Friday Favorites- Landry's Room

Ok so I know I've said forever I'd post pictures of Landry's room. It is not all the way finished... is any designer every FINISHED with a room? I think not. But here are some pics I snapped yesterday. Don't judge by photography skills... I tried!
We came home from the hospital to find this sweet surprise in our front yard.

 Here is the nursery. These are the paper flowers I talked about earlier made of cocktail napkins.

 The mirrors are from Lowe's. I had originally bought other white framed mirrors, but upon spying these I had to do a switch. I love them!

 I got pom pom trim from Hobby Lobby and glued it to some white canvas curtains. You can see a bit of the crib wall, with the stencil I got from etsy. These stencils are amazing, it only took 2 hours to do the whole wall!

The "artwork" is just some random abstracts I made from the paint samples I was trying for the stencil wall. I figured I didn't want to spend money in art that I would just want to replace with pictures of the baby girl when she arrived. I tied satin ribbon (that I will remove when she is mobile) to the crystal knobs to give an extra kick of girliness.

The crib wall is not yet finished. I have a large cursive monogram I need to spray paint pink that will go above her crib. One bummer in not taking the pictures of the nursery before she arrived is the fact there are not "design" elements that are necessary but not beautiful. Aka the camera mounted above her bed. The sign I have hanging now is a decoration from my baby shower. So cute huh!? The crib is from Restoration Hardware Baby, and the bedding is Serena and Lily.

The bookshelf was my grandpa's from the 70's with a cherry wood finish. I painted it gray and added some left over nailhead trim I had from my headboard project a while back.

I got the pouf from Ebay for less that $100... I'm not sure what kind of "leather" it is. My yellow lab is obsessed with rubbing her face all over it, so that makes me suspicious, but it is the perfect height for feeding, and we are enjoying the fun pink color.

Here is little Landry kicking back enjoying her room!

The rug I got from Shades of Lighting. It is a Martha Stewart, and was 60% off! Woohoo Score! I guess pink rugs are not high in demand these days, but we love it!

So that is where I'm at so far! I'll post more pictures as it progresses!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I have been overwhelmed by the love and support from all my friends! They have stocked our fridge to the hilt. Thank you everybody! My friend Michelle brought over this wonderful pumpkin chocolate chip bread that made me remember that fall IS coming! My world has been rotating around this new baby and I forget that the season are changing. Thank goodness I have a strict policy of decorating for fall on September 1st, so the house has been ready for a while! I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I have enjoyed eating it! I found this recipe at www.melskitchencafe.com

*Note: This bread tastes best when it has cooled completely for a few hours and tastes even better the next day.

2 ½ cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter in prepared pans.Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.This bread freezes beautifully. After cooling, wrap the bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans or three 8×4-inch loaf pans.http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/10/perfect-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bread.html

I'm alive!

Hello everybody! Sorry for all the silence. I went into labor a week ago today, and little Landry Madison was born Sunday September 18 at 1:05am. She was a month early and surprise us all. We're doing great, as great as a first time mom can be. I'm starting to fall into the pattern and figure things out! She was born 18" long, 5 lbs 15 oz, and she is a healthy girl. 

I can't believe she came early, I'm such a planner I wasn't expecting it! I woke up on Saturday morning at 5am with cramping feeling. I ignored it thinking it was just a false alarm. I was thrown a baby shower that afternoon, and had contractions all through her shower, which I thought were just Braxton Hicks. The on call nurse for my doctor was at the shower and gave me her phone number just in case things progressed. By 5pm I was having contractions every 5 minutes and my husband convinced me to pack and bag and lets go get them checked out. Needless to say, it wasn't a false alarm. 

So that's where I've been. I had planned to take nursery pictures this weekend to post them.... now they will have a little baby in the pictures! I will try to get it done this week. Hope everyone is enjoying their fall! I'll be back soon!

Friday Favorites!

