Instafriday! (Pumpkin edition)

Happy Friday, y'all!!

I don't know about you, but I am SO glad it's Friday.  I cannot wait to relax (even though I have to work tomorrow) and you want to know the best part about this weekend?

That's right! The Pumpkin Spice donut at Krispy Kreme is coming out tomorrow. 

OMG, 

I cannot wait to get my hands on that one.  YUM.

So, here's a look at my week via Instagram!

Went to the farmers market earlier this week. I. love. that. place.

 

Made an easy fall wreath!GO here to see the tutorial!

 

Huey liked the pumpkins I bought from the market.  

 

If I could afford all those pumpkins, I would have gotten them.  I love pumpkins.  a lot.

Made some pumpkin scones with brown sugar glaze.  They were yummy!

Hubby helped me with the dishes.  {so sweet!}

Got any plans for the weekend?  I'm doing some cleaning, garage selling, working ,and eating that PUMPKIN SPICE DONUT!

I am linking up here, and so should you!

Xoxox,

Fall wreath! {An easy tutorial!}

Over the weekend, I made a fall wreath that costs me around 8 dollars.  I love it when I can make something really cute for a really great price.  Here is what I came up with for my Fall 2011 wreath.

Let's review what my wreath looked like last year:

Cute...but I wasn't crazy about it this year (and of course, I was itching to do a little crafting!)

Take a look at my new wreath:

As you probably know by now, I love Burlap.  From pillows to pennants to wreaths...i love the stuff.

Here's a mini tutorial on how to make one of these beauties!  (It's really easy to do, so I debated on evening making a tutorial, but I hope it'll help you to become inspired!)

1.  Here are the supplies you'll need:

a. Burlap

b. Spray paint

c. Hot glue gun

d. wreath

e. berries or any other decor item of your choice

f. Your initial

g. twine

2. Spray paint your wreath.  I used Valspar from Lowes and it worked beautifully.

 I just hung it on a tree like so and sprayed it like crazy.  Make sure you do several coats because the wood soaks up some paint.

3. While the wreath is drying, get your initial letter, glue gun, and twine. Begin wrapping the twine around the letter and glue every so often.  It's an easy process, just a little time consuming.

4. When the wreath is dry, get out your berries and just hot glue them around it.  Again, not hard.

 

5.  Make a burlap bow (I didn't take photos of this part) and hot glue it to the wreath.  Now place the initial in the middle of the wreath and hang it from the back with fishing line so no one will see it.  :)

Viola!  An easy and beautiful fall wreath.  

My favorite part is the spray painted part.  Now I have wonderful ideas to do for summer (coral or hot pink), christmas (green or red) and spring (easter egg purple).

Have YOU done any crafting lately?   Later this week, I am going to share a little more crafting ( in the kitchen..aka a recipe)

and it may or may not have to do with pumpkin. :)

Happy Fall, Y'all!

I went to the farmer's market today.  

That might be my favorite place on earth.  

And I got lots of goodies..

including a bajillion pumpkins.

SO now it's time to share my fall mantle/decor with y'all!!  I have been so excited to share, but haven't had the time to put together a post.  

So, here you go! My fall mantle.

See that mirror that is sitting so perfectly on my mantle?  Got that baby for $8 at Goodwill. It's such a great mirror, with a beautiful frame.  I couldn't pass up the price!

The big pumpkins above were just 2/$5!  At Kroger I've seen ones this big for around $10 a piece!

 I love acorns.  Aren't these beautiful!

 These were just 50 cents a piece.

 Mr. Pumpkin man that I purchased after the season last year for around $2.50.

{these photos are not the best quality because I took them at night, but I just could not wait until morning!}

Hope you enjoyed my fall decor so far! I will more than likely be sharing more in the future..

I 

am

 obsessed 

with 

fall.

Linking up here!
and here! 

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Xoxo

Insta-Friday

It is pouring rain today- and I decided to crawl on the couch with some potato soup while I blog.  Now that's a recipe for a pretty great afternoon.

Here are a few pictures from my week!! I always like the share them because it gives you a glimpse of what I've been up to.  :)

Linking up here.

 I was so excited that the Season Premiere of Modern Family came on this week. I love that show!!  My favorite person is Manny.  I just love him!

 I officially put up all my spring/summer clothing and got my fall/winter clothes out! Yay!!

