Pumpkin Week!

I have officially dedicated this week to be... pumpkin week!  The weather is just right to cuddle up with a warm blanket, some spiced (or spiked!) cider, and a pumpkin treat.  The temperature is just right, I wear a cardigan to class and I don't wind up freezing or roasting!

Anyway, to start the week off, I'm featuring a recipe found via Pinterest (my current obsession)- pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing.  

These cookies are soft and the icing has the perfect sweet and tangy balance to pair perfectly.  In a moment of ridiculousness, I decided to half the cookie recipe but make the full icing recipe.  This left me with enough icing to frost an entire wedding cake.  I do not recommend doing this.  Therefore, I will provide you with the halved recipe, which still makes a crazy amount of cookies.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

Combine:

1/2 Cup Shortening

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

Add:

1 egg

Mix in:

1/2 can pumpkin (15 ounces)

Now add:

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

And then add:

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Now, bake @ 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool & then ice using the following Cream Cheese icing.

Combine:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

Gradually mix in: 

1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator after use.

I topped mine with cinnamon and nutmeg.  It added a little excitement.  :)

Original recipe: Click here!

Homeward Bound

First of all, Homeward Bound is truly the best movie ever. 

Second of all, I am truly Homeward Bound!  This is the first time sine Christmas that I've been able to go home, so I'm pretty excited.  My Spring Break was supposed to be to Charleston (considering this is my last SB ever), but we had to cancel our trip.  I'm still bitter.

Anyway, I've been trying to plan out my trip since I'll be there more than just 24 hours (which is how it normally goes).  Here are a few stops I'll be making:

1.  Moe's- Always a must.  I have never gone home without making some sort of visit to Moe's.

2.  The Sleepy Poet- I had my first Sleepy Poet experience last year, shopping for a cigar box for my love.  We were pressed for time, however, we still managed to spend 2+ hours there.  It's like nothing I've ever seen.

3.  SAS Cupcakes- I had heard about SAS Cupcakes a year or two ago, when I was beginning my cupcake craze.  I have wanted to go ever since, but couldn't justify the 30 minute drive.  The BFF recently went and lurved it, so we're having a BFF cupcake date.  Can't wait!

4.  Starbucks- I know I work at an individually owned coffee shop, so I should therefore hate Starbucks and everything it represents.  However, you just can't beat their Chai Tea Lattes.  Just enough spice.

5.  Target-  We don't have a Target.  I need Target.

As I'm sure you can tell, I'm really looking forward to spending time in the 704.  However, I'm having a hard time getting motivated to pack.  That's probably what resulted in this blog entry.

Got to run!

SuzyCoupon

I've discovered a miracle.  Upon recent searches, I came across a website entitled SuzyCoupon.  It magically knocks dollars upon dollars off of the regular prices of household items.  It's amazing; like magic!  Yogurt, shampoo, cereal, make-up, laundry detergent, you name it- they probably have a coupon for it.  

I've been trying to be more deliberate about saving money on groceries.  Food is literally what 75-85% of my income goes to.  So, I've been using CouponSuzy, searching name brand websites for coupons (which they normally have) and shopping at Dollar General for all my non-perishables.  Seriously, I probably saved about $20-$25 today on groceries.  Now, some of that might have had to do with my incredible luck as I stumbled upon a half off sale in the make-up section at Walgreens.  My foundation is normally $9-$10 at Walmart, but today I got it at Walgreens for $5!!  It made my entire day.  I even bought two!  And, to be honest, the only reason I went to Walgreens was because I had a "$3 off" coupon for a different kind of make-up, and then saw that the entire department was on sale.  So, essentially, the coupon ended up saving me $10.  I'm telling you, it has taken little to no effort on my part, and I'm saving $20-$30 on grocery trips. It's definitely worth it.

On another completely unrelated note, I have fallen in love.  With this.

It is the Fujifilm Instax MINI.  It prints out the cutest little business card sized instant photographs.  I absolutely love it and I want to purchase one ASAP.  Maybe I'll put all the money I save using coupons into a fund to save up for this camera.  The film looks like it's a little expensive, but that'll make taking photos such a sweet little treat!  A girl can dream...

