Costumes? check!

I did it!! 

I finally finished Sissy's costumes for her school skit. She and her friend dressed up as Aladdin and Jasmine to perform "A Whole New World" for the students and parents. They were super awesome! I have a video, but I'll have to post it another time because I'm having trouble getting to work in a post. But for now, here are a few photos! 

Keep in mind that these are the first costumes I have ever made, so be kind! :-)

Now Sissy would probably hate me for putting this last one on here (it's ok to have a silly face on when you're singing beautifully!), but I wanted you to see the "Magic Carpet" she made! I thought she did a great job, especially since she didn't think of it until a few hours before the show. 

They were fantastic, seriously. Sissy may not think she did well, but we all know better! 

Again, I'm a bragging big sister. Sorry! But she deserves it! 

(Someday soon I will have a bragging session for our little bro...B-man's a pretty cool dude, too.) 

In other news: 

Linda, from Craftaholics Anonymous is having a huge giveaway!! 

You need to go check it out right now, it's almost over! 

(Click here to visit her site)

My own little pumpkin patch

 I really should go to sleep right now instead of starting a post...I'm super exhausted, which is not good because it is only Wednesday. I've been working on Sissy's costume, but I think I have finally finished! And now, it's time for bed. YAY! 

But first, I just wanted to show you the cute little pumpkins I made!
(Thanks to SP for the idea!) 

Aren't they sweet? I'm not very artistic, which made the painted lines difficult for me...but hopefully KHo will touch them up for me. She's so talented! 

Can't wait to show you pictures of the costumes this weekend!! 

Goodnight! 

Thanks for visiting 

:-)

Candy Corn Purse!

Ok, so I promise that this will be my last candy corn project for the season. 

(I know, bittersweet, right?) 

Remember the candy corn hair clips I made for little Avery? Well, I had been putting off popping them in the mail because I wanted to make something else to go with them, but I didn't know what. Well, since I had some of the fabric left over...here's what I came up with :-)

I just love it! I don't even know why I had fuzzy orange chunks of boa in my stash, but it was perfect! 

Wanna see it again? 

Hehe, I hope she likes it!! 

I cannot believe that it is almost November! Can you? I was fortunate enough to get to spend part of this beautiful day at the park with another little friend of mine. 

(editors note: She has a lot of little, non-Elven friends)

Yeah, apparently my personal "editor" thinks he's funny. I love him anyway. :-)

Look at these gorgeous leaves? Amazing. 

This sweetie found a plant he had never seen before and was really interested in it. 

We {carefully} examined the Holly, being sure to say {over and over} 

"Birdies love these, but they are not for people. Right?" 

:-)

 Has anyone ever seen one of these? We thought it was so fun, but I didn't know what to call it when he asked. 

What a fantastic afternoon 

:-)

P.S. Laura from Along for the Ride is hosting an awesome Giveaway for her Blog Anniversary! Check it out! 

Candy Corn Tree

For the last two weeks, I have been really busy working on all these costumes and haven't had time to do much crafting. I have finished most of Sissy's costume, so I decided to take a break! 

This has been on my "to do" list since I saw it in the October issue of Women's Day. I think candy corn is just adorable, don't you?! Since we're getting to the end of Candy Corn Season, (which makes me super sad), here's what I made :-) 

This was my inspiration:

I love the pot they used, but I didn't have anything similar. For now, it sits in this glass vase. Maybe I'll paint it and add a ribbon. Spray paint makes everything better, doesn't it?! But for now, I think it's a cute addition to my Fall "Someday-I-Hope-To-Have-A-Mantle" Shelf! 

I want to fill that candle holder with acorns...I have a few in there, but I need to go get some more. I'm so far behind on my Autumn decor this year...but now that we're all moved in and organized, I will definitely be more prepared for Christmas! :-)

Oh and check out my little helper...

Isn't she a sweetie?     

What a lovely Sunday.
Thanks for visiting! 

National Caramel Apple Day!

National Caramel Apple Day

 (Photo)

When I read that today was National Caramel Apple Day, I just had to participate! I mean, YIPPY! How fun is that? Who even knew there was such a day?! Maybe there isn't but I don't want to be disappointed, so I'm not looking it up. :-)

I fully intended to post a craft today, but in honor of NCAD, you are going to have to suffer through one more recipe. Sorry! I'm super busy sewing all these costumes, anyway. Other than that, my life has not been very crafty lately. Sad really. But there's only 1 week left until I have to be done! Busy, busy! 

So, I love caramel apples...but I always feel like they are just too big. Maybe that's the fun of it, but personally, I don't like the mess. So here's a cute little idea I saved along the way, I think it's from Disney Family.

Here's what you'll need. 

Apples, as many as you want! I used Cortland
Caramel bits (they really look like peas, don't they??)
Toothpicks
Melon Baller
Toppings

1) Wash and peel your apples. Be sure to dry them frequently even once they are peeled, or the caramel will not stick.

2) Using your melon baller, dig out small spheres from the apple. I was able to get approximately 11 mini-apples from a large Cortland.

3) Again, dry the apples with a paper towel, squeezing out excess liquid. Poke a toothpick through each apple and place it on wax paper. 

2) Melt the caramel on the stove or in the microwave with a little water in it. Just a teaspoon or so. These little guys are great because they come unwrapped! Then prepare your toppings! I used:

Sprinkles and toasted coconut, as well as nuts, melted chocolate, and candy corn. 

