Fall in Indiana

Hello all! Thanks for the comments on the new door trim! I’m loving it as always. Yesterday I started one of my last big projects in the room – the new window trim. It’s all installed and now I’m starting the caulking, filling and many coats of paint. :) And I’m EXCITED because our new French door should be in this week – so we will have a completely finished space very very SOON. Goodness, I can’t wait.

I have to tell you – we have had an incredible fall around here. The trees are absolutely BURSTING with color this year! I know the intensity of the colors all depends on a certain mix of temps and rain and all that – so whatever happened this year was perfect because it’s been awhile since I’ve seen the trees look quite this vibrant.

We try to take advantage of all the fun stuff going on locally in Indiana during this time of year – there are SO many cool things we do every year. One of our traditions has been a trip to Nashville Indiana for a day – usually we stop by on our way home from our family weekend every fall but we ended up in Kentucky for that this year.

So we decided to take a trip down for a day to take everything in. It was an absolutely perfect time to see all the color. If you haven’t been to the Brown County area before and you’re within driving distance I highly recommend it. It’s great any time of the year – I really want to stay in a cabin in the winter sometime. But the fall is when this area really shines:

The main street in Nashville is lined with TONS of shops and restaurants:

There’s so many you can’t get through it all in one day.

It was a little chilly and we got some rain a couple times, but overall a lovely day. We walked up and down taking it all in:

We went to a few new-to-us places this year – the Rock Shop was one. We grabbed a bag of dirt and then took it over to “mine” it:

One small bag contains a ton of beautiful rocks and fossils. We had a blast doing that – my son is now obsessed with rocks and it made me happy because I used to love them too. :)

The shops are all small and most are located in old homes and buildings. You’ll find handmade brooms:

Aren’t they beautiful?

There are a couple Christmas shops and we stop in one every year to add to the Bub’s Christmas village:

And just fun little trinkets and gifts everywhere:

:) You’ll find wineries, breweries and amazing little treats like cinnamon sugar biscuits with apple butter as well.

Every shop is decked out with fall and Halloween decor:

It’s just filled with quaint areas and beautiful spots everywhere you look:

Nashville was packed that day but we still got around just fine. We walked around for about four hours and then took off to Brown County State Park just down the street:

I grew up camping in this park so it was fun to take my son through it. The views were absolutely STUNNING. I was literally gasping at the colors everywhere we looked.

The seven-year-old thought it was cool too, just not quite as much as mom. ;)

The park has a couple lookouts you can climb up and get great shots (where I got the ones above) but there are tons of spots to pull over and get a great view:

We walked up to this lookout and a young couple had literally just gotten engaged. She was saying yes as we walked up and it was PRECIOUS. I took their photo and then got one of my own:

I don’t think people realize the beauty that Indiana holds:

We’re not all cornfields. ;) Although those can be quite beautiful too.

For a few weeks out of the year we get a spectacular show from Mother Nature:

And at this time and every other time of the year, there’s no place I’d rather be. Can you blame me?:

We probably have another week or so of these colors – and in southern Indiana where Nashville and the park are maybe a little longer. The leaves are really starting to drop here in central Indiana and I’m extra sad about it this year. It’s been a lovely fall.

Have you traveled to Nashville or been to our pretty state in the fall? We’d love to have you. :)

Birthday quiz answers

Hey all! Happy WEEKEND!

I’m back today with the answers to the annual birthday quiz my friend Chris and I do every year. It hurt our brains to come up with somewhat interesting facts about ourselves again, cause we’re boring. :) But we did it! So here are the answers and the winner!

Has never learned to play an instrument?

I hang my head in shame – it’s me. My mother played piano, my Dad is a musician and plays the guitar and drums and my husband was a BAND DIRECTOR and is a composer. Ridiculous. I was in the marching band but I was in the guard. ;)

Never wears matching socks?

I’m weird but not that weird. That’s all Chris.

I’m guessing it makes getting ready in the morning easier?

Does not have pierced ears?

This one is Chris too. I have three ear piercings – the extra was back when that was cool. Is it still cool? Anyway I haven’t worn an earring in it for years and it won’t close.

Suffered whiplash from a mechanical bull?

Yeah, all me just a few months ago. I actually was fine riding the bull, it was when I was thrown off (twice) that the whiplash happened. I have had it from car accidents and interestingly enough, it hurt worse from the bull. ;)

Auditioned to be on The Wheel of Fortune?

This one was me! I was a poor college student and thought I could win some cash? I guess? Ha! I don’t even know – but I was SO not what they were going for. They traveled around to different cities for the tryouts and you had to practically scream the letter and do a cheerleader move to be peppy enough for them. I am many things but peppy is not one. I was all, “I’d like an “A”??” Not good enough for the Wheel!

Oh and side note – you have to pay your way out there so it wouldn't have happened anyway!

Is a grandma?

ME! :) This sweetness is my stepdaughter’s boy:

I’ve known my stepdaughter most of her life and feel like her “second” mom not stepmom, so I won’t ever call Cheeks my step grandbaby. He’s a JOY!!!! Can’t believe he’ll be one soon!!

