Sharing my Story

13 years ago

Until last year I was just a Christmas decorating kind of gal. Then I stumbled across this website, full of happy decorating enablers (yes, I mean you!), which then lead me to the land of cheap, but oh so beautiful, decorating blogs. I now have totes and bins in the basement full of decor for every season and holiday (as well as a DH that heaves a heavy sigh every time he goes down there to look for something of his). Don't even get me started on the totes and bins full of tablescaping items! I'll save that story for another day :) I am now unable to pass by a DT, a TS, a GW, an ES, an ARC or a GS (took me a bit to learn what all those meant!)without thinking about someone here that has taken that ugly whatzit and turned it into a beautiful addition to their home.

I have started on my fall decorating for this year. I will add some Halloween elements on Oct. 1. After Halloween I will add some Thanksgiving finds and then on to my full blown Christmas decorating (I get *really* serious about that!). Please feel free to take a look through my photobucket keeping in mind, my fall decor 2010 photos were taken with my Iphone. DH just bought a new DSLR camera and I need to have him practice taking decor photos:)

Kath

Here is a link that might be useful: Fall Decor 2010

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Comments (29)

jeannespines
13 years ago
maxi...you've got a great headstart on the Fall season! Love all your Fall colors..are the pumpkins, gourds faux ones? My fav is the small table in LR where you used lidded glass jar, framed pumpkin photo & that hurricane metal candle thing-y. Yes, this forum is wonderful & it's great to celebrate other holidays than only Christmas! TFS! Jeanne S. (ps..just remind DH to be careful not to stub his toes on those bins! LOL!)
maximavswife
Original Author
13 years ago
Jeanne,
Everything is faux :) The framed pumpkin photo is actually a framed greeting card from DT (2-$1.00)! It is DH's favorite piece of decor :) I have a tap light inside the top of the metal candle holder thingy. Looks really cool when on at night.
Kath
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I'm so sorry for your loss. As a father of three, I would know of nothing that would be worse than losing a child. On a related topic, I write for some local web blogs and a while back and I ran into a band named Cloud Cult, out of Minneapolis, MN. I was so enticed by their sound and music, I decided to write about them. I mentiuon it here only because I know many folks who have gone through the gut wrenching loss of a child could relate to this writer. Below is some of my review: The group is lead by Craig Minowa, and was more or less of a garage band that played the local Minneapolis scene. Apparently Minowa held a variety of jobs including environmental activist, organic farmer, etc. He and his wife had a two year old son who passed away from unexplained circumstances. The death of the child apparently was devastating to Minowa. In time, he drifted apart from his wife and everyone in his life, became a hermit on his small MN farm, spent close to two years doing nothing but writing songs; songs that explored life, death, and general human mortality. The end result of this writing endevor produced three albums in the following years, They Live on the Sun," Aurora Borialis," Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus," and a soon to be released CD, available on their Website, "The Meaning of 8." Their music is simply brilliant. The physical body flesh is a recurring theme in Minowa's music. Does man's spirit persist after its shell breaks down? "I want to start fresh, I bought a new shirt, got new socks but my skin is still me, with memories," Minowa sings on "Start New", but "Living on the Outside of Your Skin" he attempts to break those bonds with a toy piano and a growling guitar solo. "What Comes at the End" ponders reunion, reincarnation and "fall[ing] in love in our new skin." The elaborately off-the-cuff "You Got Your Bones to Make a Beat" celebrates existence and gives hope for the future.... I know this probably isn't the place for me to be leaving music reviews, but your post reminded me of this band, and I know I find a sense of hope and optimism when I listen and perhaps you may as well. You can hear tracks from this group at their website, below Here is a link that might be useful: Cloud Cult
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Purplemoon
13 years ago
Kath, I LOVED your post! I think everyone of us here can relate. But then who does that leave to blame??? LOL.
Must be this magical Forum that casts spells over us as we enter it!

Your decor is lovely, and I have to agree with Jeanne as to my favorite being the little table. That greeting card made a beautiful accent. I had planned on my next trip to DT to check out gift bags! I saw on a blog about framing
them, they always have such neat pictures on them during the holiday season! I have framed cards before, but never even thought about the pretty gift bags!

