Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween! This day just wasn't what it used to be anymore. I don't have any cute kids to take Trick-Or-Treating, am too old to go Trick-Or-Treating on my own, and am also too old to dress in barely no clothes and go tramping around on High Street. Steve is/has been super busy with a big assignment for school. We have been hunkered down and all playing "support Daddy" while he has been getting his work done. One more hour to get it turned in and then I have a feeling that he will be ready for a long little nap. 

 No more rambling. It all has a purpose though!

 I don't even know when Trick Or Treating is here. Last year we had one kid and sat on the porch in the freezing cold for hours waiting. So, I am not going to get worked up about it this year. I have a bowl of candy if anyone decides to stop by. What I DO have is my cute little puppy girl. She honestly does love to be dressed up and 'made pretty' with hair bows (as you can obviously tell from the photographs). But incase I need to say this... No animals were harmed in the making of this blog post.

 Enjoy what you are about to witness. :)

Third Annual Pumpkin Carving Party

 On Saturday we hosted our 3rd Pumpkin Carving party since living in our house. I failed in the photo taking part, and the pumpkin carving part (our pumpkins are still whole!). But thrived in the food making. Steve and I didn't end up carving our pumpkins because I was helping a 2 year old paint hers and Steven was cleaning up the food. And, sadly, no pictures of anything were taken. I REALLY need to get better at that! But, we all had a great time. There were a lot of laughs, good food, loud playing children and a few pretty adorable pumpkins by the end of the night. 

 I made a plethora of things... 'Spider' Deviled Eggs, Nacho 'Pumpkin' Cheese Ball, 'Witches Broom' Hot Dogs, 'Spider' Shrimp Dip, my famous Macaroni and Cheese, Gma J's Chili, and 'Kitty Litter' Cake. I will post the recipes below but you will have to use your imagination because like I said I didn't take many pictures.

A few of my favorite things...

 This week has been a stressful one. My grandfather was admitted to the hospital and being so far away from my entire family hit me hard. However, today he is to be released and hopefully soon he will start feeling better. All of this turned me into a constant crying, useless human being. Today I am feeling better. I think I got all of the tears out of my system. 

 Tomorrow is the annual Pumpkin Carving Party that we host. I have the menu ready and just need to go to the grocery store tonight, clean up the house, do some food prep, and decorate (okay that seems like a lot now that I type it... Maybe I should start stressing about my lack of preparation at this point!). Then we should be all set. I am excited to have an opportunity to have something take my mind off of all of this family stress. I will post about the party, all of the Halloween-y themed foods, and the carved pumpkins on Sunday. For now I will post about 3 more of my favorite things since I didn't get around to doing it yesterday. 

1. Loreal Go 360 Clean Deep Cream Cleanser. First of all the bottle and soap is pink so that automatically makes it a-okay in my book. But the cleanser pad that comes with it for scrubbing your skin really makes you feeling like your face is getting super clean. Plus, as far as I can tell it keeps your pores pretty well cleaned out and keeps any dried skin at bay. The smell could use a little improvement BUT it isn't as bad as anything Noxzema makes (yuck, that is enough to make me gag)! Another good thing is the price. It is only $4.99 at Target (that isn't the exact one but I am sure it is just as good). 

 2. Redken Body Full Shampoo and Light Conditioner So, the price is a little steep (over 15 bucks for an 10 fl. oz bottle of shampoo and an 8.5 fl oz bottle of conditioner. But the stuff is great. However, ONLY this specific kind works in my hair. Well, maybe not only but I tried one other kind (Redken Extreme) and it left my hair SUUUPER greasy. It was horrible- so that batch found it's way to my guest bathroom. I haven't had any guests yet to see if it is just an affect it has on me or if it is just a bad kind all together. It seems like all I am doing is bashing this product- so why is it on my favorite things list? Because the Body Full kind is Ah-Mazing. It gives my hair a little extra oomph and it leave it feeling clean with out feeling like it has all kind of residue left on it after I get out of the shower. It smells good (not great but not bad enough to turn me off from it). And, my hairstylist recommends it. My hair is soft and doesn't get any breakage. I have highlights put in my hair and this keeps that from damaging it. Also, it protects my hair from any heat damage from a curling iron or straighter. I like it. I might look into trying something new once these bottles are empty but I have been using it for over a year and it has been great. This stuff as far as I have found can only be purchased at a hair salon. 

