It's Fall Y'all! (at least in MY living room)

Finally! Time to get out my favorite decorations. I just love to transform the house for the entire Autumn season. Here is our mantle. The pumpkins are carved wooden ones that I found at Hobby Lobby a few years ago. I just love them! They have metal leaves and curly vine attached.

Here they are close up. I think they look wonderful with the leaves, sunflowers and sticks. I even like my mantle clock more this time of year!
This is a watercolor by Lee Ricks of south Texas. I inherited this painting from my grandmother - an artist herself - who collected some of Ricks' work. I decided that it should be displayed on the hearth at this time of year with a couple of bronze satin stuffed pumpkins. I just love the light in the painting. AND of course, the fact that it's painted during Fall.

And the entry chest. This is so much fun to change each season. It is the first thing guests pass by when they come to our home. The little lamp is a Dollar General find believe it or not! I didn't have to do a thing to it. The chest was free! I caught a guy at the end of the day packing up his garage sale. When I asked the price of the chest he said, "free, just take it." So I did! It has been black, in my boys' room, white at the old house, and now crackled and sanded.

The Fall decorating is done, but I'm just getting started blogging. These few items are in the entry and living room. Maybe next I'll take you to the dining room. My intention is to make the house warm, cozy, and inspirational for my family to enjoy during the season. I thank God for my wonderful family and I thank Him for this special season that highlights family togetherness.

Back to School

As many of you know, I am an art teacher at a local junior high school. So....it's that time again....Back to School! I have neglected my blogging for the months of July and August obviously. Oh, there is plenty to say, but I don't really like to blog without pictures. This is the first time I've EVER blogged without a photo. You see, I've been extremely busy getting my girlies ready for school. One is in 3rd grade and the other is a junior in high school. After all the clothes and supply shopping, closet clean-outs, and organizing, it was time to get my 'room' ready at school. (Not an easy chore! I have an old wood shop, which is enormous!) With that all done now, and the first week of school behind me, my home is a mess! The flowers have started to fade, laundry has piled up and the house is not as tidy as I like it, to say the least! Believe me, I've been one of 'those' bloggers...you know the kind...the ones that attempt to create a perfect world in their blogs. Not that there's anything wrong with trying, and I'm sure some of them succeed. It's just that at this point in my life, I am okay with the FACT that my house is not always in perfect order, my kids are not always angels, there is not always something yummy and homemade on the dinner table, and my refrigerator definitely needs to be cleaned out!
So there it is...the ugly truth! I'll spend this Saturday trying to clean up a week's worth of coming and going, stopping and dropping, shoving and stashing! But at least I can look forward to two parties this evening! My grandon's 5th and then a barbecue. Happy times!
Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm far from giving up! The peace and happiness I get from keeping the house in order is so worth the struggle. The past few weeks just got me a little side-tracked. I know the Lord wants me to keep my home as a haven for my family, and that is what I strive to do. We will all get used to our new routine as we always do, and soon.....that first bit of cool Fall air will breeze in and there will be no stopping me!