december photo challenge: day 22

Gifts:

 

Quick pic of my new earrings in my new make-up mirror!

 



december photo challenge: day 21

Family:

 

Yes, this is a retro shot of Kevin drinking his first beer at the ripe old age of 2. 

Apparently when you're in the wild west {Colorado} there is no drinking age while you're with family! No wonder we visit so many of Kevin's relatives out there ;)

 

 



december photo challenge: day 20

Stockings:

{Kevin's side of the family}

 

 

 



december photo challenge: day 19

Words:

 



december photo challenge: day 18

Shopping:

 

This pictures isn't directly related to shopping, but it will help me out with some of my shopping!

 

{We always have a few scratch offs in our stockings, and yes, we already opened our stockings since we won't be at our house for Christmas}

 

 

 



december photo challenge: day 17

Cookies:

 

I'm not making very many cookies this year, just b/c we're trying to eat less of them...

 

but I couldn't resist a few peanut butter blossoms!

 



december photo challenge: day 16

Night Time

 

We call this Callie's "smush face", it's how she looks after a nap.

You can tell she just woke up from her pre-bedtime nap because she's too tired to look away from the camera... she hates pictues and does everything in her power to avoid taking a good one!

 

So so adorable!!

 

 

 



december photo challenge: day 15

Joyous

 

It might be hard to tell from my blurry pic, but this is our children's Christmas program at church. Kevin & I teach the preschool class {front row of kids} once a month and those kids bring me so much joy!

Their personalities at just 3/4 are huge! So much fun!

 

{Kevin took a video that has some hilariousness going on, but it's too big to load, so next time you see him, ask him to show it to you - you'll laugh for sure!}

 



december photo challenge: day 14

Wrapping Paper

 

Found this adorable wrapping paper at Target!

I know several little girls that are going to love it, probably more than their gifts, haha!

 

What does the fox say???

 



december photo challenge: day 13

A Beautiful Sight

 

We came home from a Christmas party in the snow and the tree to the right of our house was just beautiful: I couldn't help but take a photo - no filter needed!

 

 



december photo challenge: day 12

Your Winter Wonderland

 

A picture of the bike trail after our big snow fall! So pretty!

Later in the day they cleared the trail and there were lots of people walking and enjoying the first big snow!

 



december photo challenge: day 11

Tradition

 

Yes, it's tradition this time of year to break out a knitting project!

I just love being all cozy, watching tv in the background and getting my knit on!

I like to keep the projects pretty simple so I can multi-task, and this year I bought circular needles to attempt a blanket instead of my usual scarves!

 

 

 

 

I am in love with this yellow color!



december photo challenge: day 10

Sky View

 

 

 

Remember how your Mom always told you not to stare at the sun because you'll go blind?

Hmm... maybe she was right after all.

I'll try to save you the blindness part and you can just enjoy this picture of the early morning sun instead.

 

 

 

december photo challenge: day 9

Fun

O, this is just a little inspiration from a random car on the highway... "Go Abby"!!!!!



december photo challenge: day 8

Outside Lights:

 

Kevin takes care of decorating the outside of the house for Christmas and I do the inside! I don't like it being dark when I come home from work, but seeing our Christmas lights on when I get home sure makes me happy!

 

EDIT: Kevin took this photo with his phone and shared it with me. He said he would be suing for copyright infringement if I didn't give him the credit... I said something about him doing his own laundry and you can just imagine the rest of the... umm... conversation... haha!
I'm sure I won the conversation so why am I adding this edit?!?!


december photo challenge: day 7

Todays Temp:

 

 

Callie would like you to know that todays tempature is cold enough to snow!

 



december photo challenge: day 6

Morning:

 

 

Honestly, I don't see sunrises all that often. It's because I'm not a morning person... I'm not a night owl either. I do my best work during the day between naps, actually!

 

I got up bright and early to have breakfast with my baby sister who just turned 17! How's that for sisterly love?!