3. Guess Penny Loafer platform heels. These are currently in my rotation of favorite shoes. They are SUPER high so if you don't normally wear heels this might pose as an issue for you. However, despite their height they are oober comfy. Guess knows what they are doing when making a shoe. They last a long time, fit well, and are comfy. I love that this particular pair is sort of old school but yet really hip and trendy right now. I know you will doubt me about the comfort once you see how high they are BUT I swear, they are suuper comfy. I have even worn them to the grocery store and they didn't give me an issue. The only issue I do have when wearing them is they are kind of hard to drive in because the heel kind of prevents you from pushing on the gas or break. Or I just have an irrational fear or my foot getting stuck and not being able to hit the break and causing me to drive over a cliff (Cray-cray). Well, because of this I never drive in them- I take a pair of flip flops to drive on and change into/out of them when I am getting in/out of the car. It works. They are cute. And, make your legs go on for miles and miles. Plus, they give you some serious muscle definition. Seeexxxaaaay. I bought this particular pair at TJMaxx probably about a year ago and I don't remember how much they were. But, they are super trendy so you can probably find similar pairs just about anywhere. 

Sorry for the poor quality photos I am clearly not a professional photographer!

 Have any products that trump these? Let me know! I currently have a roast in the oven. I will share the recipe tomorrow (assuming it turns out good). I am super excited to eat some homemade comfort food. That's all for now. Hope you have a great day! Until next time...

Salmon with Baby Artichokes

 Last night I got back into the cooking swing of things and made a delicious dinner! I am not a huge fan of salmon but I am trying to get us to eat healthier and eating fish seems like a necessary step in that process... I might not LOVE salmon but I LOVED this dinner- it was super tasty!

 Here is the recipe...

Salmon with Baby Artichokes

1/3 c. olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic
3 lemons
can of baby artichokes
1 onion
pepper
salt
1 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 lb. salmon

 Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden. Once golden remove garlic from oil with slotted spoon. 
 Fill a medium sized pot with cold water, juice of 2 lemons, and 2 of the lemon halves. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot. add 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1 tbsp. of the garlic oil. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and let simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and discard the lemon halves.
 Position oven racks so one is in the upper third of the oven and the other is at the lower. Preheat to 400 degrees. Thinly slice the remaining lemon and the onion. Pat the artichokes dry and add to a baking sheet with onion and lemon slices. Add 2 tbsp. of the garlic oil and toss until coated. Spread them out in a single layer and put on top rack in oven and let roast for about 35 minutes (stirring once or twice).
 Meanwhile, add salmon to pan with the remaining garlic oil. Season with fennel seed, red paper flakes, salt, and pepper. Brush both sides with soy sauce and flip so that both sides are seasoned and coated. Roast on lower oven rack for 15 to 20 minutes or until just cooked through. )Salmon should flake apart with a fork when cooked.)
 Top salmon with artichokes, lemons and pepper then serve. I made mashed potatoes as a side and it worked perfectly with the saltiness of the soy sauce. It was delicious.

 I got this recipe from my Food Network Magazine and slightly modified it (by adding soy sauce and using canned artichokes instead of fresh ones). Try it out and let me know how you like it!!

Too busy to blog

 Lately, I have been too busy to sit down at the computer for 5 minutes to check my email- let alone fuss with this blog. Which is pretty depressing but at the same time productive. Here are a few points just to catch you up... Nothing productive so don't feel the need to force yourself to read these ramblings...

 1. Broken Dishwasher- Our dishwasher is STILL broken. Which blows big chunks. It has lead to us eating out/eating fast food a lot which is taking a toll on the well being of my stomach. I don't know how people can stand eating fast food frequently. It makes me horribly ill. Bleh. This has also led to a $130 bill for the repair. The part that we need to have it fixed is only 40 bucks but the twerp company is charging us a whopping $75 dollars for labor. Screw that. He was at my house for seriously 5 minutes to figure out the problem. Highway ROBBERY. the most expensive 5 minutes of my life... Anyway, hopefully the part will be in this week and all will be right in the world again. As far as eating out- no more. I went to the grocery store yesterday and will start cooking homemade meals again tonight (Salmon with Artichokes is on the menu tonight- I'll blog the recipe after it is made- depending on if it is worthy.)

