Fall is my favorite time of year to decorate.  There are no attached expectations (the wrapping of gifts, parties, big meals to prepare, etc.) to the beginning of this season. Our job is to enjoy the change of weather and here in Arizona we are pretty thankful for that.  

I think this year I am extra appreciative  to be able to mark the season because last fall I wasn’t feeling well.  More on that later in the post  For now I want to share the terra cotta pumpkin holder that I created to display a ceramic pumpkin next to my free printable from Diane at An Extraordinary Day   P.S. – It only cost me $1.67 to have this printed.  I already had the frame.  Isn’t it so cute?  

I liked Diane’s arrangement so much and knew I wanted to do something similar so off to the thrift store I went.  No candlestick but I did find a similar looking pumpkin  for $1.99 and that made me do a happy dance. Knowing the candlestick wasn’t in my immediate future – I started to think outside the box and spied this old terra cotta pot on my 5th trip down the same row. – Hmm!  What if I turned it upside down?   The pumpkin fit perfectly and the height was good so another $.99 was spent.

When I got home, I removed the tags with a little Goo Gone Spray  and gave it a water bath.  Then I took my shoebox size box of painting supplies and found an Expresso Brown Outside Paint from DecoArt that was brand new.  This is my new favorite color.  

You can see how rich the color is after a few coats.  I also painted the inside of the pot and gave it a spray of matte sealer.  This way it can be reused in the years to come for all kinds of things:  pinecones with berries, etc.  I’m so happy I still have 2/3 of the paint bottle left – I see other projects in my future.  It was then time to remove the tags off of the pumpkin and give it a good cleaning.  

Most of my decorating items are from discount stores or taking something from a thrift store and giving it a bit new life like this pot.  And sometimes in my treasure hunts – there is actually something that is brand new or practically brand new that just needs a home.  This is one way I have stayed within our budget and made the holidays a little extra special.

As I mentioned I’m pretty appreciative being able to decorate this year.  Last fall brought 2 cases of shingles my way which kept me on the couch most days.  Want to learn more about Shingles? – Click Here  This was the 3rd time for me so last week I got the Shingle Vaccine  Okay I’m going to rant just a little – Because I’m not 60 I had to pay for the vaccine – $220.00 – Really?  insurance company, take a look at what you paid for last fall – okay enough of that – spending too much time on the what’s not working can easily steal my joy from all the things that are are so right.

One last picture – There is something magical about creating something new from something old.  

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