My Creative Blog [Search results for Fall] 

We're so sad to see this Fall-lover's series come to an end already. It feels like we're just getting started! You can catch up on Days 1-4 here, here, here and here. But because we just can't get enough of this season, we're going ahead and giving you our
Fab Find: Top Fall Finds 1. Create a Bucket List. Fall is chock full of fun things to do with your family. Print out a must-do list like this one…
Update: We found out who created this adorable printable: Katie at Loves of Life! Go on over to her super cute, super fun blog to get your own printable! Thanks, Katie.: )

Source: i1101.photobucket.com via Jessica on Pinterest
…or create a custom one using Picnik for your family and hang it up. I'm putting mine in a frame (with the glass still in it) in the kitchen and will use a dry erase marker to place check marks in the boxes of the ones we did! That way we can use it year after year…let the traditions begin!
2. Fill your home with the Scents of Fall. Mmmmm…pumpkin pie and spiced apple cider. I don't know anyone who doesn't love those smells. Load up on candles in scents that remind you of the season (my fav is Autumn Wreath from Yankee Candle. Get a $10 off coupon here).

1. Yankee Candle 2. Jack-O-Lantern Pomander 3. Fragrances of Fall
3. Traditions. Every year we go on the same hayride that takes us to the same pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins and we usually run into friends while we're there. (Bob White Acres, for those of you who are local. It's the best!) And we always host a Halloween party before all of our kids go out trick-or-treating together. Monica and Eric usually host at least one firepit and smores night during the Fall, too. It doesn't matter what it is- just do something this year that you'll want to do again next and the year after that. Traditions make the season something to look forward to!

4. Wear a Dressed-up Sweatshirt
You know you want to wear sweatshirts all the time in the Fall, but you also don't want to be that frumpy mom. Mix that comfy sweatshirt with some style with this DIY old sweatshirt makeover.

Source: etsy.com via Jessica on Pinterest
5. Get Saucy Maybe one of your new traditions will be apple picking?? I'm from New England and we take our apple picking very seriously. We go back up north every fall to pick in Massachusetts.

You already know that I love making pies, but apple sauce is a family favorite too! It tastes amazing and makes my house smell even better. This site has some awesome recipies for all kinds of different sauces. 

Source: familyfeedbag.com via Kay on Pinterest

So, there you have it, our Fab Finds for Fall…
Now, we want your help… Leave us a comment letting us know what else needs to be on a Fall Fab Find List. Just to give you a little incentive, we're giving away another Starbucks giftcard to a randomly chosen commenter. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte would totally be my number 6 on this list.

Leave a comment by Sunday night at 10pm and we'll announce the winner on Monday morning. Have an awesome weekend and make sure those DVRs are set to see us on The Nate show Thursday, September 22nd! (Check your local listing for time and channel)

We've dedicated an entire week to expressing our adoration for the Fall season. Click here to see Day one of our Fall Lovers Series- the Anti-Wreath.

My favorite place to accessorize is my mantle (or is it mantel? Everywhere I look people spell it differently! For the record, I'm going with mantle today). I'm not kidding when I say I tweak it almost daily. So, while, for now, I am happy with my fall mantle, it probably won't stay this way for long. Ha!

See those bronze-colored vases on the right? I got those bad boys on clearance for $2.50 and $1.50 respectively, at Michaels. I wish you could have seen my happy dance when I heard what the final marked-down price was.

I battle my incessant need for symmetry every time I style my mantle, but I think I finally came up with something that is somewhat symmetrical but not exactly the same on either side of the mirror.
I threw some fall-looking foliage that I've literally had for 5 years, at least, in the round vase and added a few dried gourds to complete the right side. I toyed around with a whole bunch of things (I need to remember to take a picture of all the stuff I dragged into the living room to play around with- it's like a decor bomb went off. Wouldn't that be cool, though? A decor bomb…hmmm.) Where the heck was I? Oh yes, the mantle.

I think my favorite part of the mantle is this little stack of old books and a the simple orange pumpkin (also from Michael's years ago). I love the pop of orange against my blue/gray walls.

The old lantern was my grandmother's and has seen it's fair share of rooms in my home. I love that thing. Overall, I think I'm happy with the mantle. For now.
Here are a few other fabulous mantle pics to inspire you:

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest
You had to know that I would include an all-white mantle, didn't you? Don't you love the bits of autumn color in there? Beautiful!

Source: athoughtfulplaceblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I thought twice about including this picture, since Monica declared her disgust with wreaths of all kind. But I like this leafy one. Deal with it, Mo.

Source: marthastewart.com via Jessica on Pinterest
You certainly can't go wrong with pumpkins.

Source: thenester.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I love these two non-traditional Fall mantles. The Nester used a few big gourds that matched her color scheme, and while not over-the-top fall-ish, it still hints at the autumn feeling. And this one:

Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Jessica on Pinterest  …is absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to remember this one for next year's mantle. show it to my husband so he can remind me of it since I have the worst memory known to man
But wait…what if you don't have a mantle?.Never fear! Just pick a shelf, table, countertop (whatever!) and decorate away! I used this shelf in my kitchen to add another touch of Fall into my home.

