5 Pictures to Take This Fall

With fall just around the corner, what better way to celebrate than to take some pictures! The weather is a little more cool (allowing for some adorable boots-leggings-scarves combos), the leaves are changing and falling, and it's prime time for some snuggling (adorably and PG, please!). So while you're wondering what to do about Christmas cards this year or updating the pictures of the kids - look no further!

1. A Pile of Leaves: What better way to bring out the kid in anyone than a pile of leaves to jump in?! Pile the whole family in. Start a leaf-throwing fight with the kids and then move out of the way for some adorable kid pics. OR stay in the frame with hubby for some hilarious pictures! Make "leaf angels," spell out something and lay next to it, or form some leaves in to your kids' ages and have them take a picture next to it so you can remember how old they are! Or just pile some leaves on your kiddo and snap a few shots like below - adorable!

Original Source: Pinterest

2. Fall Leaves Scenery/Backdrop: As we established in post #1 (5 Things to Do in Fall) I love the changing leaves. What better (or more gorgeous) backdrop for some family photos? I think this picture from Pinterest (below) speaks for itself.

Original Source: Pinterest

3. Pumkpin Patch: Is there a better way to represent the fall season? Take your kids, drop them in the middle of a pumpkin patch (one that isn't too crowded) and snap some pics. Maybe even carve one and drop your littlest one in the pumpkin itself!

4. Halloween Costumes: Uh, I think this kind of comes with the answer of a bunch of resounding "Duh"s. While this may seem like a simple one-picture snap and head to trick-or-treating, it's not. Your kids are only little once (Sorry to remind you - again). Why not take an extra 15 minutes to get some extra pictures of your kiddos - to frame or send to Grandma and Grandpa? A painful little reminder that your kids are only little once, so snap some pics (just don't ruin the moment by taking HUNDREDS of pics!).

5. A Flannel Blanket: This is particularly perfect if you have a photo session planned, whether a couples session or family session. To me, nothing says fall more than a cozy flannel blanket (or fleece, if that's more your style!).

Don't want to pay for some pictures?! Grab your kids, your significant other, your pet...step outside and start snapping. We probably take WAY too many pictures of little T, but the best shots are candid pictures! Don't have a fancy $500 camera? No sweat, I don't either. I have a little point-and-click which works great. Have fun! Want to hire a photographer? Start a Pinterest board. That way when you find a photographer you like, you can show them what you have in mind! Be mindful, though. Some photographers really dislike copying images you find on Pinterest, but they may be willing to do their own version of the picture.

Anyways, I hope you get the family outside to enjoy the weather. And maybe get some adorable pictures this fall, too!

5 Things to Do This Fall

School is starting back, and that means fall is just around the corner! In the Spirit of Fall returning to us, I have decided to start a little blog miniseries "The 5's of Fall." To me, fall is such a perfect time of year, although it does mean that school has started back, meaning more time for you during the day (and maybe some more hyper kids during your evenings). Weekends will be packed with extra-curriculars that you can't do during the day during the week, possibly traveling for soccer games, cheerleading camp...you name it, I'm sure it's on your to-do list. Don't get so busy that you don't take a time-out for yourself, your significant other, or your family. To kick off "The 5's of Fall" is a list of five fall "musts" that every family should enjoy.

1. Go See (Or Watch) a Football Game Together: Maybe it's just the two of you, or maybe you drag (I mean lovingly coerce) the kids into joining you. Maybe you go to a bar and enjoy the bar atmosphere while watching the game together. Or maybe you just pop some popcorn, buy some movie snacks and pile on the couch together to enjoy the game. It doesn't matter how you do it, but nothing brings a family together like rooting for the same team! Maybe you're in a house divided like J & I (he graduated from University of Alabama and I went to UGA for 2 years) - just don't watch the SEC championship game together (We did - and we're still together but I wouldn't recommend it!). If you're going to a game, do it right and tailgate! There is nothing better than hanging out with the family in the crisp fall air, enjoying a cookout (and each other), and then traipsing over to the nearby stadium to watch the game. (Side Note: If you do this, the kids won't be sitting glued to the couch and/or TV all day either!).

2. Fall Pictures: There's nothing that makes a more gorgeous backdrop than leaves changing colors. And scarves make for some adorable pictures! Don't have kids? Snuggle up with an adorable quilt and your significant other! Or even just you and your dog. Either way, enjoy the scenery and beautiful backdrop that life in the fall can create! Plus, Halloween is approaching (ok - not too quickly) and pumpkins make for some adorable pictures!

3. Get Outside! The weather is perfect (at least down here in the south!) and the scenery is beautiful! The kids can run around without sweating to death and you can be outside with them, watching or playing, and be comfortable, as well. Fall is too pretty and too perfect to be cooped up indoors all the time. Just think: you work 40+ hours per week and they are busy in school almost that much. Release some pent up energy for everyone and enjoy the changing leaves while you are at it (yes, I love when leaves change - gorgeous!).

