Memorial Garden Complete!

 This is the update to my fall garden. You can see the original post Fall Garden. We had a beautiful day but I knew it was not going to last so I went and picked up a truck load of mulch from the greenhouse. When hubby go home we started unloading. After a lot of work and a little planting this is the outcome!

The before pictures show the circle of the pool so I moved the rocks little by little. I am proud to say I completed this project by myself for the most part. My hubby dug the holes and cemented the posts and helped to unload the mulch. I did the rest. My Mother was a gardener so I am dedicating this as a memorial garden in her name, Carol Y. Walter.
  Day 1
Keep following along each day for 31 days.
If you want to see all the 31 dayers then go to The Nester

Fall Porch

 For Day 6 I decided to decorate our front porch. It was a beautiful cool day and I did enjoy being outside. I actually did the decorating in the morning before I worked our flower garden that I posted a few days ago.

 The only things I purchased was the wreath and garland. I already had all the other items.

 This is one of the first times I have decorated the porch since my parents passed away.

 I guess I just have not felt like it but since I have joined the 31 dayers I decided I would work on the porch.

 This is what it looked like before I started just grapevine trees and a wreath.

 Pretty drap but honestly, this is how I have felt for the last months and when you are in grief it is difficult to be creative.

 This is the other side. For summer I always add a few chairs.

 This is my pile it items to choose from. I ended up not using the scarecrow in the front but I used almost everything else.

 I am happy with the results and I have had many people notice the porch so I thing it was worth digging my things out. I adore fall and this was a great way to make me smile. When I drove up yesterday I was so pleased that it was done!

Day one of 31 days of fall inspiration  this is the link if you want to start from my day one post!

Fall Touches in the Living Room

 Recently I moved my sellers cabinet into or living room. Since much of my room is in shades of cream I thought that my Mother's dishes might just be the thing to add a little homey feel to the room. When autumn rolled around I wanted to leave what I had in the cabinet and just add a few touches to change it for the season.

 This is the same picture just using the flash.

 This little cross-stitch is always one of my favorites!

 My Great Aunt bought this for me one year at her church seasonal sale. She was the sweetest!

On the wall beside the cabinet just a few touches to warm the wall up.
It doesn't take many decorations to give it that fall feel! This is day for of 31 days of Inspiration.

Halloween Decorating

 On Monday our youngest daughter came up with the idea to decorated for Halloween. Usually I only decorate for fall/Thanksgiving but very little Halloween. But since I wanted to spend the day with her we jumped in the car to see what we could find on the sale shelves! We had a lot of inspiration from  Tatertot and Jello she has a beautiful display in her kitchen. She has white cabinets to die for too!

Here is a close-up.

This is the top of the cabinet but we have added another platter that hangs on the wall behind the candlesticks.

This is what it looked like before we placed wrapping paper on the back of the shelfs.

And I must admit this was the inside..what a mess..but in my defense we had plans to remove this cabinet so I had taken everything out of it but when hubby didnt get it removed I shoved all the items back inside. Halloween looks much better than this mess. I took a picture with the lights off because many of the items light up but it didn't show up very well.

Endings and Beginnings Day 3 of Fall Inspriation

Day 3 of Fall Inspiration

Fall Inspiration Day i

Fall Inspiration Day 2

Sometimes endings are new beginnings. Sometimes when something happens you are sad and sometimes you think you can make it better by doing what you did before but sometimes endings make you think of things in a new way. When we moved to this home in 2000 we purchased a large 24ft. pool and placed it right outside our back door. It was large and blue and beautiful. Our children spend long days and nights swimming together and with their friends. Twelve years later, the girls are completing their college years and the pool stood still most days. It was still big and beautiful but no longer did it have giggles and laughter. So earlier this summer when we had the pool ready for swimming we noticed a large leak, one that could not be fixed without replacing much of the pool...we were facing an end of an era. We talked about replacing it with another pool. But that will not bring back the children that are now grown. So we worked to get rid of the pool. If you look closely you will see the pump in the background. Once the pool was gone we were left with a large round circle with river rock and tons of sand.

Our summer was so hot and I had little inspiration, the circle sat untouched for a few months. Every day I would look at that circle when I left the house and I would think...what am I going to do with that mess...I must admit I was rather discouraged and in the midst of my grief over my parents I didn't feel like trying to figure out a solution.

Then one day I was thinking about my Mom and how much she loved flowers and gardening and...I saw a garden structure at Lowes and then I knew I would make a flower garden that would remind me of Mom. So Hubby cemented the structure into the ground and I started moving stone. One side was low so I hauled loads of dirt from the back yard and I would smooth it out.

But remember it was so hot that I knew we would have to wait till fall planting. When I thought we were close to planting time I went to Lowes and found flowers at a deep discount as well as a blue spruce pine tree. I placed them around but something was missing. That was when I decided to use our cap rock and make a walking path...I also moved some river rock to go along the edge.

I have purchased some mums and moved and moved stones. Now there is really not much more to do but add the mulch. But this is where there is bad news. We have been having rain all week and we have not been able to drive into the grass to put the mulch down so I hope you will forgive that I do not have the finished photo to share. But I wanted to inspire you to prepare your fall gardens it is ok to start a garden and to plant new plants. I now walk out my back door and I smile because Mom would have loved this garden. I think you will to and I will share the finished garden when our weather gets a little better. Until then remember, sometimes endings are new beginnings!

Day2 Problem Solving!

 Welcome back!! I am happy to say I made this post work...I am having computer problems and all my pictures seem to be locked away in space....so I am thrilled to get this post on my blog today.
  A month or so ago I purchased new furniture and as I was unboxing I was thinking about my daughters small dogs and how much it irritated me when them go under the sofa. We find all kinds of toys and messes under the furniture when we move it to sweep and I just don't like it at all. So I measured the space and decided to solve the problem. I honestly had thought about chicken wire but I was afraid it would catch in the carpet so when I saw  all the cardboard I had left I knew that I had a solution!

 I took the boxes and cut them to fit and then I taped it from leg to leg. It might not be the perfect solution but it has solved the problem! I can still move the furniture, the dogs can not get under it and I am much happier!

Once I pulled the skirt down you can not tell that I have cardboard under there!

 Sometimes the easiest solutions cause us the most pleasure!
 If you want to see the other 31 dayers just go to the nester and see some amazing blog writers.

Fall Inspiration! Day 1

  Well today begins the 31 Days of Inspiration. I am looking forward to the fun post ahead. I started today with the obvious choice, the mantle.

 When I get out my fall decorations I put out all fall at the same time then as Halloween passes I put those items away. The pilgrams were made by my Mother and she also painted the barn picture.

I made the wool turkey and pumpkins. Here is the link for a tutorial on how to make the  sweater pumpkins , If you haven't started your fall mantle, today is the day! Send my a link to your mantle! Fall blessings! See you tomorrow!
  Remember there are many other bloggers starting the 31 Days today so go visit The Nester for more inspiration!