photo credit

When life gets stressful, some people eat too much, spend too much or sleep too much. (or all three)

Me?

I scan the MLS too much.

Not because I am sad or malcontent, just because it is fun!

I could pour over house tours online with glee and imagination for hours. I look at tiny houses, out-of-state houses, big houses and local-maybe-someday houses. I do love a good realty listing. I am the worst looky-lu ever! I have been known to visit open houses for fun, even when I am not looking to buy. I am forever taking the color copy listing promos from the mailboxes on For Sale signs. {tsk, tsk}

As a kid, I read floor plan magazines, while other girlfriends drooled over Leo DiCaprio in Teen Beat. Hey, I drooled too, but I had my priorities. Plus, I don’t think I was aloud to read the “trashy” ones with articles like, 101 ways to kiss your boy toy.

I digress.

I had floor plan computer software, a subscription to House Beautiful and a weekly claim to the Sunday ‘Houses’ section of the classifieds…all before I was sixteen. In fact, during my 8th grade “shop class” business lesson, I created a company called Happy Homes. My company would color coordinate a house into pure happiness, uh…yeah. Reality happened, now what?

House Beautiful magazine circa 1990's-ish

While, I consider myself a product of a happy home, I have been searching for the secret ingredient to happiness in my own home.

What makes a house a home?

• Will a paint color really create joy?
• Can a crock-pot meal define my purpose?
• Is it pearls and aprons I am searching for? Is it high paying career with lots of benefits?
• A floor plan with a mudroom will certainly stitch together a ‘Happy Home’, right?
• How can my personality, faith, resources, dreams, children and glue gun all combine, to create my dream house/life/home/legacy?

Enter in Kimba from A Soft Place to Land. She has a knack for spray paint, family strengthening and keepin’ it real y’all.  Do-It-Yourself projects mixed with fun tips for making your home…what else? A Soft Place to Land! Are you with me? Say, Yes!

Okay, but even Kimba seems to acknowledge the struggle between cute picture frames and meaningful frames of mind. To start keepin’ really real, she has started a new series cleverly named, Building A Soft Place to Land. I am totally hooked!

Join Kimba and get hooked too, as she learns, along with us, how to build the foundation for joyful homes, spray paint and all.

See what other folks are getting hooked on over at Hooked on Houses on Friday.

I love to celebrate the harvest season. I do not really get into the spooky stuff. But I do love the beautiful colors and natural inspirations that are around for fall.

I am linking up with Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land for an Autumn/Halloween decor and craft “party”.  Check it out and add your own photos!

Pier One mosaic trivet for my kitchen table. Thrift store find of course.

An old white washed chicken coup board from the farm serves as a backdrop for my seasonal items.

I splurged this year and bought a metal frame pumpkin from a local arts and crafts store. It was on sale for $5. I could not resist. Look at the beads!

This charming little stained glass window hanger was a hand me down from my MIL (Mother-in-Love) aka Grammy Kris.

I made filling for the cornucopia (rip off from Grammy Lu) from ribbon, leaves from outside and faux autumn berries on a stick. I usually keep my autumn hand towels in the empty bowl but they were all in the wash pile! The apple corer just happened to be by the bread box it is not a decoration but it could be if I weren't using it everyday! That's what 20 plus pounds of apples will do!

I like to add just a hint of the season in already existing collections.

Sometimes it is just the little things that can make me smile.

I keep a little bag of candy corn stashed above my cupboards so my little ones can't beg for it all day long!

I still have a little craft fair flair in my blood.

Fall display on top of my entertainment center in the living room. I am "blessed" with the special task of incorporating two black speaker boxes into my theme.

Mini white pumpkins were 3 for $1.89 at the orchard. I think they are just delightful.

A 50 cent postcard from the orchard. I love the green color and it will remind me of a great memory every year I pull it out to decorate!