I'm a little bit reluctant to share my number 1 Friday Favorite because its that good, and I want it all to myself! Yesterday I was just cruising the aisles of Target (which looked like the day after Christmas with all the Missoni stuff gone), when I stumbled upon this pumpkin spice cookie mix from Betty Crocker. This was literally the BEST cookie I've ever eaten. It suggested you add cream cheese frosting to the cookie after baking, how could I go against the great Betty? So seriously if you stumble upon this mix, buy like 6 bags

(but leave some for me), you will be addicted!



This wreath is so fun! It looks like a witch ran into the door. Here is the tutorial from Lemon Tree Creations! For the legs it'd be really cute if you made it look like the wicked witch with black and white stripe tights and red slippers!

How cute is this beverage bucket? It would be perfect for serving drinks at a party,

or bobbing for apples! I need to invest in a vinyl machine...

The weather here is getting cool. It has me thinking towards my fall clothes, I'm especially loving shoes and big sweaters, but this outfit would be so cute for a dinner date or party! With the jacket at only $30.00 from Forever 21, how can you resist?!

I'm also loving riding boots. Tory knows her shoes!

Loving this ribbon wreath. I love the mix of the ribbon textures and colors. You can buy it on etsy or attempt your own. To get the tutorial on how to make it click here to see my tutorial from a while back. I made my own fall wreath last night! I hope to post pictures soon!

Sheesh I had alot of Favorites today... its just that time of year~

 Have a great weekend, and get started on your fall bucket lists!
 I'll be stopping by Starbucks for my pumpkin spice latte sometime!

Tortellini Soup

First off, I wanted to say to all you new readers, Hi! and Welcome. I have made lots of new friends on here through pinterest, and love hearing all your comments!
Now lets talk about food (my favorite subject lately).
To celebrate the lack of 100+ temperatures, I made this wonderful soup last night for dinner. I found it in my Cooking Network magazine in a Sam's club ad. Who would have though such greatness would come from a Sam's recipe. This made a ton, and we now have dinner for two nights, plus a batch to freeze!



Ingredience

1 pound 90% Lean Ground Beef

1 tablespoon Tone’s® Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup onion, diced

2, 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 pound tricolor cheese tortellini or spinach and cheese Ravioli

1, 15.25-oz. can Del Monte® Corn, drained

2, 14-oz. cans Swanson’s® Chicken Broth

2 cup(s) water

2 Tbsp Tone’s® Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon garlic, mined

4 cup(s) carrots, sliced

1^1/2 tsp salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

-In large bowl, add ground beef, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Crumble mixture and add to skillet with diced onions. Brown in skillet over medium heat.
-In a large pot, combine browned ground beef mixture, diced tomatoes, corn, chicken broth, water, seasoning, spinach, carrots, salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil.
-Once mixture is boiling, add ravioli/tortellini to the pot and boil for 3 minutes then decrease heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Enjoy this crisp weather with some warm soup!!

Yes to all the below!

Happy Hump Day!

Kiddie Halloween Costumes

I'm home this afternoon, feeling very pregnant. I feel like I have a bowling ball strapped onto my stomach, and since I've been spoiled this whole pregnancy by feeling great, this uncomfortable feeling has hit me as a surprise. I'm not sure what I was expecting at 9 months pregnant, but not this! haha. So to keep things in perspective I've had a blast looking at future costumes for little Landry. 

She's worth all the uncomfortable moments! Loving all the tulle!

Search etsy for tons of other ideas. All sources via my pinterest.

Fall Popcorn Buffet

I stumbled across this popcorn bar in the new edition of the Party Dress online magazine and was instantly inspired. How easy to set up for a fall celebration or a football tailgate, and how fun to make your own flavors?!  Try using butter spray, popcorn seasonings like kettle corn, taco, nacho cheddar, apple cinnamon and white cheddar. You can also set out things like m&ms, raisins, crumbled up oreos, and nuts. Or make your own specialty popcorn and just serve that! Lots of options, start poppin!

1. Cinnamon Bun Popcorn 2. Pink Party Popcorn

3. Popcorn Brittle 4. S'mores Popcorn

5. Reece's Peanut Butter Popcorn 6. Popcorn Trail Mix

Find all the recipes here.

