Fall outside and the felling of a tree

Today I was going to show you my dinning table all set for fall... however life got in the way this weekend and today. 
Remember my half dead tree in my backyard?  You can't really tell from the picture but the back half had no leaves and it leaned to the right quite a bit. 

Well my husband decided to remove it on Sunday.  Yep take it down.  He enlisted our youngest daughter and her boyfriend to help, lucky me I didn't have to cut, pull ropes or climb a tree!  I was excited! 
Well there's now a hole in my yard where a tree used to be.  Now what to put there?  Any suggestions?
The stump has to come out, this sounds like fun. 

And I didn't get out of moving around large pieces of tree either BUT... I did get a couple of ideas for decorating.  Yes from the tree!
I had the boys cut me this..

Now I have to sand it and clear stain it but it is going to be awesome on my table!  It is about 2 inches thick and weighs about 25 pounds!  I have so many ideas going through my head for it that I may have my husband cut me another one, smaller though.  I could paint it with chalkboard paint and prop it up on my mantle and write all kinds of things on it.  I could have smaller and thicker ones cut at different heights to use as candlesticks.  I could have thinner smaller ones cut and use them as chargers.  The possibilities are endless! 
But I am tired and sore from lugging large branches and hunks of tree around my yard.  Though I admit I am excited for the décor possibilities and all the nice firewood we will have next year.  This stuff has to dry out a bit first. 
I've got a real nasty bruise and scrape on my thigh, I have no idea how I got it but it is even swollen. 

Needless to say I didn't get to work on my dinning table.  So today instead of looking at my dinning room table, and I still have my living and dinning room's switched in September, I thought I'd share the outside of my house.  
Let's start with the front yard.

I still have the same scarecrows as last year.  I've moved some of the wreathes around but other than that It is pretty much the same.  I have some hay bales and mums in decorative pots.  For the front door I bought a basket that the original use was for umbrellas.  Instead I've placed a bunch of faux flowers in it, tied it with a ribbon and called it good.

The flowers I've bought at Hobby Lobby, Michael's and other craft stores on sale over the past 2 years.  Last year these were on my mantle.  I like the look, it is effortless, unexpected and let's face it, EASY!
Right inside the door you will find my small glass stand and mirror.  This year I did a juxtaposition of rustic and traditional fancy with this.

 I did it again in the kitchen.

 

I like to use my everyday things in my special decorating.  I don't always put everything away and just have out special things.  I think it makes my house feel more homey and more like normal if I decorate using my everyday objects. 
I also try to bring a bit of fall to every room in my house.  The above is in my kitchen.  Don't confine your holiday or special decorating to just one room! 

Now to the backyard.  Here in Colorado, September and October can be iffy for outdoor eating.  It can be relatively nice during the day, it is almost always sunny here, but as the sun goes down it can get cool quickly.  Though some days it can stay in the 70's till 9pm!  You just never know.  I decorate my back porch for fall every year all the same. 
This year I decided to flip my dinning and seating areas around for fall.  The sun sets almost directly behind my house this time of the year and I'm always the one with the sun in my eyes while trying to eat dinner. 
Usually as you walk out of my sliding door there is the table.  The seating area is then to the left.

For fall I flipped them

For decorating I stayed simple.  I took a Target lantern, I got it on sale 2 years ago and placed 2 strands of garland in it, placed it on the coffee table and called it good.  I could put a set of battery operated Christmas lights in there to give the outdoors more ambiance in the evening. 

I also added some faux flowers to replace the summer one's in my box.

I don't seem to have quite as much room this way but I do really like the change!

 



 

Now the sun isn't in my eyes when we eat outside.

 

My tip for today is:  Don't forget to add a bit of fall to every room in your house. 

On Thursday I'll give you the full tour.  Till then be safe!  Thanks so much for stopping by.  I appreciate you reading. 
Victoria

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