Decorating for Fall

Seeing that Thanksgiving is on Thursday - yes as in FOUR days from now,

I thought it was about time I showed you my Fall Decorations for this year!

I've said it before, and I'll say it many more times I'm sure,

but I really LOVE to decorate for holidays and have for years!

If you're interested, here and here are two post from years past. 

Now, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking!

All the decorations - waiting to be put in just the right place.

It feels like Fall as soon as you see my front door!

And continues right as you walk in.

The TV stand is festive too.

And of course the fireplace gets some Fall love too!!

I have small little touches of Fall...

In many different places...

Scattered around my apartment!

And the hallway is filled with falling leaves.

With a leaf garland over the den french doors.

The bathroom is festive too.

Some wheat, pumpkins and inspiration!

And you can't forget the cornucopia!

Sending you Thanksgiving wishes from me to you!

Check back soon for even more fun,

when Christmas takes over my apartment!!!

Decorating for Halloween!

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it a million times more, 

but I really LOVE Fall and everything about the season!!!

I love the crisp air and the cooler temps.

I love wearing boots, scarves and sweaters.

I love that it's the beginning of the holiday season.

And that means it's time to decorate my apartment!

I decorate and get all festive for a lot of holidays, 

but I tend to start to go ALL OUT for a few months -

starting the end of September for Halloween!

I get in the spirit with both store bought and DIY decorations.

I've accumulated a variety of things over the years, 

but I'm a sucker so I keep adding a little here and there.

Now, take a look below at the Halloween fun I currently have at my place!

Front Door Decorations with a homemade wreath.

DIY Spook Banner (link at bottom) and entry table.

TV Stand Festiveness.

Mantle decorations and fun DIY pumpkins.

The two large pumpkins are covered with fish nets,

the medium pumpkins have rhinestone stickers

and the small ones were painted and glittered!

Multiple black cats, a skull and some pumpkins!

Fall leaves over the french doors and bats flying in the hallway.

Guest bath Halloween spookiness!

Dripping blood and spiders all over.

And Halloween cuteness in my bathroom!

I even have a mini pumpkin in my bedroom.

And finally, the mini gargoyle that's more cute than scary!

If you're interested, here are past Halloween Decoration posts:

Halloween 2013 Part One

Halloween 2013 Part Two

DIY Spook Banner

Fall Garden Guests

Halloween 2010 Part One

Halloween 2010 Part Two

Pumpkin Carving 2013

Pumpkin Carving 2011

Pumpkin Carving 2010

Flower Bouquets in Mini Pumpkins!

I know this post is a little late for you to do this yourself this year, but keep the idea in the back of your head and make use of it in aboooooooooout 11 months! :)

I love having fresh flowers around, and I love decorating for the holidays so having fresh flowers IN a mini pumpkin vase totally works for me. If fact, thinking about it now, I wish I had made one for my Thanksgiving with Girlfriends!  I figured the idea would make a great hostess gift for Thanksgiving so I went to town creating one...

or maybe two...

okay I made THREE!

This wasn't super easy to do, but wasn't hard by any means either. It just took time to cut and clean out the pumpkins, cut the floral foam and place the flowers so the bouquet looks full! Check out the process below. 

Now try to remember to make these beauties next year. 

I sure hope I remember myself... HAHA!

Fall Decoration Changes & Additions

I think I've mentioned before how much I LOVE Fall. And also how much I LOVE decorating for the holidays. If I haven't mentioned either, well now I have! :) Even though I already posted about Fall decorations here and here, I couldn't help myself and just had to post again because there are some changes AND additions. 

After Halloween I took down all the creepy and scary Halloween decorations like I've done in past years. I normally don't add anything else to my Fall decorations, but this year I thought I could use more and went to town modified existing decorations I already have and making a few new ones! I recently discovered FREE Printables and let me tell you they are wonderful! I used two for my decorations and will link to them when pictured below. 

 My Sister-In-Law recently sent me a picture of her Fall mantle and it had a really cute "Give Thanks" banner/theme going. I was inspired and after some quick searching, I came across this amazing FREE Printable for an oh so cute Pumpkin and Pomegranate Give Thanks Banner. I made the banner and used it as inspiration for the whole mantle. I really do like the outcome and it's so different than past years!

After finding my first awesome FREE Printable, I was inspired and went searching for more fun ways to decorate without spending much money, if any at all! I wanted a 4x6 "Subway" themed sign for Fall, but couldn't find many in that size. After thinking I was out of luck, I found this beauty and couldn't wait to make use of it! I really love how the entry table turned out and I'm tempted to do something similar for other upcoming holidays. 

I couldn't help but decorate with more lil corn too! The photo of my grandma and nephew just happen to make for some cute decor as well! I also got a really cute lil fern for my entryway plant stand and I'm hoping it last longer than the last plant I had there! HAHA! I'll keep you updated... but if nothing else, I'll have the cute little "Happy Harvest" sign. 

When I went went to Michaels for banner supplies, I found a few other Fall goodies I couldn't pass up and am really happy about how they worked out! I love the new little garlands and the acorn/leaf scatters I have in the jar. And of course - it's not Fall in my apartment if there aren't these falling leaves! 

Last but not least, an overall look at some Fall aspects in my Dining and Living rooms.

Have I mentioned that I love Fall?!!? 

MORE Fall Holiday Decorations

I recently posted about my Fall Holiday Decorations, but I completely forgot about a homemade Halloween banner I made last year and have added a couple NEW decorations too!

Check out the fun new things I have around my place...

Homemade Banner, Carved Pumpkin, Chalkboard Art and Fresh Flowers!

Spiders, spiders and MORE spiders!!!

Do you decorate for the holidays? 

I LOVE it and cannot wait for all the upcoming holidays in the next few months! 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I've loved Roasted Pumpkin Seeds for as long as I can remember. When my brother and I were growing up, my mom roasted them every year and I just couldn't get enough. Year after year she would start cleaning the seeds while we carved and roasted them to perfection the next day after drying overnight.  

I started roasting my own seeds when I moved out, but I've never been able to duplicate the ones my mom roasted. In addition to trying to replicate my mom's recipe, I've tried different things like garlic and extra spice, but I think simplicity is best. This year - I decided to use olive oil instead of melted butter and I think I will be doing that from now on. The taste was pretty much the same, but the seeds were less greasy!

Now...a VERY quick look at the roasting process.

Dry seeds overnight - if not longer. 

In my opinion, the more dry the seeds are when they go into the oven, 

the better they roast and end up tasting.

When dry and ready to roast, pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.

(Yes this is low, but it's a low long roast...at least an hour)

The dry seeds with nothing on them.

Now covered in olive oil, sea salt and a bit of cayenne pepper!

Roast seeds 30 minutes, shake pan/flip over with spatula and return to oven.

Continue to roast for 30 more minutes, check seeds and either take them out, 

or return them to the oven and roast until golden and crisp!

A little blurry - but the roasted seeds in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Carvings

Saturday was a busy day for me. Hanging out with friends, walking 2+ miles to the grocery store for fun, making yummy Halloween treats, SWIMMING on a late October day. Oh and you can't forget pumpkin carving!!! 

I love Fall, I love Halloween, I love pumpkins and...

I LOVE carving pumpkins, as well as, roasting their seeds. Check this out in a post to soon follow!

Start with two clean pumpkins.

And a bunch of pumpkin carvin' tools!

Cut a hole in the top of one...

And then do the same with the other.

Poke the holes if using a stinsel (I did!), 

or draw your jack-o-lantern face and start carving!

The end result of one...

And the end result of the other!

Both pumpkins outside my front door 

with other festive decorations!