 2. I became and Aunt again for the 4th time on Sunday. It is such a wonderful experience to be an aunt. I am sad that we live so far away and haven't been able to meet the little guy yet. But, we will rectify that shortly. And, even though I haven't met the third little guy yet- I love him already. I look forward to having yet another member in this growing family and making memories with him. He has the greatest parents and will certainly have a life filled with love. They probably have one of the best relationships that I have ever witnessed so he can be inspired by their love and compatibility as he grows. Our family is blessed with 4 healthy, happy babies. (All under 3- better jump on the baby train while it is in the station!) :)

 3. I went and spend a few hours of 'me' time yesterday. I decided to spend it wedding dress shopping and JUST might have found the one. I didn't think to take any pictures for some odd reason- but it is AMAZING. I rescheduled an appointment the day after Christmas when my family will be here so I can go try it on for them. I am excited. Also- I am thrilled to announce that my weight loss attempts have paid off. I looked sooo much better in the wedding gowns and should be just about perfect after 5 more pounds. Hard work and sacrifice has paid off when it has come to this so I just need to find the motivation to keep on working out and getting the last 5 or so pounds off me. You'd think that would be motivation enough but so far it hasn't been. Anyone know of any good workouts for the rib/bust/upper back region? That is the area that is left that needs the most work. 

 Okay, well my dog is barking because she needs to go out- of course because I just painted my nails. Never fails! I promise to try to get better about blogging regularly. I have some pretty great sounding menus lined up for the next few days so assuming all goes well I will have some new recipes to post about. Enjoy your life!

These are a few of my favorite things...

 I often find myself wondering what hidden great products that are out there that I am missing out on...I hardly have any items in my house that I am completely brand loyal on. However, I do have some favorite things. I thought that it might be a good idea to blog about three random favorite products of mine every week. Here we go!

1. Rock Star Jeans by Old Navy

 Recently, I bought a pair of Skinny Jeans from Old Navy and then went back two days later and bought 2 more pair- they are that great. Generally, some problems that I have in finding a great pair of jeans are that they stretch and become too big as the day goes on. By the end of the day my jeans have stretch so badly that I look like a bum wearing another, bigger persons pants. I HATE that. Another issue I have with jeans is that they sit too low on my waist and either give me a muffin top- or expose my butt crack anytime I sit down or bend over. I also HATE that. Then, there is the never ending short girl problem of jeans being waaay too long. These Rockstar Skinny Jeans from Old Navy are like the holy grail. They not only rectify all of my aforementioned issues but they are also OOBER comfy. Seriously, they are like wearing pajama pants. And, don't leave me with a case of "I can't wait to get home and take off these stupid jeans!". I own them in white, dark denim, and black and fully intend to buy them in other colors (mostly yellow and green) once this month of no frivolous spending is over... Is it November yet?!

 And, a few photos of the pair I am currently wearing. Also, this is the 2nd time I am wearing them since they were washed last week (gross, but you know you do it too!), and they still fit like a glove!

Ignore my fat. This is strictly to show how high up they sit on the waist. 

Perfect fit. Ignore the dog. She never is too far from me.

 2. Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid

 This stuff is great. I use it at least twice a day on my face, neck, and hands. It keeps my skin super moist with out looking too oily. It is thin enough that it doesn't leave behind white residue but heavy enough to actually moisturize your skin. It smells fresh. and comes in 6.0 fl oz. bottles for under 10 dollars. I mean... Who doesn't love good quality moisturizer at that price! And, it's pink- so bonus points.

 3. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

 These things blow my mind. Using liquid bleach makes me super nervous for a number of reasons. 1. I am a clutz and it ruins my clothes 2. I am afraid my pets will get into it and die 3. It burns your hands and leaves them cracked and dry. But, let's face it- NOTHING out there leave you feeling things are clean like good-ole-fashioned bleach. Until... Enter... Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. I use them everywhere, to clean everything! Wood, glass, metal... EVERYTHING. They make cleaning super simple and don't give me a complex about any chemical residues left behind. They are AMAZEBALLS! If you haven't ever used them... I suggest you start.

If you haven't ever tried these products out- give them a try and let me know how they work for you... If you have products that you think top these three, fill me in! I'd love to hear about your favorite products.

A few looks

 I haven't been doing super well at posting pictures of my outfits. Mainly, because taking pictures of myself constantly makes me feel like a weirdo. But, here are a few looks that I have sported this week...

 On this particular day, I was just doing things around the house and we went to dinner that evening at BDubs. Or Buffalo Wild Wings for those of you who aren't cool enough to know about it being called 'BDubs'... Joking.

 Here is a copy of what I wore via polyvore...

 And, here is the run down of where I got everything...

 Sweater- The Limited via TJMaxx (similar here)

 Skirt- Target (similar here)

 Tights- Old Navy (similar here)

 Shoes- Target (similar here)

 Then last night we went to our neighbors last Jr High Football game ever. And, I wore this...

Certainly not the greatest picture ever.

 Here is a copy of what I wore via polyvore...

 And, here is a run down of where I got everything...

 Dress- Kohl's (last year)

 Tights- Old Navy (similar here)

 Boots- Sole Society (similar here)

 Accessories- all random and old... I think the belt was from Target and the watch was from Kohls but other than that I have no idea...

