A Simple Fall Table

Good afternoon! 

Today, I am sharing my Fall Table. If you saw my Fall Spaces video you might have seen the same table decorated simply with a different set of dishes and velvet burgundy placemats. 

This time I've brought out my sparkly dishes and some more subtle bergamot-colored placemats. I've also added some drama with greens from the yard, brass candlesticks, and some late roses (also from the yard). 

I have such a good time doing these. I already have plans for more than 1 (or 3) for Christmas. 

Do you enjoy a pretty table?

 

Fall Spaces at the Parsonage

 I am sharing a video I made of  Fall at the Parsonage. 

To be honest I am not that thrilled with it. I can that the walls in the living room need repainted. I need to buff down the piano with Old English. 

And I really don't like the throw pillows. 

I also struggled with my voice. Do I really sound like that? I didn't realize I sounded so "lispy"...we probably can blame that on my crooked teeth. 

I suppose that nothing is ever perfect. The beautifully produced videos and homes of Pinterest Land don't tell the real story of life. 

The truth is that our home has been a safe place filled with comfort and warmness. Staying home for me is not a punishment. It is filled with beautiful art, beloved books and pets, a fine collection of hot tea and, most importantly, people that I love. 

Recently, I heard someone say that we all need to take those leaps. No matter if they aren't perfectly orchestrated or complete. 

My goal in whatever I have done on this blog all these years is to share just a little bit of my life with you. My hope is to encourage. Trying to add beauty into the struggle, the heartbreak, and the mundane has made all the difference in how I live my life. 

Hope you enjoy! 

Halloween Tracts (A Homeschool Crew Review)

As I type this we are experiencing decidedly “fallish” weather here in Indiana. I’ve been so inspired by the crisp, cool mornings that I’ve brought up my fall buckets from the basement. It’s pumpkin time, my friends! Just in time, I have been playing around with the most darling Halloween tracts from a company called Let the Little Children Come. The tracts are the Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Box-Tracts. I love reviews like this!

Let the Little Children Come is a company that provides evangelism tools. These tools are specifically designed for sharing the Good News with kids. I have been looking over a variety of unique and fun tracts (can’t wait to share more with you later) and I have to tell you that they are super neat. My husband and I were in full-time children’s ministry for years (before pastoring) and I am really impressed with the creativity and message put into everything I’ve received.

The Halloween tracts I received are equally wonderful. We received a package of twenty candy boxes. They are made from a light coated cardboard and really easy to assemble. I simply punched out the shape and followed the directions to create the pumpkin. There is room inside for several pieces of candy and maybe a tiny candy bar.

Here you can see a very unprofessional pic taken by me (experiencing technical difficulties). They are extremely well made. I'm in love.

When opened each portion of the pumpkin shares a part the Gospel message. The portions are numbered so they are easy to follow along.

I can think of so many ways to use these Halloween tracts. Of course, the obvious is to hand them out to all the tricker treaters that come to your door. You could also use them at a Harvest party or Trunk or Treat event.

I’ve already spoken to our Community Kitchen coordinator here at the church and we are going to use ours to hand out to any kiddos that come to our October Monday Night Meals. These are free meals that we provide weekly to the community.

Another idea we had was to send them home with the kids in our Children’s Church so that they could give them to friends. What a wonderful way to teach Evangelism to our young ones!

This is really a great product. I am thrilled I’ve had a chance to get acquainted with this company. I am sure you can think of other ways that these cute Halloween tracts can be used.

Go check them out!

You can connect with Let the Little Children Come via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews.

https://www.facebook.com/LetTheLittleChildrenCome/   

The Moving Diaries: It's Fall Ya'll!

Shew! I'm wiped out!

This moving stuff is tough work. We are slowly getting it whipped out. I've tried to set goals for myself. Some have been unrealistic. Some have been as simple as this.

"Today I will brush my teeth."

It's the little things. Am I right?

