My VERY Simple Fall Decor

It's officially FALL!!! YAY, I am so excited.
But, we live in Texas so there really isn't a 'Fall' season here like in other places. Check out the weather forecast for tomorrow!

Although I am sad about the temperature, I couldn't be more happy about the potential for RAIN! We need it oh so bad. It rained here for a little while this afternoon and my kids had a great time using their umbrellas.

If you haven't heard, Texas has had a terrible drought this year. So, we've only seen rain a handful of times {ALL YEAR LONG}. There have been countless wildfires all over our state. This one broke out just across the highway from our house. Thankfully it was contained quickly and no structures were damaged.

So, I finally pulled out my fall decor last weekend (or I should say my hubby did!). As I pulled it all out I realized how much I disliked what little I had.
I've started working part-time at my kids school so my "free" time is limited. The house won't be decorated like I wish it was... but for this season, here's what I've got.

For the life of me I can't take a good photo of my mantle. The lighting is never right! And every time I look at it on 'film' I realize how blah it really is.

I will add candy corn to this apothocary jar {eventually when I make it to the grocery store}.

I made this Fall frame by cutting out the word FALL using my Silhouette machine, using it as a stencil and spray painting it. That's the lazy way {hence the fuzzy edges}. I'd recommend hand stenciling it with a sponge brush.

This wreath is hung on the mirror using a burlap sash.

I added a few fall colored berry stems to this urn that was already here. More berries are on my Hobby Lobby to do list.

Well, there you have it. It's simple. It's boring. It's lacking the awe factor. But considering it was 100* today it's as "fallish" as I'm able to feel today.

Recipe {Creamy Chicken Casserole}

This is one of my weeknight favorites!

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded or chopped (cooked) chicken

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz carton of sour cream

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers

1/4 cup melted butter

Combine first 4 ingredients: spoon into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine Ritz and butter, and sprinkle over chicken mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

Yum!

Necklace Organizer

I'm so excited to show you my new necklace holder!

It's been on my "to do" list for FAR too long.

No longer is there a tangled mess at the bottom of my bathroom drawer (where little hands can reach). NOW almost all of my pretties hang nicely right next to my sink. I love it! Did I mention that might kids can't reach them? LOVE it!

Here's how I made it.

I picked up an old shutter at Round Top.

I spray painted it black.

And distressed some of the edges.

I used 2 picture hangers to hang the shutter to the wall & S hooks to hang the necklaces on the shutter.

And "Viola!" Problem solved!

I was worried that it would look cluttered or messy, but I actually think it adds some personality to the bathroom. And for pete's sake, shouldn't your bathroom be functional? :)

Pumpkin specimen art

Let the Fall decorating begin!

Pay no attention that it's still 95 degrees outside. I'm done with summer.

So I'm bringing out my boots & making new Fall decor!

This project was love at first sight. I copied it almost exactly from here.

It's super easy to make.

And you probably have most of the materials already on hand.

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Grab a cute picture frame

scrapbook paper

scrabble letters (or you can just do more pumpkins)

& burlap (or any neutral background)

I suggest using a silhouette machine to make the pumpkins. Or in my case, befriend someone who has a silhouette machine! :) :) Thanks again Lindsay!

I used furniture felt pads under each pumpkin to raise it off of the burlap.

It gives it just a bit more interest.

And then used Scrabble letters at the bottom.

As a side note, what a great use for Scrabble! Ever since I learned of Bananagrams, poor Scrabble doesn't get played anymore. And now that I've officially ruined the game, I guess I'll have to think up more Scrabble projects!

I lined up the pumpkins & PUMPKINS before hot gluing everything to the burlap. The whole project cost me $4 (for the burlap).

Woo Hoo! One more reason to be excited about Fall!

Crock Pot Recipes

Believe it or not, my hubby found this website for me.

Crock Pot Girls

Maybe that's a subtle hint that my routine dinners are getting a bit routine. Ha!

But seriously, check it out! There's more recipes on there than I can even count. And I tried. I got to 42 under "chicken" and thought forget it! And it's not just chicken dishes. There's beef, mexican, breakfast, desserts. Even kid favorites.

