This week the Harvest Moon illuminated the sky in it’s orange glory, marking the official start to autumn. Naturally, in Texas no one would know autumn arrived judging by the weather, where temperatures remain in the mid 90’s. We never let the weather dictate how we prepare for the new seasons in our home. Over the week, George and I spruced the place up with some new fall decor, and the babies gave us their hands (and feet) for the cause.

Our attic is stashed full of seasonal decorations, but some of them are getting rather tired and may need to retire. George thought we needed a fall wreath this year and wanted to upcycle a grapevine wreath from the attic. I think fall wreaths are a wonderful way to welcome visitors, but I’ve never found myself good at making them. But, I’m far too frugal to purchase a ready made one. With a little help from Pinterest and a few new accessories from Hobby Lobby, our porch now looks like this-

I bought a 12″ wooded S, which I coated with Mod Podge then dusted with gold glitter. George actually made the burlap bow and arranged the sprays into the wreath. The owl was found in our attic and we nested him in the wreath for a spooky touch. Since the chevron on the bow is green, I am thinking of later converting this wreath to a Christmas one by switching out the sprays and owl for other accessories. The pumpkins on the porch were old faded plastic ones in storage that got the same bedazzled treatment as our S.

Recently we’ve had a problem with delivery drivers, solicitors, and even neighbors ringing the door bell just as the babies drift off to sleep during nap time. There is not much worse than getting four babies to sleep only to have a door bell startle them and spoil the peace. For a while, we had a paper note taped to our doorbell, but it wasn’t attractive. George replaced the paper sign with a barn wood frame and wood panel stating, “Knock softly babies sleeping.” Because George is an over achiever, he wanted to make an additional sign with a quote that is meaningful to our family.

There is a wonderful story behind the quote, which George will happily share with anyone who inquires.

Inside, I tossed some spray painted dry gourds into an orange basket for a fresh fall centerpiece. Then, I used the extra burlap ribbon from the wreath to adorn our mantle along with my favorite pumpkin collection and scarecrow.

Finally, the babies helped us create a Halloween masterpiece with their hands and feet.

We used black foam board cut into smaller sections as canvas, and I connected them with grosgrain ribbon from our gift wrap box. Harper’s hands created the spider, Sydney’s feet created the candy corn, Rylin’s hands made the skeleton hands, and Mason’s feet became ghosts.
We chose to hand the babies’ art work adjacent to the quad table, and they enjoy admiring it during mealtimes.

The kick off to fall is never complete without a pot of chili. This year, I wanted to try my hand at Crock Pot chili since our slow cooker is my new favorite kitchen appliance. I perused our pantry and came up with my take on Green Chicken Chili.

Green Chicken Chili
Dump these ingredients in the Crock Pot: 4 chicken breasts, 1/2 box chicken broth, 2 cans green enchilada sauce, 1 can Rotel, 2 cans corn drained, 2 cans white beans (rinsed and drained), 8 oz cream cheese. Cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high 4 hrs.

What do you do in your home when fall arrives?

Hugs,

Amber