Fallin Up with Cottage and Vine!

I just found this great party over at Cottage and Vine and decided to join in!

You've probably already seen some of my Fall decor as I've been adding bits and pieces over the past month.  But I'll share some again as well as more that I recently added.

Here is my front entry with some touches of Fall:

On the front door hangs a SLAH door pocket that spray painted Oil Rubbed Bronze and then added some stems to for a splash of color.

To the left of the door is this old garden seat that I got years ago at a craft fair in Rancocas, NJ.

To the right of the door are these lanterns that I got on Clearance from Sam's Club this year.  I added some Fall color via the bow and leaves.  Also, the candles are battery-operated and function on a timer.

Moving inside, this is the sideboard in my Dining Room.

with the nesting pumpkins I LOVE!

The centerpiece on my Dining Room table.  Again, I already posted this but I put this together using stems I had on hand from other arrangements.

I love the burst of color it adds to the Dining Room when you first enter the house.

Moving into the kitchen, here is another look at my hutch.

The island:

and finally, the kitchen table:

I think I'm done for the season.  Around here people go crazy outside decorating with cornstalks and haybales.  I usually love to add these to my front porch decor, but this year I think I will pass.  It's a big expense and a big ole' mess!

Now go check out other Fallin Uppers over at C & V for a fun party!

xoxo,
Kim

Tabletop Fun

This is my first time joining the wonderful Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Tabletop Tuesday party.

I'm just sharing some changes I recently made to my thrifty bombe chest that sits in my finished basement.
I scored the bombe at a yardsale last year for only $25.  Actually I bought two of them, but sold one on Craig's List.  They both needed a little love.  All I did was paint it black and add some gold Rub 'n Buff.

The clock above was another yardsale find for only $10, but it needed to be fixed, which cost $35.  Still worth it.

Here is the tabletop display.

You may recognize the personalized frame as one of Kristen's Creations.  Kristen just added a bunch of new goodies to her Etsy store, so be sure to go check that out before they are all gone.

The yellow pottery on the left was something I purchased with a CSN giftcard I won.  The other one I picked up at a yardsale a few months back for $5.  The runner was another yardsale find for $2.

I also added some more Fall tabletop displays to my decor.

This tray sits on my kitchen island and I added some fun berry garland from Michael's, a miniature white pumpkin and a candle.

This arrangement I put together using lots of different things and it sits on my kitchen hutch.

Thanks for visiting!  Please visit Marty's blog for some more tabletop fun!

xoxo,
Kim

On a Whim...

I woke up to a dreary rainy day and couldn't get myself motivated enough to go to the gym.  Instead, I decided to check out the local thrift store for some goodies.  I was very happy with what I found!

I've been looking online for one of these cheese slabs for a very long time.  I think the correct term for these is Antique Ironstone Cheese Slab.  I couldn't find one online/Ebay at all.  But as luck would have it I came across this suitable substitute for only $2!  The only identification on it is Ted Arnold "Letter Perfect".....

It sits on my toaster oven for now until I find a better home for it.

This little Tuscan box was only $3.

I added it to my entertainment center in the Family Room.

This is what was there before:

I like this look better for now.

Some fun on a rainy day.

Catching Up!

I've been enjoying reading all of the wonderful blogs I follow and seeing all of your beautiful Fall decor - so much inspiration!  But for my part, blog posts have been fewer and farther between.  I'm trying to catch up and am happy to share some great things I've been doing.

First off, the yard sales have picked up significantly after a lackluster Summer, probably due to the heat.
I'm sharing some treasures from over the past few weeks.

A beautiful wrought iron wall grille.

A lovely wall pocket that Denise scored for $2.

A gorgeous set of hand painted nesting tables that I scooped up for $15.

I bought this clock years ago I think from Pier 1 and then gave it to my sister.  I found the same one  Saturday at a yardsale for fifty cents and couldn't stop myself!!   It's a problem, I know.

This pretty wall topper was only $2 at a townwide sale in the beautiful historic borough of Merchantville, NJ.

Here it is over the walkway that leads from the master into the sitting room.

This rooster planter was also only fifty cents.

