Fall in our WISCONSIN Home

It was wonderful to celebrate our first fall in Wisconsin as a married couple.  We apparently live on the lot with the most trees EVER!  Even our neighbors are amazed at how many leaves we accumulate each year.  It took us raking as many leaves as you see in this pile 3 separate times and then a smaller clean up one at the very end of fall to get it all done. Pudge is NOT a fan of playing in the leves and to get this photo to coaxing, moving leaves, and much love.



I LOVE the look of a mantle.  Our house did not have a fireplace nor a mantle, so we made one!  I loved decorating the mantle according to season.  I love the look of the fall mantle I created.

The tall vases on the side were at our wedding with purple orchids in them.  My mom found these tall plants/leaves and they stick out perfectly from the top of the vase.  The small antique table also came from my mother.  I have a variety of candles on the table to look like my fire place.

The large photo is actually our large wedding guest book.  All of our wedding guests signed the frame with the engraving pens giving us this amazing centerpiece and great wedding momento to display. (Guestbook)

I purchased my vase from a small store in Greenville, SC.  This store travels the world and buys goods from the people selling them.  They then bring the goods to the United States and sell them, proceeds going back to the original seller.  I love the look of the authentic hand carved vase.  I bought some vase fillers on sale at Walmart to give the fall look.  The Indian Corn is real corn purchased at the grocery store last year.  When you keep it in a nice dry place it lasts more than a year.  I bought a fall leaf garland and draped that across the mantle.  The acorns were a gift from my mother in law, though I think they were approx. $9.

I purchased the Give Thanks turkey on sale at Walgreens on Clearance for $3.  The pumpkin is a real one from my parents garden.  The vase is from a local grocery store floral department. It is a chalkboard vase so I can write on it according to the season as well.  The flowers were actually a wedding bouquet in my friends wedding.  They were the the real touch bouquets and they are amazingly real down the small browning areas on some of the roses.

The total cost to decorate this mantle was only approx. $42 and able to be used year after year!

Our Pudgie Pie turned 5 in Septmeber. It was also his first birthday with us we we threw him a birthday party.  We got up a pupcake from the farmer's market and put a hat on and let him devour his treat.   It was a great birthday for Pudge!

Family photo on his birthday!

I found Shanty-2-Chic, an amazing DIY website.  I am in love with all they do and as my husband gets more tools, I will be doing more of their projects.  Their style is so what I want my home to look like.   They had printable banners that I thought were really cool.  I printed according to their directions and think they turned out pretty cool!

We got to do a fun fall photoshoot.  My friend Ellie is a photographer and for my birthday (25 ahhh!) she gave a mini-session.  Please check out her facebook and if you live in the Fox Cities Area, please consider contacting her! EllieFay Photography and Design.  Like her page for updates and samples of work.  Pudge was a hoot to work with.  He would stare down the camera if Ellie said "hungry."  Hungry is what our family refers to as "the 'H' word" as if he hears it he gets all riled up and excited.