Pretty Fall Floral & Decor Discoveries

I have been completely awestruck at all the beautiful Fall florals and decor I have been seeing wherever I go.  I usually find Fall such a sad time of the year, for it marks the end of warm weather, fun times, and of course the growing season, but this year I have been enjoying every minute of it.  Perhaps it could be because this has been one of the warmest, most beautiful falls we have had in many years.  Or perhaps it could be because this is the first fall I haven't had to work in over six years, so I am able to get out and enjoy it.  I don't know what the reason is, but I am loving every minute of it, capturing as much of it on camera as I can!

My husband and I have been traveling a lot and visiting a lot of cute towns and beautiful state parks the past couple of months.  We recently went to the Twin Cities for a conference, and I found this lovely floral display outside where the conference was held.

I really loved the backdrop of the fountain grass and of course the amazing bright yellow of the mums.

 We also stopped in a sweet little town not far from our home called Alma.  There we discovered this cute store front business all decked out for fall.

They had a wonderful mix of different colored mums and pumpkins.

Just look at all this color!

 The owner mixed in sunflowers, fountain grasses, and dried florals in her display.

The sidewalk, door, windows, and even the walls were decorated for fall.

There was another pretty store front in this town that used mums in hanging baskets and in containers to decorate for fall.

The following weekend, we visited another town called Wabasha.  I've already shown you the fun pumpkins we discovered there is THIS POST.  But while there, we saw many other cute fall displays, like the one in front of this gorgeous brick building.  Oh, and isn't that ivy growing up the wall so beautiful?

 The owners used haystack and dried corn stalks as backdrops for the fall items they were selling.

I liked the unique square shapes of the scarecrows.

This wagon is so cute!

They may be a little too cutesy for some people's taste, but they are sure to make anyone smile!

 Have a great day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Happily Ever After Card

This is a anniversary card I made using pretty designer paper as the primary focus.

The paper is from DCWV "Once Upon a Time".  The heart image and sentiment is retired Stampin' Up! "Happily Ever After".

I hand cut the heart out after I stamped it, then I popped it up on dimensionals over the other heart stamped shape.  The circular panels are cut with Spellbinder's Nestabilies and also popped up.

Two different shades of pink ribbon were used to create the knot.

The other paper colors are Pretty in Pink and Neenah Cream.

This card is available for sale at my Etsy Store.

Have a great day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE.

My Fall Stitch Fix Review: My Best Fix Yet!

I am so excited because I received THE MOST AMAZING FALL STITCH FIX!  I was absolutely thrilled with it!  There was only one item I didn't need (a pair of blue jeans), but after I wore them for a day, I was happy they were sent and that I kept them!

For anyone unfamiliar with Stitch Fix, you can read all about the company HERE.  For the rest of you, here is my review!

I receive on average four Stitch Fix's a year:  one for every season, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.  I've been getting Fix's for two years now.  This is my second Fall Fix.  I've had the same stylist for every Fix.

For this Fix, I was very specific with my stylist.  In addition to providing a Pinterest Stitch Fix Board Link, I told her I wanted an Olive Green Cargo Vest,  a suede button down A-Line Skirt, anything with fringe, and any new fall trends.  Well, I didn't receive any of the exact items I requested because Stitch Fix did not have them, BUT, I could tell my stylist really heard me because she incorporated many of the elements I was looking for into this Fix.

Here is what my Fix looked like when I opened the box.  I almost burst out in a giddy laughter when I saw the suede fringe peeking out!

And now this is what I received.

First up, another pair of jeans.  This was the third pair of jeans I received from Stitch Fix.  My first thought was, "Oh no, not another pair of jeans!"  Ladies, I have so many pairs of jeans, they are toppling over in my closet!  I did not need another pair of jeans.  But of course, when I put them on, I fell in love.  I don't know what it is about Stitch Fix jeans, but they always fit me like a glove and feel oh, so nice!

The Liverpool Collen Straight Leg Jean is made of a very stretchy material but you would never know it by looking at it.  They look and feel like regular denim, but  you could pull this material away from your leg and it will snap back like a rubber band!  It's amazing!  It is made to hug all your curves, and move with your body.  I wore these jeans hiking (see THIS POST) and I was so comfortable all day.  And, these jeans held their shape…for two days!  Yes, I wore them twice before washing them!  They never once got saggy or loose.  I highly recommend them.

Here is the stylist card the jeans came with.

And here are the jeans?  Do they not look like regular denim jeans to you?

The next item I received was a poncho.  I was thrilled to see a poncho in my Fix because I didn't have one when I received my Fix.  It was also very different from most of the ponchos I have seen in the stores.  I loved the color, the stripes, and the boxy shape.

Here is the stylist card.  

And here is the poncho:

My third item in my Fix was a A-line skirt.  No, it wasn't suede or button down like I requested, but it was the shape I like, and I loved the color, plaid pattern, and the fabric.  This skirt is so super soft!  When I first pulled it out, I thought it looked too tiny or short, but it fit perfectly!

Here is the stylist card:

And here is the skirt:

The next item I received was a grey cargo vest.  It wasn't olive green like I requested, but I loved this one just as well.  I already own two olive green coats, so perhaps a grey vest would be a better addition to my wardrobe than a green one anyway!

Here is the stylist card:

And here is the vest:

I liked how the drawstring was inside the jacket.

And the final item in my Fix was this suede fringe handbag.  Oh! Was I happy to see this in my Fix!  I have been looking for a fringe bag forever, but every one I kept finding looked and felt very cheap.  I have no idea what this one is really made of as it did not contain a material information tag, but it looks and feels so luxe!  

I'm not sure if it is real suede, but it sure looks and feels like it is, and that is all that matters to me.

I love all the little intricate details of this bag, and the large size is a super plus for me.

And now, here I am wearing my items.  In this photo I have on both the poncho and the jeans I received in my Fix.

I accessorized my poncho with a long chain necklace (although I would not recommend this.  The rubbing of the chain against the sweater all day caused it to pill) and carried a brown tote.

 In these photos I am wearing the jeans again, but this time with the vest I received in the Fix.

I wore an old plaid shirt from Modcloth (last shown HERE) and cognac tall boots.

It may not look like it in the pictures, but it was very cold when these pictures were taken.  The wind felt like ice!  I accessorized with a black plaid scarf to help keep me warm, and I also wore a pea coat over everything when I was done taking photos!  :)

For jewelry, I wore a wide, feather-shaped silver cuff.

And finally, here I am with the fringe bag and the plaid skirt.  I will show more of this outfit in a later post, because I want to talk about this cute black poncho I found at a gift shop.  But for now, here's the cute bag:

And here is the skirt.  I wore a Michael Kors black tunic with the skirt, and I added  cable knit grey tights on my legs.  I loved the idea of wearing a lighter bootie as suggested on the stylist card, but I felt I had so much black in my outfit, I had to stick with black footwear too.

So, as usual, I kept everything in my Fix.  And that is why I only have four Fix's a year:  because I tend to keep everything!  I couldn't afford to do monthly Fix's if I kept everything.  I've only had to send three items back in the two years of Fix's I've received.  Either my stylist knows me very well, or I've been very lucky!  I've always been pretty happy with most of my Fix's, but this one was MY BEST FIX YET!

Have a great day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!