OMG.  I had a pumpkin cake donut from Dunkin Donuts this past Sunday and it was so so so yummy. I loved it.  You definitely need to go get one.

 See all those people?  All 7500 of them?  I took this photo on Sunday when we had Church at the ballpark.  That's right, most all of those people go to my church!  (We have 5 different campuses)   It was such an awesome experience for all of us to get together and worship together.  And yep, we rented the Durham Bulls baseball stadium out for this event!

And lastly, this is where Huey sits all morning long.  He loves to stare at the birds outside.  Too bad if he ever went outside, he would probably be scared of the birds.  (He is a sissy).

Cheers to the weekend!!!!

Xoxo

Chicken Salad..it's for the ants.

A couple of Sunday's ago, hubby and I decided to have a picnic after church.  As you know, I love picnics.  I decided to make this DELICIOUS looking chicken salad I saw on Pinterest the other day.

Source: smells-like-home.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

And it was delicious..

Except for one thing.

I had just gone to the store to get all the ingredients, and I already had several at home.  I got out what I had: almonds (I used these instead of pecans) chicken, spices..etc.

So then I made the chicken salad and the whole time I was snacking on the bag of almonds while I was making it.

I taste tested it, and it was delicous!  I loved it.  So I put it in the refridgerator and proceeded to clean up.

And then I saw it.

The bag of almonds I had purchased earlier that week was infested with ANTS.

TONS of ants. ALL in the bag.

I had been eating ANTS the whole time.  AND I made the chicken salad with them.

Great.

So I contemplated telling hubby or not.  I mean, if I ate them and didn't taste anything different, then he would never know, right?


HAHA!  Well, I did tell him and he refused to eat it so I just made another batch.

I was disgusted when I thought about the fact that I had eaten a handful of ants..but now I just think it's funny.

The not-so-funny part was cleaning out my pantry.  I hate bugs, especially when they invade my home!  Thankfully, they are long gone and I hope to never have this encounter again.

But, here's the recipe!  (WITHOUT ANTS!)

Chicken Salad

Juicy rotisserie chicken, tart apples, crunchy nuts, and celery all pulled together with homemade mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• For the mayo
• 2 large eggs*
• 1 large egg yolk*
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white (or black) pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• For the chicken salad
• 1 cup slivered blanched almonds
• 2 whole boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup homemade mayo
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

*Use pasteurized eggs if you’ll be serving children, pregnant women, or anyone else who might be immuno-compromised.

1. Make the mayo: Blend eggs, yolk, salt, pepper, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender. Stream in the oils and blend on high until thickened. Extra mayo can be stored in a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
2. Toast the almonds: Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast 7-9 minutes. Let cool.
3. Make the chicken salad: In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, apple, celery, onions, and parsley, and just enough mayo to bind the chicken salad. Salt and pepper to taste. If serving, add the almonds. If making ahead of time, wait to add the almonds until just before assembling the sandwiches.

Recipe taken from here.

 

It sure was yummy- the 2nd batch, that is.

 

Do any of y'all have good stories like that one?  I'm sure I wont be forgetting "the time I ate ants" anytime soon!

 

One more thing:  It's almost the weekend! YIPEEE!!!!

 

One of my to-do's for the weekend is to update my pages on the top of my blog.  MY DIY page is a little outdated..

 

  

What I'm loving Wednesday

It's been a while since I did a WILW post, but I am glad to be back this week!

If you'd like to join, link up here!

Source: toryburch.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

1. I'm loving  these boots from Tory Burch. OMG, they are beautiful! Too bad they are WAY out of price range, but I love dreaming about them.  I am thinking about getting another pair of Reva flats from eBay this year. I got a pair last year for over 50% off, brand new!

Source: sweetsomethingdesign.blogspot.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

2. I'm loving that fall is (practically) here.  I love decorating, baking pumpkin desserts, crisp fall mornings, football season, and scarves.  It's my favorite season.  If you like pumpkin desserts, check out this pumpkin pound cake that I made the other day- find it here!

3. I'm loving that this weekend is the first weekend that we don't have big plans.  It's nice to just sleep in, enjoy each other, and take it easy.  We've been pretty busy the past several weeks, and I'm ready to relax. We will be watching lots of football this weekend! Go Texas A&M!  (And Appalachian!)