*Note* Candy corn is too heavy for the mini apples. Boo. :-( 

When your caramel looks drippy like this, it's time to dip!

3) Once covered, roll in toppings and place on cooling tray. When all your apples are dipped and topped,  chill them until you are ready to eat!

Unfortunately, this is the only "tada" picture I have. I'm not sure why, but I guess I just forgot! And once I remembered, they were all gone! Oh well, next time! You get the "picture" though, right? Try it! These are good for your little ones because they are tiny and muuuuchh less sugar! Now that I'm thinking about it, why not try to melt peanut butter and dip the apples in, then top them with something fun! They will look like a treat, and only you will be the wiser! ;-)

Either way, this is a holiday worth celebrating! 

Enjoy! 

Starbucks-Inspired Pumpkin Muffin and a feature!

A few years ago, a friend and I went out for coffee and shared an ah-mazing pumpkin muffin (or was it a cupcake? Let's call it a mupcake...such a fine line) from Starbucks. 

 Rolling in around 470 calories,

 needless to say, these babies are terrible for you!

{Now that's scary!}
Have no fear, I've got it covered!
 

Now, before you judge a muffin by its icing, let me explain. 

Ok, so I made these guys with cupcakes in mind. However, when I tasted one, it just screamed breakfast! So, I decided to try the icing with a bit less sugar and maple syrup in place of the extract..put a little less than usual on each one and wham-o! A tasty, seasonal, perfectly acceptable breakfast treat. Notice, I did say treat. I am not under the false impression that these guys are actually a balanced meal, but I do think that they are wholesome enough for a chilly Autumn morning. That said, I changed the name to muffin and I'm sticking to it.
           Health-ified Pumpkin Muffins

(Recipe Adapted from Ina Garten)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pan with 12 liners. 

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and applesauce. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared tins and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and enjoy!

Maple Frosting

6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Now that's better. 

:-)

Side note:

Today was a great day! It all started this morning when I saw that I was featured on Love Stitched! 





Have you seen Brittany's blog? It's adorable, you need to check it out!  She's hosting the final week of her Halloween Recipe Project...don't miss it! 

Thanks for visiting! Come back soon :-) 

Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff

When I first got married, a friend shared a similar recipe and since then hubby and I have adapted it to make it our own. It’s super yummy and though it may not look like much from the photo, it is a crowd pleaser for sure! This is a great recipe for a busy Fall day since there is essentially no preparation needed, and you get to come home to a warm, delicious meal! Who doesn’t love comfort food in the Fall? Try it this week, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients:

1 lb stewing beef

1 (10.75 oz) can Cream of Mushroom soup, I use the heart healthy

1 (8 oz) container of mushrooms, sliced

½ a medium sweet onion, chopped

1/3 cup water

1 T Worcestershire sauce

½ block cream cheese (4 oz)

Procedure:

In your crock-pot, combine beef, soup, mushrooms, onion, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

Before serving, mix in cream cheese and cover for a few minutes until mixture warms through and cheese melts.

Enjoy over rice or pasta. (I prefer it over pasta, but rice is yummy too!)

Serves 4-6

Hail to the Queen

Let me just start by saying that my little sister is awesome. She's both a fantastic athlete and a great student...a balance not easily managed. I'm super proud of her and hope she knows how much she is loved! 

That said, I'm going to do a little more sisterly bragging! 

Can you guess what it is?? 

The sky looks amazing, doesn't it? Luckily it didn't rain at all!

The Nominees opening their roses to see who got the *winning* rose.

You guessed it! Sissy won!! Woohoo!

The Queen taking her victory lap in a fun car! 

(It's there, just got cropped out for the driver's privacy, just like the blur on her sash)

I am one proud (wind-blown) big sister! 

Congratulations to our Homecoming Queen!

I've been featured!

I was....

My first feature! I'm so excited!! Check it out here. 

Thanks to Jessica at A Few of My Favorite Things, this really made my day :-) 

And I also want to thank YOU! 

Yes, you. 

If you're reading this, thank you. 

If you're a follower, thank you. 

I was so hesitant to start this blog, and after a few weeks I wanted to quit because I felt like my "creations" were not as unique or well done as all the rest of you crafty ladies out there. But after talking with KHo and SP, I realized that I'm here because I love what I'm doing and want to be a part of this awesome community. 

So, to all my followers and readers...

for giving me the confidence to do what makes me smile, even if it's not always perfect.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookies

Every once in a while, I inherit a few extra helping hands for the afternoon. This visit was something special because we had a birthday to celebrate! So, of course, that meant we had to make cookies! And what's the best kind of October birthday cookie?? Jack-o-lanterns! :-)

Now, since these little "helping hands" do not belong to me, I didn't feel right about posting their sweet little faces...so this cutie is going to be my stunt double. 

(I don't know who she is, but she's adorable!)

(Photo source)

Ok, so I have to be totally honest. We didn't even make these from scratch. I didn't have all the necessary ingredients for my sugar cookie recipe, so with the help of Ms. Betty Crocker, I found a new recipe that I did have what we needed. I didn't think they were anything special. But, I was told:

 "These are the bestest cookies I ever eated."

(Photo source)

I believe that is the highest compliment a girl can receive. :-)

Thanks Betty, I owe you one.