I {heart} this so much. I used leftover frames from our Nate Show makeover, and added the letters F-A-L-L which I printed on heavy cardstock in different fonts. I actually already had the metal lowercase L (my hubs and I couldn't resist the $2 grab bag at Michael's last Black Friday and ended up with whole bunch of random metal letters), and used scrapbook paper to make the last L. I threw in a couple burnt orange items and voila! Pretty fall kitchen shelf.

So, now you have no excuses. Go ahead and Fall-ify your mantle!

*Bonus Challenge: Count how many times I wrote mantle in this post. That should keep you busy while you're bored at work. You're welcome.
Linking up to: Home Stories of A to Z

It's Fall! Yay! Well, ok, we might still be experiencing 80 degree weather, but Monica and I are in total Fall project mode. We both have lists miles long of stuff we want to accomplish, and things we want to do during this, our favorite season ever. There's just something about getting back into a regular groove that makes us so much more productive. We're already planning our usual Tuesday evening blog nights (if you ever want to reach both of us at once, that's the perfect time!), and have some awesome tutorials, fun room designs, and, of course, lots of seasonal decorating to share with you!

If you're new around here, you'll quickly realize that we looooooooove Fall. In fact, last year, we dedicated a whole week to Autumn goodness. You'll definitely want to check out some of our fav Fall finds from last year, like…

Easy Apple Dumplings Oh yummmmmm. I can't wait to break these things out at our first Eagles football party. I don't know about you, but the only reason I watch every game is for the food. Oh yes, I said it.

Fall Mantle Inspiration
This is my Fall faux-mantel from last year and I absolutely loved it, but I'll be mixing it up this year since my kitchen looks totally different.

Fall Anti- WreathMonica is a wreath-hater, and she's not afraid to admit it. Her solution for her front door was totally awesome, and I daresay it'll make you a hater of traditional wreaths, too. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the start of the Fall blogging season, we're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. Come on board with EC2- we'll take good care of you!; ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We can't wait to share with you all that we've been doing in our homes (anybody ready for a Monica patio update?!), so why don't you throw on a pair of jeans and a comfy sweatshirt and cozy on up with us. Let the Fall fun begin!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I know, pansies? Everyone always thinks of mums as the go-to Fall flower. I love them too, but I was looking for some fall decor inspiration and came across the idea from Miracle-Gro's Find beauty in the Fall website to use pansies as an aternative way to add fall color to my front porch. I love that pansies are a little unexpected and not your typical Fall gardening staple. You know I'm not much of a gardener, so I'm sticking with container gardens. Just take a look at these beauties I found while searching on Pinterest:

Google Images

I love these colors against the blue door, just like I happen to have right now.

Southern Living This one is my absolute favorite. I love these tiered planters with burnt orange pansies, decorative grasses and ivy. I think I now have an excuse to give Monica's easy DIY planters a try.: )

Finally, this one is adorable, and if you stop by this Fall, you might just see one of these babies sitting pretty on my porch:

Wave Rave I don't know much about actual in-ground gardening, but I do know that container gardens require really good and thorough care. For my summer planters, I used Miracle-Gro potting mix that takes care of all the hard work of feeding my plants for several months. Since pansies can withstand frost, that means my planters will look good until Thanksgiving!

I'm so anxious to get my front porch ready for Fall! You can find lots more ideas and inspiration on the Miracle-Gro Facebook page. Have you ever used pansies in your Fall decorating? Have I given you enough reason to try?; )

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We're on a roll here with our Fall-Lovers Series. I'm ready to curl up with a good book, under a warm blanket, drinking a Pumpkin Spice Chai from Starbucks. You? If you missed the first 3 days in our series, click here, here, and here to catch yourself up!

I'm definitely a mums and pumpkins kind of gal. Keep it simple and keep it totally fallish. I'll be honest, though. Today it was a mere 90 degrees here in Bucks County, so decking out my front porch for Fall was the last thing on my mind. Even though I've seen a few places put out mums already, I'm not quite ready to get mine. I did manage to find a few pictures of my front porch from years past:

My house just naturally lends itself to Fall colors since our front door and shutters are a chocolate brown color.

I painted plain old fake terracotta planters a bright, fallish, cheerful yellow which popped beautifully against the mums. You won't find that little cutie on the step in stores, though. She's all mine.

This is the view looking out from our foyer on a rainy Fall day. I just love the big trees all over our property that whose leaves turn such lovely colors.
I have bigger plans this year for my front porch, which I hope will actually happen sometime before Halloween (we host a Halloween/Trick-or-Treating party every year). But who knows?! Anyway, since I'm not offering much in the way of inspiration from my own home, how about these beauties?

Front Porch Decor

Source: bing.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Pottery Barn just does it best, don't they? This look is a little over the top in my humble opinion, but there's no doubt as to which season they're celebrating in this house.

Source: iheartmygluegun.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: midwestliving.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: uncommondesignsonline.com via Jessica on Pinterest
If you ever browse Pinterest, then you've probably seen this picture of these painted/carved pumpkin topiaries. People are so dang creative, aren't they?
But, don't you dare think you have to buy a million pumpkins, paint your front door and put a table on your porch to make it look fabulous and fall-y. No way. Just look:

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Now, this is more like it! I love the simplicity of this front porch. Something about it is just so homey. And I'm totally digging that blue door and light fixture, but that's another post for another day.

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest
What is with all these non-traditional painted front doors? Do you love it or hate it? I'm lovin' it and have already started brainstorming about attacking my front door with paint!