For now, I must be content with my two $5 pots of Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse while listening to my roommate trying to convince me to read The Life of Fredrick Douglass out loud to her.  She's not much of a reader.

XOXO

Weekend

I had a ridiculous, fast paced, fun filled weekend.  It felt like the longest weekend I have had in a while, but it was so so worth it.

Friday afternoon, we left for Atlanta, Georgia to see the Avett Brothers in concert.  The boyfriend's birthday was back in July so I got him tickets to the closest/most reasonably priced concert, which ended up being in September.  Brandi Carlisle opened for them and we absolutely fell in love with her.  She had several hits in the late 80s and early 90s, but I guess she's coming back around.

The Avett Brothers were absolutely incredible.  They have so much energy and are so passionate about their music.  The 2 hour concert went by in what felt like 20 minutes.  I think I could have stayed all night. We loved it.

The next day we stopped by The Varsity on the way home.  You can always count on The Varsity.

After arriving home, I met up with Lori, Jenny, and Jess for a fabulous girls night to celebrate Lori's birthday.  We ate Mexican food, made a chocolate chip cookie cake with strawberry icing and (some of us- Lori) danced the Cupid Shuffle.  It was a great night to spend with friends.

The next day, after church, a group of MTV college students made our way up to Hawksbill- a beautiful 360 view of the high country.  The hike is a little tough (for those of us who haven't exercised since senior year of high school) but it was so so worth it.  The view is absolutely breath taking.

After the great climb, Rich and I made our way to his parents' house for an incredible dinner with blueberry and peach cobbler for dessert.  By the time I got home Sunday night, I was stuffed, sore, sleepy and completely content.  What a great way to spend a weekend.

Frosting

I have decided to strongly dislike frosting.  I hate it.  I loathe it.  

Why?  I can't make it.

There is something in my genes that decided long ago that I will never be able to make frosting.  I see these beautiful cupcakes and sweet little sugar cookies with intricately designed frosting patterns and I know in my heart that nothing I make will ever resemble that light and fluffy goodness.

Unfortunately, I'm excellent at making icing- that sickeningly sweet runny gunk people put on coffee cake and scones.  It's basically runny frosting.  That's what I can make- runny frosting.

Barf.

After recent prodding...

I've decided to re-attempt regular blogging.  Let's just say I took a break for the summer.  Sounds good.

School is back in session and I'm not hating it.  I have finally progressed into my major-related classes.  No more Accounting, Statistics, or Finance classes.  I'm taking a Food and Beverage class which is my favorite thus far.  I'm also enjoying my Marketing, Organizational Behavior, and Lodging classes.  The only one I've had a problem with is Production Operations Management.  I was confused halfway through the title.

Anyway, with school comes Autumn.  Oh, how in love I am with Autumn.  It is the only season that needed another name to capture its true essense.  There's something about red and orange leaves, bonfires, cardigans and apple cider that makes my heart happy.  I have a special place in my heart for all seasons, but Autumn is near and therefore it is my favorite at the moment.

I've found some pictures that I think really capture my feelings about this season:

Source

That's all I have for today!  XO

Busy busy bee.

Today is one of the busiest days I've had in a while.  I have 3 tests, 1 quiz, 2 projects, and a paper due.  Now, I must say, I'm incredibly proud of myself for completing: 1 test, 2 projects, and the paper.  I only have 2 tests and a quiz left!  Then it's woodcutting and the End of the Year Party!  It's going to be good.

Cupcake

There are many things that I enjoy eating: macaroni and cheese, Japanese food, Dunkaroos, mashed potatoes.  But, one of my absolute favorite things to eat would have to be cupcakes.  There are so many ways to make a cupcake, so many flavor combinations and pretty decorations.  And who doesn't love a mini cake that you can have all to yourself?  

But, almost more than I love eating cupcakes, I love making cupcakes.  However, I've yet to perfect the art of cupcake-making.  Mine always turn out too dry, with the frosting too runny.  I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong!  There's got to be a way to make perfectly textured cupcakes with beautiful icing.  

These are a few examples of pretty cupcakes:

Simple, mouth-watering goodness.

Maybe I'll try a new cupcake recipe soon :).

