Elle Design Cottage

The Great Pumpkin

I've wanted to take my boys to a pumpkin patch for the last couple of years, but honestly have always waited until like the day before Halloween to try and hunt down pumpkins (I'm so lame...I know, I know).  But this year we finally made it to the pumpkin patch.  The boys had a great time.  Little L just wanted to fill the whole freaking wheel barrow with every pumpkin he saw and Big L just wanted to show me he could pick up the biggest stinkin' pumpkin in the entire patch.  But we had fun and this is definitely something we will be making a fall tradition at our house.

This picture's for my Dad.  Big L had to have a picture by the "Deere John" sign.  He's not dyslexic...I promise!

Here's the pumpkins I picked out: 

One of Big L's many pumpkin-weight lifting adventures in the patch..."Hey Mom, look how huge this one is!"  Ahhh, I love this kid...   

Big L felt like we made out like bandits at this patch.  Here's their haul: 

They had a bunch of old tractors lined up that the kids had a hay-day on. 

     

I have to say that the pumpkin patch kicks the pants off of pickin' pumpkins out of a big cardboard box at the store. 

Pumpkins Gone Crazy

For some reason, I have a pumpkin obsession.  Nearly every fall/Halloween decoration I own has a pumpkin on it.  I think it's because they are versatile and I can leave them up until Thanksgiving.  And, they are seriously so dang cute.  Here's my proof:

   

My fabric pumpkin!  I love, love, love this and wish I had time to stitch up a whole fabric pumpkin patch.  Sadly, this little bitty will be the lone pumpkin until next fall.  I used this great tutorial from Schlosser Designs.  There's still plenty of fall left, so get crafty and make yourself some!

Just a little gratitude stitchery...with a cute pumpkin!  This darling pattern was from Cedarberry Stitches!  Uh, oh...I just went to her site and she has some new pumpkin patterns.  I might need to add another stitchery to my fall decor. 

 

And the glass block pumpkin.  I made these and sent them to my sisters in little care packages last fall.  Just a reminder, in case you forgot you had 'em...you can get them out now :) 

In an attempt to break out of my pumpkin obsession, I bought a really cute witch set, but it still not finished.  I got lots of time though, right?  Oh, crap...nope.  Maybe it will be done by next Halloween.  Nothing like having goals, huh?  If you bothered to actually read all of this post, leave me a comment with what you like to decorate with for fall.  I need to branch out...

Prepin' for Halloween

So, I started pulling out and putting up my fall decorations last week.  It didn't take long for the boys to find the costumes from Halloweens-past and start trying them on. 

 

Have you ever seen a cuter wolf in your entire life?  Lance was going for killer dragon.  Looks like Frankenstein was his first casualty.  

    

It was A...MAZ...ING that Logan would even put on the wolf costume seeing as he had a complete-and-utter-meltdown-freakout last year when we tried to put him in something similar to this:

So, we'll see what he ends up wearing this year.  Lance would like Logan to be a dog so he can take him for "a walk" on a leash to go trick-or-treating this year.  Nice, Lance, real nice. 

Fall is in the air

Can you feel it?  The weather is starting to change and I can feel fall coming...soon!  I'm so anxious to put up all my fall decorations now!  So, in an effort to encourage you all to join me in redecorating early, I'm adding a new craft kit just in time for the fall season:

HARVEST BLOCKS

Your kit will include: 

(7) ready-to-paint blocks measuring 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 each

(6) Beige vinyl lettering & pumpkin shown; and

Complete instructions. 

HARVEST BLOCK KIT IS $8.00

Plan a girls night with a couple of your girlfriends and whip these up in time for the fall season.

This got me to thinking...fall is becoming my favorite holiday to decorate for.  I've dreaded dragging out the Christmas tree the last few years, but I'm invigorated by the fall.  I love the colors, the change in the weather, the anticipation of all the upcoming holidays and opportunities to be with friends and family. 

So, what's your favorite season/holiday to decorate for? 

Life's A Beach, Part I

So this is a glimpse of me...On a recent Saturday night, my husband and I take a trip to the local R.C. Willey and pick out new bunk beds for our boys.  They'll be delivered the following Friday morning.  Somewhere around the following Tuesday night, I get some "inspiration" to redo the entire room in a beach/tropical/ocean theme...keeping in mind, this all needs to happen before the bunk beds show up on Friday.  So I painted for the next three nights until about 1:30 a.m. to make it happen.  Now, while I did get the paining finished, I also decided that I would need to make them matching quilts for their new beds and their new room, so I started that while I was also painting.  Seriously, I need to learn I have limits!  So here is a sneak peak of the room.  Keep in mind, this room is not finished, and with my OCD problem, I'll probably be looking for things to add, change, fix, etc. until my kids are in high school. 

The last picture is the ocean wall, which is currently devoid of any fish at this point.  They are coming...they're just slow swimmers.  I'll post new pictures of the room when it's finished, matching quilts and all.  I'm so excited for it all to come together.  And so far, the boys love it!