It's Starting to Feel Like Fall!

We've had a free weekend this weekend, so it's been nice to have some time to get the house ready for fall!  I LOVE Fall and this year I'm sooooo ready for it after the LONG summer we've had this year.

 

I re-did my mantle this year. I took some things I had from last year and mixed it in with some new things I bought this year.  The printed pumpkins, beaded pumpkins, mercury pumpkin and cream painted pumpkin are all new from Hobby Lobby this year.  The brown/orange glass pumpkin is from a cool little store in town called The Pod.  I repurposed a fall swag, clipping off all the leaves to use around the pumpkins.  Also found the brown feather like leaves at Hobby Lobby this year.  The mercury votive holders came from Target.  The hurricanes I used for my wedding and are from Willow House and the branches in the hurricanes are from TJ Maxx.

Did I already say I LOVE Fall? :-)

This came from Hobby Lobby a couple years ago.  I still love it!

 

I've had this seafoam green pots for over 8 years.  They no longer go with anything I own so we repurposed them this weekend painting them a high gloss black.

We moved them from the back porch to the front porch and got some fall mums to decorate the front porch.  Now I'm just waiting on my pillows from Etsy to decorate my bench. :-)

I never decorate outside so it was fun to go with Brian this year and pick out our mums and pumpkins together.  Definitely need to make it a tradition.

Bridal Brunch

I had some gift cards to burn at Pottery Barn and found this cute black iron baskets.  So of course I had to have an excuse to entertain and who better with than my bridal party! :-)  So I invited all the girls over for brunch and we had a great time.  It's always so fun to get everyone together and I hope to make it a yearly tradition.

I went with all white and blacks for my colors to keep it real classic and chic.

I picked up flowers just at Kroger.  They always seem to have nice flowers and knowledgable florists.

These baskets were shown on PB as napkin rings essentially or just silverware holders.  So definitely versatile.  I've used them a couple times already.

The food was mini pancakes, egg quiches, orange rolls and fruit cups

Orange rolls

All the girls minus Holly and Ash who had to leave early.  It was fun girls!  Let's do it again!

St. Louis

What's the one birthday gift your husband won't return?  St. Louis Cardinal tickets! haha  I haven't had the best luck of getting Brian gifts that he actually wants or keeps.  Mainly because he's the most modest person you'll meet so if he doesn't think he needs it, then your gift is going back to the store.  Kind of a birthday gift downer! haha  So this year I decided to get him a gift he couldn't return and wouldn't want to return.  I bought tickets to the Cardinal game.  We had a great time!  We stayed at Union Station, went to the game, had dinner out, did some shopping and then made a last ditch trip to Yogurtland before heading home.

I got us Coca-Cola patio seats.  They are a little pricey but it's all you can eat food, drink and beer, so it's actually a pretty good deal.

As part of his birthday gift, I told him I'd wear Cardinal gear just for him.  I grew up a Cubs fan but can't say that I've been a avid Cubs watcher besides in spirit. haha So I thought I would appease him and put on some Cardinals gear.  Crazy how happy that makes a husband! haha

Jonathan and Brent met us down there for the game.  It was a blistering 93 degrees so we got completely fried and sweat through our clothes but all in the name of baseball! haha

The boys!

Thank goodness the lady was smart enough not to get my legs in this shot!  Let's just say summer snuck up on me a little too fast this year and I am not short season ready yet! haha

I think my zoom works pretty good if I don't say so myself!  If I had to name a favorite Cardinal it would be David Freese.

We ate at Landry's Seafood for dinner which was kind of a disappointment.  When I was a kid we went to St. Louis every year for the MVC tournament and Union Station was like THEE place to be.  Now it is like a ghost town. Sad!

I swear they didn't just have double espresso shots before this picture! haha

The fish clearly knew where the feeding spots were!  I thought a fight was going to break out!  They were like jumping out of the water to try and grab the food!

We were very popular! haha

John Deere Birthday

So I have been awful at keeping this blog up to date.  I apparently average a post once every three months! haha  Brian and Brent turned 35 on the May 19th and I threw them a John Deere themed birthday.  They were a little skeptical at first and still felt like it should be more geared towards a 5 year old's party but they secretly liked it all in the end. haha

I made a burlap runner.  I'm no seamstress, so I always have to opt for the easy route.  I cut the burlap in half and then lined the endes with green ribbon that I ironed on with iron on adhesive and then did the same for the yellow ribbon.  I took a plastic tractor painted the back wheels and ran it across the burlap to make tractor tire marks.

I wanted cookies that looked like tractor tires, which I should have gone with a chocolate cookie and then done the yellow m&m's in the center.  Wasn't thinking.  So this was my version.  A peanut butter cookie outlined in black m&m's and in the center yellow m&m's.

I found on ebay someone selling mini corn stalks, so Whit made me rice krispie bars, and then we used the corn stalks to make a mini field.

During our engagement shoot, Tami had taken a picture of their tractor so I knew if I was going to do a cupcake topper, it was going to have to be accurate and could only be THEIR tractor and not something else.  Sure enough, they both noticed immediately that it was actually their tractor on top of the cupcake.  Holly graciously made all the signs for me since I was in Vegas till 10pm the night before the party.  I'm crazy I know! haha

For the centerpiece I took a vase and wrapped it in burlap and tied it with twine.  Then I took corn on the cob still in the husks and put them on metal grill skewers and put them in the vase and then just pulled back the husks to make it look more like an arrangement.  I borrowed a play tractor from someone in small's group and stole Brent's visor from his display shelf at his house. haha

The cups were mini mason jars all wrapped in burlap and tied in the back.  They were all labeled with a 35 on the front.

I found this great website called celebrate express that had all the John Deere plates and napkins.

Everyone got to take home a favor box full of goodies from Whit's new bakery, Grandma Tillie's Bake Shop

Brent and Carly were in love with the dirt pudding!  haha

Holly made me this adorable happy birthday banner.  Brian wasn't going to let me hang it but we pressured him into it! haha

Holly, Whit and Ash

Another view of the corn centerpiece

Ash is like 5 months along here and you can't even tell she's pregnant!  She's got some good genes! :-)

Brian's favorite cupcake that Whit makes is a chocolate chip cookie cupcake so we made those for the treat boxes.  They actually have chocolate chip cookie dough baked inside them. Yum!

Ice bins even had cute labels thanks to Holly again!  She was a pure lifesaver!

Holly & Tim

Whit and Isaac

The food table all set

More food

We didn't go hungry to say the least! haha

I had Holly make all the food labels to look like test plot variety signs.  They turned out so cute!

My mini tractors were a little large for my dirt pudding cups so we just said they were off roading. haha

Me and the birthday boy

Brent and Carly

Whit and Isaac, Kaitlynn and Mitch

I found out from their dad that the farm was established in 1897.  The guys didn't even know that and thought it was pretty cool

So everyone wanted a picture in front of the sign. haha

It was a great evening to sit outside and play bags and hang out

Jonathan's gift to the guys was a ride around the block in a corvette.

Kaitlynn and Naomi

Mitch taking his turn

Carly looking terrified to ride with Jonathan. haha

Overall it was a great birthday, but I probably won't be throwing any lavish birthdays anytime.  I'll save it for my kids' parties! haha