Sunday Morning

I love Sunday mornings.  There's something about being surrounded by Jesus, friends, and wisdom all at the same time that makes me feel more alive.  I've been reading a couple Psalms a day, and today I read Psalm 23.  I memorized Psalm 23 when I was really young and in private school.  But I never understood its meaning.  Today it's real to me, more than the hundreds of times I've read it before.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul."

My soul needs some restoration.

Happy Today

Things that are making me happy today:

Frasier on a Rainy Friday morning:

Sunlight, even though there's not much of it today:

from weheartit.

The fabulous book I'm currently reading- The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor, by Alison Croggon:

Boone and the wonderful people it encompasses:

And this precious bedside table that I will one day have in my house:

from designmyworld.net

via oh, hello friend.

What's making you happy today?

PS...

So crafty; so simple.

Hello Again!

It has been several weeks since I've blogged!  I'm not sure what has kept me. I've felt a lack of creativity lately.  I guess the creative juices are flowing again!

It is T-minus 7 days until my 20th birthday.  I'm not sure what it is about 20 that makes me feel so old.  Maybe it's the fact that I'll no longer be a teenager.  You're legally an adult when you turn 18, but I have to tell you, I haven't felt like an adult yet.  For some reason, turning 20 solidifies the adult aspect.  Hopefully it'll be an exciting year :).

I have an announcement to make: if I ever get married, I have found my perfect wedding cake.  I have this idea for a winter wedding, preferably sometime in November or January.  I'm thinking beautiful teacups filled with hot chocolate and apple cider, pine cones, and this:

This is the most beautiful wedding cake I've ever seen.  I don't like the traditional red, green, and gold associated with winter.  I love the idea of a robin egg blue, white, and chocolate brown.

Who knows if this will ever happen, it's just something nice to think about :).

I'm coming out of a 5-day weekend.  While this snow is rather irritating when it comes to just about everything, one thing it's good for is cancelling classes.  We do have classes tomorrow though, so I better start studying for my Family Development class.  Yay.

The Vick's Experiment: Conclusion

Did it work?

Nope.

The Vick's Experiment

I woke up this morning with an extremely sore throat.  As the day progressed, the sore throat continued, and my head became stuffier and stuffier.  My ears make that airplane poppy noise every time I swallow.  After a thorough examination of my many symptoms, I have concluded that I am developing a cold.  In order to nip this irritating virus in the bud, I am undergoing 'The Vick's Experiment.'

'What is The Vick's Experiment?' you may ask.  Let me tell you.  I have been told more than once that the key to fighting off a cold is- rub Vick's VapoRub on your feet and cover with socks before you go to bed.  It sounds gross and uncomfortable (especially for those, like me, who can't sleep with socks on), but I've heard from more than one person that it's supposed to work.  So, I am putting it to the test.

I am sitting in my bed, feet slathered with Vick's and socks in place.  I also took Nyquil about 20 minutes ago.  If you notice any typos or weird wording, I'm owing it to that!

Now, I sleep.  I will post the results in the morning.  Goodnight!

<3

The Reading List

Tonight, while I await the call of my wonderful boyfriend, I thought I’d make a list of books I’d like to read in the near future.  Here’s the thing- books are difficult for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I love love love reading.  But, I tend to stick only to what I know.  Once I’ve read a book that I like, I’ll read it over and over again, rather than finding a new one to read.  Unless it has been recommended to me more than once, I generally won’t seek out a new book.  I especially have a hard time buying a book if I haven't read it and thoroughly enjoyed it beforehand.  So, this year, I’d like to branch out.  I want to be more adventurous when it comes to reading.  That is how this Reading List came about.  Here are some titles I’ve collected from a few valuable sources:

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (author of The Lovely Bones)

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Eating Animals by Jonathon Safran Foer

The Friday Night Knitting Club and Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, and The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

I love reading books that have been turned into movies, normally because that means the books are really good (even better than the movies).  I’m hoping to find more that are of interest to me, but so far I have quite a few to read through.  In fact, I’m starting Dear John tonight!  I’m at home for the weekend, so I’m hoping to get a little bit of time to read, since I don’t get very much time while I’m at school.  We’ll see how that goes!

