Simplify Fall

I had a garage sale a couple weeks ago and sold all my plastic fall foliage. It was hard seeing it go but at  the same time I felt so relieved. For the past seven years, right about this time, I would always get bins and bins of fall stuff out of storage. I really enjoyed decorating for the fall season, as it is my favorite time of the year. Our mantle would display plastic leaves in orange, yellow, and red. As well as other little trinkets I would find from Goodwill or garage sales, all autumn related. But this year, I'm done. Not done with decorating, just done with bins and bins of stuff. To give you an idea of the amount of bins I had, here's a picture...

In my own defense, the pink bins contained girls clothes that were also sold. So that leaves about six bins full of plastic foliage and other little stuff. 

My hubby is so happy with me, actually more like, "When is the next garage sale?" He was so happy that he sat with me during the entire garage sale. Probably to make sure I didn't sneak anything back in the garage. :) Not that I would ever do that, of course. 

So, with all my stuff gone I have to get more creative in the decorating department. One of the items sold was my fall wreath I had on the front door. There was nothing wrong with it, I just wanted something different. I kept back an old grapevine wreath that I didn't want to sell in the garage sale. I simply wrapped an old sweater around the wreath, sewed some burlap leaves and pennant together, and tied an "S" on it. Boom done. 

My mantle was usually the showcase for all my fall stuff. It was fun putting all the stuff together but this fall I wanted to simplify. I just shopped around the house and found things that I thought would look good together.

I've been seeing a bunch of fabric garlands around blog land, so I wanted to try one of mine own. It was very simply to make and I used fabric that I had. Dustin and Allison are not in love with it, and the more I look at it, it just seems like I need to add something orangish? to the mantle to tie it in. I was thinking of adding orange leaves to the branches in my mason jars. Or I could just take it down for the hubby's sake. Not sure yet.
That is about all I have completed this year for fall. I have a few projects that I want the kids to do and that's it. The best part is when it is 30 degrees outside, come November, and I am not hauling bins out of my house!!

To switch topics totally, I just have to share this awesome find. I was at my mom's house last week and I walked past her room and saw her night stand. I stopped in my tracks and just stared. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen! Really! I asked my mom who, what, when, and WHERE she got it from. It was from a garage sale and she had a friend fix it up for her. And since my mom is the most unselfish person you will ever meet and because she loves me so much, she told me to take it! I was, am, and forever, will be so happy! Here's a pic. Can you guess what it is?

It is a little hard to tell in this horrible picture, but it is a bingo cage. What? Yeah, a bingo cage. There is a little door on the side where they would pull out the letter/number. Cool, right? Anyway, Dustin isn't  a huge fan of my awesomely, amazing bingo cage as an accent table. Not until, I put lights in it and plugged them in. Take a look.

It makes the coolest shapes on the walls. I am in love with it!

Needless to say, it doesn't take much to make me happy!