Thank you for a nice start to my day.
hugs, Karen
plainjane425
13 years ago
Hi Kath...Welcome, although
I think I've seen you here before..am I right?
Anyway, I've Only Just Begun to do my Fall decorating, and here you are, 'In Full Swing' ! You did a lovely job and I think your color combinations are pretty.
I have to agree, I like that little table set up too.
I was also spying that Print, and was wondering if it was a card.. It's really nice and goes perfectly in that grouping.
I was laughing over your 'tubs & bins' in the Basement and not being able to pass up a TS/GW/DT-etc...I guess you're hooked! Again, 'Welcome To The Club' !!
Look forward to you joining us again.

jane
maximavswife
Original Author
13 years ago
Jane,
Yep, I have been a GW member for several years now but lurk more than I post. I am not an artistic person (older brother got that gene) so I am timid about posting any of my decor projects. I am just a tad over critical of my decorating attempts :) I know everyone here is just so nice and any criticism will be purely constructive. I am trying to turn our 80's house into a comfortable home and have learned so much here!
Thank you all for the kind words!
Kath
oldalgebra
13 years ago
Kath,
What a wonderful job you've done. I am right in line with your hubby. That framed postcard just jumped out at me. I love it. Great choice for the frame.

I like your entryway table too, especially the little wreath on the wall.
luvstocraft
13 years ago
You just made me realize that I need to tuck some fall leaves and things into the greenery I already have on top of my china cabinet this year! Your's looks lovely and I really like your pretty rooster up there. I agree with the others about how nice that little vignette on the table looks, I like the combination of items you used together. I'm so glad you are joining us in our "addiction", I just think it makes the holidays more special if we "decorate" a bit for them, don't you? Thanks for sharing with us and please join in with comments and more of your pics anytime, okay?

Luvs
lynninnewmexico
13 years ago
Welcome Kath! And thanks for sharing your albums and ideas with us. You may THINK that you don't have any artistic genes, but your beautiful vignettes are proving you wrong ;^D I'm happy that you've come out of Lurkdom and are finally piping in! Stick around this time, OK?
Lynn
yachter123
13 years ago
Ok, was just going to ask you about that framed picture! Drat, was just in DT yesterday for cleaning supplies & never EVER thought of looking thru the greeting cards for something to frame.

I don't know why, but I just love framed seasonal or holiday pictures in a vignette!

All of your decor is so pretty, especially like the rooster tucked in among the fall decor on the hutch!
oldalgebra
13 years ago
** I am now unable to pass by a DT, a TS, a GW, an ES, an ARC or a GS (took me a bit to learn what all those meant!)**

Kath, I've been visitng here for 2 years and I STILL don't know all the abbreviations.

TS is tag sale.
GW is Goodwill.
DT is ????
ES is ????
ARC is ????? (I just saw this one for the first time a couple of days ago.)

Someone clue me in - PLEASE!
jaybird
13 years ago
What a pretty home! You just jogged my lazy brain...I have a hutch, some leaves and a rooster. Now I know what to do with them!! Thankyouverymuch!
All of your decorations a lovely, thanks for showing us and I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas displays :^)
maximavswife
Original Author
13 years ago
OA,
TS is Tag Sale or Thrift Store
DT is Dollar Tree
ES is Estate Sale
ARC is a thrift store in Colorado although I think other states may have stores by the same name. It is an abbreviation for Association for Retarded Citizens.

Kath
oldalgebra
13 years ago
Thanks. I'm sure I knew DT, just not out of context.
And ES is so obvious!

Thanks for the lesson.
christmascandy
13 years ago
Kath,
It is all so lovely, but I also love the small table and the framed card. I have framed postcards and Christmas cards to use as wall art, and I framed a DT large Santa gift bag front last holiday season. I just loved his face, and I kind of hated to put him away when the season was over.

It is in a 16 x 20 TS frame that I got for $2 and then dry brushed with the gold paint. I bought the mat at HL when it was 50% off so the whole pic was less than $5.

I too go over the top at Christmas, hence the name!!
I love that you have fall decor all through the house. It is very festive.

TFS,
Candy
Purplemoon
13 years ago
Well Candy, that settles it...I'm for sure checking out gift bags this holiday season! Your's looks like an expensive piece with the frame's paint treatment and the matting! Beautiful.
Last Christmas I framed a Santa picture. Printed it off my computer. Browsing flickr, I think, I saw a photograph of a man dressed up as Santa and I swear he must be the REAL DEAL. Hard to believe that was someone's DH just dressing up for the kids a photo. I fell in love with the picture tho and just had to frame it. Tho it would only print as 8x10 for me.

{{gwi:1434993}}

hugs, Karen
jeannespines
13 years ago
Great ideas for framing "Santa's!" Love 'em both! TFS! Jeanne S.
jaybird
13 years ago
My DH is Santa every year for a company party... can I frame him????????????????????
maximavswife
Original Author
13 years ago
Candy, that picture is just awesome. I fell in love with a Santa picture at HL a couple of weeks ago but at even 50% off felt the cost was too high. Now I will be checking out gift bags at DT etc. and making one too!

