Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Decorating for Fall!

Today's Fifty Two Shades of Shay is a peek inside our rent house! We have decorated for fall over here!

Let me start by saying this...in December when Andrew suggested we sell our house and move into a rental for a year while the new house was being built (and put half of our things in storage), my very first statement was this, "as long as I can still decorate the house for each season and you will shuttle all of my decorations to me from storage". He agreed...and therefore, I agreed. I don't mind living in temporary housing...but I want it to feel like home.

Here is my philosophy about decorating for holidays...you should do it whenever it makes YOU happy. I know I tend to decorate early. I decorated my house for fall on August 28 and will most likely decorate my house for Christmas mid-November. If it makes you happy to do it early, then do it. If it makes you happy to wait a while, then that's great too. In my opinion, it's a lot of work, so I want to enjoy it as long as I possibly can...so, I do it early. To each her own.

Here are my other thoughts on decorating for fall...

1. I try and put out mostly fall decorations and not Halloween. I feel like this way, I'm getting to celebrate the entire season instead of just one holiday. That being said, you will see some Halloween specific decorations in my house...but I really try and get mostly fall things.

2. I leave everything up past October 31. If I'm going to decorate for Christmas mid-November, then I don't want to take down everything on November 1 and wait a few weeks until I put my Christmas stuff out. Jack-o-lanterns make us happy in November too, so I don't mind leaving them out.

3. I don't host Thanksgiving at my house, so it doesn't matter to me that on Thanksgiving Day, I have Christmas decor up and not Thanksgiving decor (no one is coming over to see it). That being said, I am very thankful on Thanksgiving for my Christmas stuff being up and my house twinkling, so I think it's perfectly acceptable to have a tree up on Turkey Day...again, to each her own...this is just how I roll.

4. I have collected fall decorations for 10 years now...I know some of you are going to ask, but I do not remember where I purchased every specific item. If I mention where it was purchased below, then it's a recent enough purchase where you could run out and get one too. If I don't mention it below, then I probably got it at Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, a little boutique, Pier One or some place like that.

Welcome to our one and only fall at the rent house...

I love my front porch at this house because it's nice and wide. Our last house had a narrow porch. The stone pumpkins look so neat at night lit up with candles. I found them in Joplin at Sandstone Gardens.

I incorporate a lot of candy into my house each time I decorate for a season. Since it's fall, candy corn flows from every little container I can find. My kids don't touch it...probably because there is some kind of candy out all the time. Since it's always out, it doesn't appeal to them.

This is on my dining room table. At Christmas, I'll put out red and green M&Ms and at Valentine's Day, conversation hearts, for Easter, jelly beans, etc. It's a bright and colorful way to add a little season into everyday objects.

A peek into our family room.

The light was too bright to really show you my garland. I put up garland on the mantle for fall along with some pumpkins.

My kids' favorite part of fall decorating is when I put out the spook house! It's a Department 56 Spook House and can play haunting sounds and the little lights flash inside.

I change out my kitchen table place mats, cookbook and candle...and top it off with a big pumpkin.

I love my subway art :). I had a friend of mine make this for me last year. You can find several people on Etsy that can make the same kind of subway art for you too. Just take your favorite printable and have them turn it into a sign.

My kitchen rug makes me happy :). It came from Hobby Lobby.

I found these pumpkin plates at TJ Maxx Home Goods this month! They're really cute and come in several sizes. I also have out my Gooseberry Patch fall cookbooks (I must admit...I have 9 of them!). I love these little cookbooks!

By my sink, I always have another cookbook, a Circle E Candle and my favorite Williams-Sonoma soap.

I first bought Spiced Chestnut soap when we lived in Michigan 9 years ago. Every time we use it, we think of the Village of Rochester Hills. That was one of my very favorite places to shop and eat. I love Michigan in the fall :).

My coffee bar...the most important spot in my house!

On one side of my stove...

...and then, the other side of my stove...and my most treasured possession...

...two years ago, Sheaffer had someone come into her home and help us make these plates with our kiddos' hand and foot prints. I have one for fall and one for Christmas. I love these so much!!

I usually have the kids open little gifts on the morning of the first day of school that contain Halloween jammies, Halloween undies and something else special (this year, Pottery Barn Halloween plates), but this year, we let them open their gifts before dinner the day we decorated for fall. It was more fun doing it this way because for one, we weren't scrambling to get out the door for school and two, they could immediately put their pjs on (which they love to do!).

Waiting to be opened

And then we ended our night in our new Gymboree skeleton jammies which glow in the dark :).

I'm not the only one blogging about fall decorations today... Erika is too!

Erika is showing you inside her new home and her fall inspirations on her blog today! You won't want to miss this...it's like Fifty Two Shades of Erika as well :).

Step inside Erika's house for fall!

And if you're still looking for some more fall inspiration, don't forget to check out my fall board on Pinterest. I have more fall there than you would know what to do with!

I also have a delicious assortment of fall recipes on my foodie blog!

And one last thing...tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, I'll be cooking in the kitchen at Good Morning Texas! We're cooking up quick and easy breakfast solutions for busy families!