HeLLoo!

Well,  Hello there, Long Lost Friends!..... If there's still anyone left out there that remained a follower of this blog after 2 long years.... I know!  2 years!  (but I will explain)  I've been wanting to revive my blog for quite some time... I pondered over just starting a new one or reviving this one, and after checking into the hits, I realized that it does still get visits, so why not just bring it back to life.  So here I am!!!  :)

Now to explain my absence.....   a little over 2 years ago, my whole world crashed with some personal family issues.... I held it together for a few months, and then in November 2011, I just broke.    For about 8 months my whole life was consumed and I just didn't have the emotional energy for anything else.  It was all I could do to run my business and function, let alone find time to craft and certainly not keep up a blog.  (Maybe someday I'll talk about it, but for now we'll just keep this blog about fun, happy things. )
When things finally came back around, I just didn't know how to start again.... it had been sooooo long!!!    I logged in a couple of times to try.... but for some reason it just wouldn't come.   I'd think..."I'll think about it for a few days and try again."  but then time would slip away and before I knew it, another 3 months had gone by... and so on and so on..

But!  Here I am now!!!  and Life is once again wonderful  :)  Many things have changed in my life.  I sold my business, which means I have more time for ME!!   My crafting Mojo has returned!  My decorating Mojo is back in full obsession and I'm READY TO BLOG ABOUT IT!    Maybe it's because it's fall, my FAVORITE season for decorating!!!  ;)   I've been pulling out the Halloween decorations the last week or so and today is the day to really get to it!  I'm late!!! :)    I'll start with a couple of pics of things I've done and then (insert Arnold accent here)  "I'll be back!!"  

Here's my "Mantle", which isn't really a "Mantle" but a shelf that my wonderful Hubby and I built last spring to go over the French Doors.  I love how it turned out and couldn't wait to decorate it with all my Halloween Goodies!!!   It's was really  hard to get a good picture since all I had available at the time was my cell phone and the lighting was just horrible.   I think I may make some changes now that I see the pic... I'll post if I do :)   

Here are my Halloween "Funkins" that I decorated.  Yes, I see that I dotted the "n" in our name instead of the "i",  LOL.... I fixed it but haven't taken a new pic yet.  The decals are cut with my Silhouette Cameo and glitter vinyl.   I love how they turned out! 

Thanks for hangin' with me, if you're still here.  <3  I'll be back later with a fun new Halloween Porch!   

Kim 

I love Fall!

I do love Fall.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year.  I love the feel of the air, watching the leaves change, the sounds of the Crows ( I think I just notice them more this time of year)  the sounds of the Blue Jays as they squawk at each other fighting over the hazelnuts, the feeling of "Nesting" that comes over me as I prepare my home for the winter months....canning, storing....and of course DECORATING!  This is the time of year when you get to gussy up your house with all the cozy colors of fall for 3 whole months... and then move right on to Christmas decor... love love love the decorating :)

When we built our house 13 years ago ,  (I know, right!  I can't believe it's been 13 years ago, already!), believe it or not, our search for the perfect house plan began with the porch.   I HAD to have a house plan with a big front  porch.  Why???  So I could decorate it, of course :)   I'd always LOVED old farmhouses with big front porches... there's that nostalgic feeling again :)

I spent this week dragging out the totes of fall decor and decorating my little heart out :)   Here is my front porch all gussied up for Fall.   I think I'll save the Halloween decor for a bit and just enjoy the "fallish" feel before I add the spooky stuff.  :)

THIS is one of my most favorite Fall pieces.  I bought one of these at a craft fair in Sisters, Oregon about 10 years ago.  It was one of those things that I looked at and said... "Ohhhh, I can make that"... and off I went.. but as I thought about it over the course of the day, I knew how often I said that and never got around to it, so I went back and bought it.  I've never regretted it!   I love it so much!   I hang it out in September, replace it mid October with Halloween, and then put it back out for November. I never tire of it.  :)   I've since made a few more for friends and they are equally in love :)

This little guy, I did make :)   I painted MANY of these for friends and family several years ago.  It's just a regular ol' terra cotta pot turned upside down and painted with acrylics.  The face was from a pattern in one of my tole painting books but I think it would be easy to draw your own.   Add a straw hat, some raffia for hair and ~Walla~  you have a cute little scarecrow guy.  I love his sweet little face. 

I love the way he looks hanging in the opening of my "barn door , above the "planter box"  filled with all kinds of fun fall foliage and sunflowers and a pumkin :)

And here is a full view of my "Barn Door" all decorated up for Fall.  I am so loving this door by my door!  LOL 

More beautiful, sparkly fall foliage in a metal pocket I got on clearance at Michaels last year. 

And finally, my "Twiggy Planter" full of pumpkins and leaves.  Another favorite treasure that I can change out for every season.   I bought this at the Portland Flower Market a couple years ago when I went to a flower show.
Also another one of those things I passed up the first go around and went back for. LOL  and still again, never regretted the purchase.  This is his 2nd year on the porch and he get's a new look for every season :)

So that's the porch.  :)   It makes me SO happy every time I look at it. :) 
I'm Working on some other fun things for inside the house that I can't wait to share.

Thanks for visiting today!  Hope you'll come again. :)

Kim