seasonal mantel.

after this. I'm done. I swear... until Christmas that is :)

I've got everything in line for the fall season, now all we need are those crisp cool nights, my popcorn tin, trick-or-treaters and some pumpkin whoopie pies.

our mantel, ever slightly changing, hopefully stable until Thanksgiving.

a hand-me-down window pane from Canton, Texas.

twig wreath (bought at Joanns - with 20% coupon) hung by my favorite navy and white striped ribbon - previously used in our wedding.

ball jars spray-painted a soft dull yellow, mini pumpkins, stacked "vintage" harry potter books. hah. some fall florals.

two twig trees, and an old wire pumpkin.

and, with renting came two rubbed bronze sconces, which don't look too shabby alongside the fall decor, eh.. eh?

i love it.

Porch: Fall addition

Before I begin, we transported the flea-market found chairs that my dad re-did for us to the backyard to make room for some comfy adirondack chairs. So, our big front porch is a tad bare right now until the perfect affordable pair-o-adirondack find me. The most promising answer to date would be Garden Ridge, but I'm still holding out for Roundtop and Warrenton this weekend!!

Something got into Blake and me the other weekend. It was yard overhaul time. I de-weeded our beds, trimmed the small bushes, dug up some BIG weeds that were formerly living as "plants" and spruced up the porch. Enter reason for blog post.

Fall Porch 2011

After some riveting adventures through the aisles of both Lowes and Home Depot we ended up bringing home 2 clearance 6 dollar pots, 2 purple mums, 1 orange and 2 yellow mini mums, one barrel-inspired pot, one pumpkin, and some potting soil.

and, the DIY wreath to bring it home.

fried egg and avocado sandwich

an easy dinner for those nights you just don't feel like cooking. and hey, I've never even fried an egg before!

Let's do this recipe thing quickly, so I can get on pinterest tonight.

1) Fry up 4 slices of bacon.

2) Drain grease, leaving just a touch of it in the pan.

3) Fry your egg.

4) In a bowl, mix 4 ounces cream cheese, teaspoon of parsley, a touch of salt and pepper.

5) Toast your bread (I stopped at the store to pick up Hawaiian sweet buns (bigger than the rolls) and it was a great decision, delish!)

6) Cut one avocado into thin slices.

7) Spread cream cheese mixture on toasted Hawaiian bread, lay bacon, avocado slices and fried egg, and enjoy. Preferably with a full glass of cabernet. :)

easy, and the ultimate test, Blake liked it! he had two...

it's here.. it's here.. IT'S HEREEEE!

Today is the day I've been waiting for. For two reasons. First, it's that cool weather. finally. (Must have been all that fall decorating I've been doing around the house) Secondly, PUMPKINS APPEARED AT TOM THUMB, and grocery stores across Dallas apparently.

All in all, it's been a great Thursday. I got so distracted from all the excitement of seeing real live pumpkins at the store that I almost forgot about that perfect fall candle I've been day-dreaming about. I started searching like a mad woman for candles in Tom Thumb, low and behold, I found the ideal pumpkin spice candle. Candle and pumpkins in basket I raced for the check out. I NEEDED TO GET HOME TO DECORATE!

I think I'm becoming slightly obsessed.

Either way. Here's our autumn table. (synonym for fall, eh eh?)

nothing too special, pretty understated. Just a small collection of things that remind me of the season. :)

Details would be... apothecary jars filled to the brim with mini pinecones.

decorative pumpkins!! holla!

and, the perfect fall candle, surrounded by a pinecone "garland" that was previously placed on the mantel, but Blake pulled the 'ol veto card - so now it lies on our table.

I truly love it. and, the smells, the smells coming from that room are almost edible.

homemade fall wreath

here's the thought... maybe, if I decorate as much as I possibly can with shades of orange and brown along with pumpkins and burlap, maybe just maybe the season and the weather will follow? maybe..?