This week Fall arrived. You wouldn't know it here in my new state. They are telling us that they experienced the hottest summer in  years. They could just be pulling a fast one on us, but I've visited Indiana often enough in the past to know that this could be true. And that by winter I'll be wishing for this overly toasty weather.

If you know me well, this next bit of information won't surprise you in the least.

I don't even have my kitchen all unpacked, but I made Josiah and The Muffin hunt down The Fall Decor Buckets. Notice the plural.

That's the way I roll.

Currently, there are pumpkins and a turkey sitting on a desk in my living room. We can't completely get through said living room, but we are festive.

I haven't had as much time to spend on the blog as of late. I intend to remedy that in the near future (fair warning). In the meantime, I thought I would give you a few links to my favorite fall recipes. Keep in mind that the only hot food I've had this week is food that folks have (a) brought to my front door or (b) eaten in a restaurant.

Our church folks are so great! They made sure the fridge was stocked up with food. We haven't starved.

Anyhoo.

Here are some favorites.

This Chocolate Cola Chili always reminds me of fall. I made this for Josiah's first birthday party (he is a November baby). It yummy!


Ida Brown's Fresh Apple Cake  is a perfect sweet treat for a fall day. This recipe comes from my childhood and a sweet church lady named (you guessed it) Ida Brown.

Monkey Bread  is one my family's favorite treats. In fact, I've added to family holiday celebrations the last few years. It doesn't require a lot of ingredients. Just a little time for biscuit cutting.

One last link then I'll let you get to bed. A few years ago, I wrote up a post featuring all kinds of pumpkin educational projects,..including making a batch of easy peasy pumpkin muffins and a link for a yummy pumpkin chili. You can check out that post here.

I couldn't help sharing this picture again. This is Josiah and his cousin, Chris, investigating a pumpkin.  I can't even stand it! My baby now has facial hair and a deep voice.

Sigh.

So there you go, my friends.

I'm heading off to bed, myself.

After, of course, I brush my teeth.

Fixin' It Up For Fall:17 Weeks of Learning to Live a Beautiful Life

Week of 4 of my 17 Weeks of Learning to Live a Beautiful Life is here!

I am a bit late this week. I was busy living a beautiful life!

Mainly, I hung out with my guys and watched the new Avengers with my guys. It just came out on DVD. Josiah and I had already seen it in the theatres, but The Muffin had yet to have the pleasure.

Josiah was so cute. He kept looking back to see how his Dad was reacting to the movie.

I also blessed my family with hot dogs.

My menu plan included a corn chowder and banana bread pudding.

I don't think they missed anything.

Anyhoo.

Have you ever gone through a season in auto pilot? I, myself, have floated through the Christmas season only to come out the other end feeling like I never really got to enjoy it.

I was just plain busy or unprepared.

Some of Living a Beautiful Life is to prepare for it. Sometimes we have to intentionally make it happen. Our efforts don't have to be Martha Stewart worthy, but they need to be done with love.


This week I want to share some of my fall rituals. There is something so invigorating about the fall season. We live in a part of the country where you can see and smell the change in seasons.

I don't like to perform my rituals (I sound like some sort of occultist!) too early. In fact, the first day of fall fell on a warm and balmy day. I wore flip flops and vowed not to hang my fall wreath until I felt like throwing on some real shoes.

This week, however, it has been in the 40's overnight.

That, my friends, is real shoe wearing weather. At least first thing in the morning. After that I'm good for flip flops. Some people change clothes according to weather....I change shoes.

Flip Flops are cool. Unless you wear flip flops year round in the snow. You know who you are. You crazy people.

Back to the topic at hand.

Maybe some of what I do will inspire you to make your home and your life welcoming and a blessing.

Remember! It's those little moments that make a difference.

I literally have buckets and buckets of fall decorations in my storage building. Beautiful willow pumpkins, ceramic pumpkins....But because I live in such a small place I try and keep it simple.

These beautiful gourds are ones my Mom spiffed up. My Dad grew a whole bunch of them one year and she made some beautiful art out of a couple. They are some of my favorite things in her house.

