Fall decorations

I have been having fun decorating.  I tackled a few projects that I have been procrastinating about.  Whenever I finish doing one of those, it's surprising to me that it was so easy and quick to do, and I enjoy it a lot. Today I decided to do something with my mail box.  Actually, I made the decision a couple of weeks ago when I picked up a can of Cinnamon colored Rustoleum spray paint.  But then it rained for a few days, and you know how the excuses pile up.  Then today when I got off work, I took an SOS pad and scrubbed the mailbox.  It was a beautiful day and it dried very quickly.  

I sprayed a light coat of paint, and was afraid at first that it was going to be a TN Orange.  While it finished drying, I went inside and pulled out the roll of Silhouette Vinyl that has been living in the drawer for over a year still with the wrapping intact.  Definitely past time to use it! A few designs from the Silhouette online store, and using the Black Rose font for the name and address, and voila!

 

Last week I pulled a project I had started last year out of the closet and completed it.  I had seen a similar one on Pinterest, and had bought the wreath and tulle and had almost finished it, but by the time I gave up on it last year, it was time for the Christmas wreath.  This year, it only took about 30 minutes to finish it, and it is so cute!

I've always thought that the fall yard decorations other people had were adorable (except for those scary Halloween displays), and wanted to have one of my own.  This year I was able to do one of my own.  I convinced myself that I can use the hay for the garden next year, so I wouldn't be spending all that money on something just decorative for a couple of months.  I debated about where to put it, and finally decided to put it next to the telephone pole behind the mailbox.I got the hay at Home Depot for $4.75 a bale, mums at Walmart for less than $3, the pumpkins at the Dollar tree, and the scarecrows were at JoAnn's for $7 each. I don't know if I'll be able to use them again next year or not.

Finally, about 10 years ago I bought a few autumn buildings at Walmart when they were on clearance.  I think they were between 70% and 90% off.  They have not seen the light of day for a few years, but I really enjoy it and decided to pull it out early enough to enjoy it a few months this year!  I pulled the lights through the entertainment center and used some green wrapping paper for the ground.  

Fall Anticipation

Of all the seasons, Fall is my favorite.  The colors are so rich, and the air so crisp, The holidays are around the corner, and my creativity runs wild.  It's like mojo season :)  I guess it's from years of making Christmas presents, and having to start in the fall.

I made a half dozen of these cards in celebration.  I stamped "Thinking of you" on the outside because it could then be used for anything... Thinking of you...on your birthday, in your time of sorrow, as you heal, or just because :)

I stamped "Lovely As A Tree" by Stampin' Up with brown Stazon.  Then I used my Tim Holtz Distress markers to quickly cover the sky and grass, then I sprayed it with water to get rid of any stripes created by the markers.  Then I applied the flower soft glue and sprinkled with the Autumn flower soft.

I've decided to try to make most of my cards 4x6 because that's one of the sizes of envelopes on my coluzzle template.  Then on the inside, I take a 3x5 index card and used photo corners to attach it; that way the person receiving the card can easily reuse it.

Then a miracle happened, I addressed a few envelopes, wrote a few notes, and actually put them in the mailbox!

This card also satisfies the requirements for Jaydee's challenge over at The Paper Players.