I love fall, it's always been my favorite time of the year.  Moving back to S. Florida has meant that I don't have to deal with blasted winter, but it does mean I'm also without fall.  Nevertheless, I have pulled out all the stops inside to make it feel like fall.  Just a couple of days past the official start of fall, the kids and I decided to do something out of the ordinary and head out for some fall decorations first thing in the morning.  We headed to the Dollar Store, where it appears most anything can be located for a dollar.  We scored some wonderful decorations among other things.


First, I pulled out my fall wreath that my cousin made for me a few years back, some of the pumpkins on it have lost their coating, so I touched it up with some paint for now.  I also drug out my fall garland for around the door.  Then off we went to town.  I knew I wanted something for the table, but it needed to be cheap.  I picked out some flowers, a scarecrow and got a piece of styrofoam.  I already had the vase at home and the fake leaves, from previous year's craft projects.  We still had some little fake candles that worked.  But when I saw the pretty fall glasses, I had to get two.  When we got home I let the girls help me assemble the flowers.  Nothing as pretty or fancy as we use to make at Michael's or my talented brother would whip up, but the girls were very proud of their work.  I think I should have added a bit more purple to it though.


In the living room, I had more of the leaves and fake candles, for a couple of dollars I got two bags of pinecones and fake pumpkins for my pottery bowl.  Britt found the squirrel that he thought we couldn't live without, and like that I had some decorations for the entertainment center, where all my beautiful one of a kind pottery sits.

And apparently I need have Rebecca re-dust in here tomorrow, as she obviously did a sub-par job today.

By the front door, I got a candy jar, for $5 from Walmart, my most expensive purchase of all.  Grandmother always had little candy jars around the house and I think their cute, even if I have to ration what's put in it or watch the little heathens like a hawk.  With some of her money Rebecca got a Halloween bug, I think it's creapy, especially since it has lost an eye, but I let her put it by the candy jar as decoration.

By my chair I hung up the wreath I made when we were back in Indiana, and I added a little glitter jack-a-lantern that lights up different colors.  The kids were so excited, when they saw it, that I had to get it.


Near the fireplace, I added a couple of little heavy ceramic pumpkins, and moved my pumpkin pie candle on top of the mantle.  I finally have a picture up of Katherine in her frame now too.  Of course the candle just makes me wish I was home having Mother's pumpkin pie with Daddy, with a generous amount of Cool Whip on top.

And apparently I need to fix Ruth's crooked frame.

After skipping it the last two years due to moving, I put up our thankful tree early.  We normally put it up the day after Halloween and add to it all November.  I thought since we would be going to Alabama for 10 days, we'd start it earlier this time.  I stole the trunk idea from Sis. Lydia, since I was low on brown construction paper.  Its the brown wrapping from an Amazon box.  I stamped the leaves, with some old stencils I got when the Michaels I worked at closed.  I like how it looks so well, I'm debating putting the Christmas tree somewhere else this year, and leaving it up a while longer to keep adding to it. I have a pretty leaf bowl, another Dollar General find, holding all the leaves and things for adding to it, along with one of the candles we got in PA.  Only a few of them are still working, but they still look so pretty.














We also carved a pumpkin.  Miracle of miracles, the kids had already looked through the two books I have, and picked out a single design.  I was anticipating having people upset, because I was only going to carve one pumpkin.  They worked awhile pulling out guts, Daddy worked much more at it, at my insistance, and I carved the pumpkin.  Everyone was thrilled with how it turned out and asked me to add BOO at the top.  I'm taking no chances though, and leaving it in the fridge during the day.  So long as I don't fix up a crock pot meal early this will work just fine.