Fun Fall Mantel

It's been awhile...I know.  To all eleven of my faithful followers...I apologize!  What can I say?  Life has been busy!  Do you want the "Cliff Notes Version"?  Well...here's a list of the latest happenings...

1.  Girl and Boy started school...3rd and 7th grade.
2.  On the third day of school Girl woke up with head LICE!!!  (what a nightmare...ugh!)
3.  One week later Girl got a virus with a fever and missed 2 more days of school.  grrr....
4.  5 Days later Boy broke his arm at football practice...can you say "End of the season"?  So sad!
5.  1 week later Boy had to have his cast removed and arm reset (OUCH!)
6.  Exactly 1 week after that Boy had to have surgery to have 2 pins put in to keep 1 of the 2 broken bones in place.
7.  Six days later I had gum replacement surgery!  (Seriously...I'm not making any of this up!)

I feel like I am behind with EVERYTHING!  I need to start working on that writing class I am suppose to be taking...I should be substitute teaching up a storm...but I can't...and...then there is the regular chores of the week.  To top it off...I am writing this post on the couch watching Narnia with Girl who is home "sick".  I think she's suffering from my choice to stop her OTC allergy meds.  oops!  Bad Mom move!

Anyway...there has been some progress with some of the MANY MANY MANY projects I have started around here.  Am I the only one in "Blog-o-sphere" who starts dozens of projects thinking that they will be quick and easy...only to have WEEKS pass and they sit there only half done?  Please tell me someone else suffers form IPS (aka Incomplete Project Syndrome)???  please?

Here is my version of the Autumn mantel.  I have had the star for forever...I know it's not really "autumn-ish" but it matched the color scheme and did you see the above list?  I can't believe I even got to this project!  The lantern is a $7.99 beauty from IKEA (love it!) and the pumpkin was an old decoration that I painted last year with a handy can of spray paint.  The banner was made by ME!!!  I love it and it was easy thanks to my circut and some paint!  The grapevine pumpkins on the hearth are from Dominick's...I picked them up several years ago...couldn't pass those babies up.  Simple but festive...what do you think?  How are you decorating for fall?  Tell me all about it.  And if you're not a follower please think about becoming one...I have some fun new projects I will be sharing...SOON!