Hurricane Spencer

Spencer turned one and decided it was time to wreak havoc on our house. All the books are off the book shelves, the toilet paper is usually unraveled into a messy pile on the bathroom floor, etc, etc... I had sort of forgotten how much damage one little tyke can manage. When left to his own devices, it's actually quite impressive.

Brilliant

I think this frame wallpaper is brilliant.

{By Graham and Brown via Simple Lovely.}

Pumpkin Carving

I just finished carving a pumpkin using a picture I found on a random blog last Halloween. It really wasn't as tricky as I thought it would be and I'm definitely pleased with the results. Just in time for Trick-or-Treat tomorrow night!

Simple, Yet Delicious

(Photo by Everyday Food)

Anytime, I find a great recipe that is simple yet delicious, I feel inclined to share it. I just made this one from Everyday Food and it was just that...simple and delicious! (But really, can you go wrong with any recipe that calls for bacon and half & half?)

(P.S. I substituted bow-tie pasta for the angel hair, red onion for the shallots and if I make it again, I will most likely add more bacon.)

Plate Wall

My sister-in-law Autumn turned the plate wall idea I blogged about here into a reality in her own kitchen and it looks fantastic! Love this idea. Autumn, thanks for sharing!

(Update: The plate wall I originally blogged about belongs to San Francisco based artist and collector Lisa Congdon. You can see pictures of this and her other amazing collections which were featured on SF Girl By the Bay, here.)

A Match Made in Heaven

I'm thinking this bedroom and I were meant to be.

{Via Real Simple Magazine, Oct. 2008}

Dangerous

I picked this book up from the library yesterday and I'm getting all sorts of crazy ideas. Although I'm in over my head in home projects already (yes, my kitchen is still red... and green... and now part blue...) I'm thinking this book will be a handy little resource for my future home decor endeavors.

(Bonus: Since I was the first person to check the book out, I found a postcard for a free 1 year subscription to Domino magazine inside-sweet!)

Busy, Busy

I have been busy taking lots of pictures of my kids, a few brand new babies and some fall family portraits! I've posted some of the new pics on my photo blog here. Check back as I will be adding more new pictures over the next couple of weeks! 

Put On Your Party Hats...

Spencer is ONE year old today!

Party Hats

I made these little party hats for Spencer's 1st birthday. (I bought some cheap-o party hats at Target, glued different paper on top and embellished them with things I had on hand.) If you think Spencer is cute all by himself, just wait until you see him with yellow polka dots, ric-rac and a little tassel on top of his head. Pictures to come.

{Thanks to Jordan over at Oh Happy Day for the inspiration!}

Sewing Nook

I love this little sewing nook. It's actually just a closet with the bi-fold doors removed, pretty shelving and some vintage wall paper lining the back wall. Genius!

{Via Lovely Design)

Floating Apple Votives

Not practical at all, but pretty none-the-less.

{Via Martha... of course}

MIchigan Trip: Part II

Sorry I'm dragging this out but I wanted to post the second part of our trip. We left the Porkies and headed to Pictured Rocks National Shore (along the northern coast of the U.P.). We had a late lunch at a local joint, quickly set up camp and jumped on the last "rock" cruise of the day around 4 P.M. Since we went near dusk, the late day sun made for beautiful light on the rocks. Although it was a little pricey, we decided the cruise was really the only great way to get an up close view of the shoreline. Totally worth it!

(Setting up camp. I loved camping right on the lake. I know I've already said this but Lake Superior is so blue and so beautiful.)
(Hot Chocolate and S'mores over the fire - Yum!)

Our next stop was Taquemenon Falls, the largest waterfall east of the Mississippi. We just stopped for a short hike to the falls and a picnic lunch before getting back into the car and heading to Mackinac.
Once in Mackinac, Jared and I quickly perused the state park campground before we mutually agreed that we weren't up for setting up/taking down our camping gear one more time. (It was cold and close to dark already.) Coincidentally, we stumbled across a charming little bed and breakfast that fit the bill perfectly! :) While I really did enjoy camping, the bed and breakfast was definitely a highlight of the trip! We enjoyed hot fudge brownie sundaes at bedtime, cable television, a king size bed, a fireplace and a balcony! After a yummy omelet breakfast, we boarded a ferry and spent our last day of vacation cruising around Mackinac Island on our bikes.

(Mackinac Bridge)

(Mackinac City Lighthouse)

(Our charming B&B)

Some quintessential Mackinac:

(There are no motor vehicles allowed on the island. Only bikes and horses. We brought our own bikes over on the ferry. It was much less expensive than renting them on the island.)
(The Grand Hotel: the world's largest summer hotel. Can you believe they charge $10 just to walk on the property? This is as close as we got...)
(This is the shuttle to the Grand Hotel. Neat-O!)
Soooo many fudge shops. Seriously, Mackinac has to be the fudge capital of the world. I'm not a huge fudge person but that didn't stop us from buying some! Also, we realized if you stand there and watch them make it long enough, they give you free samples!) All and all, a great vacation I would highly recommend to anyone! Now...where shall we go to next?!

What's For Dinner?

I love recipes with fresh ingredients. (Especially if one of those fresh ingredients includes cilantro!) Anyhoo, I just made this one I found in an old Rachel Ray magazine: Skirt Steak Burritos with Fresh Tomato Corn Salsa. It was very easy to make with no super weird ingredients and it tasted really, really yummy. (Click on the image to enlarge the recipe.)

Welcome Piper

My sister had her baby yesterday!
A sweet little girl they named Piper.

7 pounds, 19 inches with lots of dark hair.
I'd say she's just about perfect...