fall vibes. almost.

Raise your hand if you've sat a pumpkin out SOMEWHERE around your home?

*hand raised*

Raise your hand if you've caved and ordered a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks already?

*crickets*

Yes, friends that is where I draw the line!!!!!!! *hands over mouth*. I can barely handle hot coffee in 90 degree SC heat must less pumpkin flavor. Bleeeeh.

I definitely pulled out a few pumpkins while I was home with a sick boy last Thursday though (stomach bug has already hit our elementary school, oh yes. Add that to all the PSL posts I see and talk about nauseating for reals) 

Y'all know I do love to decorate our house for each season. Always have, but the older I get the more I realize (or want!) LESS "stuff". Decorations are fun and I'm usually a "more is more" kind of person, but it really is true: less is more. After reading Emily Ley's "A Simplified Life" + The Minimalists Podcast, it really makes you focus in on the realization that clutter can equal chaos and also all these little "things" can eat up your wallet. I've tried to be more mindful about NOT aimlessly throwing stuff in my buggy at HobLob or TJ Maxx! It's hard because I use to be soooo bad about that.

So I only bought two new pieces for this Fall that totaled around $10 bucks and invested in a new Halloween rug for our front porch (pics of that when it finally hits October and I put it out) Adding a new piece each year builds the collection and again, if it gets too much or you're tired of looking at older items - DONATE!

One free piece of decor you can invest in , then decorate for all seasons is a chalkboard. It took me five minutes to sketch out our chalkboard from Pinterest and add our own fun bucket list. The boys watched Hocus Pocus for the first time last Fall and I think we ended up watching it legit nearly ten times the month of October. Some people hate Halloween, but I'm one of those that really, really loves it. Always have. Miss the days BC (before children) when Chad and I would go all out and have crazy Halloween parties in our "barn" behind our old house, complete with "spirit fires", karaoke and more. Definitely need to bring that back.

something else I've always done: buy items on major clearance AFTER the holiday is over. For instance, I rack up on 80% off at Hobby Lobby after the holiday is long gone , then I put it away for next year and it's always fun to have a few new items to add to the collection of seasonal decor. I rarely ever pay full price for seasonal decor.

dough bowl was from a local vendor at a cash & carry market in Atlanta and all the pumpkins and "fluff" I've collected from HobLob.

a few days ago I did go in there to buy hot pink spray paint for decor I'm doing for our upcoming October Wine Down Wednesday at Sugar and I noticed all Fall was 40% off. I had just changed out our kitchen rug (to one I already had) and black & white is so my thing. Couldn't pass buying this one fabric black & white gingham pumpkin and placed it beside my granny Young's framed pecan pie recipe that I keep out year round. 

Chad may be a Clemson fan but he sho doesn't decorate this house. Mama buys the decor and it's Gamecocks all the way around here! WOOP WOOP. See how the black and white ties in nicely now don't you??

oh and I bought these ceramic pumpkins from HobLob on sale for $2.99 each to paint Lilly prints for decor at Sugar and ended up caving letting the boys paint their own when Cade was sick last week. Can you tell who painted what???

I took the dead ferns off our front porch this weekend (they were scorched!) but haven't replaced with mums yet because I'm holding out for cooler weather. Will have to post more pics once October finally rolls around and we've got all things SPOOKY up in here. 

Hope everyone has a great Monday!