Had horrible experiences on horses and will never ride them again?

This one was Chris but it was a hard one because like many things with Chris and I, we had similar experiences. I rode a horse as a child and HATED it. I haven’t ridden again but would consider it. Chris is just done. And I understand why.

Didn’t visit Disney until she was nearly 40?

This one was me! I never went as a kid and since both my husband and I travel to cool places for work we rarely schedule vacations outside of those trips. But last year we went (and then went back again) and we are HOOKED. We’re heading back this year and cannot wait!:

Favorite author is Jane Austen?

This one is Chris too – I think it’s mandatory since she’s an English teacher. :) Honestly I don’t think I’ve read a Jane Austen book since high school? I’m more of a Gone Girl type.

The winner of our $100 Target gift this year is Niki from JandE Doodles on Etsy – her shop is adorable, be sure to check it out!

I honestly can’t believe we were able to come up with more questions this year – it’s going to be rough next time. :) You can check out our questions and answers from years past here and here!

Have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Justa Decor Birthday Quiz!

WHOOT! It’s that time again…the best day of the year! It’s the Thrifty Justa Decor Girls’ birthday! ;)

If you are totally confused – today is my birthday. And it just turns out that my blogging BFF has the same birthday. Her name is Chris and she blogs at Just a Girl. When we realized we had the same birthday it didn’t come as a surprise to us really. We are so alike about MOST things it’s just weird. (But she doesn’t like noodles…that’s right up there with not liking ranch dressing. Helloooo.)

Let’s say I think this girl is amazing and after the year she’s had – she is one of my heroes. I am so thankful to have her in my life, even though she is a state away.

Here’s a few of my favorite spots in her beautiful home – this front porch? The stuff fall dreams are made of:

And her organized garage is RIDIC. I can’t even finish that word it’s so blissfully organized:

Her dining room is so classic and lovely – it’s one of my favorite spaces in her house:

Which is weird, by the way. That I only see her house online and I’ve never been in it. But I know I’d walk right in and open up her fridge. Blogger friendships are funny. :)

The dining room is gorgeous but this bathroom is perfection:

Planked walls! Black vanity! Blue ceiling? Yep, all of it.

If you’ve been around for a few years you know we celebrate our birthday each year by giving one of YOU a $100 Target gift card. Cause we’re cool like that. You just have to answer ten questions. The first five are here and then you can go on over to visit Chris and answer the rest. When you’re done comment (on either blog) and let us know how many you got right.

I mean seriously…some of these are EASY. Some…pretty hard. You may have to click on the quiz button to get it to load, but it should after that. Remember Chris is Just a Girl and Sarah is me. :)

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

 

Have fun! I’ll be back on Monday my friends!

Family getaway

Hello my friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend!

We were away with family this weekend and it was wonderful. One weekend a year my entire family -- parents (my dad and stepmom), the kids and all the grandkids get together. It’s a treat from our parents and it’s turned into a wonderful tradition for us.

The problem is finding a location that can fit us all. I’ve mentioned before that I’m one of seven kids – there are full, half and step and I’m the oldest of them all. I was an only child for ten years too, the oldest and only is a dangerous combination. ;)

This time there were about 20 of us – you can see why it’s hard to find a place to fit everyone. Usually we go to southern Indiana in the fall but this year we took a trip down to Kentucky to a spot our parents love.

It’s called Mountain Laurel Lake in Harned, KY and there aren’t any mountains and the lake is really more like a pond, but the name is pretty, yes? We were truly in the middle of nowhere:

It was SO quiet. And a welcome change from all the activity at our house over the past few weeks.

The main cabin was the biggest so it’s where we ate dinners. The kids (OK, and the adults) loved the horses:

And there was a fenced in area for all the dogs (we are an animal loving family) and plenty of places to sit and swing:

Down some steep roads were the rest of the cabins off the lake. We couldn’t swim in it but the view was lovely off our deck:

We sat on the deck during a massive storm the last night and it was spectacular! Actually, we were out on that deck about 90 percent of the time, day and night.

They had little boats we used to just tool around in or get to the other cabins:

The kids (OK, and the adults) loved them! Since there were so many of us we were in three different cabins and this made it easy to get to each other.

My favorite part was the hike my Dad kept telling us about. I’ve never seen so many mossy rocks!:

They were absolutely everywhere!

Big ones too:

It was really, really beautiful. I eat this stuff up – just love it:

The bugs…not so much. I think Dad was a little over his five girls and our fear of ticks and GINORMOUS spiders on this trip. But seriously Dad. GINORMOUS.

The scenery was just gorgeous though. Dad said there are usually waterfalls coming down but it hadn’t rained much before we went on the hike:

A few of us climbed to the top:

That’s me up there. :)

And we got a hiking selfie while we were at it:

It was another wonderful weekend with some of the people I love most in this world. The only one missing was my husband – he’s been away on a work trip to Singapore for 11 days and is on his way back as I type. We can’t WAIT to see him!!

Did I mention there wasn’t any Internet or cell phone service? Well, we would get spotty service up at the main cabin, but we weren’t there much. So we were forced to bond and the cousins had a ball together. It was nice to get away with my boy too:

The heart and soul needs weekends like this sometimes. I love our parents for making it happen for the whole family.

