Autumn Celebration!

This morning for breakfast I had a pumpkin bagel topped with pumpkin spice cream cheese, along with a steaming mug of pumpkin spice chai tea flavored with pumpkin spice creamer.  All to the scent of an autumn candle.

It was bliss.

My husband asked me how on earth I was not on pumpkin overload.

I do not know of what he speaks.

I've told you before, my love for autumn runs deep!

And I happen to have a few friends who share my obsession appreciation for this blissful season and all things pumpkin.

So last Friday evening, I invited those pumpkin lovers over for a cozy night in celebrating all things autumn!  It was a joy to have these sweet, fun women around my table, celebrating the season we love!

I asked everyone to bring a favorite fall dish to share.  I made my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (a recipe I have literally been making since high school), sweet and savory meatballs, and a steaming pot of hot apple cider.  With what everyone brought we also had yummy soup, several delicious dips, pumpkin pudding and pumpkin cobbler!  

When I couldn't find mulling spices for the cider, I improvised and it turned out so well that I wanted to share it with you!  I used a quart of sweet cider, about 2/3 of a large can of pineapple juice, 4 cinnamon sticks, 8 whole cloves, some ground cinnamon, and 4 packs of this Alpine Spiced Apple Cider mix - boiled everything together, then let it simmer in the crockpot all day. Needless to say the house smelled amazing ~ if you are ever in a pinch and can't find mulling spices, try this!

After we ate and visited, we did some fall crafting!

These straw wreaths are under $4.00 at hobby Lobby, and the ribbon and picks were 50% off  ~ a very economical project!

Even Madi made a little craft!

My sweet friend Jennifer brought me this adorable candle as a hostess gift and it smells sooo good!  Madi had two of her little friends over for the evening, and she got a hostess gift as well - an adorable Halloween bow!  So thoughtful!

We had so much fun we want to do it again at Christmastime! What a treat to celebrate the seasons with friends who enjoy them with you!

Fall Decorating For $1.00!!

I went to Target yesterday for the first time in ages, and was thrilled by some fun finds in their dollar bins when I walked in!  They had adorable sparkly pumpkins, and the cutest little felt pumpkin decorating kits, all for a dollar each!

I got a kit and a pumpkin for each of the kids, and they were easy as pie for them to decorate!  Trevor also picked out the little wooden robot craft kit at Hobby Lobby for a little over a dollar, and colored it this morning.  I so enjoy having their handiwork around the house each season!

Since the sparkly pumpkins were such a steal at only a dollar, I bought three for myself as well.  I set the orange one on an old pedestal stand I've had for years, and they made an elegant setting on my countertop for $3.00!

In other news, today I am finishing up my 18th week of pregnancy.  My weeks are so full that the time is flying by!  (Owl handprint art tutorial found here.)

And in just a few moments, some fall-loving friends will be coming over to enjoy some autumn goodies.  In fact, I think one just came to the door!

Happy October Saturday!

I Have A Coral Skirt! I Have A Coral Skirt!

So, like many of you, I have been loving the whole pop of color thing this fall, especially the look of a trim coral skirt or pair of jeans.  I have little to no budget for clothes most months (hence the clearance rack and "from my closet" shopping you hear me speak of all the time), but love fashion and dressing to match the season, the occasion, and my mood!

I looked at a coral skirt on the sale rack at Target a month or so ago, but it just wasn't on sale enough. So I put it back on the rack for someone else.

The past few weeks as I've been putting together outfits to suit the unique and varying Florida fall weather (more posts on that subject to come soon), I have been wanting to wear one of those bright pops of tailored color that I keep seeing on fashion blogs.

Then it hit me.

I have a coral skirt!  I have a coral skirt!

It's definitely not the "latest and greatest" - in fact, here is a flashback photo of Jimmy and me from the spring of 2004 in our pre-kids, early ministry days.  I wore what was back then a brand new monochromatic outfit to an Evangelism Explosion banquet at church. A coral, linen skirt and top set I had purchased at good old Hecht's - did anyone else grow up shopping at that department store?!  Miss that place.