Check out the full shoot here.

All images found via My Pinterest

Friday Favorites- The Fall Edition

By now I'm sure you're decorating for fall around the house :) Try adding some ribbon to your pumpkins or funkins for a new look!


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If your ready to indulge in some apple cider, but the weather is still a bit too warm, try out these apple cider floats. The ice cream makes these extra delish!

2 cups apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup vanilla ice cream

1 tbsp. caramel sauce

Grated nutmeg In small saucepan, heat cider with cinnamon stick. Pour cider into 2 float glasses. Top with ice cream, caramel sauce and grating of nutmeg. Serve with spoon. TIP: It helped me to put the ice cream in the glass first then pour on the cider!

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I'm adoring this hair. I'm saving this picture for a Christmas party hairstyle. Can't start planning too early. I'm not very hair talented, I wonder if I could do this myself?

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Adult Fall Style: I'm pretty excited to start wearing oversize sweaters and tops, perfect timing for after the baby comes!

Toddler fall style: I will be crafting this onto a onsie! I love that turkey!

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Have a great weekend!!

All sources can be found on my pinterest.

Caramel Apple Spice Starbucks Recipe

Today is day two of wearing a sweater to work! Love it.

I'm going to celebrate with making this yummy drink tonight.

All you need:

*Apple Juice
*Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (from Starbucks!) I like to use the sugar free kind, but some people are pickier than I am! The HUGE bottles run about $6.95 or so...they will last you FOREVER. However, it makes a great cider if you are having a party! People will be SO impressed
*Carmel Sauce- you can pick this up at Starbucks as well, however, you can use a store bought caramel sauce to save a little cash!
*Optional- whipped cream

*also, when you buy your cinnamon dolce syrup, ask if they have any extra pumps. It depends on how nice they are, but a lot of times they will give one to you if they have extra!*
You can make it in a single serving, or a large batch for a party. Click here to get all the details from an ex-Starbucks barista!

Festive Fall Porch Ideas

I'm going for a whimsical mix between fall and Halloween this year. Since I'll be having a baby around the middle of October I want a cute porch for all the visitors, but nothing too Halloweeny in case I don't get around to changing out the decor before Thanksgiving!

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I love this pumpkin. The initial is cut out of scrapbook paper and modge podged on! You could even stack them and spell out BOO or Fall or do your address numbers.

I love this wreath! I'm going to try and imitate it for the front door.

I may also throw in a punch of purple.

These topiary planters flanking the door step will last right through Thanksgiving with minimal maintenance. Throw in a couple of Christmas trees and some ribbon and voila instance Christmas transformation.

I've seen these metal pumpkins at Hobby Lobby for a decent price. Add your own polka dots and personalization and it will look just like the designer ones you can find at your local boutiques for 1/5 of the price.

The inside of my house was decorated last Thursday, now to start on the outside! And with this fabulous weather we are having, it is the perfect time. I may even treat myself to a Starbucks apple cider after I transform my space! Heaven! Love this time of year.

All sources on pinterest.

Friday Favs- The fashion edition

I was getting in my car this morning for work, and guess what?! I was actually a bit chilly! So exciting! Here are some looks I want to try in the upcoming months. I love that all these looks can be layered to accommodate the change in temperature.



All sources can be found on my pinterest.

HAPPY THREE DAY WEEKEND!!!

An apple a day...

Kick off September 1st with one of these fun apple ideas.

Nothing says fall like a cool crisp apple. Ideal for an afternoon snack!

 Make an apple sandwich with peanut butter, chocolate chips and granola!

or how about some chocolate dipped apple slices... so much easier than eating a whole chocolate covered apple!

And this is the weirdest suggestion, but trust me, I've tried it and its really good... add a diced apple to  your grilled cheese sandwich. To get the recipe go here.

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Happy Fall Y'all! Tonight I will be thoroughly enjoying myself watching the kick off of college football WHILE decorating for fall around the house. It doesn't get better then that!