This is one of my favorite breakfasts – super quick and easy, healthy and tasty!
Ingredients
Directions
Because really…everything is better with bacon haha. At least when you have teenage boys and want them to eat vegetables 😉
What you need…
What to do…
Thanks to my mom for the inspiration!ENJOY!
Still have turkey leftovers? This is a fabulous soup to use some of those leftovers. Canadian bacon or pancetta gives the soup a great well rounded flavor and the mashed potatoes and turkey gives it a sense of comfort and warmth. The sage just makes it additionally interesting. A great fall or winter soup!
Ingredients
Directions
This soup freezes very well!
I’ve been wanting to wear this dress with booties for a while since I bought it. I don’t know why, but it screamed booties to me! I’m sure, come summer, it will scream sandals/flip flops, because this is such a versatile dress!
The Huz generously stepped away from smoking our turkey and taking care of various other things so that we could all step away and take some pictures.
Of course…a few of me.
Then my sister in law took a few of us, which is RARE! 
It’s not very often I get this guy in front of the camera! Honestly, part of that is because he’s constantly busting his ass for me and the 3 kidddos. He’s the yin to my yang and is constantly keeping me loved and sane! Thankful doesn’t even begin to describe…
And then I grabbed these with the self timer and tripod…
I am thankful for…your morning snuggles (usually the best part of my day), all the other kisses and hugs that get me through the day, the out of nowhere laughter you bring with your amazing wit, the way you keep me on my toes (as your teacher said “Never a dull moment with that one huh?”, the fact that you will lay by my desk chair and color happily while I edit (love having you close, watching your skills improve, while I get to work), the fact that every time I drop you off somewhere, you happily say good bye then say “WAIT! I need a hug and a kiss!!!” Sometimes twice 😍, but…. Most of all, I’m so thankful I get to be your Mama and get to watch you become he amazing little girl that you are. 
I barely got any of Maya alone, because she was so overwhelmed with family!! 
This one of her and her cousin is so freaking cute though!
Honestly, I got a lot of other cute ones, but I often feel weird about sharing other family member’s images on here that haven’t really signed up for public sharing…
On me…
(Images of just me and Maya taken with a self timer and tripod, but ones of me and me and the Huz were taken by my sister in law and Huz-manual camera settings set by me :)-)
I’ve been so sporadic on taking pictures lately. I’m so slammed at work, and it’s been reeeeeeaally cold. AND, whenever I ask Maya if she wants to go outside and play, she says “NO!”
Well, the other day, my parents were playing with her so I could get caught up with some work, and I walked over a little early to pick her up, and took some pictures of myself outside their house. My neighbors are pretty used to seeing us outside taking pictures, but I felt a liiiiittle self conscious outside their house with their neighbors :}
Then, it started raining. I really didn’t want to waste time with the tripod and Maya, so my mom came out and snapped a few of us.
Of course at first Maya was like “I don’t need a coat!!”
But then as the rain kept coming, she realized how cold she was 😉 
As we were walking home, Maya goes.
“WAIT!! I forgot to give Meme a kiss and a hug good bye!” This is her calling to my mom.
“WOO HOO! MEEEEEMEEEE!!!”
During the day she wore these socks scrunched down, but on the way home it was cold! So…I pulled them up. It’s a very Pippy Longstocking look haha. 
Catching rain drops… 
Every time we leave my parent’s house Maya gets goldfish. The number always corresponds with her age.
“I get FOUR goldfish, because I’m FOUR, BOPO!!”
If you look close, you can see all the rain coming down…. Thankfully, we only live a few blocks away 🙂 
On me…
As mentioned a few days ago in my Faux Fox Purse post, despite living in the same city, Lauren and I only get a chance to get together a few times a year. But we’ve kept this blog going for several years now sharing stories of mom life, food posts and some occasional DIY crafts and designs. In a world of constant change, I’m thankful for the constant that this blog has offered us.. even though it’s “one more thing to do”. And as a super bonus, we’ve gotten to know many fellow bloggers! 🙂 The one word that summarizes it all? #thankful
Here’s a post from Veteran’s Day – Lauren captured some shots of us – a rare occasion where we are not only all in focus, but all happy, and the weather is also good!
Thanks Lauren for the photos and Maya for keeping us all entertained as we jumped around to avoid the ‘hot lava’! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving all!
We were jumping over “hot lava”!