I hadn't worn this outfit in a couple of years, but hadn't gotten rid of it either.  I went digging in my closet, pulled out that skirt, and paired it with a lace top, my trusty nude heels, and some accessories to give it an "8 1/2 years later" makeover!

This is the kind of thing that energizes me! A beautiful, sunny, fall day and a "new" outfit made from everything I already had, including something very old!

Everything old is new again!  

Is there anything in your closet you can make new today?

One Necklace, Five Ways...

This summer I was at Versona and this great necklace caught my eye.  I spent around $12 on it and have accessorized everything from maxi dresses to white t's and cutoffs with it since.  Here are five of the ways I have worn this one fabulous and affordable necklace...

Life is busy, wear something fun that makes you feel energized!

Homemade Handprint Owl Art

There was a blank wall right by my kitchen that I had been wanting to fill ever since we moved into this house four years ago.  The empty space was in perfect view from my green chair and once I put my cozy fall decorations up a couple weeks ago, the spot seemed extra empty!  I was having no trouble finding artwork to put there, I was just having trouble finding funds to pay for it!  So I went to Hobby Lobby with a 40% coupon, came home with a pack of two large canvases for $4.79, and decided to try to make something creative using the kids' handprints.  I am not an artist by any means, but I looked online for inspiration, used little hands and paints supplies we already had, and came up with this very simple owl painting...

And I really love it!  It was incredibly easy.  I started by painting the canvas yellow (my favorite color) and painting owl forms, one brown and one gray.

I then painted white circles for eyes and orange triangles for beaks.

I added dots in the center of the eyes for pupils, and painted two simple branches for the owls to perch on.

Then came the fun part.  I used Trevor's handprints to make green feathers on the gray owl, and Madi's handprints to make orange feathers on the brown owl.

Our handmade, handprinted artwork is now a charming addition to our autumn nest!

Jimmy hung it up in that empty space and it fits perfectly!  Now I have the sweetest view from my green chair!  After we made our owl art, Madi also painted a picture for her teacher, who loves owls and decorates their classroom with them.  It was just precious and painted with much, much love.

It is now hanging on the wall of her classroom!

Speaking of classrooms, I spent my morning subbing in 4th grade.

My entire afternoon teaching back to back piano and vocal lessons.

And my evening at church for band practice.

I'm a tired girl!

So, goodnight!  Sleep tight!  Do something creative with your kiddos this weekend to add color to your home!  They'll feel so special being a part of it.

Friday Night Meal Makeover: Baked Ravioli

On Friday nights, I like to make fun food - something that is tasty and extra yummy after a long week of school and everything else!  I also prefer to make something sort of easy so I don't have to spend too much time preparing, and can enjoy Friday afternoon with the kids.  This past Friday I tried something new before we headed off to the first football game of the season at the high school (gotta support our youth group students!), and it was a hit.  This Baked Ravioli was so super simple anyone could make it, even my girls out there who claim they can't cook!  Not only it is simple and delicious, but it will make your house smell soooo good while it bakes away!  And it is a budget friendly, filling meal!

You can type "baked ravioli" into your search engine and find several recipes right away.  I browsed some of these then took what our family would like and put this together.

Here's how easy it is to make...

Preheat your oven to 350.  Take two jars of pasta sauce (most recipes call for one but I like saucy pasta).  Spread one jar of sauce on the bottom of a pan (9x13 or 9x11 will be just right).  Take half of a large bag of frozen ravioli (as in, you don't even have to boil it first) and lay the ravioli in a single layer across the sauce.  Spread 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella across the frozen ravioli.  Next, spread another jar of sauce across the first ravioli/cheese layer.  Now take the other half of the frozen ravioli and make another layer.  Spread another 1/2 cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella across that layer.  Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then take off the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Dinner will be hot and delicious!

I served it with steamed broccoli, green beans, and ice water.  It made for a super easy, but very tasty, dinner!

This was an especially economical meal because we only ate half of it on Friday night. I thought we would eat the rest of it Saturday evening, but at the last minute Jimmy and I went out on a date (yay!), so we had it Sunday after church.  Pasta is one of the foods I actually love having for leftovers - sometimes it tastes even better the second time!  Jimmy picked up a fresh loaf of bread on the way home from church, I heated the ravioli in the oven, and a hot, yummy lunch was served!

