Fall Has...Fallen???

It just doesn't have the same ring to it as "Spring has sprung!"...however, it doesn't need a cutesy way to introduce it because Fall happens to be my FAVORITE season!  How can I explain it to those of you who don't share this love?  Having lived for 8 years in a college town where if you drove past the University at the right time on a Friday you could hear the marching band practicing for the football game, and having hung out with high schoolers for 8 years and attending football games practically every Friday night, Fall to me is: hearing the marching band, attending the football game, going to the pumpkin patch and spending the afternoon with your friends creating a pumpkin masterpiece and enjoying time together, it's smelling a scent of hickory while bon fires are blazing or fire pits are glowing; it's the feeling of chill in the air but warmth on the inside as your surrounded by family and friends and you realize how blessed you truly are.  I dunno...maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but to me, Fall is the BEST time of year!  If you know me, you know that I get sweaty palms and a tingly feeling all over at the sites of autumn decorations at any store (my faves happen to be Target and the Lobster - {ahem, Hobby Lobby}).  I love fall so much that my apartment tends to look like fall year round - I can't help it!  My husband was curious as to how we would be able to decorate during the winter, spring and summer months because our apartment is the essence of fall (to me) - warm and cozy!  So, it was really easy for me to decorate for my favorite season with all my little knick knacks that I've collected over the years.  The only 3 things that I bought this year were 2 strings of garland and a houseplant.  Below is the result of my fall-ed out apartment :)

The little pumpkins I bought last year at Target AFTER Halloween so I think I paid a whoppin' $3 for all 6 of them.  The wreath was a splurge from Target about 6 years ago when I first moved into my house with my bff, Doni; we don't really have a door to hang it on so I used ornament hangers to attach it to the metal hanging.  The garlands I got from JoAnn's for 40% off - score!  The leaf frame is a little thing I made in March after being inspired by one of my favorite blogs :)  It is a regular decorating piece on my mantle, no matter the season.

There's the whole fireplace - including one of my favorite parts: the pumpkin basket with my house plant.  I bought the basket at Michaels about 2 years ago for a ridiculous price of like $5 (they have sales ALL the time on their baskets).  Last year I went back to Michaels and bought a ton of other baskets just like this to use in our fall wedding (10-10-09).

I bought the plant at Home Depot and it was my biggest splurge at $9.

and a few little touches here and there:

All this with my newly made reversible table runner and I'm one happy gal!

What about you - are you ready for fall???

I've entered this into the CSI Fall Challenge

And into the Fall Frenzy Party: