Getting Ready for Fall...even if I live in Florida

OK, so I spent a total of $30 on Fall/Halloween decor. I figure, this is all I will do for now until it all goes on sale (which it will) and next year, I can start with a bang!

I got this wreath at Tuesday Morning for $20

This cute pumpkin sits on our tv stand for $5--Tuesday Morning

See our scary skeleton? He was $5 with 40% off at Michaels--he sticks in the ground and has a spot for a tealight at the back so that he can glow on Halloween :)

And my pretty plants...I am really trying to grow one of those green thumbs...I wish I could trade this one in for a green one!

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Let there be light...and none at all!

So we had these gorgeous silk curtains we got for our wedding to match the bedding in our room. When we moved in I just wasn't sure where to find an inexpensive curtain rod, so I searched and searched. Finally, Tuesday Morning had one, 108" long for 20 bucks! YEAH! So now they are hung and the whole room looks cozier.

In the tv room, we added these prints on either side of the tv cabinet. I love the way they frame it out. It doesn't look like such a huge space around them, this is kind of a funny picture. I splurged on them...found them at Ballard Designs.

Finally, we had to do something about our backdoor neighbors. Too much intrusion! They could see right through those doors at night into our living room. So, instead of waiting on bushes to grow or building an expensive fence, we hung this neutral beauty to frame the doors and keep out our neighbors! The panels have black out on the back of them so it makes the room nice and dark at night.

It's coming along...slowly and surely! Our next big project is buying laundry cabinets and installing them in our empty laundry room. It is really pretty big and we could really use the storage. I haven't showed you much of it yet, because it is a disaster zone...soon though...soon!

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But I Really STINK!

I love working with kids...just yesterday I had a little one looking upset on the playground. I went over and asked if everything was OK. He quickly responded "yeah...NO!" When I asked him what had happened he replied, "I'm just really bad at being 'it!'" We all remember the fastest runners are always the best at playing tag and being "it" on the playground...I wasn't good either. SO, while I went into a long in depth explanation of how bad I was at LOTS of things, he looks me straight in the eye and says, "BUT I REALLY STINK!!"

I just loved the sincerity of it all, especially the way he just stopped me dead in my tracks to let me know that his problem was obviously much bigger than I had thought! Silly me...what a cutie. It's something new everyday...that's why I love this job!

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Tailgating

So tomorrow is the BIG game...we are headed to Gainesville for the Tennesse/Florida game. We got tickets from an alumni for $40 each, which was a STEAL if you knew they are selling for $200 a piece on EBAY and Craigslist. Realistic Gator friends are the best type to have! We are sitting in the North Endzone (under cover in real seats)...does it get any better than that??

We will be tailgating in two locations, one with my best friends friends and another with Danny's best guys. I am making a delicious recipe that I thought I would share. It's so easy. I am going to put it together tonight and bake it at Ryan's house tomorrow.

Ingredients:
-party rolls
-mustard
-worstershire
-poppy seeds
-butter
-ham
-swiss cheese or "chee" as I like to say

Directions:

1. Melt butter (not until hot), and mix with mustard, poppy seeds, and worsteshire.
2. Spread mixture on both undersides of the buns.
3. Put on your ham and swiss "chee."
4. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350, just until "chee" is melted and buns are toasted.

We call them Bunco Buns, but they are incredibly easy and delicious, and small so they are easy to eat on the run.

GO GATORS BEAT THOSE VOLS!!!!

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Bathroom Unveiled!

I am SO EXCITED!! We have a working, beautiful, luxurious bathroom! Here is a shot of it from the bedroom--like I said, it isn't very big, but very functional and has some fun touches to it.

We love this swivel mirror, very modern but handy as well. The lights came with the house, so we just reused them since they went with our decor. That cabinet isn't the best looking, but for now it holds everything we need and a more beautiful one will just have to come later down the road. We could only fit a single vanity in (24 inches is SMALL people!) but we feel we got the most out of it by hanging a glass shelf (with a railing!) right above it.

I feel like I have to give the toilet some love--it is high efficiency and boy it would SWEEP YOU DOWN THE PIPES if you fell in!

Finally, my favorite part...the shower!! I love how it turned out. It is gorgeous and the rocks are a lot of fun.

Thanks for putting up with my whining the last few weeks, I promise, I would love for everything to just settle down for a while now!

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New additions

We added this cute ottoman to our living area. I got it for $40 at a consignment shop--it is in mint condition. I bought it and "tricked" my husband into using that chair and only that chair. He used to prop his dirty feet on top of our coffee table and it would leave dirt and dust behind and it drove me CRAZY! So, he now has his man chair and is now begging for something to place his drink on that is closer than the coffee table--oh well, nothing is ever perfect.

I need something for either side of the mirror...haven't decided yet.

We visited my parents in Orlando over Labor Day and we went by their storage unit to grab some items..we only came away with this beautiful wood rocking chair. I am going to have my gma make some cushions for the back and bottom-it will be a perfect nursery some day :)

Look who has decided it is a good place for her behind...

I guess it is her official "room" for now so I can't blame her.

We got a counter depth fridge which I just ADORE. It fits behind the door moldings and we dave SO much more room on that side of the kitchen. That door leads to the laundry room. We can't wait to have cabinets and a pantry built in around the fridge and beside it :) Our goal for that project is March!

See how nicely it fits! Our last one jutted out WAY PAST the door frame!

Our bathroom is supposed to be "fully functional" tomorrow...I am excited to finally use it!!!

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Final Leg...and Not Me Monday

Our bathroom is on it's final leg...THANK GOODNESS! We painted all day long (ceiling and walls)...it is looking great. I am not going to post pictures until it is complete, but I think we are just DAYS away, YAY!! I can't wait to have a bathroom in my room again. Because I surely haven't run into the same wall every night the past 2 weeks during my nightly bathroom trip...not me. And I definitely don't know anyone who might have fallen OFF the toilet because she half fell asleep on it, NOT ME! Finally, I don't have a cat who may have walked in paint and tracked it all over the house...nah, not me!

Looking forward to showing you all our project!!

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DUN...dun dun dun dun dun...GATOR BAIT!

I LOVE GATOR FOOTBALL...as if you can't already tell. Hubs an I both went there for 5 years, no we were not dumb, we both extended our learning...that's what I like to say.

So, a tribute to Gator football :)

Long story, but Danny lavaliered me our senior year (the year before we were engaged)...it's a sorority/fraternity thing...dumb looking back on it, but sweet. Anyways, all his brothers shaved his head during their weekly meeting, so he was a baldy for a while.

My best girls...

We are going to Tennessee vs. Florida this year IN THE SWAMP (2 weeks in counting!)! So excited, no tickets yet, but we will get there!

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