Can you believe it will be October 1st tomorrow?! It may say September 30th on the calendar, but outside it feels like Summer again. Just when I was all set to wear jeans and a hoodie every day, the temp goes up to 77 degrees and I need to pull the shorts back out! 

Well, at least the leaves are still changing, because honestly that is my favorite thing about fall, well that and all things pumpkin! I don't have any amazing photos of this year's foliage just yet, so for now you'll have to enjoy these throwbacks from 2012! 

These were taken at a nearby lake that we love to visit and fish at. There is a beautiful walking/bike path that I have plans to visit in a few weeks. I'm just waiting for more coverage of the colors, right now they are pretty scattered. 

This year I'm excited to do more fall crafts, have you seen the DIY fall mason jars I painted? They turned out exactly the way I pictured, and that's pretty epic for me! Since I've been getting into a lot of crafts on my own (with the help of my handy guy), I thought it would be fun to put together a fall DIY pumpkin craft night with my local women's group. 

I explained that it will be no carve pumpkin craft night and sent them a few inspiration photos. Plus I have since found a few more fun ideas to try...

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I first shared these fun tribal pumpkins from Bliss at Home in my Fall Favorites round up post. I love the simplicity of this idea and the way it still makes a statement about your style and the current trends. Are you a tribal girl?

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I can't decide whether it's the fun glittered stems or the pop of the color that I love more on these painted pumpkins from Aunt Peaches blog!  I just hope the ladies like glitter as much as I do!

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I'm really looking forward to testing out this ombre look from Funkytime blog, now to decide on the colors!

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I'm still a sucker for a pretty chevron print. I know some are over this trend, but to each their own, right? Plus, this print looks pretty cool on these pumpkins...am I wrong?! 

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Whether it's newspaper, scrapbook paper, or stickers, you can use mod podge to help decorate your pumpkins with creative designs like the ones seen here. I love both of these ideas; while the top idea is more for Halloween, the botanical white pumpkins can dress up your home all season long! 

Our DIY pumpkin craft night is set for Tuesday Oct. 14, so you'll have to stop by on Oct. 15 to see how everyone did! Which pumpkin design is your favorite? 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

Our Love Story: It Started with HELLO!

This post is sponsored by Lindt but all opinions of their delicious chocolate are my own!

I often talk about my husband and how he helps me with my DIY projects, mentioned things we enjoy doing together, places we visited, and have blogged about our wedding and anniversaries, but I have never really shared our love story before. 

Back in 2005 I started a new job as a data entry clerk and met the man I was going to marry. It's crazy to think that next year we'll be celebrating ten years together and five years married, how time flies when you're in love!

This adorable interactive web-series from Lindt Hello titled, "It Started with Hello", featuring office mates Eva and Jude reminds me of how Mike and I met at work and makes me wonder how things would have turned out if he didn't say hello. But it also makes me think back to that moment when he did and what it was about him that made me say hello back! Can your life really change with one hello?

I bet it can change with one hello when you have Lindt Hello chocolate!

 There are so many ways to break the ice when you want to spark up a conversation, whether it's a romantic one, the beginning of a friendship, or when you're new in an office. You could pay them a compliment, find out if you share common interests, get flirty, or hand them a fun new Lindt Hello chocolate bar that will do all the work for you with it's creative and catchy "Hello MY Name Is..." packaging.

How cute are these candy bars?! They actually say "Hello" and "Nice to Sweet You" on the chocolate bar pieces. If these were out when Mike first said hello to me, I would have adored him even more! Actually, come to think of it he did win me over with food! I worked second shift and right around dinner time he returned to the office from his deliveries and ordered us a pizza....swoon! He said it was for everyone in the office, but I know he really did it so he could stay longer and we could have dinner "together".

 As you can see I was very excited to try these out and purchased one of each flavor, which were inspired by classic desserts. If you love cheesecake then you are going to fall in love with the Strawberry Cheesecake chocolate bar, it's so smooth and creamy! The other flavors are Caramel Brownie, Crunchy Nougat, and Cookies & Cream, and are just as amazing as the Strawberry Cheesecake!