Notice I said her house.  I am not as talented. Maybe you don't feel like you can do the same kind of work.  Don't be afraid to add a touch of fall art to your home.

Even if your "art" tends to be more of the cut and paste kind. Every November we put up a Thanksgiving Tree. I make leaf shapes and everyday we write out a blessing. This picture is from a few years ago. Thank goodness. I can see I need to approve the idea. 

I am a BIG believer in using what you have. I have had this tea pot for a few years. It's missing a lid, but it is a perfect vase for some twigs we gathered from the yard.

My door gets adorned with my fall wreath. I made this one a couple of years ago. I didn't have much money. I found the wreath at a thrift store with some of the grass already on it. I added the berries and everything else. The flowers I made from bits of fabric I had around the house. Use what you have! You can even see buttons on my wreath.

This year I added a string of orange lights and leaf garland (from the Dollar Tree) around our white board. I tried to take a picture of it...cause it is quite cute. It doesn't look as cute in my picture! I'm not sure this is before or after I said rotten things about my camera (it's misbehaving).

I also brought out my pumpkin candles and some fall hand towels that I had. Nothing big. My table is now covered in a tablecloth featuring fall colors and I found a pretty green cake platter at the Thrift Store to put in the middle.

My kitchen needed a little fall love, too!

Did you know you can make pumpkin muffins from just a can of pumpkin and a cake mix?

I made sure my baking spices were stocked up. Savory spices are a lot less expensive than those baking ones. I had to buy some over a few trips. I use cinnamon like some people use salt (not really, but it sounds healthier) so I had plenty of that. Think about the kinds of spices you use for this time of the year or for the holidays. This is a good recipe for pumpkin pie spice. It is so expensive in the store for such a little bit!  Making your own spice mixes can really help the budget. Don't forget any extracts you might use.

I also checked on my stash of canned apples and pumpkin puree. It's a good thing I have a reliable dealer (also known as Dad) who keeps me in all of the above. I don't think his pumpkins took off this year. I still have access to some pumpkin puree from last year. Next year is going to be messy. Our supply won't last another year.

 If you don't have your own dealer it doesn't cost a lot to stock up on canned pumpkin and applesauce. Either add such a wonderful flavor and texture to almost anything. Bits of apples or pumpkin might find their way in my pancakes, muffins and even chili (pumpkin!).  There is nothing better than blessing my family with an easy apple cake on a chilly evening.

I am sure you're the same, but many of my favorite chili and soup recipes have found their rotation in my menu planning once again. When I buy ingredients for any of my favorite recipes I try and buy extra if it is in my budget. For example, I have a wonderful recipe we love for Mexican Corn Chowder. If I have to purchase Rotel I buy and extra can or two. I can't always do this, but when I try when it's possible. It's my goal to have one or two warm suppers ready to put together.

 Because we are homeschoolers, I am able to add a bit of fall fun into our schooling. I also teach a reading club and will focus many of our activities around the fall season.

This year I have a few surprises in my lesson plan for my student (and students). Then I have a couple of activities that always make the rotation. Pumpkin science always has a place in our schedule....along with all these Pumpkin activities.  This is a Autumn Leaves study that you might find useful.

I haven't changed out my wardrobe yet from summer to fall. If you live in a seasonal climate you'll know what I'm talking about.  We can also be a hardy bunch here in the Ozarks. If it gets just a little sunny in the winter you will see fellas walking down the street with their shirts off. Really? Nothing like a little Hillbilly exhibition.

One of my Melted Flower Pins

If you have kids you understand that it can be even more of a challenging effort. Josiah has grown so much this summer. I had him try on some of his jeans the other day and OOPS! Boy is going to go pantless if we don't get on the ball. Thankfully, we have a cousin who has supplied us with hoodies and t-shirts . Don't you love hand-me-downs?

