Easy DIY Fall Arrangement and Autumn Decor

 Easy Fall Decor and Craft For Everyone To Enjoy

Hey Everyone!  With Fall just around the corner, I have started thinking about how to do some easy DIY crafting and also some "early Fall" decor around the house. So today, I'm sharing a couple of ideas with you. Now, you know, that I like EASY and I promise you that is what I'm sharing today! (wink)

I spied these Fall shaped pasta noodles at Aldi last week and the creative juices started flowing as I thought about how I might use them, other than eating of course!

I decided that the pasta would make good filler for a glass vase to hide the flower stems. Any glass jar would be pretty with the pasta inside as well.

The only Fall flowers I had on hand when I did this craft were these sunflowers, so that is what I used to fill the vase. I may change them out for another Fall flower at a later date. They look pretty for now, though, and the vase sitting on a Fallish candle ring adds to the look. This is how the infamous foyer table looks now. I'm not certain that this even counts as a "craft." Somehow, filling a glass vase with pasta doesn't really count in my book! But, it sure is easy, lol!!

While I was at Aldi, I also saw this cute Fall throw and decided to buy it to use in the living room. It cost under $5 and has a very soft, luxuriant feel. Plus, it looks cute with my Fall pillow. I'm looking forward to cozying up with it on cooler Fall evenings. And, I don't intend to allow a certain little dog to get hold of it! 

How are you getting ready for Fall at your house? Be sure to leave a comment below. I love hearing from my readers!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Pretty Things Around The House

 Adding "Pretty" In Unexpected Places

Hello everyone! Can you believe that today is the last day of August and that September starts tomorrow?! Time just seems to be flying by and I know that many of you are already starting to think about your Fall touches you will add to your homes. I'm not that far along yet, though. Today, I'm sharing some ways that I have added what I think are pretty touches around our house. And I think they could be called "unexpected" touches of pretty because these items are often overlooked as just basic workhorses of the home. 

If you haven't already guessed, I'm talking about tea towels in the kitchen. Several years ago, one of my sisters gifted us with the tea towel you see above as one of our Christmas gifts. I have loved using this tea towel so much! First of all, it is pretty with the red truck and apples under a tree. The red edging is pretty as well. But, it is also thicker than most tea towels I have owned and really absorbent. It lasts longer between washings and, if stained, I can spray the stains and they come right off. I liked this tea towel so much I looked at the tag on it and found it is from Kay Dee Designs. So I checked on Amazon and lo and behold there are many Kay Dee Designs kitchen towels available. 

Some of the towels can be purchased two to a set and others as individual purchases. Over the last couple of years I have added to my kitchen towels a few at a time until I now own six of the Kay Dee Designs towels. 

I appreciate the high quality of these towels, the graphics choices and the cute sayings on the towels. 

These towels are a little pricier, IMO, than towels I could get elsewhere but sometimes paying for higher quality is worth it. Kitchen chores can be so mundane and it's nice to have a cheerful towel to look at and use!

And with messages like this, who knew that doing kitchen chores could be inspirational? I get nothing from sharing about these kitchen towels. I just like them and use them. If you are interested check out the link above. There are so many choices that one can choose from!

I also added some more pretty in "my room" with this faux antique telephone that I found at our local Human Shelter thrift store. I just love the white with pink roses that are on the phone. My Mom had a similar phone in her bedroom and I think of her each time I see this phone.

And the phone is the perfect touch for sitting on the telephone table that I have from my late sister's home. I moved this phone table under a window in "my room" and I can see it as I walk down our hall. So pretty! I like "old fashioned" and my room has several old fashioned touches now. 

You know, pretty touches around the home can be as simple as tea towels and telephones when they bring you joy and put a smile on your face. And these items that I have shared with you today do just that when I see and use them! Think about little touches that you can use (or are already using) in your own homes! And be sure to share with me in the comments about your ideas for bringing pretty to your home, okay? I can't wait to hear from you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

A Little Bit of This and That

 Changes Coming To The Blog

Hi friends! Today, I'm sharing a little bit of this and that with you. Nothing earth shattering. Just some news about our dog, River, and some books I've been reading. Life has pretty much revolved around our pooch these last few weeks. I had forgotten how much time and energy puppies can take up! But, he quickly reminded us of all that! It has been six weeks today since we brought River home and he has learned a lot and grown a lot in six weeks. I have to share a couple of photos with you because they are so cute AND because......