It’s in the Details …

Source: google.com via Jessica on Pinterest
If you do have a big porch with room for an old table and chairs, a vignette of pumpkins and foliage is absolutely adorable!

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Another great trick for adding Fall elements into the outdoor design of your home, is by adding pumpkins, gourds, and dried cornstalks into your existing flower beds and window boxes. Instant fallification (yes, it is now a word. Boom.) without screaming It's Fall! in everyone's faces and annoying your neighbors.

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I think this is so clever- place a few branches from your yard into a planter, add white lights, or specialty Halloween lights onto them and throw in a few pumpkins while you're at it. This is the perfect Halloween/trick or treating touch. Can't you see these lining your walkway as the little ghosts and goblins (or scantily-clad Britney Spears, or wierdly-clad Lady Gaga's, which I may or may not have seen in my neighborhood last year) come to get their candy? Ahhh…too awesome!

Source: thepaintedhome.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Denise, from The Painted Home, decked out a tree in her yard and included the numbers of her house on painted pumpkins. As she says, you want Fall to know where you live.
It doesn’t hurt a girl to dream.

Source: room-galleries.myhomeideas.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: southernliving.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Yes, please.
(If you own one of these, please invite me over for some hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire. I'll be the best friend you never really wanted.)

What’s your front porch style? Over-the-top or Understated? Happy Thursday!

We're having a blast with the Fall Lovers Series and hope you are too! If you missed day 1 or 2, click here and here, because you wouldn't want to miss out on the Anti-Wreath or Fancy Mantle posts.

I love fall foods. Perhaps I just like the fact that summer is coming to an end, routines are back, and fall foods are comfort foods in my book. We got home Saturday from a week at the beach and since it officially marks the end of summer for us, I made a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes (my favorite food), corn, stuffing, biscuits, gravy… it was so yummy!
I have many foods that are a Mangin family fall tradition, but one is kind of famous… my apple pie. It has to be baked for the Eagles' opening game every year. We actually make an apple pie like once a week all fall! Monica’s"Famous" Apple Pie So, my pie is nothing special. Actually, it's right out of a Betty Crocker cookbook we got as a wedding present, but it's a never fail recipe for sure. Anyone can handle this recipe… even the hubs makes a mean pie now!

(Sorry about the old TO jersey… we're too cheap to buy new jerseys all the time!)

An insider pie maker tip… Get yourself one of these bad boys from the Pampered Chef. I love it! Cores and slices the apples so easily. I've used generic ones before… blah! This cuts like butter! Check out our sidebar for Jane's info if you want to get one. She'll hook you up!

Here's the secret recipe…

Here's where the fun begins… the crust! Now, if you want crazy fancy pie, well check out some of these links Adorable and Impressive!

Source: thestoryofkat.blogspot.com via Sandy on Pinterest Almost too pretty to eat! (But trust me, it wouldn't stop me! )

Source: instructables.com via Jane on Pinterest Ok… get ready to be amazed and wowed and awed… My Pathetic Excuse for a Decorative Crust… Haha! I totally had just gotten in the door from running (ugh!) and I had company coming in like 10 minutes. I always do an EAGLES crust for the first game, so I started on the crust totally forgetting I was planning to blog about it, so this is real life people…

I ran out of room for the S so we were cheering for the EAGLE not EAGLES! One fun thing I usually do, when I want to make a fancy crust, is to use a marker lid. You can make holes of all sizes and it looks really cute to do a pattern of some sort. For this pie I did nothing cute nor creative!

You just pop that crust on top and voila… No, I'm not showing you a finished picture for two reasons… 1. It looked atrocious 2. We ate it before I remembered to take pictures

Ok, so save myself from this rather humbling post, I'll share some awesome recipes and ideas I've found. S'mores Party How fun would this be with a group of your gal pals on a cool, fall night? Jess and I added this to our To-Do list already.

Source: sidebysideblog.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Sunflower Dip- Caramel Apple Downright adorable!

Source: fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Fancy Caramel Apples This would be awesome as the centerpiece on your table and then you just eat them for dessert. My kids would definitely want to help me make these!

Source: countryliving.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate The hubs loves pumpkin. Can't wait to try this!

Source: closetcooking.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Sliced Garlic Potatoes I made these a few nights ago and they were fabulous! I had mine with sour cream! Yum!

Source: foodgawker.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

Well, after showing the world my ugly crust, I think I'll go eat a piece of humble pie…

We've been looking forward to our fall kickoff for weeks and it's been as awesome as we hoped it would be! Honestly, we have the best.readers.ever! We so appreciate all of your support and feedback on our projects this week! If you missed them, here's what we were up to this week…Jess' Fireplace Makeover & My Foyer Update

So, to start this fall off right, we've partnered with Canvas People again to bring you FREE canvas! Use THIS LINK for your Freebie!

We love that Canvas People offers our readers these awesome deals. Right now their website is offering 25% off, but nope, our readers get an 8x10 for FREE or 50% off! SCORE! And, off course we wouldn't just give you a Freebie without some inspiration! Idea # 1- Back to School Canvas Did you see Jess' daughter's 1st Day of Preschool Pic? (Umm, cutest thing ever!) We were talking about Canvas People and she decided to get this picture on canvas and begin a tradition of getting a canvas at the beginning of every school year and putting them in her upstairs hallway.