I am not one of the those girls who buys a whole new wardrobe with every season. I will make a few purchases if necessary. I also make sure I move my scarves to the head of my closet and my boots get an honored position. Accessorizing is a very important of making a frugal wardrobe look fancy so I need to make sure that I have jewelry and other fun accessories to complete my favorite outfits. You can check out my tutorial for making melted flower pins. So easy!

More than any other time of the year I start thinking about family time. I want to make sure we are seizing the day and spending quality time together. As the weather starts to change The Muffin will be cycling outdoors less. We will spend more of our free time at the Y and just hanging together as a family. Just the other day I took a peek at our games to see which ones we had added this year (Thrift Stores or Reviews!). I also have begun to make a list of movies we might want to "feature" on Family Movie Night. My guys like to eat so I make sure I stock on popcorn and hot chocolate. If they are really lucky I might bring out a batch of Christmas Fudge now and again! Just make a plan. Don't let those moments get away from you.

One of our favorite games is Headbandz Jr. This is my niece Alex a few years ago. How can you not spend time with a face like that? 

Enjoy the fall, my friends! Embrace it! Smell it! Breath it in! Bake that Pumpkin Pie...and don't wait for Thanksgiving.

Don't miss my other posts!

Preserving Leaves with Paraffin Wax

The leaves are just beautimous right now.

Brilliant oranges and yellow..we even saw a magenta tree the other day.

Recently, Josiah and cousin Maddy found some really gorgeous leaves at the farm.

I mean really. Aren't they stunning? I don't know where these particular leaves come from. I need to ask my Dad and get back to you. I think he has a pet name for every tree at the farm. Especially his beloved fruit trees ('nother story for 'nother day).




Anyhoo. My mom had the idea that Josiah and I could preserve them. She wanted to share their loveliness with her sweet friends at the nursing home (she works there). She sent me home with a baggie of paraffin wax.

I do wish I had a paraffin wax melter. I have used one when doing nails (beauty school and salon days), but don't have one of my own. I am pretty sure you could use a crock pot as well. I heated our waxy in the microwave.

This isn't a very good picture, but here Josiah and I both have a leaf on the verge of dipping it in. I tried to choose leaves that didn't have any tears or obvious blemishes in them.

I also made a huge mess. Of course, I did! Did you expect anything different. I was intending on using wax paper, but thought I had run out. Until I found my wax paper in a bag I had taken to a friend's house to roll out pie crusts on. I won't even tell you how long ago that was.

Girlfriend needs a nap.

I used foil instead to cover my table. I heated up the wax in my Pampered Chef mixing bowl, but it still got really too hot. And then it cooled too quickly.

Lovely. The wax made a film just after a few minutes of being in bowl.

Despite my mess, I had some really nice results. 

You can see how it looks when the wax wasn't hot enough. It just didn't cover as well.

The leaves that came out right have a beautiful sheen and are sturdy. We even sent two to Qatar. No really! Josiah's Aunt is stationed there. We wanted to share the fall loveliness.

I am going to put some in a bowl to enjoy on my coffee table and the rest I am sending to the Nursing Home.

What are you doing to enjoy the fall?

This and That: The Fall Edition

You can tell we are gearing up for the Holiday season by the crazy glint in my eye. I put my fall decorations up last week. My big Fall Bucket is still in the living room floor, but it is just keeping company with the box of clothes to take to the kid's resale shop and my cold winter clothes. I need an extra room just organize in! I'm sure some of you can relate. Those of you who don't live in temperate climates can't understand the ritual that those of us who live with the weather changes go through. I'm just afraid by the time I get my act together it will be time to do it all over again.

So as I have stated in previous posts, my laptop is currently out of commission. Actually, it is my laptop cord that is out of commission. It caught fire and is presently at my parent's house waiting in the "Daddy Do This For Me Pile." Unfortunately, my Daddy is doing a little too much right now and my laptop cord is not a priority. So currently I am using The Studly Muffin's desktop. And I recently discovered that it takes my little camera card! Praise Be! So I decided I would share a hodge podge of pictures I downloaded tonight.I meant to take pictures of my Fall Decorating Frenzy, but my camera ran out of battery juice. More on that later.