He graduated from Canine Manners class Sunday evening!!!!  I've already shared this picture on Facebook so some of you may have already seen it. Friends, he was the class crazy-man for six weeks and, although he graduated, the teacher said he could repeat the class if we wanted him to. The thing of it was, he did really well at home in a quiet calm situation doing the things he was taught, but in class there were six other dogs and he just wanted to bark and play with the other dogs so badly! BUT, the teacher didn't allow ANY dog interaction which was just misery for our poor River. We had to sit behind a fence covered with sheets so he couldn't see the other dogs but River was smart enough to figure that out and kept pulling us and jumping up to see the other dogs. It was just crazy time for six.whole.weeks!! I managed to attend four of the classes and let The Mr. handle the other two on his own. I just couldn't take the craziness. Anyway, we made it through the class and River learned all of the commands and we plan to keep working with him on our own. We also want to "socialize" him with other dogs. 

This picture is just hilarious, in my opinion, because it truly sums up River all during the classes! He looks like he stayed up all night partying doesn't he?!

The Mr. took this photo and it shows how River has many moments of being calm and quiet. He'll get there more and more. It just takes time and him growing up a little more. (And more training!)

In other news, I did some thrifting recently and was just thrilled to find this beautiful quilted jacket. It is reversible and is all pink on the other side. There are even pockets on both sides! It washed up beautifully and I'm very happy with it. 

And this is the necklace I'm wearing in the above picture. It belong to my late sister and I have been wearing it a lot. I feel it is unique. I haven't seen a cross inside a heart before. I just love it!

And, finally, the very unique basket (that I also thrifted) is filled with some recent book purchases from our local used bookstore Mr. K's. I started reading the Mary Roberts Rhinehart book but put it down because it was a little scary! I find I need calm, relaxed reading at bedtime not reading that might give me nightmares! I am enjoying the Sofie Ryan book, "Undercover Kitty." Sofie Ryan also writes under the name of Sofie Kelly when she writes the "Magical Cat" series. As Sofie Ryan she writes about a cat named, Elvis, who is a pretty cute cat. If you are a cat lover, like me, I think you will enjoy both of these series!

So that's it for a little bit of this and that today. I will let you know that Google Domains has been sold to Squarespace and the change over will be happening sometime in the next month. This means that my domain name of debbiestyleslife.com will now be owned by Squarespace and not Google. I have been assured that the change will be "seamless" but you never know. If you have trouble finding my blog please email me at debbiestyleslife@gmail.com and I will try to help if I can. This shouldn't be necessary, though. My blogging platform is still Blogger and you can actually still get to this blog by using my old blogspot address of debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com. You have to use the blogspot part though or you will be on someone else's blog. Arghhh.....blogging can sometimes be a trial, you know? At any rate, I can't wait to hear from you in the comments section so please be sure to leave a comment! 

Until Next Time,

Debbie (this and that😉) who is still stylin' life!!

Celebrating 8 Years of Blogging

 Happy 8th Blog Anniversary To Me!

Hi friends!  It's hard to believe but, as of July 30th, I have been blogging for eight years! Yes, I'm a bit late in celebrating but that's okay. Life has been pretty busy this last month since the arrival of our new dog, River, so today is the day to celebrate eight years of blogging!

I must say that eight years has surely passed by quickly. I was still teaching full time when I started in 2015 and now that I have been retired for 6 1/2 years life is still very busy. Still, I love my blog and enjoy thinking of ideas to write posts about like fashion ideas, tablescapes, home decor and life in general. Granted, some of last year's posts haven't been the happiest what with going through my oldest sister's final illness and passing. But, I have tried to remain upbeat in most of my posts and look forward to sharing new ideas for the coming year. I haven't shared posts quite as frequently this last year but I have tried to post at least once weekly and hope to do that in the coming year, as well, with some weeks having two posts. The best way to make sure you see new posts is to subscribe to my blog so you get an email about new posts. You can also follow me using the button in the right hand column of my blog page. Also, if you enjoy reading my posts it would be great if you would recommend Debbie Styles Life to your friends and family! New readers are always welcome!

