Showing Off The Fall Love...

Just wanted to let you in on the Fall linky fun! Pop on over to Hooked on Houses and share how you decorate your lovely house for the Fall season!

Also

The Nesting Place is having a fall mantle linky party, I am still working on my post for her, but I didn't want you to miss out on the fun! There are some amazing posts, I love the creativity!

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Favorite Fall Transitions-Linky!

As we all have entered into this Fall season, I have so enjoyed every Fall sneak peek into their homes. The Nester is one of the blogs I visit regularly and this last week she posted on 10 ways to decorate for Fall. This post included simple ways of bringing the elements of Fall into your home. What I liked most about her ideas is how well they would transition into the upcoming seasons and holidays! I love this transitional idea, often I get so excited about the next season or holiday that I don't fully enjoy what is happening around me right now.

This got me thinking how fun it would be to have everyone post together about some of their favorite ways to decorate for Fall, which can transition into the October & November holidays! What do you think, want to join together with me on a Fall Transitional Link Party?

I will get us started! Here are some of my favorite transitional ideas:

Natural elements...Twigs, florals, grains, ect. Every year around this time my mom would always have my Dad out in the bushes and twigs surrounding their home. He was collecting rose hips, corkscrew willow branches, and pulling out pussy willows from the previous Spring. These are great natural elements that can transition into the upcoming months, and be used in so many creative and festive ways!

Nuts and Pine cones...stack them, pile them, surround other items with them...great colors and textures!

Seasonal dishes can add a pop of color and easily transition through the holidays...brown, red, silver and gold can grace your home all the way through December!





Loving the white, green, and yellow gourds and pumpkins this year. Don't get me wrong I love the good old orange pumpkins, but I feel of the other colors will transition into November, saving me time and money!

And, of course leaves can be used in so many different ways; in jars and canisters, mantles, wreaths, piles on porches or in empty flower pots, etc. A great Fall look can be achieved here without a lot of expense!








Okay, so those are just a few of MY favorites, what about you? How do you transition your Fall decor into the the upcoming months and holidays? Link up YOUR ideas on making the most of fall decor! Can't wait to see what you come up with!



Photos: Book Serving K. City, Martha Stewart, Katie Brown, House Beautiful, & Weeds and Seeds

Enter your link here, remember to link your post, not your homepage!

Friendship...

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." — L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)

Life has thrown me a few curve balls recently.

During this time I have found myself wondering; is it easier to go through life's trials with your protective shield up, drawing within for strength, spending your time quiet and prayerfully seeking guidance, OR walk through life's trials arm-n-arm with girlfriends who want to listen, hold you, pray with you, and help if they can?

Up until now, I have chosen to not "bother" my friends with what is happening in my life, hang mostly with my family, and attempt to navigate within this protected environment. I am not convinced that this was neither a smart nor stupid idea. My family loves me, they know what is really going on in my life, and are always willing to do anything they can to help. However, what I have learned through this situation is that sometimes family...husbands included, should not be the ONLY source of support, listening ear, and helping hand. I am so very, very thankful for my family, my life without them...well not worth living, but this week I was reminded how nice it is to have girlfriends!

Friends are a gift from God, and are vital to our ability to take the next step forward. They create a fresh wind that gently blows through our lives, and I feel invigorated by their presence. For years I prayed that the Lord would give me a group of ladies to share my life with. I prayed for friends who would want me to be part of the inner folds of their life, and would want to be part of mine. I love with words and actions, and I prayed for friends who would value my giftings. Over the years, God has begun to form that group of friends. Each are just a little bit different from each other, and each play a unique role in my life. I am so thankful and SO blessed!

So to my friends who have been gently nudging me along, thank you for caring about me. Thank you for your calls, e-mail, texts, flowers, and coffee dates. You have helped to repair a part of my heart this week, and I am so very thankful. I will do my best to remember how much I love and need each one of you! You are an answer to my prayers!

"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts." — L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables ADAPTED)

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being, (a friend). We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." ~Albert Schweitzer

My Front Door!

My friend Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia has just transformed the entrance to her lovely home by painting her front door! She has invited us to link up and share our doors!

I happen to LOVE entrances and really feel that they set the tone for what your guests should expect when they walk through your door! This is their first impression of you, your home, and what you value! Kristin and her home are classy, elegant, and just plain lovely! I guarantee this is the impression you will get when you walk up to her home.

I hope you enjoy a peek into my life, and join the link party...it is so fun to see the different personalities portrayed in our homes!

Happy Tuesday!

Wine Spotlight!

Have you heard of the most amazing

winery in Washington?

Icicle Ridge Winery is located about 5 minutes outside of Leavenworth, Washington.