We started out September by celebrating my Dad's B-Day. Here is the Birthday Boy himself. He was wearing a party hat, but I think he snatched it off when he realized I was snapping pictures. Not that he has much pride.

There is this whole situation from earlier in the summer. And yes. I did some photo magic.

Josiah started swimming lessons in September, too. This was his very first lesson. We are now in his second month and have plans to continue. He's quite excited about swimming. Excuse my picture. I took it from  other side of the pool. I sit over by the swim team. They splash more and I can pretend I am at the beach...plus, the constant spray of water soothes my per-menopasual hot flashes.  True Story.

He can do some wonderful swimming stuff now. His teacher is wonderful. He absolutely adores her. I wonder if she makes house calls?

Later in September my mom, a friend from church (Terri) and I spent a couple of nights in Eureka Springs. It was a beautiful fall weekend. And then there was this.

Yes. You are looking at hundreds of motorcycles. Apparently, 40,000 of them were tooting back and forth across North West Arkansas that particular weekend. Do you realize how hard it is to sleep with 40,000 motorcyclist tooting anywhere? Bless Their Hearts. My left eye will occasionally start to twitch when I hear the roar of a motorcycle now. Bless Their Hearts.

This was the little cabin we stayed in. It is in what is called the "Tree House Village." It was quite nice. It had 2 flat screen TV's and big comfy bed and a whirlpool tub. Unfortunately, it was not sound proof. Have I told you how loud 40,000 motorcycles can be?

This is my Mom (on the right) and Terri (on the left). They are both as cute as they can be. And easy traveling companions. They let me have Chinese food twice in one weekend.  Do you hear that, My Studly Muffin? Other people like Chinese Food, too. Sorry. It's just a conversation Troy and I have everytime we go out to eat. Troy: Where do you want to eat? Me: Sushi or Cashew Chicken. Troy: We eat Chinese all the time. Me: We ate it last month! Troy: Nobody wants to eat Chinese food that often!

I had told you I was going to explain why my camera had run out of battery charge and this is why. My son hijacked my camera.

He orginally wanted to use it to document his wish list for his birthday (at the end of November). So he took this and a number of other pictures for his "wish list." Kind of clever, don't you think? And No. I am not going to pay 53.75 for yet another set of Indiana Jones guys.

At any point in his picture taking adventures, you can always count on a "Nostril Shot."  This is one is from this evening.  There were others.Most of them looked like this.

 

This nostril shot is actually from several months ago. Goofy Kid. 

 

Now this is more like it. Not that I don't appreciate pictures of my son with any facial expression. But he sure is pretty. And a little Kooky. But he comes by the Kookyness honestly.

Fall Fun...Finally?





My Dad grew lots 'o pumpkins a couple of years ago. Mom took this pic.



 I went to our storage building yesterday to dig for our winter clothes and my fall decorations. Now our storage building happens to be in another town and every time I go I am either thrown into fits of despair (it's hard seeing half your house wadded up in a metal building) or...humm...nope....it's usually fits of despair.  My fit of despair yesterday was triggered by the site of a badly damaged box containing my Blue Willow china perched precariously atop another box. I have so many things to be grateful for. And the fact that my Blue Willow china (amongst other things) has been banished to a town 30 minutes from where we live because of lack of space in our small apartment doesn't change the fact that we (at least) have shelter.  I didn't get a glimpse of my piano in the back of the unit...which is probably good because that would have been grounds for an immediate trip to Krispy Kreme.  

I should have had my fall stuff out weeks ago.  I am always about celebration, but I have to say that summer has been reluctant to leave the Ozarks.  It's hard to put out the pumpkins in shorts and flip flops.  But today I have big plans. I am going to put out my fall decorations and then Josiah and I are going to go to a local Harvest Festival at a park. In honor of the occasion (and to celebrate the Fall Equinox) I thought I would post a few Fall Favorites today.  Recipes and the like. Not that I plan on making any of them today! My poor family. How they suffer.