Decorating for FALL

Now that a chill is in the air... 

it's time to break out the FALL decorations!

Let's start with the outside of the house.

Pumpkins are always a must.

I bought them from the grocery store - (they had a 2 for $7 sale.)

To match the blue planters... 

... I decided to make this cute wreath.

It cost about $15 and only took me ONE hour to make!

What you'll need:

(I got all these supplies at Hobby Lobby)

 - 1 styrofoam circle 

- 1 roll of burlap ribbon

- 1 small roll of brown ribbon

- 1 large roll of orange ribbon

- 1 wooden letter

- Yarn

- Hot glue gun

- 1 decorative ornament 

First...

Wrap the burlap ribbon around the styrofoam circle.

Use some hot glue to secure the ribbon in place.

Wrap your smaller ribbon around the burlap.

(Once again, secure it in place with some hot glue.)

Then...

Wrap yarn around the letter.

You can secure it by tying the loose ends in the back.

Wrap the larger, orange ribbon around the top of the wreath.

(Leave a loop so that you can hang it from the door.)

Attach the ribbon to the back of the wreath with more hot glue.

And... attach the letter to the front of the wreath with hot glue.

Finally...

Use a piece of yarn to hang the decorative ornament.

(I found this brown leaf at Hobby Lobby and loved it.)

All done!

Super easy.

Now... let's step INSIDE the kitchen.

First up...

I used the same ribbon (that I used for the wreath) to spruce up the table runner.

I took these orange vases (that I got on clearance for $3.00 from Target)...

Wrote the word "Boo!" on them with chalk... 

and set a white pumpkin on top.

These are great, because once Halloween is over, I can erase the "Boo!" 

and write "Give" & "Thanks" for Thanksgiving.

Then...

I set a white, ceramic pumpkin in the middle of this basket... 

and filled it with pine cones.

Done!

I also placed a small decoration on top of the kitchen island.

I cut the bottom off a large tree branch...

... and placed a few decorations on top.

In the LIVING ROOM... 

... I used a lot of ceramic pumpkins.

(These were all purchased at Hobby Lobby.)

The coffee table centerpiece is a large, round dish...

with a candle in the middle...

and lots of "fall filler" around it.

The fireplace was sprinkled with pumpkins too.

Well, there you have it!

Decorations are up.

If you'd like to see previous Fall decorations at the house - click here!

A New Chapter

Someone has big news...

Yes, it's true!

After 10 months of being "on the beach"... I finally got a new job.

But, (shocker!) it's NOT in TV.

Starting next week, I will be the new

Senior Public Relations Coordinator at The Nebraska Medical Center.

It's a FANTASTIC job... and I am so lucky to have it.

(I literally keep pinching myself.)

It includes everything I LOVE about TV journalism... 

and excludes everything I DON'T like about the TV world.

For starters... 

I'll help handle all the social media for the hospital.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Pinterest, etc.

I absolutely LOVE social media - 

and can't wait to help the hospital grow their audience with each of these platforms.

Aside from social media...

I'll also set up reporters with stories they request.

And, I'll be pitching them story ideas too.

But, speaking of stories...

I STILL GET TO TELL THEM!

Even though mine won't be on TV anymore, you can view them 

on the Med Center's YouTube page.

They range from special events, to patients' stories, to interviews with doctors and volunteers.

And, I can't say enough GOOD THINGS about the hospital.

(They are ranked #1 in Nebraska.)

Like my co-worker says, 

"If you have a broken bone - go to any hospital... 

but if you have a broken brain - come to the Nebraska Medical Center."

And, speaking of my NEW co-worker... it's actually one of my OLD co-workers.

The one, the only... Taylor Wilson.

(Former Main Anchor at FOX 42.)

The last time Taylor and I worked together, I was anchoring the weekend shows at FOX 42

and he was anchoring Monday-Friday with these three smiling faces :)

(Tyson Pearsall, JJ Davis, Amanda Mueller, Taylor Wilson)

Some people have asked me, "Aren't you going to miss being on TV?"

And the answer is, "Not really."

I've had 10 months to prepare me for a life out of TV.

I don't miss the hectic schedules, crazy deadlines, thankless attitudes, crummy paychecks, 

working holidays, broken equipment, lack of resources... the list goes on and on.

However...

I will miss the once-in-a-lifetime interviews and experiences that TV provided.

I met some AMAZING people over the last six years, and have INCREDIBLE stories to prove it.

Last week...

I was digging through some old boxes and found my VERY FIRST "Reporters Notebook."

It was from my internship at KETV back in 2003.

(I can't believe I still had it after all these years.)

Finding it immediately took me back to those days when I thought, 

"Someday I am going to be on The Today Show."

I was certain of it.

Nothing else mattered.

But, then I got older... and realized that being on TV isn't everything.

I'm tired of missing out on important moments:

Holidays, family reunions, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

I want to be able to take a vacation during the months of February, May, July and November.

(For non TV people, those are ratings periods - you're not allowed to take vacation time.)

Being in PR will allow me this luxury!

Before I took the job at the Nebraska Medical Center, I read this book:

I found the book on my parents' bookshelf.

I was currently pondering the question myself... so I started reading it.

And, it was fascinating.

There were certain paragraphs in the book that really struck me:

"Finding what we should do is one of life's great dramas. It can be an endless process of discovery, one to be appreciated and respected for its difficulty."

"People who love what they do are much more productive than those who are doing it for the paycheck. Our value will increase radically. We will be the source of good ideas. 

And we will be rewarded."

"Most people jump through life asking what's next, and choosing based on where can they make the most money, what offers the most upside or opportunity. A conventional 'success' story is one where, with each next, the protagonist has more money, more respect, and more possessions. I'd like to suggest an alternative 'success' story - one where, with each next, the protagonist is closer to finding that spot where he's no longer held back by his heart, and he explodes with talent, and his character blossoms, and the gift he has to offer the world is apparent."

I truly believe the gifts I have to offer are:

Creativity, storytelling, problem solving, compassion, and the desire to make a difference.

(Coincidentally, we had a poster in the FOX 42 newsroom with that very slogan!)

I know I can use ALL of those gifts in my new role at the hospital.

I am so excited about this next chapter in my life... and have no regrets.

I may not have made it as the next Katie Couric... 

but I believe God has an even BIGGER plan for me...

and it's going to be amazing.