And, now I am off to clean my bedroom because I have been putting it off ALL week. Sorry, this is such a lame post- but hey every blog can't be GOLD! :) Have a great day!

Gma J's Chili

 I have this dream of having a big family Sunday dinner- every Sunday. Unfortunately, we don't live near enough to our blood families to make this happen. So, I have started the tradition with a few of our neighbor friends. It is a good time for us all to get together, share laughs, and talk. 

 Steve and I often find ourselves having regret about deciding to buy a townhouse versus a single family home. But, when I get to thinking about it- I wouldn't change that decision for anything in the world... Except maybe a giant mansion on 2 acres... Joking... Kind of. See, if it weren't for us having moved into a town house and forcefully having to be literally so close to our neighbors we might not be so close to our neighbors. Since we didn't know ANYONE here having people right outside our door forces us to interact and get to know our neighbors. And, this I am thankful for. Our neighbors have become our family away from family. We are super close with 2 households and acquaintances with a lot of others. Our direct neighbors that we share a front porch with is a family of 5 and the people across the driveway is a woman and her roommate are the people that have become our family. We were grateful to get such amazing neighbors... I know some people aren't so lucky.

 Anyways, this Sunday I decided to host a family dinner with our 2 neighbors across the driveway, and their dog, my God-Daughter. I have been wanting to make my grandmothers chili forever- but Steve isn't a big fan of soup so I knew that in order for me to make a big pot (which she always does) that I would need to recruit some help eating it. It turned out as good as my Grandma's and it was COMPLETELY gone. Yeah, 4 people ate an ENTIRE pot of chili. It even got called the best chili ever by one of our guests.

 Here is the recipe...

G-ma J's Chili
1.5 packet of McCormick's chili seasoning (Grandma says she uses one regular and a half of a spicy packet- but our grocery store was out of spicy so I went all regular)
 1/2 green pepper
 3/4 onion
 1.5 lb. ground beef
 1 can kidney beans
 1 can spicy chili beans
 1.5 can Tomato sauce

Season the ground beef (with salt and pepper) and brown in large pot over medium high heat. Once browned, add the finely chopped green pepper and onion. Let the veggies soften then add 1.5 packet of chili seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Let sit for a few minutes then add the beans and tomato sauce. Stir and let cook until it comes to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer until ready to serve.

 I made my chili around 2 and left it cooking/simmering until about 3:15. Then I covered with a lid and turned off the heat and let sit until about 25-30 minutes before we were ready to eat at 7. Grandma said the longer that it can sit the better it is because the seasoning seeps into the beans. Which is why I made it so early. It was delicious. 

 If I would have been thinking I would have served baked potatoes on the side. But, that idea didn't come about until we were sitting down at dinner. It would have been amazing to put the chili and some cheese in a baked potato. Oh well, next time! 

 Well, the secret is out of the bag on the world's best chili... Make it and let me know how it turns out! 

Game Day Ribs

 I have been slacking major with the blog posts lately. Oops. I need to get better at this! 

 Nevertheless, we had a pretty great weekend despite our Mountaineers getting slaughtered by Texas Tech. We got up that morning and I played 'Horse' and 'Whale' with my two little neighbor boys (7 and 14). That was a lot of fun. I come from a pretty close knit family and being away from them is anything but easy. Which makes having neighbors that became our family away from home even more special to me. I love them. Garyn (7) always got to go first because he could spell horse and whale the best! ;)

 Then, Steve and I made a quick grocery store run to pick up ingredients to make the 'best ribs ever' (according to Steven) and stopped on the side of the road to buy some pumpkins for me to paint. I only got 1 rack (the recipe called for 3) and they were HOUSED within 30 minutes of being finished by just the 2 of us. I started them before the game started,  they were finished by half time and gone by the 4th quarter. Our game was so horrible that I went outside at the beginning of the 4th quarter and drowned my football sorrows with some pumpkin painting.

 Here is the rib recipe... Seriously, try them they are AMAZING!

Sweet-And-Spicy Baby Back Ribs

2 lb. rack baby back pork ribs

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c. beer (I used Leinenkugal Sunset Wheat)

4 tablespoons butter

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I used 3 GIANT cloves)

1 tbsp. chile powder

1 c. thai sweet chili sauce

2 tbsp. backed brown sugar

1/3 c. rice vinegar (found with the Asian food- NOT with the other vinegar as one would expect)

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put the rib meat-side down on a cutting board and remove the membrane with a knife (fortunately, my wonderful neighbor did this step for me because raw pork makes me gag). Rub the ribs with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the ribs bone-side down in roasting pan, then add beer. Cover with foil and cook in oven until meat pulls away from the bone. Took an hour and 35 minutes.