Do you ever get away with your extended family like this? Any favorite spots? Anyone know of a a cabin big enough for all of us within three to four hours of Indy? We’re considering Lake Michigan sometime – that would be spectacular.

Haven 2014

Hello all! Wow, this week went crazy fast. Only one more month of summer for us – I’m not ready for it to end yet. :(

Last week I was away in Atlanta for our third annual Haven Conference:

I don’t know that any of us imagined it would become the success it has four years ago when we started planning the first one. We had all been attending conferences and none of them touched on topics we were interested in as DIY/decor bloggers. So…we created one that did. :)

Our team consists of five bloggers and one event coordinator and I can honestly say we couldn’t do it without each of us. AND our incredible speakers, attendees, sponsors and volunteers.

Stuffing four hundred swag bags is no joke:

  

Once again our main sponsor was Home Depot and they knocked it out of the park:

Our keynote speaker this year was Chip Wade from HGTV:

His designer Cristi joined us too – I met her at another event years ago and her designs on the show are awesome. Their show is called Elbow Room – I’ve loved it since it started last year – you may remember Chip from Curb Appeal too. He does some of the coolest projects I’ve seen anywhere!

And Ballard Designs did another fabulous job at decorating our “living room”:

We use this space for booths and sessions and parties and it’s so wonderful to be able to plop down and relax for a bit:

We may or may not have laid down on one of the beds for a while at one point. Exhaustion sets in. ;)

The sessions were awesome this year – I think the best we’ve had. I’ve been blogging for six years and I learned more at this year’s conference than any conference I’ve ever been to. There’s ALWAYS something to learn.

Our sponsors rock – when we walked into the Procter & Gamble luncheon on Friday there may have been a few squeals:

Bubbles! Our friends Brooke and Mandi did the decor and they did SUCH a great job.

We had some amazing parties every night where we danced till…uhhhh, late. :) Rustoleum threw a great one Friday night and we ended the event on a fun note at the Ryobi party on Saturday:

Yeah. They know how to throw a party. Need a party planner? Ask them. ;)

I couldn’t imagine making this happen without these ladies every year:

(L to R: Beth, Chris, Kristin (our awesome event planner!), Traci, me, Rhoda)

It is still funny to me that some of my closest friends are ones I only see once or twice year. But those rare times are so incredibly special.

We’re already making tweaks for next year and then we’ll take a little break before planning starts again for 2015 this fall. Whew!

This year we kicked off a special initiative in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Next Saturday, July 26, will be “Hands of Haven” day:

 

The conference has donated towards a build that day and Atlanta-based bloggers will be onsite, but we want bloggers and readers from all over the country to join in! If you’d like to donate to our effort click here or to purchase a HoH t-shirt you can click here. We started selling them at the conference but wanted to make sure everyone could purchase.

On the 26th we encourage everyone to join in on build in your community, shop a ReStore or just donate some household items to one. We’ll continue the spirit into September as well if you can’t make next Saturday! Make sure to tag #handsofhaven if you join in in any way.

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Disaster house

Well, the first day I was pretty cool. This isn’t so bad! (I said in my head.) The next few days weren’t bad either. Then I went away for a conference and the work was happening while I was gone. Best way to do it, in my opinion.

This week, however -- the renovation is getting messy. There comes a point when you just determine it’s a lost cause and you give up and go rock in a corner. OK, not rocking yet. Just a little twitch.

The floors. Wow. Every day I clean them and it doesn’t matter. Why do I do this? WHYYYY?:

Cause if you clean one spot you walk through another covered in dust and it just drags it back to the clean one. What’s that definition of insanity again?

So…not messing with that anymore. The floors are getting restained here anyway so in the end it’s not a big deal.

We dumped all the stuff from my office and the family room in the front of the house that first day and I haven’t touched a thing since:

I think about taking them somewhere else, but I’m not exactly sure where somewhere else is right now. So I’ll wait it out another week.

All of his normal “perches” are a mess right now, so this is where he sits all day:

We just dragged the chairs into the dining room…two weeks ago…and haven’t moved them since:

The big box I have no excuse for – it’s a return that has now become part of hubby’s “desk.” Hmmm.

Let’s talk about that desk. In the summer he hates working in the basement without natural sunlight. TOTALLY get it and I’m cool with it.

I’m cool with it. I’m cool with it. I’m…

OK, it drives me crazy. But I love him and I deal. :)

And for real…mine’s no better:

Still trying to figure out why I have a roll of toilet paper on there. Maybe it’s best I don’t know.

I’m still so excited about this whole thing that I’m OK with the mess. I figure it’s going to be like this for at least another week. Once I get past next Wednesday things will be wrapping up and I can do a massive clean up. Thankfully the weather has been AMAZING so the windows are open and it at least smells fresh and clean.

The end result is worth it and I’m still giddy that we are able to do this!! I like to share the bad with the good around here so there you go – my house as it looks right now. Don’t you want to come over?

P.S. I am crying laughing right now that these images have the “Pin it” button on them.