I brought it home, added the fern and perched it on my display shelf in the mudroom over the cubbies.

These next two were found curbside.
I found this picture in someone's trash and added it to the wall in my foyer.

Denise found this little leather top beauty in another trash heap.

She gave it to me when I was home with Kidney Stones - what a sweetie!!!
Here it is in my Living Room:

These next finds are all now available on my Etsy store.

A lovely papier mache tole tray.

A mini cake stand.

And a vintage silver tabletop mirror.

So that's it.  I have more to share, but will save that for another post.  Hope you all have a wonderful week.

I'm linking up to some great parties for this thrifty post.  Be sure to check them out!

Today's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality (the very last one! BooHoo!)
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Twice-Owned Tuesday at Creating a House Of Grace
Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville
Frugal Friday at the Shabby Nest
Frugalicious Friday at Decor Mamma

My Jersey Boy!

Meet Cole Richard McLaughlin:

If you've been following along on this interesting journey of ours, you know that this pregnancy was not only a miracle, but a nail-biter!  I am 41 years old with two beautiful girls, Mallory 14 and Amy 10.  Last year I had an Endometrial Ablation due to heavy menstrual cycles.  During this procedure the lining of the uterus is essentially burned.  There is little chance of ever having children afterwards.  Of course our doctor advised us of this beforehand and we weren't planning on having anymore children.......

When I said little chance, what I meant was like .08% chance.

God had other plans.
God doesn't care about percentages.


Of course there are risks because of the ablation.  One possibility is Placenta Accreda.  In this case, the placenta will attach itself to my uterus and not come out.  The result is an emergency hysterectomy.

Another risk is the baby will have growth issues in the womb.  Periodic ultrasounds will monitor this situation.

But when the worry sets in, I remind myself of one very important thing.......08%.

God wanted this to happen.
God wanted Rich and me to have a baby boy.
God wasn't finished with our family yet.
God is in control.

And THAT deserved a Jersey fist-pump!

That's my boy!

Subtle Changes

I don't know about you, but at least once a year I go through my house and purge.  It's usually around the same time I do a strenuous cleaning.  Now before you go thinking I only clean my house once a year, remember I said "strenuous".  For the record, I clean my house twice a year!  I take stock of my surroundings and decide that there's too much "stuff".  Stuff on walls, countertops, on top of tables, underneath tables, behind tables, next to tables, heck there are even too many tables.

I know what you are thinking, I just did a post on accent tables and how much I love them, and truth be told I only removed one table this particular purge and it will probably find its way back into my home at some point in the near future.  In fact, I will probably add more "stuff" to my walls and tables at some point too, but for now, I like the feeling of clean and freshness that surrounds me when I look around my home.  I had a few too many fake flowers and arrangements that were just collecting way too much dust.  And as much as I love them, it makes me feel better at the moment not having them collecting dust.

So down they went to the great beyond known as my storage room in the basement.  The place for misfit decor.  But not to worry, there are already bets being placed on how long before I hang something new/old in their place.  Odds are in favor of less than a month.  That's another post.

I'lll show you what I took down so you can gasp and say "Oh No She Didn't!!!"(does anyone else besides my kids have this ridiculous app on their cell phones?!)  And as always, your input is more than welcome!

Kitchen counter went from this:

to this:

aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh......

Antique in the Living Room from this:

to this:

yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

Office space before:

office space after:

(How d'ya like my new cork board???  Hubby made it for me using an antique frame I found at a flea market - these will soon be available on my Etsy.).

The clock went.  Well, it didn't exactly go completely, just got moved to a new home......until I find a better home.

Back in the kitchen, the wall decor is gone baby gone.

Even de-cluttered the corkboard in the Mud Room.

Living Room as it looks now without a coffee table.

This is actually out of necessity.  After the baby comes I'll be moving the coffee table from the rec room into this room.  But for now, I like the openness that this provides.

Also removed the bench seen here in front of the fireplace.

Since we'll be using the fireplace a lot, this will just get in the way.

So that's it, nothing major, but I sure feel like I can breathe around here again.  Just how long it will last is anyone's guess.

Enjoy the rest of your week!
xoxo,
Kim