Simple Fall Tablescape

Still keeping it simple for fall decorating here!  I'm so thrilled to be able to have today off and I can still participate in

Tablescape Thursday

 today.

It has been such a wonderfully exhausting first few days at my new job.  I've worked 8 hours both days and will be putting in two 10 hours days, tomorrow and Saturday.   Setting up a new store is exhausting work, especially when you are not used to constantly bending, lifting, and assembling things for hours all day.  I'm not complaining though, I really am enjoying it.  It's a great way to get back in shape.  Yesterday, among assembling several other fixtures, I helped my group assemble an army of mannequins.  That was fun!

Well, enough about that, but now at least you know why I'm keeping it simple.  Since I already had a centerpiece set up on my dining room table from fall decorating I decided to use it and set up the rest of the table settings to go with it.  I love how simple white dishes are to tablescape with.  It is so easy to bring in just a touch of fall color splash, or any other seasonal color for that matter.  If you don't own any of the white dishes everyone all over blog land has, you really should.  It's one of the best (simple) decor additions ever.  I'm so glad I got these too!

Placemats; Crate & Barrel

Dinner Plate; Lenox Butlers Pantry Gourmet

Green Wheat Dishs; Barrate Portugal

Salad Plate; Lenox Accouterments Cornelia Cream

Goblets; Antique store (possibly Pier 1)

Salt & Peppers; Lenox Butlers Pantry

Pumpkin & Acorn S&P; Cracker Barrel

Napkins; Pier 1

Acorn Dishes; Michael's

Stainless Steele Flatware; Onieda's Louisiana

Thanks so much for visiting today!

Happy Tablescape Thursday Everyone!

Look Who's Following Me!

I've been spending a little time this afternoon updating my "Look who's Following Me" blogroll.  In case you didn't know, I choose to add those who are following my blog to my sidebar instead of those whom I follow.  If you have a blog you would like listed and are a legit follower and I don't have you listed please let me know so I can add you.


I try to add my followers blogs by clicking on their icons and then adding your link. Many of you do not have your blogs listed in a link on your blogger profiles though.  If the link is not there I may not be able to add you because I don't recognize everyone's profile pictures.  Your blog name included in your profile name is not a link!   It is a good idea to list your blog URL as a link on your profile so others can find you easily as well.


Why do I list those who follow me on my blog instead of those I follow?


Well, I do this because I know that a big part of blogging is all about linking together.  The more places your blog is linked, the more exposure you get.  The more links, hits and visits you get the more your rank goes up.  The higher your rank the more crawler sites also (link) give your blog more exposure.  There is a lot of computer algorithms involved in all of that and the more I can help someone else out I will.  I'm not claiming to have a huge amount of hits or followers.  But it stands to reason if your blog is showing on mine and others it's quite possible someone might see it and jump on over and visit you and possibly some will follow you as well.  Linking your blog to others really is a very vital part of the success of your blog!  Of course content is important and is what makes for the continued success of the largest blogs, but exposure is really a big part of what it is all about as well, not to be overlooked.


I learned this the hard way when loosing a position on someone's blogroll that I thought was a friend who had deleted me and my stats dropped dramatically.  I also made the mistake of asking said friend to add me back, because I thought we were friends and thought it was an oversight on her part.  When I was completely ignored it was a hard lesson learned but one learned none the less.  This is why I offer this to all of you who follow me.  I do have a blogroll of those I follow that I keep private.   Therefore if I stop following someone who also follows my blog most likely they will still be on my blog and still be able to gain continued exposure.  I am all for supporting each other, always have been, always will be.  In short, I may not follow you but I am still willing to help offer exposure to your blog because every little bit helps.  And yeah, I am just a little bit!  LOL!


Additionally, adding those who are following me is a great way for me as well to see new blogs that I am not familiar with.  If you are on my sidebar and I see your updated posts appear I'm likely to go over and check you out.  I try to follow those whom I am interested in and sometimes this takes a few visits first. I do not comment nearly as often as I used to, but I do love to look!


There are a few cases in which I may not list a blog.  


1.  I cannot find the link to your blog.  (Please send it if you follow and do not see yourself listed)
2. I am slow in adding my newest followers.  (Again, send a request, it's not an issue with me)
3. Your blog is inappropriate or you are a spammer or have signs of Malware attached to your blog. (NO WAY, NO HOW!)
4. It's apparent you and I have gone our separate ways.  Rare, but it happens.


Okay, so there you are blog friends.  Starting tomorrow I'm likely to be very busy for awhile but the blogs always out there.  Let me know if you need to be added to my sidebar and I'll add you as soon as I can!

Hope you all have a great week! 

We are all Fenced In Now!

We've been very busy the last few weekends installing the fence around the pool.  This is one of the final steps that we have really needed to finish before we could slow down with the whole pool project.  Landscaping will be an ongoing thing, but for now at least all of the must do's are done. 