My kiddos start school next week and I'm hoping to snap a pic even half as cute at this one! Idea # 2- Shut the Front Door Canvas

Not ready to write it in massive letters on the wall, but sorta think it's funny? We'll I'm hooking you up with a Shut the Front Door printable that you can have printed on a canvas. Download 8x10 jpeg HERE

Idea # 3 Fall Leaf Graphic Art How cool will these babies look grouped together? I am ordering these three ASAP! Of course we used our favorite digital paper from Moo and Puppy and we're sharing the downloads with you for free! Download Graphic Art Print 8x10 jpegs Birch Maple Oak

Idea # 4 Fun Fall Prints Just some random cuties that might work in your fall decor… I really love the 8x10 canvas on a mantle or shelf etc. It's the perfect size to get creative with and use in a less traditional"hang it on the wall" way! Download Autumn 8x10 jpeg HERE

Download Falling for You 8x10 jpeg HERE

Idea # 5 Print a Good Old Fashioned Picture I love this picture of me and some of my best gal pals. So often I'm printing pics of my kids or family etc, but these girls are so important to me! I think I'm going to get a canvas of this pic for my office. My posse on canvas… doesn't get much better than that! (And yes, we're a gangsta posse.)

We hope you're as excited about fall and FREE Canvases as we are! We're so glad to be back with our A-Game on! Can't wait to bring you even more fun projects that we have planned for the next few months! Enjoy your Free Canvas and don't forget to use This Link to get the Freebie Deal! Linking up to: Tutorials & Tips

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Glade Fall Collection for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I am a total sucker for anything with a fall scent…pumpkin, cinnamon, apple, bonfires. I love them all. As soon as I even hear the word September, I break out my autumn candles in full force. The one scent that I'm digging right now is the Glade® Autumn Harvest candle from the Glade Fall Collection. I took it up to my office to keep me company, and it makes staying inside on a beautiful day doing work *almost* bearable.

I'm such a big fan of the plain, glass votive- no tacky writing, or big labels to mess up the"look" of my candle. And the scent is to die for: earthy and outdoorsy, and not in the least bit overwhelming. Don't you love the way it looks next to my dried roses from our 2nd Nate Show episode? Ha! We actually set those up last Fall when they were alive and I never moved them. I kind of like them this way, though. Very vintagey-looking

It even followed me down to the kitchen (yes, it had to go wherever I went).

You can find the Glade® Autumn Harvest candle at Walmart, and right now, they have a coupon for $1.50 off any two Glade® Fall Collection products. The Apple Cinnamon and Blackberry Jam candles sound amazing, too! Which scent sounds appealing to you? Do you have a favorite seasonal candle?

Source: tumblr.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Is it just the English teacher in me, or is this funny? I seriously laugh every single time I see it. Perhaps this picture is what inspired me to shoot for a non-traditional fall mantle this year. I'm usually a warm colors, traditional fall mantle girl. Not this year. I wanted something with cooler tones and some personality. Enter the Poe Inspired Mantle.

The black & white pumpkin and the raven are both from Hobby Lobby. (My daughter claims it's a crow, but it's a raven to me, heck it even squaked"Nevermore" the other day!) I was thinking of getting sticks for the vase, but I saw these peacock feathers and they just screamed"AWESOME" so I went with them and some spoooky branches. The owl is adorable and will become a permanent part of my decor somewhere.

I still really struggle with having the TV above the fireplace because it cramps my decorating style, but it's definitely the most practical. Sorry, for the BTR promo… when you have 4 kids, sometimes you gotta let them watch tv so mommy can take blog pics. Who knows, maybe BTR will want to be featured on our blog? Ha! (If you don't know BTR, then you clearly don't have an 9yr old)
In addition to finishing my fall mantle, the babies and I (perhaps at 2 and 4 they're not babies, but we call 'em that) did a little fall craftin' with some scrap particle board.
DIY Scrap Fall Sign Nothing fancy about this wood; I think the builder left it. It's really poor quality particle board, but I saw its inner beauty! Well…actually… I was just glad it was free.

My famous paint can shot (can something be famous just because I declared it so?) I just used some leftover paint that Nate left here. Oh, who's Nate you ask?? Umm, just my pal Nate Berkus. We're tight. (hahah!) This paint did come in the Nate Crate though.

Did you know that Jess and I like to paint topless? KIDDING!! I let my kiddos do the painting… you thought I was a hoochie for a second there didn't you?

We did a very rough base coat. I didn't want it 100% covered. Then it was time to stencil the letters and I needed to get it straight, so rather than take 2 minutes to find a ruler, I just used a scrap piece of paper and a piece of chalk to make some guide lines.

The stencil I used was the Helvetica font and I got it for $7.99 at HobLob.

I love these little bracket symbols. Jess and I probably over use them, but we can't help it. They're cool.

Some of the letters require a little work. First, stencil in the shape as is…

Then, you need to fill in where the plastic was for support. I just used two little pieces of painter's tape. It fills in nicely as you'll see in the finished product.

DARN my lack of planning. LEAF PILE was too long… I had 2 options… pretend"AF PILE" is a cool, family inside joke, or come up with a plan B…

I went with plan B. I painted over the AF…

and decided that a visual would work. Kaden ran outside and picked out two leaves that he liked the most. I pressed them on the wood and did a light stencil around the edges to create the shape of the leaf

I'll be the first to admit: 1. This is not a fancy-schmancy masterpiece 2. It's really hard to read. (Fall sorta looks like"fail"… The hubs was confused why I wrote the word"pile" until I explained it… and yes, there is a P missing from"pumpkins" for the sake of space)

However, even with all its quirkiness, after a final light sanding, I was really happy with the finished product.

