'Ya Gotta Love the Monster!

Billie Monster that is!  Do you remember my last week's Magnificent Blog Feature?  If you don't, let me refresh your memory: Billie Monster the amazing DIY-er and blogger that I've been stalking following since I found her blog a couple of months ago.  When I stumbled upon her blog I immediately started to follow and every time she posted a new project I swooned over it!  I also knew right then and there that I wanted to feature her on a Magnificent Monday post.  Funny thing is that the Friday before her feature she started to follow me and told me that she liked my blog...great minds must think alike, right?  As if that weren't enough, on Tuesday she decided to pass this along to me:

I am honored that I would get anything of the sorts and I am ESPECIALLY honored that it's come from her!  I love blogging and all the fun things that I get to do with my time right now as I am in a season of calm and rest in my life.  I know that this season will not always last so I am so thankful for each of you (including Billie!) that take the time and check out my efforts day after day!

Now to pass this award on....you guys know how I feel about this - Blogland is FULL of amazing blogs with amazing ideas and thoughts and inspirations.  I really struggle with this, although it couldn't have come at a better time!  On Monday, I found myself over at Mel's Sweet Treats and this is a girl after my own heart!  Just a few of the amazing things that I found over there....

Honey Spice Cake...I mean, really this looks AMAZING!

{picture is linked to the post}

This ambitious DIY bride just recently got married and look at what she made as seating charts for her guests at the reception...uh-mazing!!!

And as if everything else I've showed you wasn't enough, check out these adorable cupcakes designed to be Cookie Monsters and Elmos...SO CUTE!

***When you head over to her blog, check out how her husband proposed to her...definitely one amazing story!!! :)

Mel's Sweet Treats is a blog that I definitely feel has a lot of substance to it...literally! :)  Mel, if you read this ever, please know how inspired I am to bake by going to your blog!  I'm so thankful that Bakerella introduced me to your blog! 

Let's Shed Some Light On It

I scored this at the Salvation Army for $8.

After spending $3 for spray paint, $2 for a lamp finial to hold on the shade, and $3.50 for fabric I got a beautiful new lamp for my guest room!

I first used Alissa's tutorial to recover my lampshade:

(before adding the trim and spray painting the base)

I then spray painted the finial and the base as well as trimmed the shade...and VOILA!:

And just so you can see her in action (as well as shots of the room):

(There she is in all her glory to the left of the picture)

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:

Magnificent Mondays: Magnificent Blogs 30

With my newfound love for sewing, I've found myself oo-ing and ahhh-ing over Allison's projects and tutorials.

I'm sure you remember this lovely pillow that I made back in June?  Well I got the idea from here.

I haven't tried to tackle this project yet, but it looks as though it would be an easy gift to make for a baby shower.

With my love of fall AND pillows, this project screams "KARI!"

Go and see all the sewing possibilities that await you, then head back here and let me know what you loved about Cluck. Cluck. Sew!

Happy Blogging!