Source: pinterest.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

4. I'm loving this nail polish. What's your favorite color to paint your nails for fall?  Mine is gray or maroon!

5. I'm loving the new B&BW fall candles.  Autumn is my absolute favorite. I wish I could buy them all! What is your favorite fall scent? 


What are you loving today?!  Be sure to link up for a fun party!

Xoxo

Pumkin Bundt Cake

I love fall for so many reasons.

Source: countrysamplermagazine.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

1. Pumpkins

Source: bhg.com via Sheila on Pinterest

2. Mums

Source: etsy.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

3. Decorating everything with Burlap

Source: mamalovesfood.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

4. Making yummy soups

5.Nice weather (and football season!)

Source: presserfoot.blogspot.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

7. Scarves

Source: toryburch.com via Kaitlin on Pinterest

8. Boots


See? I told you I love fall.

BUT the #1 reason I love fall is because I can make tons of yummy pumpkin goodies.

Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bundt cake, pumpkin pie...

Man, I love it all.  (And that's probably why I gain ten pounds every fall!)  ;)

So last week, I make the most delicious Pumpkin Bundt Cake..it was divine.  And I'm going to share this yummy recipe with y'all!

Here's what you'll need:

Pumpkin Pound Cake
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting


Directions:


In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and pudding mix; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition.
Transfer to a greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serves 12-16.

(You can find the recipe here)


Seriously, this is so so so yummy.  I had to give most of it away to my in-laws because I knew I would eat it all myself if I didn't. It sure goes great with a cup of coffee in the morning!

Happy Tuesday!!!!

Xoxo,

How to decorate around the TV.

So...if you've stuck around here for the past several weeks, you know that I had a big design stump that I was trying to get over.

How to decorate around the TV.

I just couldn't figure out how to hang photos, decor, etc around the TV and make it look decent.  The TV kept being an eye sore because it's so big and I didn't really have any decor that I liked to hang around it.

Until I got a special something in the mail:

I ordered these prints from one of my favorite blogs ever, Jones Design Company.  She had this package half price for a couple days, so I decided to snatch em up! I have always wanted to put some scripture in our living room, and so I knew these would be perfect for it. 

And it would solve my problem of decorating around the television.

I semi-fixed the problem a few weeks ago when I moved in our wedding bench underneath a painting I had...

But I still wasn't crazy about it...

And now, take a look!

I got the frames from, get this, DOLLAR TREE! For $1 each..(duh)  So for a total of $6 I got six frames. Yeah, I am excited about that one.

The little shelf above the TV is from Goodwill for $2.  So are the pumpkins (they were .39 and .69 cents each)  The bird is from The Dollar Tree for $1 and I sprayed it pink.

Love it!!! I think it works very nicely with the TV and doesn't make it such an eye sore.

What do you think?  You like it?  I sure do!


Want to know what my next project will be?   SLIPCOVERING those rose chairs that you see in the pictures..I have a few ideas up my sleeve and boy am I excited!  It won't be for a while, so don't hold your breath.  I may round up my mom to come visit so she can help me! :)  You up for it, mom?


And I just realized that the title of this post "How to decorate around the TV" isn't that great of a title because I really didn't give a "how to".  But that's alright..I'll give one now:

How to decorate around the TV (in my opinion)

1. Having some symmetry around it helps to balance the bulkiness of the TV.  It draws your eyes to the decor instead of the big black square (the TV)
2.  Having scripture around the TV is even better because it helps you not watch trash TV (like Bachelor Pad, Jersey Shore, and Teen Mom) because then you'll feel guilty.

haha! Just kidding...


3. Adding some depth and dimension by small shelves also help to balance the TV because...well I don't really know why, but it just does.
4.  That's about it.  Just do what makes you happy!


And this makes me happy.

I love it.

and I just said the word "TV" like 184 times in this post.

In other news, here's what to expect from Mrs. DIY and the tennis guy this week:

1.I COMPLETELY forgot that I had not shared my pantry re-organization that happened a while ago.  I will share that soon!
2. Along with a chicken salad recipe and a "not funny then but hilarious now" story.  Dontcha love those?
3. I also decorated my home for fall...and included in that is a wonderful something something from Goodwill trip I took earlier this week.
4. Pumpkin pound cake recipe.  yes. you will make this and eat it all by yourself.


Happy Monday, everyone!