Happy Fall Ya’ll!

What an exciting weekend of Halloween and fall fun! Did you enjoy it? My son had such a good time he got sick! BOO:(
Taking him trick or treating for an hour didn’t help him heal either. #momoftheyear

But Halloween only happens once a year right? It started with making treats. (Doesn’t it always start that way?)

These are gingersnap cookies I made with cream cheese frosting ghosts on top!




In addition, I had a dance performance at a benefit dinner this weekend. I got to dress up (which is always fun) and we got some amazing food!!! I WISH I knew how to make these dishes!!







Are you ready for some costumes??

Dressing up is so much fun! Our church had a costume dance and a few of us dressed up as modern day Disney princesses. I went as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. This photo was not the Disney Princess photo, but it was one of my favorites from the night!



Then for the big show (Halloween trick or treating) I went as Katniss from The Hunger Games. I loved the books and the movie! So, of course, I had to be “The girl who was on fire".”



That’s my “don’t mess with me I’m Katniss Everdeen” face. lol What you can’t really tell in this picture is that my center flame is a cutout in my shirt and my iPhone is inserted behind it with a fire app so my shirt glowed like a real flame!

And finally, the best picture of all – my two little men. The Masked Man and Calvin & Hobbes!



Little man had to have a black eye. He said Hobbes gave it to him. lol

To make sure people got the Calvin and Hobbes reference I made his treat bag this year:



I drew the picture with pencil and then went over it with sharpie so it looked sketched. I’m not an artist, so I’m pretty pleased with how this bag turned out! What do you think?

How about you? How did you celebrate Halloween? What were some of the best costumes YOU saw this year?

SoCal Blog Social {Recap}

Southern California has a very active blogging community and I am so excited to be a {small} part of it! One event I have been DYING to go to was the Socal Social, because it’s so close to me in Orange County!! Plus, I got to hang with some blog friends I’ve been getting to know – such as Delightful Deets, Made by Munchies Mama, Yeung Mother Hubbard, 504 Main, Renee from Cover to Cover and more!!

This event {which includes a swag walk, dinner and guest speaker, Mark Montano from HGTV!} was wonderfully organized by Bev at Flamingo Toes and Vivienne at The V Spot. These ladies seriously did an amazing job! It was so fun to meet new bloggers and reconnect with old blogging friends!




So many cute things to see at all the shops! I wish I had taken more pictures!!!




Some of the shop owners stopped to tell us more about their shop. We got delicious coffee at this shop AND I just loved that light blue bench inside!


 

I also loved this reading nook in the children’s toy store! So did some of my friends.


 

Having fun on the walk!!


 

And I am in LOVE with signs. I seriously want every single one of these in my house. Somewhere. Every. Single. One. xoxo


 

If you follow me on Facebook then you’ll remember that when we stopped for lunch at Paris in a Cup, we ended up hanging out with HGTV’s Mark Montano!! He was so nice and fun to talk with! {And yes, I am still star struck. lol}


 

After the swag walk it was off to dinner! The table scape was beautiful and the food was DELICIOUS!!


 

After dinner we got to hear Mark Montano speak –




and as part of our ‘swag bag’ we got his brand new crafting book all about BLING!!! Yay!!! {Jumping for joy!!!}


 

And oh yes I did get him to sign my book!!



 

After Mark spoke there were a lot of items raffled off aaaaaand….. I won one!!!

Me so excited to hold my necklace and $25 gift certificate to Christine and Co. Design! 

Woohoo!! Free stuff, food, winning AND Mark Montano all in one day?? Yes, it was awesome.
Thank you SO much to Vivienne and Beverly – you girls did an awesome job in organizing everything for this fabulous event; it was so much fun and I can't wait for next year!

If you have a chance to attend a local meet up like the Socal Social, I highly suggest you go, you will LOVE it!

New here? You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

What I Wore: Living my Dash

1977 - ?
I have a beginning date -- a birth date.
And by the grace of God, I don’t have an end date yet.
But I recently read that it’s not the beginning or the end date that counts, but that dash in between.

Think about it.

Your birth and death will be two significant dates, marked with importance and prominence. But the majority of your life will defined by that dash in between. That tiny dash - and what you do with it.

I want my dash to matter.
 To God. To my kids. To others.

So, what matters?

That answer is different for everyone.

But I know what DOESN’T matter:
Cars. Money. Houses. Decorations. Trophies…. 
All those things go away.
In the end, I won’t ask to be surrounded by my trophies, houses and money. I will want to be surrounded by the people I love and relationships I’ve built.

So how do I live my dash?
I love God.
I love my boys.
I love my neighbor.

And I try to live and love fully and freely.
Every day.
And even when I fail, at least I fail trying.


Sometimes living my dash means showing God’s love by extending love out of my comfort zone or out of my borders. {Literally}

 

{Volunteering at a Mexican Orphanage, September 2012}
Shirt and Jeans: Old  Navy

 

And always - living my dash means being a mom and spending quality time with my boys: 

{SDSU Football Game, October 2012 – Little man is tired in this pic... or giving a model pose}
SDSU Shirt: a birthday present
Jeans: Styles for Less

They are the extension of my life and my legacy of God’s love here on earth. 