I think it's a fun, personal addition to our front porch.

Sure, it's no crazy-cool subway art, but for $7.99 it's cute and kept me and my kids busy making it for at least an hour. That scores one in my book!

So, do you have any junky wood sitting around that you can make a cool family sign with? Give it a try and let us know how it turns out.

P.S. I have to confess, there are many things I wanted on this sign that didn't fit… Starbucks and Pumpkin Spice Latte just to name a few!

Linked up to: Stories of A to Z

We absolutely could not do what we do without the support of some amazing people and businesses! As we head into Fall, we wanted to share a few of our Fall favs from some of our favorite people, Be sure to take notice of the coupon codes and special deals going on right now!

1. You know I've got baby boys on the brain, so I'm totally loving htis Joshua 1:9 Boys Print from Red Letter Words.
2. This adorable Dearborn Orange paper pack includes the perfect colors for Fall and with all those amazing patterns, you can create some really cute stuff! Use the discount code EC2blog20 for 20% off your order. Also, for a limited time, pay only $50 for 50 different paper packs - that's amazing! You can see what we do with our printable scrapbook paper here. Seriously…endless possibilities!

   

3. If you're local and need some professional design advice or just help getting started, Bare Root Designs is the place to go! Great design classes and rekindling the art and love to sewing are just a few of the things offered1 Make sure you check for upcoming events and classes on their website.
4. I actually almost squealed when I saw this Wall lighting with Opal Glass Shade from Lucent Lampworks. We can testify first-hand that Brad's lights are legit- gorgeous AND well-made (we've even used a couple custom lights on Knock It Off!) Save 10% off your order with the code EC2tenoff.

   

5. We are all about stenciling walls, but have you thought of stenciling furniture? This trendy-cool Small Step Up Triangle Stencil from Royal Design Studio is the perfect size for that boring piece of furniture you have sitting around that you just didn't know what to do with! Use the code ECC10 to get 10% off your order.
6. Window films from Artscape are such a great way to gain privacy or to add style to a plain window. They're easy to adhere and are non-permanent, plus there are some really cool designes like this New Leaf Design.

   

7. Again with the orange, but this time it's on something you can wear! This Tangerine Braided Headband from Henle Headbands is sweet and simple, but a little punchy with that orange color. I'm digging this color for Fall, for sure! And be on the lookout- I wore a Henle headband in one of our episodes and it was so cute and really comfortable!
8. Of course, along with a baby comes the need for a diaper bag! I've never been disappointed with Thirty-One gift bags and kind of think this Casual Cargo Purse is just the diaper bag for me! And if you hurry, you can c hoose any purse for 50% off when you spend $35 dollars in August! Done and done.: )

   

9. Welcome to our newest sponsor, Misty with Stella & Dot! Stella & Dot sells gorgeous jewelry, bags, scarves and more. And f or every $50 spent on Stella and Dot website before tax and shipping between NOW and September 9th, you will receive AN ENTRY TO WIN the gorgeous Frida Necklace Hello, color and more color. A fashion forward statement piece that brightens up any look and outlook. Wear it with a t-shirt and jeans or wear it out for an evening on the town. The Frida is 17" long with 2" extender, hematite plating, and lead and nickel safe.
10. Have you read Smart, Blonde & Crafty, yet? The completely FREE August & September edition has a great question & answer article with Karianne from Thistlewood Farms, lots of creative kids snacks for back-to-school and fun game ideas for your little ones. You're sure to find loads of inspiration on every page.
11. Fall is my favorite time of year to burn candles! We cant get enough of CJS Eco Chic's Heirloom Candles in scents like Brown Sugar & Fig, Apple Cider, Amaretto Spice and Cranberry Apple Marmalade. And get this: A l arge 16 oz candle is only $13!! Plus, because these candles are soy, they last a really long time!

12. Our favorite thrift store, Liberty Thrift is having their 15th Anniversary Sales through the month of August at all five locations! Check out the specials page. to see what they have going on this week!

13. And finally, we have to give a shout out to our favorite photographer, Stacy from Salvatori Photography. If you're in need of amazing photos and are in the area, you need to call her! She took family photos of us as we revealed the gender of baby #3 and this one of my son is a total gem that I will love forever. She's totally booked for Fall, but it's never too early to schedule your session for Spring! This girl is busy, so get on it, people!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now is the time to think Christmas presents, people! It will be here before you know it, and trust me, you can't go wrong with ANY of these incredible items. And remember- this is just a sampling of what they offer. Head over to their sites and give them all some EC2 love!: )

I don't know about you, but I always forget how much fun it is to decorate a mantel for different seasons. Sometimes it feels like the seasons go so quickly that it's silly to decorate for such a short time. Am I the only one? And then I realize…man, it's fun to try out different arrangements and see what I can come up with. Plus, for the Fall season, decorating the mantel totally makes my room feel more cozy. Last year, I actually did two different mantels: one for early Fall/back to school and the other for late Fall. I know…crazy.

And here's what's going on this year on the ol' mantel:

t
I knew that I definitely wanted to include a branch of the gorgeous leaves from my trees outside. I mean, just look at those colors!

