For the Love of Fall!

It's Fall y'all!!!

The word Fall itself conjures up so many wonderful, happy thoughts! It is by far my favorite season of all.  Of course, Summer is a very close second.

Cool, sunny days. Crisp, cold nights. Crackling fire in the fireplace.  Breathtaking colors. Big cozy sweaters. Boots. Crunching leaves underfoot. Hot chocolate. Pumpkin picking. Apple cider.

Check out this collage that I put together that perfectly portrays the incredible colors that Fall has to offer.  God is so amazing showing us what only He can do.

images courtesy of pinterest and google

I will admit that I am not a huge fan of Halloween. Sorry! I am however, a huge fan of Fall and all that goes along with it.

Decorating for this fabulous season is definitely a must on my to-do list.  Mums, pumpkins (especially white ones), wreaths and garlands top my list.  I found some incredible ideas that I may just have to try.

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pinterest.com

Nothing says fall like when your front entrance is decked out to the fullest.  I love how the pumpkin above is hollowed out and a mum is placed inside.  Check out how some of those gourds are spray painted gold for a pop of bling!

How adorable is hanging the word "fall" on your front door.  Certainly something unusual that you don't see everyday.  Kim over at Sand and Sisal can give you the whole low-down on how to get it done.

thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com

josiejones.com

White pumpkins are my absolute favorite when it comes to fall decorating.  As a matter of fact I think I'll stop and pick some up today when I run my weekend errands.  There is a stand up the street from us that always has them every fall.  They are just so chic and add the right amount of contrast mixed in with your traditional orange pumpkins.

Now this is something that you don't see everyday!  Which is why I love it so much.  Wrap your pumpkins in black tulle and tie with wire  ribbons at the top.  A great twist on the pumpkins on your porch idea that is so popular. Mix those in with plain orange and white pumpkins, mums and some corn stalks and you'll be the talk of the neighborhood.  Oh, and don't forget a great wreath to top it all off on your front door.

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When Indian Summer rolls around, how about a picnic to enjoy some of the very last days of warmth.  Visit one of your area's county or state parks and live it up.  Bring a table cloth for the table, some chairs for lounging or reading, a frisbee or football for some outdoor exercise and throw your hiking boots in the trunk just incase you feel like a hike to work off all the scrumptious food you just devoured.

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The perfect way to end your picnic, or any other Fall day for that matter is by roasting some marshmallows by a fire.  Sitting around a fire all bundled up with blankets, making s'mores and singing songs brings back such sweet memories for me.

Can't build a fire any time soon?  No worries!  You can enjoy a different version of s'mores that doesn't require a fire at all.  You can make s'more trail mix.  All you need is Golden Graham cereal, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips.  Or, check out this recipe for a totally different version.  Either way, I'm sure they will both satisfy your graving.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk a little about Fall fashion.  Our Summers are so short here in upstate New York that I try and push it into September and October.  When the temperature finally does drop below 60 degrees, I love to pull out my cozy sweaters, jeans, boots and scarves.

Check out some of the fabulous Fall outfits I found on Polyvore.  I even created two myself. Can you guess which ones I did?

Well, that about wraps up everything I love about Fall and all that goes along with it.  Do you enjoy Fall as much as I do?  Or do you prefer another season instead?

Enjoy everything about Fall because the snow will be flying before you know it.  I know, I know, I just said that really bad four letter "s" word.  Sorry, it's a fact of life here in Syracuse.

Blessings,

Holly

PS.....the last two outfits are the ones I put together.  I wish shopping was that easy, and free too.  Oh well, a girl can dream can't she?

Happy Birthday Construction

I would like to introduce you to Fischer.........

Fischer just turned four and had an incredible birthday party.  I would like to share with you Fischer's party and all the fun and giggles that occured.

As you can see, this was a Construction themed party

Bouncy house, of course

Here is Dominic..he was the tatoo artist.

The attention to detail, was incredible.  Chocolate doughnuts for truck tires!

Little construction cones for juice.  Every little guest had their own personalized construction hat along with a little paint bucket filled with goodies.

Cute.......

The participants have arrived.......

This is the back of Fischer's head...great shot Nanny Chris...

All the kids wore personalized construction vests...and one for Dad too.  Speaking of bad shots..that's Fischer blowing out his Candles.  The cake is where?

