Holiday Gift Swap

I just signed up for this fun Holiday Gift Swap with Freshly Picked and Ardor.  Five handmade presents for five amazing presents in return.  I can't guarantee I will give them away as gifts ;)  Check the deets HERE. 

Have a Happy + Spooky + Fabulous + Cozy Weekend!

Entertaining the Little Monsters

Hey Hey!   I'm having a snow day!  I'm visiting Colorado for the week and only here can it go from being 80* one day to snowing the next.  I've got my hands full this week watching my niece and nephew along with Ivy.  Lucky the snow is going to entertain them today but I thought I'd share with you some stuff from my bag of tricks to keep these little monsters entertained. I'm feeling like I had my right arm cut off without all my craft stuff within reach so most are simple and need minimal supplies. And um, can you believe Halloween is in like 5 days?!!  Crazy.

Last night we made Paper Crave's Spooky Halloween Garland.   I highly recommend using a craft cutter if you have one.  But then again,  I'm sure you can all wield a pair of scissors far better than I can so it might not be a big deal.  

We also used some white yarn to make a spider web in front of the fireplace.  

Baking is one of Ivy's favorite things to do.  Is it ok to make Halloween cookies and listen to Christmas music at the same time?  {Its just a one time thing to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.  But how could we not?  Its snowing!} We also picked up some chocolate chips to make some Salted Chocolate Chip cookies too.

Halloween Bingo from the Crafting Chicks is gonna be a big hit I can feel it.  I've got a 10 year old and two 4 year old monsters so its a bit tricky finding something for everyone.  The M&M's involved might have something to do with it too.

Those two 4 year old monsters are keeping me on my toes.  I LOVE this Halloween Pre K pack from Over the Big Moon.  My little school loving monster loves it too.  The jury is out on the other little monster.   

We'll also be heading to Boo at the Zoo and drinking lots of hot chocolate and apple cider.  Whats on your Halloween to do list?!  

InstaFriday 10.21.11

A little insta peak in to what we have been up to around these parts.

Our trip to utah was so fun, but so short.  We managed to pack in the important stuff though. 

1.  Tshirt scarf for family pictures.  2.  Those mountains, I wanted to bring them back home with me.  

3.  Perfect timing to catch my cousin play some football.  4.  Football for me.  Ipad for Ivy.

5.  In n out is a special treat for us northerners.  Mustard style.  6.  My lova lova.

7.  Crafting in the car.  8.  She looks so tiny.  LOVE.

Rearranging.  Makes it easier to breath.

I pay him the big bucks.  Working hard editing photos and updating my phone.  

The media tour for the Green Business of the Year is rough.  TV is scary no matter how many times I've done it.  The hardest part is the 5am wakeup call.

Sigh.  Fall is fabulous.  Pretty leaves.  Halloween Schtuff.  Soup.  And pumpkins as far as the eye can see.  

Fancy restaurants in this small-ish town are a big deal.  The new place in town is my new fave.  Especially when its with my fave husband.

This girl has me emotianally drained at the end of the day lately.  Good thing she's cute!

1.  Making cookies.  She apparently thinks its not necessary to wear a shirt while baking. 

2. Darth Vader face. I was instantly cooler when I made her a light saber. 

3.  Sometimes the mess is totally worth the hours of entertainment.

4.  Pumpkin picking with Grandma.  

Last night my friends surprised me with an early birthday girls night on the town.  A yummy dinner {see fire picture above} and Footloose.   The movie was totally cheesy and totally awesome.  Willard cracked me up the whole time.  But even better was laughing with such good friends.   Thanks ladies I loved every second!

Mellow Yellow

I am in love with the fall days we have been having.  Crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and that mellow yellow light of the early evenings making all of the leaves absolutely glow.  And the clothes.  Ahh the fall clothes.  I love it.  Ivy on the other hand is having a harder time transitioning to the whole wearing clothes that cover her limbs thing.  

ME

sweater.forever21.

gray striped shirt.walmart. 

jeans.express.

boots.target.super old.

scarf.downeastbasics.

IVY

navy polkadot dress. oldnavy.

stickers. yokes.