The little owl candle came from CVS (yup, on clearance!) and the giant acorn is from Hobby Lobby.

The most fun part about this mantel is the large leaf print in the middle. I actually made this in Picmonkey (a free photo editing site) using free clip art and chalkboard background. Then I had it printed at Staples as an engineer print- it cost me all of $4.00. We luuuurrrrrvvvveee Staples engineer prints (we've done loads of projects with them- you can see them here, here and here ), because they are so easy to work with and inexpensive.

*Update: Several of you asked if I could make the leaf print available as a download. Well, your wish is my command! Download the fall leaf print here.
You gotta love the colors of Fall.

The silver vase is from a thrift store and the reddish gourd-shaped vase is another CVS clearance find.

All in all, it's looking pretty cute, although my leaves probably won't live to see another day…

Its been about a year and my Stenciled Faux Tile Fireplace is still one of my favorite projects to date! It's the perfect backdrop to all my mantel decorating craziness.: )
Do you decorate your mantel for the seasons?

While I know the official start date for fall is a month away today truly seems like the first day of fall for me. It's dark, cool and rainy out and our pumpkins are starting to turn orange'.

I planted my urns up with Mums this weekend''.

The hydrangea are starting to get their pink tinge''

A small stray leaf has turned red and fallen to earth'.

And a school bus passed by''.

What does fall say to you?

I know that I'm a little behind on Fall mantle decor, but I thought I'd share what I have going on right now on my newly updated fireplace. When I stenciled the fireplace, I rearranged the mantle, as well, in a back-to-school/early Fall style.

I loved how light and airy it felt, yet still included some Autumn touches like the rust and yellow books and green apples. Works beautifully with my stencil, doesn't it?

The books are actually Monica's that she bought at the barn sale, and I know she wants them back, but I don't think she realizes how at home they look on my mantle. Maybe these pictures will convince her?!; ) The propeller thing was an item I found while on vacation at the Jersey shore and I whole-heartedly adore it. The tiles are from the historic Moravian Tile Works not far from my house. I have four of them and each represent a different season. 

 But then, I got itching to really fallify my house with rich, deeper colors, so today, I brought out all my junk and got to work. When I'm styling a mantle- or any space for that matter- I like to collect things from all over the house and mess around with them for a while. I should have taken a few outtake pictures, because oh boy, you would have thought I lost my head at some of the arrangements I came up with. I usually try to follow a few simple rules, like grouping in threes and mixing up patterns and textures. So, here's mantle # 2 for you:

In my opinion, you can't ever go wrong with pumpkins so I made sure to include them.

Some of the pieces were used in my fall mantle last year, like this copper-colored vase and faux grasses. The mirror was a $4 find at Liberty Thrift Store, that I've been holding on to until just the right time. 

I've had the little dried gourds for years, and the over-sized acorn came from Hobby Lobby. 

I always love decorating and redecorating my mantle again and again and again. It's a sickness. Do you change your mantle decor to fit the season? Which style do you prefer: Mantle #1 or #2? I'm undecided.: )

Today, those of us in PA enjoyed an early taste of summer! So, in honor of the beautiful weather, we're going to talk gardening! Ok, don't tune out on me yet… there are some cool things about gardening even if you're not"into it"…

Longwood Gardens My mother in law has an amazing green thumb, so anything I've learned is from her. I don't have extensive knowledge, but I've found plants that work for me and that I can manage… all that translates to "plants that are very hard to kill and can deal with being ignored!" Before I share some of my favorites and some recommendations, we need a little primer on plants. Annuals are plants that don't come back year after year… you have to buy them annually. Perennials come back year after year (AKA plants that Eric thinks are nice and practical!) Yes, that seems a little basic, but come on, most people confuse the two all the time!
Now for my favorites… Grasses- these perennials are wonderful as space fillers. They're inexpensive, indestructible, and grow like crazy. My favorite type is Maidenhair Grass (Miscanthus). They come in a variety of sizes and are nice and green all spring and summer.

In the fall they get these pretty wispy thingies (again, not very exact with my names!)

They also come in a variety of colors. I've bought this deep red before and it looks great in the fall.

Vinca- These annuals are my #1 favorite flower and my go-to flower for most beds and here's why… These flowers don't need a thing from me! They love full-sun, and thrive during a drought and heat wave. That's essential for me because, I spend full-sun, heatwave days by the pool, not watering my flowers!

They totally spread and fill out an area so nicely. Vinca = instant garden!

They're awesome for hanging baskets and again need little to no water. I rarely, if ever, water ones in the ground, but might water my baskets weekly or every ten days.

Now most people use Impatiens (which btw I thought were impatience until about 2 minutes ago!) but, the reason I prefer vinca is that impatiens need TLC. They need a lot of water throughout a drought and can stand the heat, but only with care. The two look so similar, that the easy peasy flower gets my vote for sure! These are impatiens- can you tell much of a difference?

Sunflowers- who doesn't love a sunflower? We go a little crazy with our sunflowers and try out tons of different varieties. My kiddos' favorite is the Mammoth Sunflower because it's enormous! Look at this random, adorable couple and their sunflower. They really do get this big!

Sunflowers don't have a super long bloom time, but if you stager your planting- plant a handful in the same area each week- you'll have a longer bloom season. This was the border of our backyard at the old house prior to full bloom.

