Our Fall Mantle

Hi, friends! Yesterday I showed you our burlap wreath here, and today I want to show you how our mantle is shaping up in time for fall.

 

 Z and I moved into our house on November 4th of last year, barely missing the Halloween mark. We were disappointed, mind you; we really wanted to give out candy. Anyway, I decided to skip the fall decorating and go straight into Christmas. This year, however, we are fully embracing autumn and all it has to offer. It is the season our Baby Boy is coming out to meet us, after all!

 

 

I'd still like to add a few more things here and there, like some pumpkins by the fireplace, but I'll likely be too lazy to bust the camera out again so here it is as of now!

I made the leaf garland by tying paper leaves (a Dollar Tree find) to fishing line. Simple and easy, but I think it adds a nice touch.

 

I posted about this here, but one more chance to brag on my artsy husband...the painting over the fireplace was all Z, my very own Picasso!

I filled the votives with pinecones from our backyard and faux acorns from the Target Dollar Section.

 

 

Have you started decorating for fall? Don't you just love this time of year?!

DIY Fall Wreath

Last week, I started noticing that the daisy wreath on our front door was getting a bit too summery for September. Despite the 90 degree weather, we're ready for fall, y'all! I whipped together this wreath and am pretty pleased with how it turned out, especially for the amount of time and money spent. Here's how to make your very own burlap wreath in less than twenty minutes!

 

 

This letter 'F' came from Jo-Ann's (marked down to $2.99) and the fall scrapbook paper was .59. Simply trace the scrapbook paper around the letter and mod podge it on the front. (please note fall snack: candy corn and peanuts...YUM)

The next step was to take burlap (I used about 1 1/2 yards at $2.99 a yard) and cut it into approx. 18 inch strips.

Tie the strips one by one around a wreath of your choice and knot them. I already had this wreath (they have them for $5 at Michael's!) and wanted a rustic look in case you could see through the burlap.

Once you've tied pieces all the way around the wreath, cut thinner strips and fill in any gaps.

Using fishing line, attach the letter and other chosen "flair" to the wreath. Simply wrap the line around each piece and knot it in the back. I chose to add pine cones (we have a ton just laying around our backyard), a few faux berries we had on hand, and some felt flowers I made here.

Ta da! You're all done! A quick, affordable project that adds the perfect touch of fall to your front door. If you kept track of the costs listed, this wreath was a whopping $8. Can't beat that!

 

Come visit us soon, won't you? :)
I promise there will be football on the tv and pumpkin bread in the oven.

First A&M Game

 

My sweet, football-loving husband had been looking forward to last weekend for months. So much so that the night before the game, he went to bed extra early saying "The sooner I go to bed, the sooner I wake up and it's GAME DAY!" (just picture: little kid on Christmas Eve). We woke up bright and early the next morning to get to College Station in time for ESPN College Gameday; the spirit and excitement at Kyle Field never ceases to amaze me. Sadly the Aggies lost, but we still had a great day!

 

 

Z designed and ordered this shirt for Tiny and me...we got lots of compliments!

 

ESPN College Gameday

Zach got an autograph from John David Crow...he played for A&M and won the Heisman back in '57.

cutie pie

 

After the game, we got to visit with some friends we hadn't seen in forever. It was the perfect ending to a long, but exciting, day. Hopefully they'll get a W this week!

 

 

Are you a football lover, too? Doesn't football season make you wanna bust out the fall decor and light a pumpkin spice scented candle? I did just that this afternoon...despite the 90 degree weather. We love this time of year!

 

30 Weeks

It's official. I can no longer paint my toenails. I knew this moment was coming, and have laughed in anticipation of how wonderfully fat I'd feel when the moment finally arrived. Friday night was glorious; I laid down on the couch and devoured a coffee ice cream cone while my champ-of-a-husband painted my toenails a lovely shade of turquoise. Ahh, love, what a beautiful thing you are. Love is certainly the only thing that could drive my extra-manly husband to bust out the cotton balls and nail files.

 

All is well in the Fullwood house. We are still working hard on Baby's nursery; our goal is to have it completed by the middle of October. That only gives us one more month! We better get movin'. I scheduled our maternity pictures for the beginning of October with the amazing Brooke Martin...I'm anxious to get Zach in on some of these belly shots! It's about time, don't ya think?!

 

 

To our sweet Baby Boy:

We can't believe how big you're getting! You truly seem to grow a tiny bit more every day. You kicked your way through your first A&M football game yesterday, and danced especially hard when the band played at halftime. Your favorite part of the whole experience definitely seemed to be the kettle corn, though; can't say I blame you. That stuff is good. We were supposed to share part of the bag with Dad but he was too busy yelling at the refs and checking the scoreboard to notice that we ate it all before he could have even a bite. Hey, we were hungry!

 

On the drive home from the game, we talked nonstop about your precious little self. Your dad said some of the most amazing, tear-jerking things; he is going to be such a wonderful Daddy to you. He talked about how he can't wait to teach you things, and build you things, and play with you in the backyard. I smiled (and I'm sure you did too) when he said "I want to teach him everything in the first week!". He is so ready to meet you, Little One, and so am I. We love you.

 

How Far Along: 30 weeks, 2 days

Baby Size: 15.7 inches, 3 lbs.

Total Weight Gain: 17-18 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? Yes, but still wearing lots of comfy dresses/skirts. My sweet husband tried to take me to Motherhood today for some new maternity clothes ("I want you to have some nice ones!") but we couldn't find the store and, true to our nature, hit up a couple thrift stores instead.

Stretch Marks? No new ones to report

Sleep: Sleep has been amazing this week. I just can't get enough! I think the anemia has increased my sleepiness as I'm feeling a little more tired these days.

Best moment this week: Spending all day in College Station with Z yesterday, watching and loving his excitement over the return of football season.

Miss Anything? Not feeling guilty about drinking Cokes :(

Movement: Ohhhh yes. Tiny made some big motion this morning, I think maybe an elbow shove, and it HURT. He's getting strong! Also, he is getting the hiccups 2-3 times a day now. I always feel bad for him, but read the other day that it means his lungs are developing. Keep 'em coming, Little Man!

Food Cravings: Oh where oh where to begin?! I have always been a candy fanatic, and unfortunately that love is stronger than ever. Hot Tamales, Smarties, Twix, and Sour Punch Straws are only a fraction of the sugary junk gracing our candy bowl these days. I'm also eating tons of kettle corn and drinking chocolate milk daily.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope! Feeling great.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Not yet

Belly button in or out? Still an innie, kind of

Wedding rings on or off? On & loose

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy unless not fed

Looking forward to: Relaxing and watching a movie with Z tonight. We so rarely slow down and have a movie night, but now that we're only 68 days from Tiny's due date (yes, we're counting!) I figure we need to enjoy every quiet moment we can.

 

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend! Can you believe it's pretty much mid-September? Where did the summer go?! No complaining here...we've enjoyed slightly cooler temperatures this weekend and can't wait to watch them keep dropping :). Have a great week, friends!

USAFA Parents' Weekend, Part Two

 This is the last post (I promise!) from our weekend with Ryan in Colorado Springs...such a beautiful place! Tiny and I enjoyed every precious moment with the family, but we sure missed Zach. Next time we're definitely bringing him with us!

 

 

 

 Dad and Ryan enjoyed a round of golf at the Eisenhower Course

Garden of the Gods

leaving the Academy :(

I miss my sweet little brother already! If you're reading this, Ryan, we can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving and let you give Tiny lots of lovin'. What an amazing uncle you will be!