 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden (about 4 minutes). Add the chili powder and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in chile sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and 1 c. of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and let the sauce thicken for about 40 minutes (stirring occasionally) (warning this makes your house smell super amazing!).

 Remove ribs from the oven and turn the temperature up to 400 degrees. Remove the foil and stir 1/4 c. of the liquid from the pan into the sauce then toss away the rest. Pour the sauce over the ribs making sure that it has a good coating all over. Save about 1/4-1/2 cup of the sauce. Return to the oven and cook for another 35 minutes. I kept opening the oven to spoon the sauce onto the top of the ribs (and burned myself pretty badly). 

 Cut the ribs then return to the roasting pan and pour the remaining sauce on them. Toss around and then serve. 

 I found this recipe in a food network magazine and I hope that I am not breaking any copyright laws by posting it in my blog! 

 Warning: these ribs are seriously delicious!  

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

 Today, I was productive... Way to get out of my funk! I completely finished ALL of our laundry, vacuumed the entire house, worked on my blog AND made a fantastic dinner... Good-bye, Funk. Hello, Productivity.

Here is the recipe for my homemade, better than the jarred stuff, spaghetti. It is super easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Put large pot of water on to boil.
Start cooking .5-1.5 lb of ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic until browned.
Finely chop 1 small-medium onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic.
Once, beef is browned, drain fat and return to pan. Turn heat down to low/simmer. 
Add onions, 1-1.5 cans of tomato sauce (I use Hunts), and a can of diced tomatoes.
Salt and add noodles to boiling water (if you cover the pot with wooden spoon it will prevent water from boiling over).
**Don't forget**- set timer for 9 minutes
Season the beef mixture with salt, granulated garlic, salt and pepper (to taste).
Add chopped garlic to sauce mixture
Add 4-6 oz cream cheese to sauce mixture
Add 1.5 tbsp of Italian Seasoning
Add 4 tablespoons of sugar (This is the sauces secret weapon. You can add as much or as little as depending on your sweet liking- but definitely add some!)
Add 3 tbsp of butter and let simmer
Drain noodles once timer goes off/ they are cooked to your liking
Add about 2 tbsp of butter to noodles as they drain in colander
Finally, combine sauce and noodles in large bowl or pot and stir.

 You could also put the combined product in the oven (at 350) for 15-20 minutes to make it set up.  Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese to the top of your individual servings then eat up!

 It is sooo good as soon as it is made- but makes even better left overs! 

 I also have enough sauce for another serving which I will freeze to be used for the next time. My sauce this time came out a little thin- if I had some tomato paste on hand I would have added it- however, it was just fine with out it. Also, another secret weapon is to add a few heaping spoonfuls of Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herbs Cooking Cream (but I am out!) so it didn't get added this time. It makes it even better and creamier in my opinion. 
 Don't be afraid to edit this and make it your own. You can serve it on any kind of noodles, or make it with out any meat at all or with whatever meat you might like. This is also the sauce that I use for my lasagna. It doesn't take much more effort than the jarred stuff but the outcome is A LOT better.

 Hope you enjoy the spaghetti. Let me know how yours turns out or any changes that you make for it to turn out better! Bon Appetite. 

Broken Dishwasher

 Our dishwasher decided to quit working mysteriously over the weekend. Which leaves me pretty bummed. I know this seems super superficial but I HATE doing dishes by hand... This has led to an excuse for not cooking, which led to an excuse to do nothing but sitting on the couch and watch season 5 of Gossip Girl. Which, I have loved, however, I feel like I am being a giant slug and that is not a good feeling... So, I am trying to pull myself together and get my mojo back. Only 4 episodes of Gossip Girl left to watch tonight- and then tomorrow, I SWEAR, I am going to get back in line. That means getting back to blogging, cleaning, cooking, and working on projects. Does anyone else get in slumps? Well, it sucks. So does the stomach virus I had for about 48 hours, but that isn't very appealing so I won't go into any more detail about that. 
 Here's to pulling myself back to normalcy, back to being productive, and back to trying to make something out of this blog that no one reads... I am making my To-Do list for tomorrow and I WILL accomplish everything on it. Anyways, wish me luck.

Thankful text...
 Today, I am thankful for summer. Warm weather, oh how I miss you... It was 39 degrees here today for the majority of the day and that SUCKS. I know I proclaimed that I love fall... And, I suppose that I do, however, this cold weather can GO. Low 60s is cold enough for me. 39 degrees?! You've got to be kidding me. So, Sunshine, feel free to make your way back to Indiana and warm my soul. 