Our family loves ravioli, and this baked version gave it a lasagna type richness and flavor without all the work - we will definitely be making this again soon!

How To Change Up An Outfit

On Saturday evening, I went out with some girlfriends to celebrate my friend Jennifer's birthday.  She is stunning and quite the fashionista, and I wanted to wear something fresh and fun for our girls night. I am always mixing and matching from my wardrobe, and with a mix of some older and newer pieces from my closet and a little innovation, I came up with a "new"outfit for the evening.  I love shopping my closet!  I often get questions about where I find my clothes, so I thought this may give you some insight into how I come up with what I wear.

My inspiration actually started with some craft flowers I purchased with a coupon at Hobby Lobby a couple months ago.  I had nearly forgotten I had them! I used a hot glue gun to attach them to pin backs which took all of two minutes.

I then pulled out a denim jacket I had purchased on the clearance rack at Old Navy back in 2004 (I wear things forever).  After attaching the flower pins to the eight year old jacket, it seemed like a new piece!

I then took out the comfortable lace dress from Kohl's my mom had surprised me with back in the spring when Jimmy and I had a date night to see The Lion King.

When I wore it that night, I dressed it up with nude heels and vintage inspired jewelry I already had for a soft, romantic look.  After all, it was a beautiful spring evening and I was going on a date with my man!

But when paired with my newly accessorized old denim jacket and a pair of flat sandals, it had a much more casual, yet still vintage, feel.

Same exact dress, but totally different look!  Perfect for a great dinner out with my girls! (And a great dinner it was.  Don't even get me started on the Caribbean Pumpkin Crab Soup! I may not stop talking about it.)

I have to tell you about the earrings I wore.  One of the girls in our youth group is a creative, artistic girl named Caroline.  She is also one of my piano students, and one of the things I love most about her is that she is completely and totally herself!  She almost always wears two different earrings instead of a matching set.  Last summer I was browsing the summer clearance jewelry at Belk and came across this pair of earrings.  Paris was still fresh on my mind after throwing Madi's Paris birthday party in April, and these caught my eye.  They were only a few dollars, so I channelled my inner Caroline and bought them.  I only wear them when I am feeling extra fun and free-spirited!

My personality likes change and keepings things fresh.  This includes what I wear.  I had to wear the same blue plaid school uniforms from kindergarten to 8th grade and it about did me in!!  Now I am all about variety!  I have found that by keeping and wearing things for a long time, mixing the old and the new, hunting clearance racks, and shopping my closet,  I can have a large wardrobe on a small budget.

Fashion is fun and often what you choose to put on the outside reflects something about how you feel on the inside.  Have some fun putting together a "new" outfit from your closet that puts some pep in your step!

Easiest Homemade Iced Mocha Ever!

See this pretty little coffee drink?  All I did to make it was...

Pour!

Last weekend, I was picking up some BOGO iced tea at Publix for a Memorial Day Weekend get together with friends, and this caught my eye.  There was a $1 off coupon right there, so I thought for $3 it couldn't hurt to try it since that is the price of only 1 or 2 iced coffees at a coffee shop or such.  I used my coupon and took a chance and what do you know, this is actually quite tasty!

You can drink it as is or even mix it with 1% milk to thin it out and make it go further.  I actually prefer it that way. Today we sat outside baking in the sun at a graduation, and a glass of this hit the spot when we got home!  Simple pleasure and unexpected treat!

Love My Peeps Tray!

You may remember this little sign I found for a couple dollars last year at Steinmart.  It makes me smile...

I pulled out a few other spring items from years past and put them on my faithful tray.  Just a few simple items like this bunny creamer, a gift from my mom...

The only thing I purchased was some Easter candy and grass.  A couple of Peeps and a chocolate bunny went on the grass in some glass containers and became festive decorations!

So with some candy and spring items I had tucked away,

I now have a cheerful Love My Peeps Tray! 

Linking to Tabletop Tuesday.