it's beginning to look a lot like fall

yesterday at 5:18pm {to be exact} was the september equinox and official beginning of fall.

I LOVE FALL
this is my absolute favorite time of year. i'm already thinking and feeling sad that i've only got one more of this beautiful season in ohio to go. there is something so majestic about the changing foliage. i also love the crispness in the air, the pumpkins, the apples, the soccer games, the festivals, the clambakes, and the smells in the air. i love the smell of the wood burning as people begin to start using their fireplaces...and i love the glow and warmth of my fireplace in my home.
so to celebrate this wonderful occasion, we made changes in our own home.

change is in the air
here are the first signs of fall... the view out of my back window.

the tree in my side yard that first starts out red then goes to orange and then yellow.

pumpkins on my mantel
i made these pumpkins last year.
click {here}
for fabulous directions on how to make them.

pumpkin up close

pumpkin on my door
i made this pumpkin at a church activity with corinne (my sis-in-law) the first year we were married and living in utah.

a cozy new quilt
i started piecing together this orange & white quilt to keep us cozy and warm during the fall. i got the idea {here}.

sweet cinnamon pumpkin
i plugged these babies from bath & body works in all over my home...it smells delish!

wood curl wreath
this was my big purchase from the country living fair.

HAPPY FALL

country living...ahh...

so my little #3 {aka super baby} is sleeping so wonderfully now. he goes to bed at 9pm and wakes up to eat at 5:00am...i know that is still a little early...but for such a little guy of 3 months old we are LOVIN' the stretch...so i started this post at 5:30 with him laying next to me and my labtop...now for the real story:

one thing on my bucket list:
go to country living fair {check}

so i've grown up loving the country living magazine because my mother read it faithfully. she would rip out pages of projects and ideas she wanted to recreate and this practice, along with many other factors, contributed to my love of the art of crafting. not only do i love to craft, but i love seeing the fabulous ideas/talents of others. so when a couple of years ago my mom showed me this fair {on one of the pages she had ripped out}, it made my bucket list. then to find out it was in columbus, oh which is only 2 hours south of me...PERFECT. i was really hoping that my mom could come and go with me...but her schedule was too full. we are already making plans for next year though.

so without much further ado...my take on the country living fair:

{a beautiful 78 degrees and hundreds of exhibits}

{giant pumpkin stack}

{some fabulous fall lovelies}

{many beautiful quilts}

{bird houses to die for}

{awesome surround sound}

{ahh, lemonade...nothin' but lemons, water & sugar...tasted so good in the warm sun}

{before & after}

{several creators}

{some vintage-like lovelies}

{you know i love owls...i think i'll have to come up with something for halloween}

{little flower lovelies}

{and a few weird items...yup, that's a doll head in a nest in a cage}

{some wonderful friends to share the day with...sigh}
till next year

p.s. they had a special fair offer of $5 for a year subscription to Country Living Magazine, {of course i bought it} so now i can tear my own pages out...

slipping through my fingers

today the song, "slipping through my fingers" from the musical mama mia went through my mind as i watched my little one get on that bus...and then i tried really hard to swallow that huge lump that had formed in my throat. can it be? is my boy that i was just rocking and kissing his little nose goodnight really big enough for school? i didn't want G to see me cry {i didn't want her to be nervous for school} so i blinked back the tears and kissed my big boy goodbye for the day. he's not scared at all. he's more than excited to be at school. i'm sure going to miss that tender little soul around the house all day. although i'm not ready for my J to be in the real world, the real world desperately needs more J's.

a jump start on fall

so if you go to dream street papers there is a gallery with ideas for how to use my newest paper line: SAM. i love these cards that our design team created with the SAM line. {ps, you can "scraplift" them if you want...shhh! that's what they are there for...ideas!} all you have to do is go to A CHERRY ON TOP, and buy some...and then have fun creating. now i just need a little bit of time to create some cards myself...beautiful ladies!

{sherry wright}

{danielle flanders}

{sherry wright}

{sherry wright}

lovin' the rolls

don't you wish this was still cute at 30?

so the other day i took pictures of this sweet baby girl. she belongs to one of my good friends. we had too much fun with ALL of her!!! i know my own super baby will soon follow in her footsteps...my babes tend to get very chunky and cute as well.

i just love taking pictures of babies. babes are really my favorite subject to shoot because every picture turns out great. babies look adorable with every little face they make.

where credit is due

so i've found a few things that i just LOVE lately with this new little super baby that has just come into my life. so i'd like to share so others can share the love!


1. the ERGO baby carrier: this thing has been a LIFESAVER for me!!! it's not cheap, but it's TOTALLY worth the mula. i used the Baby Bjorn for my other two babes, but my back always hurt, and my chunka lunka kids didn't fit in them for very long. the ERGO can hold kids up to 40lbs with little strain on your back. my little lover boy always wants to be carried, and this works great! it can be used as a sling for when babies are newborns (with the newborn insert). when they get bigger they can either straddle you from the front, or ride on your back like a backpack. there are even video clips showing how to use these fancy-schmancy slings. let me tell you how comfy it is on my shoulders, and my back never tires. thanks so much to my sweet friends who went in together and bought it for me and my new little boy. (nope, not a pic of my hubby & me...though it looks real nice!)



2. this fabulous binki clip from LIZZIE JANE BABY {my hubby's aunt & cousins' business). one day i received a package with this adorable binki clip and burp cloths. it was SO NICE of them and really made my day. {thanks ladies!} i LOVE them and always get comments on how cute super baby's binki clip is. i know they have hooded towels and other way cute things!







3. BARE MINERALS so don't make fun of me, but during my middle-of-the-night feedings i watch infomercials...i'm often very tempted to buy the things that are being sold and i enjoy seeing all the new products out there, but i rarely give in. i always sleep on it, and some how i always come to my senses in the morning and decide i really don't need scissors that can cut through a penny or a zapper machine that will make anyone's thighs look amazing...however, this make up really looked great and the price was right. i hate foundation and have never worn it, but i have pregnancy patches all over my face and really felt that i wanted a more even skin tone. like most infomercial products, this came with a money back guarantee, so i felt like i could give it a shot. i was talking about buying it and talked about it with my mother-in-law...and come to find out she uses it and loves it too...after her testimony and the very convincing infomercial, i bought it. i have to say that i love it and since i have worn it i get compliments on my make up...i love the way it feels and looks on my face and it isn't goopy and nasty like foundation. it is also 100% pure minerals, so you can sleep with it on and it won't hurt your skin. you can also buy it at sephora.

it's paper time!

here is a sneaky peaky of my newest paper line: SAM for dream street papers. i'm very excited about this line. it will be great for fall, back-to-school, or just any ole' day. with owls and trees...it's too fun. we also have rubons, letters, and punch-out shapes this time. i can't wait to get this paper to play {we'll see how much i can actually get done with a new babe though}. like all my other papers, i named this after someone special in my life. baby sam came just in time to have a line named after him. i don't know much about sam yet, but i know he's destined to be great, and that little man is already another love of my life. another reason to live and to love.