Fall Pins & New Blog Look

I know I haven't posted in a while-- a really long time, actually, but I have been a busy little bee! I'm working 3rd shift now, and I don't know if I'll ever get adjusted to that kind of schedule-- I'm exhausted all the time! I changed up the look of my page, but I'm still playing around with the signature-- I get so frustrated sometimes with codes!

Since I've barely had time to craft (I usually forget to take pictures when I cook/bake) I don't really have any projects to post, so here's some things I've been pinning lately (SO obsessed with Pinterest!):

dryer vent pumpkin

Autumn decorated chandelier

Edgar Allan Poe raven Halloween plate

apple cider caramels

And, because Halloween is coming up, here's some super cute and creative costume ideas:

baby spaghetti



candy corn baby

family campfire s'mores costumes

Mr. T baby costume
  

I could go on forever! I'm a pinnin' fool! What fall inspiration have you found recently? Are you addicted to Pinterest (if you need an invite, let me know!), too? Feel free to follow me on Pinterest by clicking the button on the top right hand side of my site! I'll follow you back! Happy Fall! ;)

Guest Blogger on Fireflies and Jellybeans!

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to be guest posting at Fireflies and Jellybeans today for Christmas in July (now August)! I'm showing you all how to make Pumpkin Seed Poinsettia Ornaments! Check it out!

Buckeye Cookie Bars

Have you ever had a Buckeye?




 {Buckeye recipe from All Recipes.com}

 

I'm pretty sure it started as an Ohio thing, but they should be known all over. They're delicious, and how can they not be? Little balls of peanut butter dipped in chocolate to look like a Buckeye nut. Mmm-- LOVE them, and they're a super easy holiday gift to give. Anyway, these yummy little cookie bars are inspired by the candy.

Looks good, no? Want to know how easy these lil' guys are to make? OK, here it goes.

What'cha need:

• 1 Devil's food cake mix
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ c. creamy peanut butter
• 1 c. peanuts (I left these out)
• ⅓ c. canned chocolate fudge frosting

What'cha do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and egg. Beat until crumbly (I just used a pastry cutter and combined them by hand). Reserve ½ c. of the mixture, and press the rest in a 9" x 13" pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. For the filling, beat the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk together. Stir in peanuts, if desired. Spread (heh-- wrong verb. Should say blob and attempt to evenly distribute the gluey mixture) over the crumbs. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over peanut butter layer and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set. Cool completely. In a small resealable sandwich bag, add frosting and microwave on high for 5-10 seconds. Snip small corner off bag and drizzle in a criss-cross pattern over crumb topping. Chill until frosting sets. Cut into bars, and EAT 'EM UP!

* It's A LOT easier to cut (and chew!) if you let the bars come to room temperature before serving.

Linking up to the following parties:

Happy 1st Year Anniversary...

...to my super-cute, awesome, hilarious, husband! Yesterday was our first year wedding anniversary, and we had a great, low-key day together. We drove around for 4 hours exploring and looking for houses that were for sale. Afterward, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. Probably not the most exciting anniversary ever recorded, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

Seven years ago today, we began dating. John asked me to "go out with" him, and I said "sure, I guess." Haha! If that ain't happily ever after, I dunno what is! Love you, babe!

Goodwill Hunting!

No, not the movie, silly! The store. I LOVE thrift stores. Like big red puffy heart LOVE them. I just get so excited looking at the new (old) stuff that comes in daily, and I love looking for hidden treasures on the shelves. Luckily, Husband supports this, and also looks forward to thrifting. In fact, I'm pretty sure we've been 7 times to 4 different stores within 5 days. Anyhow, here are some of the goodies I've found:

Old Shabby Shutter. I've been looking for some old shutters ever since I saw someone display Christmas cards in the slats. Well, I finally found one! Two, actually, but the other was beat up pretty bad, and beyond repair. It was less than $2, and now I just need to figure out what color I want to paint it.

Antique Blue Ball Jar with Lid. I love all jars, but blue ones in particular. The rubber gasket fell off, but I think I can fit it back on. SIDE NOTE! Did you know you can take the annoying wax pencil price marks off of glass with mayonnaise? Before washing, just put a little blob on, let sit a minute, and wipe off. Ta da!

Mail sorter with 236 year old sticker I scraped off. Its ugly, but it was $1 so I don't mind. A little paint will spruce this baby up.

Have you found any good treasures at the thrift store lately?

Linking up here:

I am... POOPED!

As in tired. Sleepy. Exhausted.

I started a new job this week (so thankful and glad of that), but I am not having an easy time adjusting to my schedule.

While training, I'll be on 1st shift (NOT a morning person--yet), and then eventually move to 3rd shift (those hours are more like my schedule!).

I was actually too exhausted every evening to even make anything, which is not like me.

I don't post everyday, but I can usually do something once a week.

Hopefully I'll be able to get some stuff done this weekend and this upcoming week.

I have a lot of ideas, so I'm hoping I'll get to all of them!

I have been working on cleaning my craft room (it should be quarantined), which is taking FOR. EV. ER. but I'm being thorough and actually throwing out and donating a lot, so I guess it will be worth it in the end. :o) And, I've taken both before and in-progress pictures (not sure if I'll show them yet or not.... trust me-- it's BAD!) and will also take after pictures.

I know it'll be a lot easier to work in once it's organized.

Besides, I'm itchin' to use my Silhouette, and I promised myself I couldn't even open it until I had a clean room-- and I've been good so far.

I'm hoping to relax and catch up on some sleep this weekend, and I'm excited because I get to visit with some good friends from college tomorrow for a game night!

It's been almost a year since I've been able to see them because they lived in Iowa. Now they're back in Ohio, so all is well! :)

Have a good weekend, and stay tuned for some projects next week!

My Favorite Fruit Dip!

I love summer time and cook-outs and get-togethers it brings! This was the 2nd weekend in a row that we've attended one, and this time I'm brought a fruit platter instead of a fattening dessert. To go along with the fruit, I whipped up this super easy fruit dip! I love this dip-- my mom used to make it since I can remember, and it tastes great with apples, grapes, and strawberries (and off the spoon...).
To make it, you'll need:

• 1 {8 oz.} pkg. cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchâtel, or the less fat kind)
• 1 {7 oz.} jar of marshmallow cream
• 2 t. vanilla (or you can use other flavorings or extracts if you prefer)

     

That's it! Three easy ingredients! Beat the cream cheese and the marshmallow cream together until combined. Add vanilla and beat together. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Eat with apples, strawberries, grapes, graham crackers, or a spoon! Yum!!!

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