Thankful image...

My sister. The only person that I can vent to about ANYTHING on the face of the planet and she will listen and not judge. She's a rock in my life. She is the banana to my pancakes. Love her. 

Busy Football Saturday

 Yesterday, was a super busy but fun day. We went to the IU/Michigan State game and tailgated with friends. It was really fun. It was a noon kick- so we started our day with shots of tequila and cinnamon rolls at 9AM. IU football games are really disappointing compared to the atmosphere I grew up with at Mountaineer Field (aka Milan Puskar Stadium). However, we still had a ton of fun tailgating, sitting in the front row, and cheering on the Hoosiers. It had been disgusting and raining here ALL day on Friday so we weren't sure that the weather would cooperate for us to attend the game on Saturday, however, it cleared right up and turned into a great day for watching football. I even got a little sunburnt! Good times, good drinks, good food, good friends, and good football. An all around good day! 

LOVE

 Our master bedroom closet wall was super boring- but since it is taken up of about 98% closet doors there is not much space to do anything else with it. My solution? Buy wooden letters from Hobby Lobby and cover them with an ombre(ish) affect of yarn. This was a super easy, super cheap product that gave that boring wall some much needed personality. 

 All it took was a few little dabs of hot glue, and some yarn. If your budget is SUPER tight you could probably get away with using just one roll of yarn for all of the letters (as I have A TON of yarn left over). I just started at the end of the letter put a little dab of hot glue the end of the yarn on it and started winding it around. So simple. So cute. Right up this girls alley. 

 Here is the outcome...

Cute and easy... The first thing I see every morning.

 What would you do with such a tiny space? Also, lately I have been thinking about painting the stark white doors and trim in this room... What do you think? I am not sure why I am so intimidated by the idea of this... For real, it's just a little bit of paint! But, yet, there is something super scary about it to me. 

Thankful text...

 Today, I am thankful for my iPhone. Seriously, it is my right hand man. I can do everything on this little handy thing. Skeptics, get over your skepticism- it IS the greatest phone ever. It allows me to have a camera always on hand to snap adorable, spur of the moment pictures. It allows me to read my emails in bed. It allows me to play solitaire every single night to soothe me to sleep. It allows me to text and constantly keep in contact with family that I miss dearly from back home. It allows me to have HILARIOUS text conversations with my sister-in-law daily. Get adorable pictures of my niece and nephews... I can facebook stalk. Check my twitter. And, even keep track of my period. Iphone... You really are the bees knees. And, I LOVE you!

Thankful image...

Icalender on the day we got engaged, framed by my ring and my trusted mug of coffee.

 In theme with my iphone being what I am thankful, I decided he needed to be the picture... But, just a photo of an iphone is not that exciting. So, I thought I would make it more meaningful by loading the calender up set to the date we got engaged framed by my phone and to include my beloved mug of coffee with the inspiration I read every day. Today's things may seem a bit shallow, but, I think we all are allowed to be shallow every now and again. These things ARE things I am thankful for every day. 

Free Artwork

 On Pinterest, awhile ago, I found a lot of "where we've lived" map inspired art work. Since Steven and I moved to Indiana a few years ago, I am always missing our home state (also where we met!). So, what better way to show tribute than artwork that you can see to have as a reminder every day? Well, I hate spending money on things like artwork... I'd rather buy shoes or clothes. So, one night Steve wasn't feeling well and went to bed early. I was at home bored, alone, and decided to try to tackle a Pinterest project... 
 I don't consider myself artistic, WHATSOEVER. But, I am first rate with the scissors and I can trace with the best of them. We have acrylic paints and paper laying around so I decided to give painting our home state as well as our current state a try. I did not expect this project to turn out well- but I buckled down and took my time and was thrilled with the outcome...
 First thing, I did was print out a large outline of IN and WV. Then, I began the tedious project of cutting them out. I was super careful and went super slow because I wanted to make sure to make the states as close to their realities as I could. Once, I had them cut out I put them onto the white canvas paper and traced them with a pencil. Next step, was to mix the paint color I wanted... I decided a sage(ish) green would go best with the blue walls in our office (where I wanted to hang them). So, I mixed a little bit of blue and yellow with a lot of white. Turns out I got a shade I was satisfied with the first try. I took a small brush and started filling in the lines. I put the paint on relatively thick and I like the texture on the outcome... 
 Like I said, I have ZERO artistic ability (which I am working on!) and accomplished this project pretty well. Obviously, the paintings aren't perfect... But, what is?! Steve was proud and impressed with his little surprise when I woke him up to check out the finished project- then immediately went back to bed! I was soo excited with the outcome I HAD to wake him up so I could share it with someone. 
 The next day we went to Hobby Lobby to get frames and mattes for them to be hung. Which was the only part of this project I had to spend money on. I think for both frames and mattes it ended up being around $40.00. Not bad for TWO pieces of artwork! 
 Here are some pictures...