This post from last year in which I shared a sneak peak of my room redo along with some delicious meals and a little fashion was one of my top viewed posts. Click here if you would like to revisit or read the post for the first time. 

And this devotional post on moving forward was very well received. Click here to read/revisit this post. I haven't written as many devotional posts this past year and would like to do more this coming year. 

And this fashion post on styling a blue polo dress got a lot of hits. Who knew polo dresses were so popular? Revisit this post here. 

And, finally, this post on pockets of Christmas decor around the house got huge interest! But then, who doesn't love Christmas?! Get some early Christmas decor inspiration here!

I hope you have enjoyed revisiting some favorite posts from last year and I want to thank you, my awesome readers, for your support over these last eight years of blogging! Debbie Styles Life (and before that Debbie This And That) would not exist without you! 

I would love to hear what type of posts you have enjoyed most over the years and, also, what type of posts you would enjoy seeing in the future. Please leave your thoughts in a comment. I love hearing from you, my readers!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

A Surprise Introduction

 I Would Like To Introduce To You

Hi everyone! I would like to introduce you to a new family member of two weeks and a couple of days! His name is "River" and he is a seven month old rescue pup from our local Humane Shelter. We were only going to "look" a couple weeks ago at the shelter and, of course, this cutie was staring between the kennel bars at us and The Mr. fell in love. I met him and agreed that he would be a good dog for us. He does have high anxiety and is on meds for that. He is also full of puppy energy and definitely keeps us on our toes!

Overall, River is a very good boy and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is a black lab mix and loves to hike. The Mr. took him on a hike a couple days ago and after five miles he still had energy to burn! Cassie and Garden are very cautious around him and we have baby gates up to keep him contained to areas so they can escape to dog free areas when they want to. He isn't mean to them but he does want to try to "play" with them and they want no part of that. I am surely hoping that after a few weeks everyone will decide to live together peacefully. I miss the girls coming out to be with us in the living room and other areas of the house. River sleeps and has rest times in our family room downstairs so the girls love those "quiet times" of being able to roam freely. 

We enrolled River in dog training right away and our first "class" was definitely one we will remember forever! There was no air conditioning in the room and it was blazing hot. As soon as River saw other dogs coming in he started barking like crazy and pulling on the leash to the point that the trainer immediately had us move behind a fenced area covered with a sheet so that River couldn't see the other dogs. River quickly discovered he could either pull to the side to look around the fence or simply knock it over! (He is a very smart dog!) He kept up these crazy antics all during the class and was incredibly disctracted by the other dogs and by a six year old another dog owner brought. The six year old kept running past where we were with River and our pup just wanted to join in on the running fun! We were told to bring "high value" treats to class and cheese was suggested as such a treat. So, The Mr. dutifully cut up a block of cheese to bring in our treat pouch. By the time class was over and we were in the car for the ride home the air was, you might say, quite odiferous! We learned our lesson on that one. 

My favorite moment, however, was when I took the leash from The Mr. at just the moment when the trainer was walking behind us. River got excited and ran after her yanking me out of the metal chair I was sitting in and dragging me and the metal chair toward the trainer. I was totally off balance and would have fallen flat on my face had the trainer not caught me! Needless to say, I decided it would be best if The Mr. continued the training classes on his own and he can show me the training after he gets home!

River has grown since we adopted him and loves his mealtimes and treats. He has finally gotten so tired that he is sleeping peacefully right now on our living room floor. We know nothing about the first six months of his life. Only that he was brought into the shelter as a stray. He says he is glad that he picked us out to be his mom and dad!! 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Decor Around The House

 Home Decor

Hi everyone! I've been spending some time adding and re-arranging decor around our home and thought I would share with you. Perhaps you will get some inspiration for decorating in your own home. You will remember that I saw a sunflower arrangement awhile back and really liked it and wanted to try to emulate it. Luckily, Dollar Tree had some nice sunflowers and I bought some to place in a blue/cream vase that I enjoy putting on display. 

It makes a simple summer arrangement that is just the right size for the foyer table. It's not exactly the same as the one I saw but is my own take on blue vase with sunflowers. That's what inspiration is all about right? Taking an idea and reworking it to make it your own. 