Got to enjoy pizza, some best friends, and a little DIY crafting last night. Here is the finished product.

Close up. Little pumpkins that make my heart happy.

A few more details.

Felt rosettes intermingled with the cutest pinecones ever seen.

Yellow ribbon cut to look like leaves/petals.

well, I'm done with the fall wreath and the fall mantel and table are slowly in tow. Just need some finishing touches (the perfect pumpkin candle) and I can proudly post them later.

happy fall decorating!

the mortification of sin

Hebrews 12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In all honesty, I've been in a drought here lately with Christ. Is it my fault, is it in His plan? Probably a bit of both, but who am I to decide? I've been reading His scriptures, day by day, and filling my head with knowledge and history, but where is the heart? Where is the yearning? I always find myself closest with Christ when there is something heart-breaking going on inside of me. Whenever I'm in my lowest of lows. And, I know that Christ meets me there, every time. But, where is my desire and my yearning for Christ in the highs? So strange. Doesn't it feel like it should be flipped?

God, let me feel closest to you in the highs and bring my soul out of this drought right now. Maybe this time is intended to be clear with no obstacles, so I can really sit down and hear your word, your history and learn your knowledge. Maybe the sin that so easily entangles me right now is the complacency? It's so hard for me to recognize where I am right now, though I can see where I want to be. Lord, bring me to a place where I can yearn for you. Yearn for your love and mercies. I want to feel the weight of being a Christian. I want to feel the weight of learning how to love others unconditionally.

I've just finished work by a Puritan, John Owen. In some ways, I wish I had the heart of a Puritan. It seems that everything is black and white. The scriptures are studied and presented in a way where, this is the truth of Christ, and this over here, is not. I love it. There's no gray area to be discussed. In Mortification of Sin, Owen explains in ways (many over my head) that as believers, as followers saved by Christ, we must kill our sins daily. And, not take our sins, make it fit into something we want it to and say - oh you silly sin, I know that there is grace to cover you so I won't worry about you any more - but, to actually demolish, or mortify, our sins from our souls (by Christ's mercy of course).

"He is grieved by it. As a tender and loving friend is grieved at the unkindness of his friend, of whom he hath well deserved, so is it with this tender and loving spirit who hath chosen our hearts for a habitation to dwell in, and there to do for us all that our souls desire. He is grieved by our harbouring his enemies, and those whom he is to destroy, in our hearts with him."

I just love that visual. If saved by Christ - your body is not your own. It is now a home for Christ's spirit to live. Why, if we truly loved and wanted to honor Christ, would we invite "his enemies," our silly sins, to come live alongside Christ? Something about that just shouldn't sit well...

This book seems to be spot-on in explaining sin and the destruction of it. I highly recommend for any one looking for this type of read.

In the end, like any thing in life should be, it comes back to our Christ.

"Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of god, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet."

I pray that I can practice daily the mortification of my sins, and that I remember his blood is the sovereign remedy for my sin-sick soul. Victory will come in the end for Christ and me.

as Taza would..

our weekend in pictures, according to my i-phone (gosh, I hope that's not copy-righted..)

Off to Wimberley we go..

quick stop to pick up a hunting license for Blake. He shot us some delicious dove on one of the morning hunts..

Kyle Field puzzle. gig em.

at the beautiful marriage of two great people. It was such a sweet wedding.

a peacock bathing. how intrusive I am, photos during his shower. sorry bird!

the view from our home for the weekend. just spectacular.

what a weekend, 3 days, with one wedding, lots of old friends, some country air, some time to get out of Dallas - get out of the usual swing of things. zebras and a cold front of 85?? very much needed.

and in other news, I've come up with a challenge for myself. Decorating an office in under FIFTY bucks. At the new job, I inherited an office. It has walls, it's own thermostat, a door, and tons of empty shelves and bare bare bare white walls. I think I can successfully add a little character to this new office and come in well under $50.00 - it's on..