The winery is owned and run by the most creative, loving, and generous family!

The people at IRW love and truly enjoy meeting new people, they appreciate the land God has given them, they take their time creating excellent wine and delight in sharing their inviting home with you to savor each sip!

"Founder Louie Wagoner and winemaker Don Wood produce hand-crafted, award winning wines that will delight you. The incredible ambiance of the 5,000 square foot log home, where the wine tasting takes place, is sure to amaze you. But most of all, the feeling of being part of their family will bring you back again and again!"~IRW

As the Summer season wraps up and Fall begins, the winery takes on a whole new feel, look, and experience you must see to believe. The vines, surrounding orchards, and established trees display Fall's bright and cheery glory to greet you, and make this wine tasting experience different than any other!

Icicle Ridge Winery takes advantage of Falls beauty by creating unique, fun, and completely unforgettable wine tasting events. If you have time to find yourself in the Leavenworth area during the next four months, come experience Fall in a whole new way with my friends at IRW!

Saturday October 2nd

Crush Me, Squeeze Me, Make Me Wine

Join us for wine tasting, winery tours, live music, crush chili, and of course the excitement of stomping grapes with your bare feet! 12-5pm

$10.00 per person

Saturday December 4th

Holiday House Concert Experience

Come and enjoy the smooth sultry voice of Victoria Wimer Contreras, paired with four local artisan desserts, and Icicle Ridge's finest wines.

Just in time for the holidays The Gathering Room will be filled with gifts for the home and cellar along with 25% off your purchase of 6 or more bottles this evening only!
$50 per person includes concert, dessert and wine
6:30pm Social Time, 7:00pm Concert

After visiting their amazing tasting room, touring the grounds, and chatting with the winemaker, I am sure you will consider joining their world class wine club! Here is just one of their unforgettable events for wine club members only!

Lunch in Vines - Wine Club Only
A true wine country experience! Pick-up your wine shipment and dine in the vines overlooking our gorgeous river valley. Please meet in IRW Cellar at 11:00am

$40 per person

I hope you drop by and visit Icicle Ridge Winery, I guarantee that you will enjoy each taste!
Photos: All Rights Reserved for Icicle Ridge Winery

Love in small packages!

I have always had a love for sweet, little, black, of any nation, babies!

I love their eyes, their curly hair, their sweet rounded bellies, their chubby little hands, and the innocence they exude in every moment!

There was a time when I was a sophomore in college, that I became very sick. The doctors ran every test known to man, and slowly began eliminating theories and problems. At one point there was talk about having to do a whole hysterectomy. This idea made me sad and heartbroken, knowing that at 21 I could loose the opportunity to ever bare my own children. My then very new boyfriend, later to become my darling husband, reassured me that although this news was sad that we would handle this together and that adoption would be another way of creating a family. This love in sickness and health, his steady grasp on reality, and willingness to stick by even a possibly damaged me was the seal on an already great relationship. I had never loved another before and knew I would never love another after...this was the dude for me!

I am so thankful he did stick by me! I didn't end up having the procedure, but the fact that G-man loved me no matter what, and was willing to create a family unconventionally was such an amazing gift to me during a really horrible time in my life. And although we were able to conceive our own children, the seed of adoption, loving another's child like it was my own, and giving love and hope to a child has never left my heart. Maybe someday we will extend our family, today we are loving and enjoying each moment with the two boys God has already given us!

This being said, I always am wishing I could help any child who is in need! In need of love, care, nutrition, clothes, shelter, etc. My heartstrings pull every time I hear of or see a need. I wish I could adopt them all, feed them all, cloth them all, and wrap my arms around each one with unconditional love. However, I am just one, and the need is SO great! I am always looking for a way that our family can make a difference, today I found just one small avenue. Tarah at Between You and Me posted an amazing blog today. It won't solve all the problems for these sweet children, but it will make a difference in their quality of life. I am excited to help, and wanted to share that excitement and this need with you.

So, Check out this post! I hope you will decide to help too. If you would like to pass along this information to your friends and family, create a link or share Tarah's post on your blog. By joining together we can make a positive impact on these children's lives!

Tarah's link one more time!

Here

Photo: Three Angels's Children Relief-Haiti

http://www.threeangelsrelief.org

Juggling...

As women it always amazes me how many balls we attempt to keep up in the air. If you are a mom, then those balls double, triple, quadruple...depending on how many extra bodies you are keeping track of!

Today I am feeling overwhelmed by how many balls I am trying to keep in the air. I love being a wife and mom and consider that to be my most important job. However I am also trying to run two businesses successfully, keep my house clean and organized, my fridge full and tummies fed, laundry washed, folded, and put away, van cleaned, family who like to hear from me more than once a week, church, family time, pre-school volunteer responsibilities, friends who are beginning to think I fell off the earth, and oh yeah...my blog.