Here is a very bad picture of a precious cake.....and it tasted as good as it looks.

They even borrowed construction signs from a local construction company.

Well unfortunately that's all the shots I have of the "construction party".  I was trying to help serve, etc. and didn't get as many as I wanted.

I hope you enjoyed the event!!

Back to School

Where has summer gone?  I know for me, my summer vacation flew by.  I enjoy summer for so many reasons.  If I've never mentioned it before, I am a teacher assistant, which means, I have the summers off.  I know, it's amazing.  You'll get no complaints from me.  When my kids were little, it was (is) the best job to have.  When they were off from school, I was off.  Who could ask for more.  Now that my kids are grown, I love it for so many different reasons.  Josh started his sophomore year at Oswego State this year  and to be able to spend time with him while he is home over the summer is the best.  Chloe started her senior year in high school and there are still things during the year and over the summer that I am thrilled I am available for.

On Tuesday August 21st Mark and I took Josh back to school in Oswego.  He went up a few days early :( because he was a part of the group that helps everyone else move in and he needed to train and prepare.

Just before we left in our driveway

We took Josh out to breakfast on the way up.

This is Josh's dorm

I took some "before" pictures of what Josh's room looked like before the arranged and made it the way they wanted. It is the exact same room from last year.

Before

Before

The second picture below is Josh's bed.  He does not like his lofted at all.  He tried it last year and it lasted all but one night.  He went skydiving this summer so it's not the height that bothers him.

After

After

These were all the door names that their RA made for them last year.  They saved them all and put them up again this year.  The two at the bottom are from their new RA from this year.  There certainly isn't any question as to whose room this is.

 This is Josh and his roommate Blaise.    He graduated from Liverpool.  They actually first met when they were batboys together with the Syracuse Chiefs years ago.  When Josh went up for an accepted students day back when he was a Senior in high school, he ran into Blaise there.  It was then that they decided to become roommates.  Here they are on their second go 'round.  They have become very good friends.

This photo brings tears to my eyes...literally.  After we had said our goodbyes, they turned and walked away.  I went fumbling for my camera to try and get that "tear-jerker" picture.  Being the "blubbering idiot" that I was, this was the best I could do.  Do you see the two of them on the right walking away?  This could have been a way better picture if I wasn't so emotional and had my wits about me.  Oh well, it's better than nothing.

Incase you are wondering where OSU is located, it's the highlighted area above.  The campus is literally right on Lake Ontario.  His dorm is actually right on the water.  If you look at the picture above that shows his dorm, the lake is right behind his building.

GO LAKERS!!!

Sending a senior off to school on the first day is so much different than when they were little.  First off, Chloe wasn't thrilled about taking the bus.  This year she has a car that she can drive to and from school.  She even signed up for a parking spot and got a pass.  Well, her car is in the shop.  Yes, Josh and Chloe's new car that i posted about here is in the BODY shop.  All I'll say is, accident.  A few weeks ago. Yes, everyone is OK (except for the car of course). So, Chloe needed to take the bus for the first few weeks of school. No, she wouldn't let me walk her to the bus stop and take a picture of her getting on the bus, so this is the best you'll get.

She even gave me a hard time taking a few pictures of her getting ready.  I don't know why, she never has.  At least I got a few.

Oh, that face!

Ever since the kids have been attending school, I've taken a picture of them holding up how many fingers of the grade they will be in that year.  Chloe needed some help and her dad came to the rescue.

Finally, a nice picture.

Even shopping for school supplies was uneventful.  Chloe didn't even want to go until she had attended each of her classes to find out exactly what she needed.  The district puts up a list on their website for each class so we can do the shopping over the summer.  She claims that they ask for so much more than they actually use so she thought of waiting for find out what is really needed.  I've got to hand it to her, she is becoming quite the thrifty shopper.  She probably saved me a few bucks that way.

GO WILDCATS!!!

The times they are a changing.  Our back to school has changed over the years.  By next year it will be off to college for the both of them.  Emotionally, I'm not too sure how I'll do.  You may need to check back sometime in October or November because it may take me that long to compose myself to be able to blog about it.  Until then, I will just enjoy every moment of my children's life.  I have some great memories to look back on and some awesome memories to look forward to.  Thank you God for them all, the good and the bad (mostly good, though).  I have the greatest kids in the world.

Holly