  Our insurance requires us to have a fence and quite frankly I am very happy about it.  Besides being a human deterrent,  I am thrilled to finally be shutting out the deer from a portion of my yard.  Now, maybe I can finally grow some things that I have been trying to grow for so long.  I saw Mama and the babies a few weeks ago on the right side of the yard in between the wood fence and the pool and about freaked out.  I really have been very worried that I would find a deer in my pool y'all.  Not something I ever want to see!   

We decided to add the fence on the high side of the slope around the left side and the back of the pool.  It then connects with the wooden fence on the right side of the yard.  This gives me more of an open yard area around the pool on one side but closes off the side with the slope which was not very usable space anyway.  We went with a black vinyl coated chain link to save money and because I know I will be landscaping so much that honestly the fence will not be the focus, nor did I want it to be back here.

The Mr. installed the fence himself and I helped a little...very little!  Here's another view after you pass through the gates from the walkway.

Over on the other side of the yard where the wooden fence is we installed another smaller fence and gate just beyond the deck steps to the side yard.  Now we are closed up securely all around.

We also added a gate on the back side of the fence so we can still access the rest of our back yard.  We have a total of four gates, one double and two singles.

Here is a sneak peek at my next project.  I purchased (9) 1 gallon containers of dwarf gardenias to add in the space between the deck and the pool wall.  

It's going to smell so wonderful! I know because 

my car smelled so good all the way home!

I can't remember if I've showed you these yet or not. But, I wanted to show you some of my mums I got from Walmart a few weeks ago when they first came out.  These are the ones they are selling for $4.44.  Can you believe the size of them?  They are amazingly big!

I just love the color of them too!  I had to snap a few pictures for you this evening because it just finished raining again and they were literally just glowing!

I also wanted to show you this plant that is still hanging in there beautifully.  This was one of the first flowers I bought this spring.  I can't believe how it just keeps blooming!  

It's still such a pretty hot pink!

I've been experimenting with watermarking my photos in Picasa but am getting a double mark.  I'm not sure why but for some reason it's adding one in addition to the decorative one I chose.  I guess there must be something further I am supposed to do or unclick?  IDK?  

Well that's what we've been up to outside lately.

Sharing this with BNOTP for

Metamorphosis Monday.

Thanks for visiting with me today!

I hope you all have a great week!

 It's going to be quite a change for me going back to work this week, but one I'm looking forward to.  I'll be sure and check in as soon as I can with updates.

Take Care!

Fall Fruit Tablescape

Good Morning!  What a wonderful day it is here!  The sky's have opened up and it's raining a bountiful blessing all over our freshly planted sod.  That makes me very happy!

I  feel so thankful for quite a bit lately!  After finishing my setting for Tablescape Thursday today, I stood back and looked at it and couldn't help but think how much it reminds me about the fruits of the spirit. I think setting a pretty tablescape for those you love is definitely a reflection of the fruit of the spirit.  It's even more fun when you create one that actually reflects that message.  Now, I don't seriously think the Mr. will really pick up on all that y'all, but at least I can and maybe you too!

These photos are going to be a little dark because it's quite overcast today.

That's why I decided to make a centerpiece out of my electric candle.

I think it's kinda romantic too!

Here's my setting! I brought out quite a bit of layers for this one. 

I started with my brown crochet place mats.  

Then added a bamboo charger.

The dinner plates are from my everyday dishes.

 I  then added a burgundy salad plate to give this setting more contrast and add a touch of fall color.

That was topped off with one of my everyday salad/dessert dishes.

My dinner napkins have fruit on them also.  It's hard to see in these photos but they actually have a blackish brown background.

I couldn't help myself, I just had to bring this bamboo flatware back out.  I just love this set.  If you don't have any yet.  You really should get some!  They literally go well with so much!

I finally got a chance to bring out the green goblets I've been itching to use this time of year.

Here's how they all stacked up!

Here's a few closeups of the centerpiece I put together on our lazy susan.  

I added a fruit candle ring to the light then mixed in a a small fall garland of flowers...

...and surrounded that with several ceramic pumpkins to add to the mix.

A little cream and sugar...

...along with salt and pepper and we're all set!

Placemats; Tuesday Morning

Chargers; Thrift store

Dinner & Salad Plate; Ross, pattern: Market Basket

Burgundy Salad; Pier 1 (from Goodwill)

Napkin; Tomlinson's Warehouse

Napkin Ring; Lenox Outlet

Flatware; Home Goods

Goblets; Walmart (Better Homes & Garden)

Cream & Sugar; Yardsale

Salt & Pepper; Cracker Barrel

Fruit Candle Ring; Home Interiors

Floral Garland; Michaels

Ceramic Pumpkins; Hobby Lobby & Dollar Tree

Thanks for stopping by today!

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon, rain or shine!