Fall Is Near...

Oh the most wonderful time of year... it is the season I said "I Do," it is full of color, the weather is beautiful, smores are eaten, bonfires begin churning, friends and families have picnics, the buggies are almost gone, and it is a time to be thankful! I LOVE FALL... I can say without in hesitancy that it is my most favorite time of year! I can't hardly wait to start the cider, make caramel apples, sit snuggled by the fire with my honey, watch as the autumn leaves fall from the trees.... oh I just love it all! I especially can't wait to celebrate Our 1 Year Anniversary in the Smoky Mountains in the peak season of Fall! Oh how great it will be!

Well, in preparation of Fall... I have slowly started changing things around my house. There will be many more posts to come on this... but for now... here is a start!

You remember that DIY Wreath we did months ago that many of you loved... well take that same wreath, do a little tweaking of colors and create this....

Any vases laying around the house??? Through some orangy, red, yellow flowers in there and voila you have a fallish look on your coffee table!

Bunting... oh I LOVE bunting! I took a simple triangle and made a pattern to cut fabric. I had ld scraps lying around, therefore I decided to collaberate some fun fall colors and make some bunting! Measure off your wall, find some old string-rope (I used hemph), simple cut out how many triangles of fabric you will need and fold the backing around the rope, hot glue it and then voila- nail it to your wall and you have transformed a regular room to look fallish!

Oh, do not forget the mums! I started with a few yellow, but am out to get more burnt red colors too... but to start plant you some mums to spice up your front yard!

The scarecrows have made it out of the back closet just haven't found their grounding yet... we will though! And I will let you know how it goes!

Did I mention how big our 'puppy' Charlie is getting? He is huge! And for all those that love first day of school pics... Here is one of me into nursing school!

Have a great week! Hope this helps in brewing your mind toward Fall!

When I am weak, He is so Strong!

Ok all my wonderful followers who have been asking about posts... I am tired!!!

Many of you know nursing school started for me 3 weeks ago! Man oh man has it kicked me in my can! With upholding Sparkling Clean, Crafts N Trends, a marriage, and now school... life is getting so busy and I DON'T like it! Boy was I spoiled as I was able to cherish the sweet chill months of Jan.-Aug., but it's over! I praise the Lord for that time because it rarely happens. I am a go getter and love life... which results in being busy and full of fun! On the other hand, as much as I have wanted to post all my in-between activities that I have been doing around my house... I can't find time! But, as I am learning to balance, the Lord has been my strength through it all. My ear welled up with tears this morning at church as the song came up "Jesus Paid it All," I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small; Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all...." that's about when I lost it! He is my strength even when I am weak. And I am weak! I could go on and on of the overwhelming sensations I am currently having, but I refuse, I decide to lay it on the Lord and to lead me through it all. He brought me to nursing school after many years of agonizing requests for it... and now He will bring me out of it too! I am sure you are facing something in which you need to cry out to the Lord today, for His strength... I encourage you to do so!

"Where We Came From" Wall

My ongoing project in my room is finally COMPLETE! I am so thrilled to finally be able to post this! My husband is very sentimental... as I am too (he would just beg to differ). He is sentimental in the little things (all things), and I am more sentimental with few things! But, we both hold very dear to our hearts "Where we came from..." our family!

Therefore, when I had a huge open wall available in my room, I knew the project would be this: find all the pictures possible from both of families of where we came from... grandparents, great grandparents, parents, etc... anything and everything! The oldest pictures that could be found, were found.

So lets get started on how this all started and how it panned out...

First of all was the picture frame search. As many of you shoppers out there know, frames aren't cheap. My first SCORE was going to a garage sell many months ago and landing about 10 picture frames at .$10 each! So, for a $1 my project had officially started!

Then, I took a $2 can of off-white spray paint (to match our colors in our room), carefully took out all the glass pieces, and began spraying!

Ok, after that was complete they hung empty on my wall and out of the wall for a while. I knew this would be a time consuming project and wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to tackle it!

We had made a trip back in June to NC for a wedding and in the mean time was able to stop in and see Parker's family. Me and his mom (Cheryl) had a great time one evening looking through tons of pictures and scanning my favorites. That was one more step in progress (slowly coming along)...

Then for my pictures, I waited til my mom had some time to look through pictures with me and we had a great time of laughing through memories and missing loved ones as we saw them. What beautiful thing it is that we are able to have pictures to reminisce on! I love Pictures!!!

With a few steps left to do, I knew they would be the most challenging ones... so I waited til I had a long morning and sure enough... this past Saturday Parker was working, I was caught up on the house and on hair bows... so I began to tackle the next steps! After going through pictures I quickly realized that 10 frames was not enough.. so I had to get more so I first went to Goodwill (first Saturday of the month the whole store is 50% off) and I was able to get about 11 more picture frames!

Well, I then came home, measured each frame and carefully marked how many pictures of each size I would need (TIME CONSUMING!). After that was complete I printed pictures off.... and I was soooo close to being done!

I contemplated spray painting all the frames off white, and then I thought it may give an eclectic look if I don't spray the new frames, so I didn't... I collaged the pictures on the floor like I wanted and carefully hung them each on the wall! And almost with tears in my eyes, the project was finished... I can't go in my room without loving on that wall! It is more than just a wall... It is Where We Came From!

(Oh and do you like my chandelier? Craigslist find for $15!!!)

Thanks for hanging with me on this post... I know it was long, but I had to share the details since I have been waiting SO long to finish this and share!