Autumn Advent[ures]

Are y'all aware how much I like to decorate and make things look fun and pretty and festive?  It's one of my favorite things.  I think I would do it even more often than I do already except that my perfectionism and impatience mixed together often thwart my creative efforts.

Anyway, for probably two or so months now, Page (my sister-in-law) and I have been toying with the idea of meeting somewhere in between our separated-by-three-and-a-half-hours selves to make a craft run.  Our favorite store ever is Hobby Lobby, and even though I have one across town from me, it would be much more fun to meet Page in a faraway place to do our shopping together.  So we decided the trip should happen this past Saturday.

Y'all, it was amazing.

They had practically everything 50% off, so of course we went a little bit crazy (though I think we might have gone a little bit crazy even if things hadn't been discounted quite so much, let's be honest).  I kind of just might even have a plan to go to my local Hobby Lobby in the next few weeks to pick up a few things I'd passed over, but let's keep that between us.  I don't want my hobby shopping to appear excessive.  In my defense, though, this is the first year I've decorated for autumn.  That means I have a right to spend lots of money on it.  Next year, I can only hope to have so excellent an excuse.

So we were in the actual store from 11:30 to 2:30 (so glad we didn't try to fit it into less than two hours on Labor Day!).  The damage was upwards of $100.  It was well worth it.  I came back with two adorable ceramic owls, one for all year and the other for fall only...or all year.  I also got a ceramic pumpkin, a cinnamon-spice fall-colored candle, a wonderful outdoor rug I've been hunting forever, a very cute pumpkin-shaped corn husk basket, a wall hanging with three hooks for my laundry area (which finally helps me break up my dining space and balance things out so I can put up pictures -- I'll let you see that part when I have everything all put together), and most exciting of all, I got things to put together my very own autumn wreath.  Be jealous.  I will show you pictures and then you really will be jealous.

 Notice the ottoman's new look -- it's just an old lime tablecloth that I inherited and that's been kept in storage for a long time, with a brown napkin over top. The only new thing on it is the pumpkin basket (I'm thinking of doing more with that than just put remotes in it, I swear).  The candle and colored dish came from Mom, I got the white dish a couple years ago at Target, and the cute coasters are compliments of Page.  They match my decor TO A TEEEE.  Of course, it helps that I have five colors to work with. :)

By the way, Page got some really great stuff, too -- some fabric for aprons that I'm already coveting, lots of cute scarecrows and bales of hay (that's my favorite part), and other stuff that I'm sure will be posted on her crafty blog soon.  You should definitely check it out.






Isn't it all so loverly?  Well, I know I'm ready for fall...