Now, I begin!!  <3 

Frugality?

Thrifty. Penny-wise. Abstemious. Conserving.  Self-restrained.

I am attempting all of the above.  Lately, I've been severly wasteful with my money.  I work at Old Navy and everyday, I see something else that I want.  Two of my week days are spent entirely on campus, so it's hard not to spend $10 or so a day on food.  This eventually adds up.  So, I'm making an attempt this coming month to save my money.  I've already bought meal replacement bars for the days I'm on campus; however, I don't think they work.  I just ate one, and I'm still hungry.  I'll need to work on that.

Lori and I are going to Charleston in a little over a month.  We decided that we should set a limit for how much money we can spend, and try as hard as we can to not go over that limit.  I'm not sure what the limit should be, because we'll have to consider gas and food.  Hopefully we can make it relatively low!  I think I'll try to document it as we go along.  Maybe if we have people checking in on us as we go, it'll help us stay focused on the goal!

Well, that's all for now.  Wish me luck!

<3

What to do with myself?

Well, it's Friday night and I am sitting in my bed, trying to decide between watching Season 1, 2, or 3 of The Hills while I clean my room.  It's an incredibly exciting night here.  I was planning to make a pretty list today, but I'm in a very lazy mood at the moment.  The list will just have to wait!

I just watched Confessions of a Shopaholic. I think that's another one of my favorite movies.  I love girly movies like that.  No one has to get shot, blown up, or killed in order for me to truly enjoy a movie.

I have another three days of weekend ahead of me.  Oh, what will I do with myself?  :-)

Rainy Days and Down Time

Alright, first of all, I had this post all typed up and ready to go, then the internet just shut down on me!  So, I'm having to retype everything.  I'm not a happy camper!

Anyways, the past few days have been rather busy.  Well, not busy, just not eventful, therefore giving me nothing to write about.  But, thanks to my Tuesday and Thursday class schedule and one of my professors cancelling class, I have plenty of time to write today!  It's also rather rainy and depressing outside, so I'm staying indoors for the time-being.

I've been rather distracted for the past 24 hours thanks to my new Blackberry!  I just got it yesterday and I'm already realizing why it's nicknamed the Crackberry.  Check her out:

Cute, isn't it?  I officially heart it!  Hopefully I'll be able to post a lot via Crackberry!

So, I found the sweetest baking website ever.  Well, I didn't find it.  That I owe to Emma, sister to Elsie who writes my favorite blog.  That may have been really confusing; I apologize!  Anyways, the website is called Bake It Pretty, and it's absolutely precious.  Check out these lovelies:

These baking cups, cookie cutters, and cupcake toppers are the cutest I've ever seen!  I may have to make a couple purchases to use with my 500 Cupcakes book.

Of course, I'll have to get some funds before I go about doing that!

Alright, I should probably spend the 15 minutes before my next class doing something productive.  Tomorrow, I'm hoping to make a list of some sort.  Lists are my favorite!

PS- I believe a trip to Charleston with the bestie is in the near future.  So excited!!

<3

Working Out In Style

I have recently become obsessed with cute workout clothes!  I work at Old Navy, and right now they are promoting workout clothes and I just want to buy all of them!  Maybe it's because of my New Years Resolution to go to the gym (which I did!  On Monday!).

I mean, look at this amazing workout outfit:

I love love love it.  I may be spending my Christmas gift card on some of these lovelies.  Maybe they'll motivate me even more!

Now I'm off to shovel the driveway.  We keep shoveling, and it keeps snowing.  It's ridiculous!

First week of school

 Second semester classes have begun.  My schedule is pretty fantastic this semester.  I have one class on Monday and Wednesday and it doesn't start until 2:00 pm.  I have four classes on Tuesday and Thursday, including one with the boyfriend, so at least I have something to look forward to.  No classes on Friday, which is pretty awesome.

I enjoyed my weekend with the youth group.  It was a lot of fun to get to spend time with people I don't normally spend time with.  We heard a lot of great testimonies, and I really enjoyed meeting some new people.

I'm on a school computer, so I don't have any pictures to share today.  Maybe tomorrow!