Mad in Crafts.

Aren't they so cute?
(please excuse the dusty shelf...)

$1 for each pumpkin.
Maybe 5 minutes to put together.
Definitely Under $10 and Under 1 Hour!
Thanks for the inspiration Jessica!

I think I'll go dust that shelf now...

A fall mantel with my new wreath

Ahhh how I love this. Doesn't my new wreath look great over the mantel? I usually go for more of a Halloween mantel this time of year but my wreath needed a home...and I loved all the amazing fall mantel decorating going on in blog land right now. I decorated with items I already had, with the exception of the cute ceramic owl. Owls are quite popular this year for fall decorating and though I originally was not a fan, this little guy has grown on me.

I used popcorn kernels in the hurricane to fill the space around the orange candle.
I love the touch of gold color it adds.
The white pumpkin came from Dollar Tree
and the gold leaf plate I found for $1 on clearance at TJ Max a couple years ago.

More beaded pumpkins, leftover from my wreath decorating, stacked in a Dollar Tree Hurricane.

Isn't he cute? I love that wide-eyed look!
(I found him at World Market.)

I love how the wreath looks layered over the mirror.
Displaying a wreath over a mirror is one of my favorite ways to showcase it.

My love for all things fall continues...

I am linking up to The Lettered Cottage's Fall Mantel Link Party.

Recreating a Fall Wreath...on a budget

Isn't this wreath gorgeous? It's from Williams Sonoma (discovered via Pinterest) and will cost you $99.95. Wow. I love it, but I don't $99.95 love it.

How about this beauty? I fell in love. But for $75 on Etsy (discovered via Pinterest) I decided there had to be a better and cheaper way to get some of this autumn goodness.

Here is my handmade version for MUCH cheaper. * sigh * I love it.

I haven't decided if I like it better with the jute ribbon or the chocolate brown satin ribbon for the bow.
(The brown ribbon needs to be trimmed, I know. The ends need to be the same length...its making me twitch...something about not being symmetrical.)
What do you think?
Let me know in the comments.
I thought I liked the brown ribbon best but as I look at these pictures, I lean towards the jute ribbon.

Here is my cost breakdown:
Styrofoam wreath form from Hobby Lobby - $4 (on sale 1/2 price)
4 bags of reindeer moss from Dollar Tree - $4
Beaded pumpkins from Walmart - $5
Jute ribbon from Walmart - $2
Total - $15

Assembly was easy. Hot glue the reindeer moss all over the wreath form. Hot glue pumpkins. Tie a ribbon bow at the top and you have yourself a thrifty and beautiful wreath. I just love fall!

I linked up to Rhoda's Door Decor Fall Linky Party
and
Lemon Tree Creations Pinterest Link Up!

P.S. The wreath inspiration was originally discovered on Pinterest. Yes, I have become a Pinterest addict. You can follow my boards HERE.

Feelings of Fall

I walked into my sister-in-law's house yesterday night and was immediately overcome with that fall feeling. Do you know what I am talking about? Cozy. Warm. Beautiful. Familiar. Peaceful. I am not sure I can capture that feeling in words, but it made me want to smile.

I was so impressed with the impact of walking into my sister-in-law's home. She had simple yet beautiful fall decorations. The soft glow of candlelight made the house more cozy (candlelight always seems to make things simply stunning). I was surrounded by the sounds of family togetherness. The smell of a home cooked meal permeated the air. But more importantly, it was a feeling that the Spirit was there. And it made me happy. If you are a part of my faith, you know what I am talking about.

So I thought I would share a little fall goodness courtesy of the Cluff family. Thanks for letting me share a part of your home, Erica! And if you are ever longing for that feeling, visit the Cluff's home...

Spooky to Spectacular

Here is my transformation from a Halloween mantel to a more fallish, Thanksgiving mantel:

Remember my 25 cent green garage sale vase (spray painted Heirloom White) that showcased my Halloween branches?

Here it is all prettied up with a pumpkin topiary on the mantel! I love it...