{linking up with the pleated poppy again. its kind of fun.  you should try it!}

Gimme some Sugar {cookies!}

You know how you have those awesome recipes from your mom.  But you are always looking for something better.  Just in case?  That's how I have been with sugar cookies.   And I always go back to this one.  It is WAY easy and unless I forget about them in the oven they are soft, just how I like em.  Plus they don't take a ton of time so when we decide to make sugar cookies we get to do it right then.
I guess Mother knows best.    {Totally in a tangled voice by the way}

In the spring I add some lemon zest and lemon juice.  In the summer I use part almond extract.  And in the fall and winter  I love to add cinnamon and nutmeg.  One thing for sure though is they gotta be soft, which I think has a lot to do with how thick you roll out the dough.

So I wanna know are you a soft sugar cookie kind of person? Or are you crazy and like the crunchy kind? ;)
    

Pin Did {fashion}

My friend Lindsay commented on an outfit pin once... "I think you have all of that in your closet."  I quickly realized that a lot of the fall outfits I loved were just variations or a better put together version of what I already had in my closet.   So as I packed up my bag to head for Utah over the weekend I didn't have to try very hard to think of what I was going to wear.  And I didn't have to buy anything.  Uh, ok maybe I bought the gloves and the scarf.  It was COLD while we were there!  

ME

scarf.sweater.jeans.gloves.target.

striped top.boots.old navy.

purse.made by me. 

IVY 

dress.cardigan.boots.leggings.old navy.

DARIN

coat.scarf.oldnavy

jeans.macys

beanie.toms.

{Linking up with Amanda again.  She's totally holding me responsible for not just pinning, but doing.}

{ps also adding my first and maybe only WIWW!}

Insta Friday 10.7.11

Happy Insta-Friday!  Here's a little peek at what has been keeping us busy these days. 

Isn't he cute?!  I got him at The Junk Barn Girls show and I heart him.  My friend Shannon put on a fabulous antique show and I can't wait for the next one.  I also picked up a turquoise window that I love.

 

We started back up with our co-op preschool.  Ivy insisted on curls with our curl stick.  Still love that thing.  And she uh finally fit in to that one dress I made oh, 2 years ago. 

My very own Allora Handmade from some kind friends. 

In between conference sessions we went for a family bike ride.  I think we went about .5 miles per hour but we loved that Ivy is getting braver.  

Ivy fell asleep the other day, during the day.  Its a magical day when she takes one of those things other kids take called naps.

I'm not much of a drawer but I sketched out this fox for an applique the other day.  Darin still can't believe that I drew it.  I know I said, I'm just as impressed and shocked by it too.

I've given in to Fall.  Mostly because summer weather is just gone.  But I fully embrace it once it comes. One of my favorite parts is that its scarf weather!! See any munchins in the back seat?  

It helps our food storage to be related to farmers and people who know farmers.  Ivy helped by labeling the bags for me.  I will smile every time I see her four year old handwriting on a bag when I pull it out of the freezer. 

Apparantly some people can't let go of summer.  We bundled up and went wakeboarding this week.  Well, I watched while my crazy husband wakeboarded.  I had on my uggs and a beanie.

My little fox in applique form.  I heart him still.  And I can't wait to meet the little guy that he is intended for this weekend.  All I got to say is the snow better be melted in Utah by the time I get there.  

Woot!  Greenies {thats our business we own in case you didn't know} got the City of Richland Green Business of the Year.  Its a major award.  ;)  

Hope you had a fabulous week!  

Pin Did

 Last week I found some doilies from my mother in law and I knew right away what I would do with the one that had a stain.  Just the day before I had pinned an idea from Betz White, so I quickly put together my own spiderweb to add a bit of vintage spooky to our Halloween decor.  Simply put your doily in an embroidery hoop that you painted black and add a glittery spider.  I think three or five different sized 'webs' would be a really fun wall display, don't you?


Happy October!!

and p.s.

Is your Pinterest over.flowing with ideas that need done?  Yeah, mine is too, but I'm trying to whittle away at my Fall Board.  If you need a little motivation to turn some of your pins into dids you should join me at my friend Amanda's.  She has issued a Pin Did Challenge and I'll be linking up with her from time to time.  See you there?

also back on the inspiration workshop challenge!  this week was fall.  Halloween counts right?!