It’s October, and definitely time to haul out the fall decorations and wreaths. Who says wreaths have to be round? I love the oblong shapes, such as…

I got the idea for this on a blog. The instructions said to use a foam form. I didn’t want to do that because:

1. They’re expensive!
2. They’re light-weight and fly around when the door is opened
3. I had another idea!

I had an old ugly brown frame in the basement that wasn’t being used, so I chose to use it instead. The weight was perfect for hanging on the door, it was the right shape and it cost me nothing! I found silk fall leaf garlands on clearance at Michael’s this week for $1.99, and this wreath took 1 1/4 garlands. I simply hot glued the leaves in random positions around the frame:

Ta-da!

It took me about 30 minutes to make this. If you don’t have a picture frame already, check the Goodwill store or the dollar store. Buy an ugly picture and pop the picture out of the frame!

I got an email from Gooseberry Patch yesterday. (Click here if you’re interested in reading their mail.) The picture above was at the top of the email. It was a reminder that it is indeed September and fall decorating is around the corner, along with cooler weather, chili on the stove, football games, pumpkins, caramel apples and hot cider.

Are you familiar with the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks? You often find them at Cracker Barrel. I love looking at them, though I don’t own one (yet), but I pour over them when I find them in the stores. They’re full of good recipes, but also helpful tips and creative ideas.

Here was a good fall wreath idea I think I’ll try. I’m going to look into using silk mums instead of the fresh ones:

Love it!

A little birdie told me that Hobby Lobby has their fall wreaths 1/2 off this week, so if you don’t want to fuss with making your own, I’ll bet you could find a sweet deal there!

Another seasonal book series I love are the ones bySusan Branch. I ordered her fall book on Amazon a couple of years ago. I love it for the beautiful pictures she’s drawn, the cozy ideas, and yummy recipes. Here’s the cover from Amazon:

If you like good inspiration for the fall season, you need to find copies of these books! I get most all my books through Amazon and have gotten super deals!

On Tuesday, October 14th we will have our second Progressive Mug Supper at church. Here’s how it works: you bring a special mug. There will be prizes for the biggest, prettiest, and most unusual, so hunt out that really special one! We will begin the night by filling our mug with a hot beverage and then we’ll mingle, sip, and look at everyone’s mugs and vote for our favorites.
After washing your mug out, you’ll then choose a soup or chili that’s been brought for your main course. After another wash, you’ll head for dessert – it might be cobbler, or chocolate brownies with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.
After dinner we’ll have a time around God’s Word, then we’ll end the night with some practical advice about Thanksgiving. We’ll hear about creative table decorations, special traditions, and how to plan ahead so you won’t be running crazy the day of Thanksgiving.
You won’t want to miss this fun evening!