This is what we see when we look down into our foyer. So pretty!

I purchased some other items that I will use for future posts. Thought I would share in case you wanted to visit Dollar Tree to see what they have to offer. They are putting out lots of items for Fall already.

And this light isn't new but I thought I would show the effect of the light with the quilts and wreath. This light has a story of its own. It is quite heavy and was a bear to put on the foyer ceiling. The Mr. had to build a platform for us to stand on and we worked together to get the light installed. It was soooo heavy to support! But, we both really like the light and it fits well with our other decor. A true find. 

And this is what I have done with the old radio case bookcase, at least for now. Eventually, I have an idea that the case will be filled with books, but for now some pretty items inside are on display. I also like the bottom shelf filled with a longaberger basket and some stuffed bunnies. 

And, I added the previous items from the foyer table beach vignette to our guest bath shelf. Lots of pretty blue which I love!

And finally, this is a simple change. Just a different candle ring around the candle in the living room. It makes a nice change on the side table.

And that's it for now. Have fun with your own home decor!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Checking In With My Readers

A Little Bit Of This And That 

Hi friends! Wow, it's been awhile since my last post. I just didn't have anything of interest to share, but I hope today's post takes care of that. It's a little bit of this and that for you today. A little decor, a little fashion and a little food! Hope you enjoy. 

Yesterday, The Mr. played a 4th of July concert at a local retirement community and I went with him. I noticed right away the lovely table vignettes that were on display throughout the clubhouse and I decided to snap some photos and share them on the blog. I can't take any credit for these lovely vignettes because they were done by other people. How cute is this wooden tray with a jaunty hat, pretty flower box and a delightful flower? So cute!

And this vignette is one I may try to emulate. I really like the stones in the glass vases. 

And with this lovely photo in the background, the vases really fit in with the whole nature theme. Such a great idea to put all of this together!

But, this may be my favorite of all the vignettes. The cheerfulness of the yellows with the blues is just so bright and summery! 

And the clock hanging above adds just the right final touch to the display!

Speaking of displays, I want to share this piece of furniture with you that I brought back from my trip to WV. I grew up with this piece and after my oldest sister passed, I decided I wanted this to put in "my room." The cabinet was originally part of an old fashioned radio from long ago. My father removed the radio (long before I came along) and turned it into this lovely cabinet. Growing up, this was used as a bookcase and then, later, as a display for quilts and then to store sheets. It has been used for many things over the years and I am so happy to be the current "keeper" of this piece. I haven't decided yet how I want to use the shelf. I may use it for books but then again I may opt for something else to display inside it. The filigree is so pretty and the glass and knobs are original (as far as I know). Just wanted to share it with my readers!

This is the corner of my room now, with the arrangement of everything. Radio cases used to be really ornate weren't they?!

This past Sunday I delivered the message at our church and prior to that I spent some time "shopping my closet" for something to wear. This dress was really bright, especially with the pink jacket.

This dress was pretty and a little longer in length, but I was concerned I would feel too warm with the long sleeves. 

This ended up being "the choice." Long skirt and short sleeved top for comfort in the heat. I know The Lord doesn't care about what we wear to church, and I know that what I said in the message was much more important than my clothes, but I wanted to feel confident getting up in front of people. I was speaking because our pastor of 16 years retired and our new pastor doesn't start until this coming Sunday, and the retiring pastor asked me if I would preach for this "in-between" Sunday. I wonder if the new pastor will be shopping her closet like I did trying to make a "good choice" for her first Sunday? Feeling confident in what we wear is so important in my opinion. What do you think about that?

And, you know I have to share some good food with you! This was a delicious meal I ate recently at Cracker Barrel. This is what I call an, "Aunt Beulah Special." Pinto beans, slaw, potato casserole and greens with a touch of vinegar. So good and very similar to the meals my Aunt Beulah used to prepare for my family and I when we would visit her in Gilmer Station, WV. She always had brown beans waiting on the stove and added fried potatoes and homemade biscuits to the meal. That was some fine eating, my friends, and I always think of her when I have this meal. 

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful 4th of July and I would just love to hear what has been happening in your life lately. Leave a comment and tell me. I enjoy hearing from you!

Until Next Time,

Debbie