And every once in a while, living my dash means pushing the limits of my inner and outer self:

 
 

{Zip Lining in Big Bear, August 2012}

Shirt: “Shine On” shirt from The Shine Project

Capris: Target

Shoes: New Balance Running Shoes

Awesome hat and gloves: From the zip lining company

I noticed something from writing these 'what I wore' posts as well. My best, shiniest and nicest clothes are not always worn in my best, shiniest and nicest moments. 

I realized the most extraordinary, meaningful and significant moments in my life usually require the most ordinary and insignificant clothes.

Living my dash.

What does it mean to live yours?

Here is the poem I read that was the inspiration for this post and my thoughts:

 

Sharing at WIWW at The Pleated Poppy

Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

Even though we haven’t had ANY fall weather here yet, I still can’t help baking fall treats!



If you follow me on Facebook you know I’ve been on a bit of a pumpkin craze this past month {or two} and I can’t seem to stop! {Is there a pumpkin anonymous club I can join?}  So, here’s one more --

Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

To make these muffins I used my two ingredient pumpkin muffin recipe.

I also made homemade glaze:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 – 3 Tbs milk

Directions: Mix sugar, vanilla extract and 1 Tbs of milk together until smooth. Add little bits of milk until the consistency is what you want. I learned that less is more!


I think these little pumpkin muffins would also make cute place cards on a fall table setting – what do you think?

Can I still say ‘Happy fall’ when I’m in shorts and it’s 80 degrees?

Well, I'm gonna!

Happy fall friends! xo

Linking up at Tip Junkie; tatertots and jello and here!

Jute Growth Chart

This month marks my nephew’s first birthday! Yay! So, doing my job as a good auntie and godmother, I felt like I needed to make him something unique, that he didn’t already have. I knew my sister didn’t have a growth chart (thanks to my stealth visit to New York this summer) and I’ve always wanted to try making one, SO seven feet of jute ribbon later – woo hoo we’ve got one! :)

{Yep, wrote those numbers in myself, by hand. No stencil. #someonePLEASEgivemeasillhouette}

I like that she can hang it up on any wall:




Or roll it up if she needs to save space.




And all it took was about an hour of time and love. {Coke Zero optional.}




Dear sis, please appreciate that I HAND STITCHED that little dowel and twine onto the jute ribbon so you can hang your growth chart. Just for you. {wink}





I think that little dowel was my favorite part – as were these cute little pins and tags I added so she can document his growth throughout the years…




There’s even room on the back of the tags if she wants to write little anecdotes about his milestones and likes/dislikes as he grows.



Happy Birthday sweet nephew! Here’s to many more years of love and growth in your life! Love, Auntie!

Linking up here this week!

What I Wore Wednesday: Integrity

“Be who you are and say what you feel,

because those who mind don’t matter,

and those who matter, don’t mind.” ~Theodor Geisel

Except it’s not that easy.

Except that sometimes

There are people

Who will want to quiet you and

Keep you still.

Except that sometimes

You will put up walls

That get in your own way

That you will try 

Days

Weeks

Months

Years

To climb out of

Until the only way to climb out

Is to 

Just

Be 

You.

Deeply rooted

Full of 

Action

Consistency

Principles

Value

And measure

Your worth

In His hands.

And that those words you speak

Build up
because they are spoken

with Truth

And always

With love.

And that you,

That ‘you’

who you are

Is always you.

Even when no one is watching.

“Live, 

so that when your children think of FAIRNESS, CARING and INTEGRITY, 

they think of you.”  

 ~H. Jackson Brown Jr.~

 {source}

  

Not afraid to be me!

 I WON! {Just kidding! I've just always wanted to take a picture like this!} :)

Flip Flops: ROXY

Dress: Snap

 Live life, deeply rooted and free.

“He who walks in integrity walks securely.” ~Proverbs 10:9

Fall Food: Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Are you ready for fall yet? Have you been busy baking fall treats? Well, since it’s been 100 degrees here lately (no joke!) and turning on the oven is the LAST thing on my mind -- I have been all about no bake and cool food. So, enter the pumpkin cheese ball!

Yes – apparently I am turning everything in my house into pumpkins right now! I like to call it the “Cinderella Effect.”





This recipe {or craft?} is simple and looks great at parties! What a perfect little fall appetizer set with some crackers around it! Simply buy a cheese ball, carefully make pumpkin groove lines with a knife or spoon around the edges and add a thin celery stalk for the stem!

And you’re done! Easy as pumpkin pie!

I asked my kiddos: “Isn’t she cute?”
Kiddos: “How do you know it’s a girl?”
ME: “Um, you’re right buddy… I don’t.”

But I bet s/he’s yummy!

Happy Fall Ya’ll!