I am not sure why these won't rotate the proper way, but turn your head and pretend. They were still wet in these pictures.

WV... Making sure all of the details of the outline was painted to but not over was the hardest part!

IN.

Both framed.

WV Framed

IN framed

Finally, hanging in their new home. 

 I decided to go with a dark blue matte against the lighter blue walls. I like the way it looks. It reminds me of the green of land and the blue of the sea. Even though Steve was quick to point out that both IN and WV are landlocked and not surrounded by water... Whatev, technicalities, shmecnicalities. (Yep, I just made up a word.) Trust me, if I can accomplish this painting project... You can too! Plus, things always mean more to you when you create them with your own two hands! Give it a try...

 Thankful text...

 Today, I am thankful for my wonderful fiance. Who only gets slightly annoyed when I wake him when he is sleeping. Who is always a CONSTANT support system for me. Who loves me, unconditionally, no matter my mood, or how difficult loving me may be at times. Who always sees the best and beauty in me even when I am not looking my best or being the most beautiful person. Who eats all of my food creations; even the epic failure. Who pretends to be interested in things like new furniture, and new shoes to appease me.Who is such an amazing pet-papa that I can't wait to see how amazing of a father he is to our future children. I, truly, hit the husband-to-be-jackpot. Thanks, Babe, for making all of my wishes come true! You inspire me every day.

 Thankful Image...

Steve being a good Papa giving freshly bathed Josie some lovings. She thinks he is her Knight In Shining Armor. He's mine too, kid!

The Search for the Perfect Wedding Dress

 Pretty much immediately after I got engaged, I started the process of looking for THE DRESS. Steven and I have made an agreement to do all of our wedding planning together; including him going dress shopping with me. Most people are appalled by this idea but it's OUR wedding and I can't think of anyone's opinion of the dress that matters more than him. However, when it comes to the final selection- I am going to make it on my own without telling ANYONE which dress I have chosen until the Wedding Day.
 Another thing that I have been surprised by is the fact that people consider me 'weird' for having tried on 50+ dresses and still not certain that I have found the one. I am not even close to being finished shopping. Ideally, I will try on every dress ever made and THEN make my decision. Obviously, I am not capable of trying on every wedding dress ever made. But, I WILL try on as many dresses as I feel necessary. From now on, I am going to lie to the consultants though and tell them I have only tried on a few- just to avoid being judged...
 If you have shopped for wedding dresses or are shopping from wedding dresses you probably know that not every place allows you to take pictures... Which I find ridiculous... How am I supposed to make an educated, informative decision about the most important dress I will ever wear with out a photo of me in it?! Dumb!
 Anyways, here are all of the dresses that I have tried on so far (and been allowed to photograph)...
 This was the first place that I went to try on dresses- and immediately decided that I really needed to start losing weight... I was not happy with how my body looked, but I am well on my way. I have lost 15lbs. since these photos. I am excited to get back in the ring and see if I am yet satisfied with how my body looks. 

I was pretty sure that I didn't want strapless going into this whole thing- but now I think that a strap just emphasizes my 'line backer shoulders'.

Shoe Closet

 When we first moved into our house, there was a vacant closet in the hallway between our master and guest bedrooms. I think it's intention is to be a linen closet. Our guest bathroom has these built in shelves which would be appropriate for our linens so we didn't need it to be a linen closet. What girl doesn't WANT a shoe closet? Well, this girl does. I LOVE shoes. 

 Here is what it looked like until I got around to convincing Steve it's potential...

 It was hideous and not maximizing it's full storage capabilities. So me and the hubs headed off to Lowe's and bought more of those wire racks and the stuff for hanging them. I knew I wanted a longer shelf across the top and then another shelf at the bottom on the other side of what was already there...

 So, Steve cut them down to the size I wanted and hung them up... I probably could have accomplished this task on my own- but luckily for me I have him so I didn't have to... We also decided to hang the shelves upside down and with a slant so that they looked like they were meant to hold shoes. Here is the look of it while they were being installed...

Once he was finished, I started moving my shoes in...

 But, I wasn't yet satisfied... This is my SHOE CLOSET for goodness sakes. It needed some special attention. 