Maya, Lauren’s daughter, was so cute running around keeping everyone part of the game!
On Ava..
On Anders
On me..
Ok, truth be told, this was a bit of a failed project. BUT…I still think the idea is good, and if it inspires someone to do something great with it, then yay! haha.
I started off having visions of orange, yellow, and brown tulle for the tail, but Maya vetoed that and wanted yellow and green. Hmmm…ok.
Oh, and I thought we had little googly eyes, but we didn’t. You’d think I’d just NOT do this post, but honestly. This is how pretty much every DIY project goes for me. I have an idea in mind. Never have the time to truly execute it, so I just throw it all together and hope for the best. Sometimes it turns out ok, or even better than I had hoped. Other times…not so much 😉
I admit. I played with the color on this first one just to see what it might have looked like a little darker and more orange 😉 If I had more time and talent, I would have just changed all the tulle to the color I wanted and added some googly eyes!! Sadly…I barely had time to post THIS!! Much less make it look better than it was!
And…the true color of our turkey’s 🙂 Are you green with envy??
Ok, I couldn’t resist.
What you need-
Fold the tulle pieces in half and secure with the hair ties. 
This has nothing to do with the project other than Maya asking me to take her picture which surprisingly RARELY happens! Of course when it does… 
Set up your pine cones to see how they naturally will sit up right. They all topple over at certain points, so you want to make sure you put the “tail” and “beak” at the point where they naturally sit up.
Turn your back for a second to glue the tails in place and then hear a “Ta dah!!” Ok, that really shouldn’t be in the instructions, but that’s what happened here 😉 
Glue the tail at the base, and the beak to the front, and there you go! 
I’d then glue the googly eyes on, and maybe even do some yarn or another red pipe cleaner over the nose for the snood (No I didn’t know what that thing was called! I looked it up-ha!)
In any case….have fun!!
I’ve been on a faux fur kick this past year. This summer I posted the Lion Tote – golden faux fur with dark accents. The latest creation – the Faux Fox. Faux fur, light camel colored felt sides and top closed with a zipper, and dark handles.
Making this purse was not easy. I had a vision, found the materials, and got started. The design part was easy, the construction and assembly pretty hard.. You have to think about things like what seams carry weight, overall architecture and construction.. For a while it was a very frustrating “try as you go” DIY project, several ‘start overs’, pricked fingers, but I finally got a good prototype out of it.. and I will say, this purse gets a ton of compliments!
I haven’t (yet) created a *real* pattern for this purse (that would take a little more patience and a lot more time!) but I did get some tips from this awesome DIY faux fur collar to clutch pattern which I found on Pinterest. What would we do without Pinterest!
Thanks Lauren for the fabulous photos. Despite doing a fashion/food/design blog together, we rarely see each other, but had a chance to get together on Veteran’s day for an hour or less in a park – and the kids and weather all cooperated brilliantly so we were able to get a few bonus shots!
I think I keep saying “this is my uniform”, but really….this is my uniform…for fall. I loooove a good cable knit sweater. I scored this one from my local consignment shop for $20 (regularly , $285!!) and it’s sooooo soft and comfy. Plus, it’s so well made, that I know it’s going to be one of those sweaters I wear for years to come!
Layer a little stripe top underneath, and I’m nice and cozy!
This is one of my favorite parks to go to. It’s gorgeous, and yet nobody really ever goes here so we have it all to ourselves most of the time! 
So, we had this completely random sunny day…in NOVEMBER!! We started out all bundled up, and then… 
I know I’m biased, but I am always just so in awe of her happy spirit. She seriously has the most fun, and is such a joyful little person!! Ok, not ALL the time, but a good portion of it. I LOVE IT, and I honestly feel so lucky to be around it all the time 🙂 
I mean….
DYING!!
On me…
Every once in a while I have a corporate shoot where I dress up a little bit more than normal, which is actually kind of fun. I remember when I worked in a corporate environment, I couldn’t wait for the weekends and jeans. Funny how things flip flop in life.
I love the fringe details on this sweater vest. Makes it a little fun and boho, yet it still looks somewhat professional (I think ;)) 
Truth be told, the shoot was supposed to be in the morning, and I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to take a shower. So….I just did a twisted bun and called it good. But then, it got pushed back a few hours and I got to take a shower. I think we were all happy about that haha. 
On me…
And…her face in about 80% of these shots, because she HAD to have a piece of gum before going outside… 🙂 
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