I love each different roll in my life, I just wish I was doing them all efficiently, with grace and style, and treating each like it was my only job in the world! So today I am making a plan! I am going to step back and really look at my responsibilities! I want to break my week down with each responsibility and assign each a day. That may sound too structured and lacking in spontaneity, but I know for myself, that I will enjoy my life WAY more if my days have purpose and structure! For example if I get my bathrooms and floors cleaned on Saturday or Sunday, then I don't need to think about that later in my week. Check! Or if I spend and hour each day either working on my Sensaria or wreath business then I can enjoy playtime with my boys knowing I accomplished work earlier! Check! Or if I choose to do one or two loads of laundry a day rather than letting it build-up I may not end up with a literal mountain of laundry each week! Check!


I like this idea of simplifying my life with a plan and a list, I feel the weight of my responsibilities becoming lighter already! My friend Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia is doing a series on organizing and de-cluttering your home. She has some great tips and systems for keeping her big, busy family running smoothly. I would recommend visiting her blog and reading up on the last six days of tips! I am off to make my list and calendar, and my junk drawer is calling too!


Have a great Wednesday, and I hope you take a moment to simplify and decide what is really important to you!



Image: Unknown

Soaking in Style

As the weather changes, I begin to think about long, hot, quiet, bubble baths!

I love baths, with lots of candles, a magazine or book I haven't had time to read yet, lots of bubbles, and quiet time for just me! Add some soft music and a fun drink and you have one version of Heaven!

While my tub is ordinary, I would love to soak in any one of these lovelies! Take a look at these unusual shower curtains...aren't they cool!

Doesn't this look like it is straight out of Pride and Prejudice?


A little more primitive, but it still looks very relaxing!

I hope you enjoy some quiet time this weekend!

Photos: Interior Dec. Home, One Kings Lane, Sinks Faucets and More, and Country Living

Fall is Best!

I LOVE FALL!

So I thought I would share the "why" with you!!! Let me count the reasons...

One of the many candles that burn in my house this time of the year, also LOVE Macintosh apple!

1. The smells of fall; crisp air, rain, spice, fresh fruit from the trees, turkey in the oven, apple pie...etc!

Johan and his Daddy picking pear from one of our favorite orchards!

2. The colors...the brightest and best reds, yellows, oranges, browns, and greens! Love them so much I used them as my June wedding colors.

3. So many birthdays...I was born in October, and we all know that was a blessing, hehe! Other birthdays...my sister, my nephew, and two brother in-laws.

4. I met my husband in the Fall!

5. Back to school; new school supplies, new friends, and the prospects of another year of possible excellence!

6. Sunflowers

7. Walks in the crisp fall air/crunchy leaves underfoot

Every year I pick up the first few fall leaves I find! My boys now are part of this tradition, we have quite the collection!

8. A Drive, a walk, a climb to enjoy the fall leaves, some of the better viewing is high up in the mountains!

9. Fall cooking with a lovely glass of wine, the recipes of Fall are some of my favorites!

10. Another excuse to use, display, wear, and flaunt the color RED!

11. The feeling of a soft, warm scarf wrapped around my neck.

12. Fresh pressed apple cider.

13. The hunt for the perfect pumpkin

Erik on his second pumpkin hunt!

14. Warm apple fritters and a hot latte after the pumpkin is found

Sometimes it is a dirty job!

15. When weather is cold enough to start having fires again!

16. Decorating my house with all things Fall!

The wreath on my front door this year!

17. Corn on the cob with lemon herb butter

18. My sweater collection

19. Our family picture that we take every fall!

20. The quiet, cozy, and calm of all the Fall evenings!

A little fall sparkle

To name a few....

I hope you enjoy this Fall as much as I know I will!

Photos: Seattle Times/NWSource, Moon Blog, All Rights Reserved-A Lasting Frist Impression

P is for Prehistoric Creatures!

Yes, Prehistoric Creatures In My Freezer!

Just another day in the life of a mom with two boys!

You never know what you will find in your freezer! Always open the door with caution!

I am reminded this morning that everyday is new, fresh, and can begin without the worries and stress of the days before it! Kinda like that first morning cup of fresh coffee, uncomplicated, warm, and comforting!

Today I choose Joy! I choose to focus this morning on the blessing and things in my life that bring JOY! I choose a new beginning today!

I hope you have a great, fresh, and new Wednesday!

Photos: Dinos and Joy List-A Lasting First Impression, Cup of Coffee-Source Unknown