* sigh *

I love fall :)

I know it won't be long before we are decorating for Christmas, but I just wanted to prolong the fall goodness for a little longer.

And I did it using things I already had around the house.

Gotta love a beautiful change that didn't cost a dime!

What do you do with a bushel of apples?

We visited a local apple orchard last week. Nothing like picking apples to help you feel "fall like"! Aside from making another Caramel Apple Galette, I decided to make some apple butter with some of the granny smith apples we picked using my trusty crockpot. Oh how I love my crockpot. I don't think I have professed my devotion to my crockpot on this blog yet. It is amazing. My life would not be the same without it :).

So back to the apple butter... I love this recipe because it is so easy yet yields delicous results. If you are an apple butter lover, you should definitely try this recipe. I love smothering biscuits, toast, rolls, just about any carbohydrate with apple butter. And I think I may try making some of THIS with the apple butter too...mmmm!

All Day Apple Butter
From: Allrecipes.com

5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored, and finely chopped
(3 medium size apples = 1 pound)
4 cups white sugar (I do 1/2 white sugar, 1/2 brown sugar)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix all other ingredients. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze. You can adjust the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your apples. I also like to add about 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Usually I get this cooking late in the evening and let it cook overnight - such a delicious smell to wake up to!

Frugal Finds, Fall Goodness, and Other Things

This is kind of a catch-all post of several things that have been swirling around in my brain to share with you.

The first order of business - Frugal Finds

I didn't make it out garage saleing this week but I wanted to show you my finds from last week:

Popcorn popper - $2

(I have plans to make some of THIS soon...yummy!)

Lamp - $1

(I really just bought this for the lampshade)

chunky frame - 50 cents

green vase - 25 cents

5 decorative, classic books - 50 cents each ($2.50)

mug tree - 50 cents

(I love spray painting these and using them to hang jewelry on.)

Grand Total: $6.75

My favorite find was the books. I couldn't resist them when I saw "Gone With the Wind." Just classic. And it makes you look scholarly to have fancy books on your bookshelf ;) .

The next order of business - some fall goodness

I recently put together this little fall display and thought I would share a few tips with you:

Tip #1 - Use things from nature to bring a little fall into your decor. The small pumpkins add some color to the display. You can find them at your local grocery store for cheap. I used acorns that have been falling from a tree in our front yard (the driveway has literally been COVERED with them!) around the candle in my hurricane candelholder. They add a little texture and were absolutely free!

Tip #2 - Pull out fun fall pictures from years past and add them to inexpensive picture frames. I always like to get pictures of Spencer in a pumpkin patch, picking apples at the apple orchard, or sitting in a pile of leaves each year. I just went through his photo album and picked out a few colorful fall pictures that make me smile. Simple, inexpensive, and a great way to remember past fall experiences.

In other news:

Have you joined Home Depot's Garden Club yet, like I suggested HERE? I just received another coupon for mums in my email this weekend. And Home Depot had their mums on sale this week for $2.25. With the buy 2 get 1 free coupon, I got 3 - 6" mums for $4.50. What a great way to add fall color to your porch or brighten a friend's day on a budget!

Stay tuned - I have some fun things in store for you this week! I hope to show you the final fall touches on my front porch, the finale of my 6 month long bathroom redo, and some more Halloween decor...and I may throw in a recipe or two!

MUM's the word!

What better way to fall-ify your front porch than with mums in gorgeous hues of orange and yellow? I am on a mission to add a little fall decor to the front porch! (Even if it isn't my house! Thanks to my in-laws for indulging me in my need to decorate.) Mums are inexpensive and add such a nice pop of color.

And I will share a little secret with you... Join The Home Depot Garden Club. I joined the email club in the spring and receive periodic emails with money saving coupons for all manner of gardening and yard items. I don't use the coupons very often, since I don't have my own house and my in-laws' yard doesn't need much, but a coupon for mums caught my eye last week. I had seen these stunning mums at the grocery store, but with a $12.99 price tag, those babies weren't coming home with me. A couple days later, a Buy 2 get 1 FREE coupon for mums popped up in my email from The Home Depot!