4. Go Camping (or at least Hiking!): The most beautiful time of the year is fall. I love the changing leaves (as we have established), but I also love the cooler weather. Here in Georgia, summers are unbelievably hot and humid, followed by the "Dog Days" in August (where it is so hot even the dogs won't do anything). Fall brings a welcome cooler temperature with a slight nip in the air. Perfect weather for exercising, working out, sweating outside. Take time to enjoy the cooler air, the beautiful changing scenery, and a good workout without the serious amount of sweating you get during the summer days!

5. Sit By the Fire (and Read a Good Book): It is finally starting to get cold enough to put that fireplace to use! Grab a good book, some hot chocolate, a blanket, and some comfy sweats...now relax! Books (to me) are a rare thing nowadays. TV, iPhones, iPads, technology have taken over! It's so easy to walk in the door and flip on the TV, looking for the latest and greatest reality TV show (or for some of us, the next episode of Once Upon a Time or Castle or Body of Proof). Reading an actual book is so rare now thanks to Kindles, Kindle for iPad app, Nooks, and many other incredible pieces of technology. To me, there is nothing better than curling up by the fire with some hot cider or hot chocolate and thumbing through the pages of a good book. It may sound gross, but I love the smell of old, dusty books. And reading a great book is a great stress reliever (and way to escape the real world where work duties call).

DIY Day!

Today was an incredibly busy day for me! I was in what my mother calls a "Suzy Homemaker" mode. I had a to-do list a mile long.  It wasn't really things that NEEDED to be done, but rather things that I wanted to get done.  I called it my "big girl" to-do list, as it really pertained more to making the patio/outdoor living space look exactly like I wanted. If I'm going to have an outdoor "living space" (sounds so much fancier than "patio" right?!), I want it to be a space I am going to enjoy!  I mean, is that so crazy?! So, today (for whatever reason), I decided it was the day.  I went to Lowe's and picked out garden supplies (more on that in a minute); went to Home Depot and got some outdoor spray paint; and went to Target and got some outdoor lighting and rubber gloves.

SO, first thing I wanted to do was plant a pot of flowers.  Just one, yes.  There isn't a lot of room on my patio, so I decided on one.  My philosophy is that you can always add more, but it is more difficult to take away.  I got enough potting soil (or what the Lowe's employee recommended I get) for my one pot, got a "decorative pot" (kind of an essential), flowers, gardening gloves, and a lantern stake.  I staked the lantern pole into the ground first, and (obviously) put the lantern on the hook!  Next, I planted my creeping jenny, begonias, and coleus into the pot! Adorable! LOVE how it turned out!

See my adorable plant pot and lantern on the right?

Now, if you notice the table is a hideous shade of rusted cream.  Yeah - can't have that.  So I made a trip to Home Depot and got this amazing 2x UltraCover spray paint in Espresso.  Now, this table was so nasty, so I went after it with a large amount of 409, rubber gloves, and PILES of paper towels.  I should have taken a before and after picture, but the rusted cream color was already too much to handle. I couldn't take a close up of the mildewed, rusted cream color - gross.  This spray paint (pictured at right) is amazing.  It took me ONE can to paint four coats on the table.  After the table was scrubbed down and cleaned up, I laid it upside down.  I did 2 coats (waiting 20 minutes in between) on the table.  I waited 30 minutes before waiting to flip it right-side-up.  I then did another 2 coats on the table, with it sitting right side up, waiting 20 minutes between coats. I waited about 30-40 minutes before I even attempted to move the table back to the patio.  (Side Note: Rust-Oleum brand lid is actually very true to the actual color of the paint once it dries. I got my patio chairs from Home Depot, so I took 2 colors that I thought would work well with the chairs I already had and compared the spray paint lids with the actual chairs I purchased! Would HIGHLY recommend if you are OCD like me and want things to match as closely as possible! It's worth the little extra time to make things look spectacular!)  Proof is in the picture!

I don't think I could have matched this any more perfectly!

My final pit stop was at Target was for rubber gloves (used to spray paint the table. Yes, I'm a priss - can't have paint on my fingers) and a solar-powered strand of lights (How awesome is that?!). So I strung them up along the fence.  They are even connected to their own little solar panel, which is on a stake to place in the ground.  I love them! I had already surrounded the patio with little lanterns, placed a lantern on the lantern stake, and then these little solar-powered lights on the fence just added the perfect touch! Check it all out before and after it got dark!

Day time! So cute!

Night Time: So romantic!

I hope that my DIY day has inspired you to have one of your own! Thanks for stopping by!