I'm doing the Barbeque Chicken today, so we'll see how it goes!

monday madness

It's Monday again & I'm trying my best to get organized.

I've noticed that if I start my week intentionally (rather than just falling into it), I'm less stressed and all-around a happier me!

These weekly planners have been helping. Check these & more out here.

They're free to download and print!

And this is my favorite printable grocery list that I've found.

It helps organize your groceries by the area/aisle of the store & makes shopping (even with three kids) so much faster.

Man, I love Mondays!

Round Top roundup!!

It's that time of year again!!

Round Top's Antique Show is only 1 week away! Can you tell how excited I am?

If you're not familiar with Round Top, let me enlighten you.

Round Top began almost 30 years ago (in it's tiny town of now 81 people!) as a TRUE antique trade show. Think estate jewelry, chandeliers, silver and such. But over the years a ton of “me too” shows (featuring anything & everything other than antiques) have sprang up in surrounding areas. 4 small towns: Round Top, Warrenton, Carmine and Shelby now make up the main event. So much that people may say they're going to "Round Top" for the weekend, and not actually shop IN Round Top.

How big is Round Top?? No one actually knows. The last calculation accounted for over thirty-five separate shows hosting over 2,500 dealers! It's absolutely crazy. There are tents and tables set up as far as you can see covered with every household good you can possibly imagine! Furniture, plants, dishes, window panes, iron works, benches, jewelry, road signs, hardware, puppies, clothes, birdhouses, mirrors, rugs, collectables, candles, JUNK, barstools, beds, paintings, old desks...you get the idea! Anything and EVERYTHING.

It's every woman's dream & every husbands nightmare!

But let me reiterate "JUNK". There is a TON of it! You'll walk by some tents bewildered by some of the stuff they're trying to sell. But "junk" is also the term my sweet husband uses for most of the goodies I come home with! Weathered & beaten treasures that I plan to paint, improve or just leave as is.

Here are just a few things that have made it home with me...

Shutters: After power washing and spray painting, they now house artwork

Pumpkins: They were already painted. The urn is from Sam's Club.

Twin beds: Painted and distressed

The blue ladder: left it dressed, just power washed it

The 2 topiaries

Lindsay's dresser: painted and distressed. What a deal!

So when is Round Top? The "antique weekend" traditionally occurs the first full weekend of April and October each year. TRUE antique lovers flock to Round Top in search of their expensive goodies. But the shows in surrounding towns (like Warrenton) actually last for 2 weeks. Years ago, vendors began setting up their stuff the week before the show during what they called the "preview weekend" and so many people showed up early to shop that the name stuck. Here is a link to the calendar, showing which booths are open during preview weekend and which are open during antique weekend. Most of them now cross over into both weeks.

Where to begin? Unless you love real china & silver, skip all of the antique tents and head straight to the new stuff that looks old. That's where the good deals are made. When Lindsay & I go, we spend 95% of our time in Warrenton. Drive straight through Carmine & Round Top and don't even start looking for a field to park in until you get to Zapp Hall.

What to expect: Wear comfortable shoes. Bring cash! Some places take credit cards but will bargain more if you offer cash. Parking is $5. Bring a list of thing your looking for & your measuring tape. Take bottled water. Bring a truck with bungee cords for all your treasures. Bring an open mind. And leave your kids and pets at home. :) It's just too chaotic.

So have I convinced you yet? Do you have it on your calendar?

Get some girlfriends together and make a trip of it. You won't be disappointed!

Recipe {Herbed Chicken & Tomatoes}

I have {REALLY} been unmotivated lately when it comes to making dinner!

Anyone else go through that?
Well, today I'm sharing a simple crockpot recipe that makes dinner easy & tasty!

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces {I cooked mine whole and cut after cooking}
2 cans (14.5 oz each ) Italian diced tomatoes
1 envelope savory herb with garlic soup mix {for life of me I couldn't find this... so I used herb and garlic pasta sauce mix}
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Hot cooked pasta
Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

In a slow cooker, combine the chicken, tomatoes, soup mix and sugar. Cover & cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken juices run clear.
Serve with pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I hope you enjoy this easy meal!! My 5 year old had 3 servings... so it's kid friendly! :)