What I love about the Lindt Hello besides the taste and fun packaging, is the range of sizes they come in. You aren't stuck with just trying to sneak a big candy bar on your co-worker's desk when you're trying to be flirty. You can grab an assorted mini-stick bag instead and drop a little hint of hello on their desk when they step out of the office! But if you really want to be someone's best friend, I'd go with giving them a six piece Lindt Hello chocolate stick, which is a great way of indulging in chocolate without going overboard....and is best friend approved!

Is there someone in your office or already in your life who you would love to share a Lindt Hello chocolate bar, stick, or mini stick bag with? If so, then stop by the Lindt Hello website for your chance to win one of five prizes...


To enter the sweepstakes, visit the Lindt HELLO Sweet Connections Sweepstakes Landing Page and enter your email address. Entries can be made daily for additional chances to win the below prizes.

5 Weeks of Prizes – Connect with Someone You Love, or Someone New!

Week 1: Table for Two (9/10 – 9/16)
• Dinner & a movie with the +1 of your choice!

Week 2: Double the Fun (9/17 – 9/39)
• Say HELLO to a fun double date night + Lindt HELLO chocolate for dessert

Week 3: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (9/24 – 9/30)
• Enjoy a shopping spree with the girls + yummy Lindt HELLO Chocolate!

Week 4: Sweet Staycation (10/1 – 10/7)
• Lindt HELLO treats you to a pampered night in – movies, books + chocolate!

Week 5: Besties Reunion (10/8 – 10/14)
• Reconnect with your bestie at the spa for a day + Lindt HELLO chocolate to sweeten the deal.

* No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 years or older (19 in AL or NE and 21 in MS).  Void where prohibited. See Rules at  for weekly sweepstakes entry periods, prize descriptions, odds and other details. Ends Noon on 10/14/14. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc., One Fine Chocolate Place, Stratham, NH  03885.

More on our love story to come next time, as they say, to be continued....

DIY Fall Mason Jar Decor

Happy first day of fall...y'all! The weather is breezy, the leaves are golden, and I'm rockin' my favorite hoodie, which means it's the perfect day to share my fall mason jar decor with you! 

If you don't have the Rhonna Designs photo app, you need to get it. After seeing an inspiring fall photo from Just a Girl on Instagram, I used the photo app to transform my own fall leaf photo into a masterpiece. Every time I look at it I have images of Thanksgiving dinner, colorful fall walking paths, Steelers football games, and tons of pumpkin recipe goodness dancing in my head! 

Fall is my favorite season to decorate for, I love the way the warm tones make our home feel so cozy and inviting. This year I created DIY fall mason jar decor that matches perfectly with the other items I already had stored in my closet from last year. I really enjoyed making these and may even put together a DIY mason jar craft night for my women's group for the holidays...what do you think ladies?! 

Last week I posted the DIY spray painted mason jars I made for my sisters and gave a little hint of how crazy I went with the gold! But, I'm not sure you were ready for how much gold you were going to see! 

My little craft crate was painted yellow a few weeks ago, but after I sprayed my mason jars gold I just couldn't stop and wanted more of this bold metallic color. Plus, the yellow didn't match my mason jars! My husband was getting a little worried and asked, "Are you going to spray everything in the house gold?!" Well, is there anything else that needs a makeover?! 

This adorable basket didn't need any gold, but the little mason jar did! When you're a Steelers fan and have black and gold spray paint handy, this is a must.

The mixture of colors I spray painted the jars looks great with my fall decor and with the zinnias that are still blooming in my garden. Now to create a set that matches my Christmas decor!

I can't believe all of my mason jars are now painted, it was just a few months ago that I posted craft ideas for them! I guess I'll have to restock, who wants to take a trip to the craft store?!

Have you started decorating for fall yet? I can't wait to pick up a few pumpkins to decorate, have you seen this DIY ombre pumpkin from Funkytime....

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Thinking this is what we'll make for our little craft ladies' night in instead of the mason jars, hmm decisions, decisions?!

Thanks for stopping by today, have a great #firstdayoffall! 

Linking up with Marvelous Mommy and friends, and for the Weekend Retreat at Aka Designs!