It was meant to be...

The 6" mums at Home Depot were priced at $2.88 and much more within my price range! So for $6 plus my coupon, I walked out of Home Depot with 3 beautiful mums! What a thrifty way to add a little pizzaz to your porch or yard. And if you don't have a porch or yard, potted plants/mums make great gifts.

So what's the moral of this story? Join The Home Depot Garden Club , by clicking HERE, to help save you some moolaa on all your yard and gardening endeavors. And don't forget that your front porch needs a little fall lovin' too! More porch fall lovin' to come...

Just a little more Dollar Tree lovin'

I promise Dollar Tree is not compensating me for professing my complete adoration for their store. And I promise that this will be the last post, at least for awhile, that expounds upon the wonderfulness of Dollar Tree.

I wanted to show you some of the other items I have discovered at Dollar Tree. I think often times dollar stores get a bad rap for having cheapy, worthless items or they are not a true everything is a dollar store. You can definitely find some cheapy stuff at Dollar Tree, but among the junk are some gems.

For instance, the picture above with the "Families are Forever" sign. The metal tin that is holding my faux greenery came from Dollar Tree's spring line of gardening products. It was a metal tin with orange and green paint sponged all over the etched leaf design. But a simple coat of spray paint makes it look more elegant and was the perfect container to hold this greenery. I looked at buying a similar tin at Michael's, but on sale it was still $6. For $1 and a little spray paint I already had on hand I have the look I wanted to achieve.

Other Dollar Tree items I enjoy:

Sometimes they have some great storage bins available. I bought several of these plastic baskets to hold my son's toys and they work great. For only $1.


Thank you to my sister-in-law, Krista, who introduced me to my next love. I think these diaper disposal bags are one of my favorite things from Dollar Tree. So handy to keep those smelly diapers under wraps. And you get 75 for only $1. You can't beat that - even at Wal-Mart.

Did you know Dollar Tree has a great selection of cute board books for kids?

Don't underestimate the food section of Dollar Tree. Yes, they sell food. There are definitely some good buys to be found. A 14 oz. package of animal crackers for $1. They also have some really good "fig newton" like cookies in apple and strawberry flavors that I enjoy. Another good find - jars of roasted red peppers. Roasted red peppers at the grocery store can be pricey. But the Dollar Tree jars are only $1 and they are good quality. I use them alot in dips and appetizers and love to put them on sandwiches.

I showed you the hurricane candleholders from the Dollar Tree, but here are some of the other variations you can make using the glass candleholders and vases available for only $1.

Other great items: picture frames (sometimes hit and miss), these removable, vinyl wanabe, wall stickers (says "Family: a gift that lasts forever"), and small favors in the wedding/baby shower section.

I am lovin' Dollar Tree's autumn/Halloween decorations. The fake crows are all the rage around blog land as are the glittery skulls. And if you are not a big fan of skulls, those are the faux leaves I used to fluff up my garage sale wreath - 10 for $1.

Another glass creation: Individual cupcake stands from candle dishes

Glue one of the tried and true glass candlesticks to one of these candle dishes (below). The dishes come in all different colors. I think these could make cute shower decorations...whether for cupcakes or candles!

A few Christmas ideas from last year.

Might get your mind thinking for the holiday season this year?

Dollar Tree had these small wreaths of berries or pine boughs with berries last year. Here is my recreation of a candleholder I had my eye on at Target last year. (The picture above is my dollar tree candleholder, the one below is the one from Target).

The pine bough version. Just a small wreath with a glass candleholder nestled in the middle. Total cost - $2

Not bad huh?

A few other things to note:

Dollar Tree has great party supplies.

Gift bags

greeting cards

helium balloons

($1 is a great price for these!)

So after this very long post, if you are still with me, I hope you have been inspired by the $1 possibilities. But beware, it makes it really tough to leave the Dollar Tree without at least $10 worth of stuff when you recognize the possibilities!

Happy Dollar Tree shopping!