Did you know they come in oodles of colors and so many of them have awesome fall tones? They bloom towards the end of the summer and get me all excited for my favorite season! This little fella was from our 2009 gardening.

Final note on sunflowers- they're super easy to plant and a great one to have the kids help you with! Can't mess it up!
New Favorite: Wildflowers- Thanks to Laura from Piggy Toes Photography in Norton, MA I'm hooked on wildflowers. I'm more of a clean lines, symetrical decorator and gardener, but was totally inspired by some of her pictures to enter the world of wildflowers. Who wouldn't want this amazing backdrop for photos right in their own yard! It was this picture of her son Atticus that made me contact her and find out more about these awesome flowers. Seriously Adorable!

These are super cute and will be making an appearance in our new yard. The company Laura suggested was American Meadows and I've already ordered three bags to plant in the next few weeks.

Although I'm partial to the cutie in the diaper, they're also great for more formal shots like this one from an engagement session. If you're in the MA area, make sure you check out Laura's website for great photography at excellent prices.

I can't wait to share pics of my kiddos in our wildflowers this summer!
Cosmos- While cosmos kind of fall under the"wildflowers" category, I've been using them for years. They're a bit more"wild" looking and unrully than I'd prefer, but they're awesome for cutting and really are pretty.

They come in so many colors and they also come in a variety of heights (learned the hard way when I had mammoth plants that all needed to be staked and still looked a bit sad.)

They're just so pretty and make beautiful arrangements that last for a while.

If you think you recognize them from somewhere… it could be from the AC Expressway in New Jersey. They're planted for miles between the highway and they're so pretty all summer on our drives to the beach!

So, I don't have any really amazing gardening tips for you, other than to find something that works for you and that you actually enjoy. If I planted things that needed daily attention it wouldn't be fun for me and they'd all end up dead!
So in honor of spring weather, and of the fact my husband sent me to Lowes tonight to buy this (my first ever John Deer purchase- I was a fish out of water) enjoy the warm weather and start thinking about what you might create outside this year.

(Although a very cold one.)

It's one of those twilight days. Still summer but fall is catching in. The green couldn't be greener from the sunshine but when you stick your head out the door it's cold as h***. I'm not sure I'm amused.

Here life goes on, whether it's summer or fall. We're happy and enjoying life and each other. My Black Panther (cat) is running around calling for attention, wanting to go out all the time, which is making me a bit suspicious so today I'm booking her for a vet. 'Snip snap'

A happy day to you all. Enjoy fall, soon the winter is here.

Ladies-and the approximately 1% of readers who are dudes-, we have awesome sponsors. They are the ones who make the rest of our posts and projects possible. Not only do they support us, but they have some pretty cool stuff in their stores. We've rounded up some of favorite items for a cozy Fall season. Make sure you don't miss the discount codes and special promotions!

1. We are digging on this Antique Thread Display Drawer from Nachokitty. It could serve so many different purposes: jewelry organizer, craft supply organizer, or pretty display for your tiny treasures. Don't stop there, though. You should definitely take a look at their Etsy shop- I could browse their finds for hours!

2. I love this Industrial Table Lamp from Lucent Lampworks! I can see it snuggled up to some pretty Fall decor on a mantel or side table. Love. it. To get 10% off your purchase use the code EC2TENOFF.

3. We're heading into the holiday season, and it's always good to have small gifts on hand for teachers, neighbors etc. Stock up on these Premium Soy Candles from CJS Eco Chic in the mini 4 oz. and you won't ever have to worry! And oh man, the holiday scents are to die for!

4. We love using non-traditional materials for headboards! How about this fireplace mantel headboard? Not bad, right? Architectural Antiques is hands-down our favorite place for incredible salvaged materials to repurpose.

5. Did you see Mandi's Epic Room Makeover. She used the Nova Trellis, from Royal Design Studio in the bathroom and well, it is fabulous. As a thank you to their 10,000 FB fans, RDS is offering 25% of all orders through Sunday with the code WELOVEU.

6. You've all been waiting for Monica's big patio reveal, and tomorrow, the wait is over! They couldn't have done it without Stone Depot, and their super helpful staff. Now's the time to build an outdoor fireplace or firepit, and they guys at Stone Depot have everything you need to make that happen!

7. We can't seem to control our love for photo canvases from Canvas People! Right now you can buy a 11 x 14 Canvas for only $15 from Canvas People and $1 of every order will be donated to help fight Breast Cancer! If you need some inspiration for what to put on a canvas, check out this post! 8. Not gonna lie, once the holiday season starts (right after Halloween, in my opinion), I often need a reminder to stop and be thankful for all that I have. This 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Print from Red Letter Words makes a perfect visual reminder of that very thing…and it looks cool, too. Check out the fun new turquoise color, too! They also have a really fun, very sweet Print of the Month focused on the value we women have, and you will receive 20% off this entire section through the end of this month. 9. We love Moo & Puppy digital paper so much, we even wrote a post about all of it's many uses! I'm really liking the fall-ish colors of the Retro Digital Scrapbook Paper. Use the discount code EC2blog20 for 20% off your order!

10. We all know that Thirty-One Gifts has cute and affordable bags, but the one item I've had my eye for over a year is this small Magazine Basket. I love it's shape and versatility! Plus, you can personalize all baskets for only a few dollars more. Right now, mention EC2Blog when you order any basket and get any second item in the catalog 31% off. To place your order, click here and shoot an email to Amanda with your order.