Kath
janet1_2007
13 years ago
Kath, You sound just like me. I lurked for years before finally getting the urge to post, and now I just live to see the beautiful things these gals come up with. I too am a Christmas nut.I've always loved to decorate for Christmas, even before decorating the whole house was popular. My DD tells me thst I'm the only person so pocessed with Christms that I have a Santa toilet bowl brush holder.I've always loved dishes though, but until I found this forum, I had never really appreciated all the different decorating with them. Since joining here, I have became totally addicted. These girls are a terrific bunch, so warm and welcoming. I do really love your fall decorations. so far, all I have done is one arangement on a buffet with a candle in a holder and some ceramic pumpkins and fall folliage. I had never decorated for other holidays, so am just starting my fall collection. Glad you decided to join us, and look forward to seeing more pics. Janet
plainjane425
13 years ago
Just another thought on a Cheap print idea...
I've used pages from Calendars...
that you can turn into beautiful framed prints.
There are so many different themes to choose from.

jane
phonegirl
13 years ago
Kath, sounds like you fit in perfectly here. We love all kinds of decorations and this post has brought some new fun things about. Your pictures are wonderful and amazing what the new phones offer.

My decorating this year we be the same as yours and save me alot of time. Loved seeing Candy and Karen's prints and Jane's idea from calendars would be great too. I only have one framed print for Christmas but may enjoy more if I get creative. I received mine as a bonus for spending over $100 at one of the stores years ago.

J, hope to see DH framed this year! If he's a good enough sport to dress up, by all means you should frame him. If you go as Mrs Claus I hope we get to see that too.

Punk
jeannespines
13 years ago
And "your own" old family pics are wonderful for framing or matting for the holidays! *(Gee, ladies, this is Sept 16th...now ya got me going on Santa!) LOL! Jeanne S.

1948 snapshot...That's my Mom holding my hand on the left...I'm 2 yrs old..see the Santa profile (who's just come in the porch door at G'ma's (she's in center) house!)

,,,or this WONDERFUL Santa from my childhood!

ohhhh, gee, I'm back on the "old pics" kick! I'm done! LOL! But somebody mentioned that "bus" again in another post!
oldalgebra
13 years ago
Jeanne,

Priceless! I've got a couple of "vintage" Christmas photos somewhere. I'll look for them tomorrow.

Can anyone else contribute a personal Christmas Past Photo?
luvstocraft
13 years ago
Jeanne, those are wonderful pics! Your Mom was a lovely looking lady and what a cute little girl you were! I absolutely love the expression on your little face when you were looking at Santa--that is priceless! Luvs
Purplemoon
13 years ago
Jeanne, it sure looks like you charmed Santa too. No way he could resist that smile of yours!

No photos of me like that, my folks couldn't get me within ten feet of him! I was extremely shy, LOL. Tho if Santa was on a horse it might have made a difference!

hugs, Karen
nana2010_gw
13 years ago
Your Fall decorations are so pretty. I'm getting weaker by the minute I think I'll start bringing things out this weekend. I love the framed Santas I've seen them in magazines but they are pricey. So 2 years ago I saw a wonderful Santa on a shopping bag and bought it then I got a frame from a TS and framed it. I liked it so much that I bought a different one and framed that one as well. Okay I won't say I did that too anymore. Nanakaren
Purplemoon
13 years ago
Way to go, NanaK...you were ahead of us on framing the gift bags. Smart lady. And its fine to say "been there, done that", so please don't stop telling us how you've decorated. Showing us pictures would be even better. LOL.
You know we are obsessed with photos here, and wish all of us had ways to post them. Everyone who doesn't have a digital camera, put it on your Christmas list now! ;o)

hugs, Karen
nana2010_gw
13 years ago
Karen, I hope to post some pictures soon, when my youngest DD comes by she'll do it for me, that is still beyond me I have some from last halloween that I want to share. I'm so glad to have found this forum. I admire so much what all of you do, and that you have so much fun doing it! ! ! NanaKaren
plainjane425
13 years ago
Jeanne..such priceless - precious pictures..
we do think alike when it comes to old family pictures.
I love that one of you and your mom and you and Santa!
Reminds me of 'Miracle On 34th Street' !
I have a 'Christmas Photo Box' with framed old family Christmas pictures. During the Christmas, I just put away the everyday ones...and replace them with those. Funny how every year, the family always enjoys looking at them.

Lots of Nostalgia I guess.

jane

Sharing my Story

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