 So, I decided I was going to use some of the sample colors of paint I had acquired and give it some gorgeous stripes. That process was a little more frustrating that I thought. I tried to tackle it myself- however me and my laser level are not friends. Steve had to come to the rescue and draw the lines in pencil. We made the lines different sizes so it looked a little more random. I went in and put different widths of painters tape over the lines to give the areas that would be staying tan different widths also. Then started painting. I had 3 colors I wanted to use so I just started randomly painting the lines in. 

 Once, it had dried for a few hours I slowly removed the painters tape and was THRILLED with the outcome. This is probably my number 1 favorite place in my house. As, it is the only space that is ALL MINE- all for me. Sometimes, I leave the doors open just so I can admire all of it's beauty when I walk by...

 This was the finished product...

 For awhile I kept my dresses in there- however, ultimately, decided that they needed to be with the rest of my clothes (or Steve's clothes- he willingly gave up half of his closet for my dresses. I am sure he loves looking at my dresses every time he opens his side of the closet to get dressed- but there just wasn't enough room in my side of the closet! Marry the guy that gives you half of his closet space, ladies!)

 This is what it is looking like these days. 

 I have added some hooks to hang purses and hats. And, I also use a tie rack for my scarfs, and belts. I am already begging for it to be expanded (I don't think I can shove another pair of shoes in there!). However, I'm not sure that would be as easy of a task- and it probably won't happen.

 Make your house your own. Make your house WORK for you. Make your house a place that makes YOU and your family happy. Use up every square inch of it. 

 Thankful

 Right now, I am thankful for music. It can be inspiring, soothing, calming, hyping. It is everything you need it to be, when you need it. It can bring back a memory you had otherwise forgot at the sound of the first beat. It can bring people together. It can get you through difficult times. It can make you smile, or be the soundtrack for a good session. I LOVE music. All kinds of music. Pop, Rap, Rock and Roll, Classical, Country, Grunge... Everything except metal; it scares me. Radar by Britney Spears is playing right now for me via Pandora. I currently have a mix of stations set up that include: 90s Alternative, Today's Hits, Summer Hits Of the 90s, Brad Paisley, Usher, Britney Spears, Dave Matthews Band, and John Mayer. What do you like to listen to?

 The image for what I am thankful for...

My cute little Squishy Girl, wearing her Mama's scarf. She is my best friend and responsible for many smiles and laughter in my house. Every Single Day. We LOVE Josephine! 

Fall

 Today, is the first of October. Fall is probably my favorite season. It is so beautiful. The leaves changing inspire me to see the good in change; a reminder that I think is necessary for me. Another, wonderful thing about this season is that it acts as a reminder to be thankful. Steven and I have been having some conversations lately about how our society makes us mass consumers. We think that we NEED all of this superficial things to fit in, be accepted, or to survive. When really most of those NEEDS should actually be classified as WANTS. 
 This has inspired me to have a month of no frivolous spending. This isn't going to be easy for me. As many of you should know by now I am a shopaholic! But, not this month. This month I am going to avoid the mall, and avoid the sell flyer emails that I receive full of cute items that I think that I NEED. In some countries people don't even have running water- but I think that I should go buy a handful of new sweaters because I WANT them. What a selfish creature this society has created in me.
 I am going to spend the month being thankful for the plethora of things that I have to be thankful for. Health, family, friends, roof over my head, food in my kitchen, water spilling from my faucets with the turn of a handle. The little things in life. 
 One of my favorite coffee mugs read "In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities." And, how true is that? This month I will surround myself with love. Falling in love with the things that I already have. I intend to fall in love with my life all over and over and over again. 31 days of falling in love with my life and all of the things already in it- all over again. 
 Also, for the entire season of fall I am going to try to include some text and an image of something that I am thankful for in that moment... 
Today, right now, I am thankful for electricity. Something that I probably over look 100x over everyday. I give it no second thought. I flip a switch and immediately have light to drown out the darkness. I plug in the toaster and immediately I have a nice toasted bagel. I push a button and immediately have tasty coffee, I open the fridge and immediately a light comes on and I have cold milk to pour into my coffee. Dirty clothes? Oh, just push a button on a machine and boom- they are clean. Amazing. Electricity is AMAZING. We are very spoiled creatures. Let us not forget that life was not always this simple- and that some people have lives that are still not this simple or comfortable. Thank you, Benjamin Franklin; I applaud you on a job well done!
 And, the image of something that I am thankful for...

This is my Pap and my closest cousin, Joey (YEARS ago). Joey is now 23 years old and I'm pretty sure he can now tie his own tie. These men are two of the greatest, ever. I am beyond grateful to have them in my life. Love, Love, LOVE them!