11.Liberty Thrift Store is hands-down our go-to thrift store. Did you know that we found the chair we reupholstered for the Nate Show there? You never know what you'll find thrifting, but it's always fun! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wait, one more thing! We're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a great day, and be sure to stop over and say hi to our wonderful sponsors!

O ne of my favorite fall breads is gingerbread. There's just something about ginger, cinnamon, cloves and rich molasses that make it so delicious.

I love to pair fall foods with my brown transferware. I'm certain it makes everything taste better.
I purchased the transferware several years ago when I came across them at Home Goods. I bought twelve bowls, salad plates, and dinner plates as I thought they would make wonderful Thanksgiving dinner ware.

This is what the pattern looks like. I love the birds with the flower adornment.

This is the mark on the back.

This monogrammed 'B' silverplate was my Grandmother's everyday ware, but I keep it tucked away for special occasions. I actually found an entire set of this pattern at a flea market, but without the monogram. I wonder where one would bring silverware these days for monogramming ?
Gingerbread Recipe:
2 cups organic all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 3/4 cup low-fat organic buttermilk 1/2 cup organic sugar 1/2 cup organic molasses 1/4 cup organic low-fat milk 1/4 cup organic canola oil 2 large organic eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine flour through cloves in a large bowl with whisk. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk through eggs and stir with whisk. Pour into flour mixture, stirring until moist.
Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Enjoy.
Happy last weekend of October to you! xo

A grapevine wreath is one of the most country wreath forms out there. Usually, you picture it with some burlap, a few country stars, or something that you would never think of calling modern. We were excited when Wayfair asked if they could send us a grapevine wreath to see what we'd do with it for our fall decor.

Immediately we decided we wanted to try and go for a more modern, on-trend grapevine wreath! We quickly picked a color palette that is less than traditional for fall, but still really fun! We used these three Martha Stewart paint colors we had on hand.

Now, just keeping it real here… we tried a few options before we landed on one we liked. I don't have good pics of our failed attempts, but here are a few things we tried… Wrapping the wreath in silver duct work tape- it just looked like messy aluminum foil gone wrong… Wrapping individual little sections with embroidery floss- we loved the ideas and look, but it would have taken about 294753 hours and was far too annoying… But, that look inspired our final version…
We used the paint to fill in little sections to almost look like they were thread wrapped. Then, we used a silver metallic Sharpie to make all the thin wrapped pieces look like metal wire.

After painting some geometric shapes on the wreath hanger, we had a Modern Grapevine Wreath. Who knew?

We liked it, but wanted to tweak it just a little bit more, so we wrapped a plain canvas in striped black and white fabric and used 3M Command Strips to attach it to the door as a backdrop for the wreath.

We were instantly so much happier! The stripes added just what we needed to make us fully embrace the grapevine wreath!

Wayfair asked 10 bloggers to try their hand at a grapevine wreath. Click HERE to go check them all out! There are some really pretty wreath ideas!

And, if you don't want to make your own fall wreath (WHAT!) Wayfair has a huge selection and can hook you up!

What do you think of our modern take on grapevine? What would YOU do with a plain grapevine?

It's been a while since we showed you what's been gracing the walls of our Pinterest boards (if you don't follow us, you should!) these days. Well, that's about to change! There are so many incredibly talented, creative people out there who do some amazing projects, so prepare to be wowed!

DIY Acorn Wreath
This one's a little bit traditional since it's a wreath form, but a whole lot modern with it's repeating pattern and funky green color. Monica is wreath-hater, but I think we might be able agree that it's super fab!

Baker's Twine Apple Art I think this apple art is so stinkin' cute. Wouldn't it be fun to make an apple with red twine, a pear with green twine and a plum with blue twine? So sweet!

This Jute Table Runner is made with floral jute webbing and I think it's simple and pretty. With Thanksgiving coming, this is th perfect way to dress up your table and wow your guests,

Halloween Styrofoam Eyes Monica's kids love Halloween, and I can see them totally falling in love with these cute pairs of eyes.

Birch Bark Candles Kim figured out a way to recreate the expensive birch barch candles from Pottery Barn.,,,but for a whole lot cheaper using real birch bark.! The finished product is rustic and beautiful. If you want to see more of what we're loving on Pinterest, click the button below. Have a great weekend, everyone, and while you're at it, do a Fall craft!: ) 

N ow that it's officially here, I thought I'd give our kitchen a warm cozy look for fall. It's become my tradition to change the open shelves seasonally and I always love the freshness it offers this familiar room.

I usually display my brown transfer ware plates, but this year I thought I'd try something different. I decided to just use art and other mismatched items including a select few brown transfer ware vases and dishes.

I love the warmth that wood and wicker offers.

The little girl and lamb picture is something my Grandmother framed many years ago. As you can see, the image doesn't quite fit the frame. I planned on recycling the frame with another image, but in the end it reminds me too much of her to change it.

Next on our fall 'to do' list is to pick all of the pumpkins! I gave a couple to my friend over the weekend and she in turn made pumpkin soup with them....very inspiring. I planned on using them for pumpkin pies but since the plant produced four times more pumpkins than we anticipated, I do believe that pumpkin soup will be on the menu.
Sounds deliciously cozy don't you think?