 

 



december photo challenge: day 5

Red:

 

What's warm & red & makes you merry???

 

Starbucks!!! Even without Blake's special juice!

{The Voice reference... special juice = whiskey}

;) ;) ;)

 

 



december photo challenge: day 4

Christmas Tree:

 

Just got this baby all set up last night! You can't see in this picture, but my lights "twinkle" and I love it!

 

 



december photo challenge: day 3

Favorite Holiday Movie:

 

White Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie, it comes close to my favorite movie even!

 

"Even guys with two left feet, come out alright if the girl is sweet..."

"when I'm worried & I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep..."

 

Well, now I'm off to make a "White Christmas" pandora radio station!

 

 

 



december photo challenge: day 2

Bright:

 

 

This is the view of some of our outdoor Christmas lights through the glass of our front door window.

 

As a "youngin", I remember staying up late (9pm!!) looking at the Christmas tree lights and squinting my eyes so they'd get all blury, bright & sparkly.

 

Now, my failing eyesight enables me to see all Christmas lights in this "blury, bright & sparkly" mode all the time! Haha!

 

 

 

 

 



december photo challenge: day 1

Your view today:

 

Today's view is brought to you by recently devoured turkey, dressing, & pie 

and the promise of Christmas cookies to come!

 

 

 



december photo challenge

In an attempt to start blogging regularly again I have imposed upon myself a December photo-a-day challenge! I'm going to be pretty loosey-goosey about the rules so it doesn't become stressful! The main rules are: I will only be using my phone camera for this challenge and that I can't take more than 3 pics a day (to account for make-ups :) and since I only decided that I was going to do this challenge as of yesterday, December 2, I did have to take 2 pics yesterday to get caught up already!

 

 

I'm using this schedule for inspiration, most likely just switching up the days a bunch:

http://www.lulabelleblog.com/2012/11/december-photo-day-challenge.html

 

 

 

 

Wish me luck!!



Accomplished
Day 1: Your view today
Day 2: Bright 
Day 3: Favorite holiday movie
Day 4: Christmas tree
Day 5: Red
Day 6: Morning
Day 7: Todays temp
Day 8: Outside lights
Day 9: Fun
Day 10: Sky view
Day 11: Tradition
Day 12: Your winter wonderland
Day 13: A beautiful sight
Day 14: Wrapping paper
Day 15: Joyous
Day 16: Night Time
Day 17: Cookies
Day 18: Shopping
Day 19: Words
Day 20: Stockings
Day 21: Family
Day 22: Gifts













 

 

 



miller park zoo

A couple of weeks ago when my friend & her little girl came to visit we went to check out the local zoo - Miller Park Zoo.

 

Here's a couple of my favorite pics from the afternoon:

 

This bird was not camera shy in the least!

It kept following me around and demanding to become a movie star!

 

 

 

 

The Tiger was hot that day - it gave a couple of "roars" but I think it was out of frustration of the heat rather than anything else!

 

 

 

 

This little otter was a cutie, I wanted to take it home!

 

 

 

Katie enjoyed the zoo, maybe not as much as I did though :)

 

 

 

Katie was very interested in the Merry-Go-Round. However, once she got on it, it becamse apparent that she was more in love with the "idea" of the ride rather than actually "participating" in the ride - Amen to that! There's a life lesson in there for sure!

 

 

 

One more bird shot, 'cause I can

 

 

 

The St. Louis Zoo is still my all time favorite zoo, but it's sure nice to have a little something in town and a bit closer than St. Louis!

 

chocolate pb cupcakes

I love these cupcakes!

You don't get a much more beautiful & intuitive flavor combination than chocolate & peanut butter and these fulfill that flavor craving every time!

 

Not to mention, this is my favorite basic chocolate cupcake recipe - so light and fluffy!

{cupcake recipe from the cookbook "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" by Jill O'Connor}

 

One more thing... these cupcakes keep really well, in fact, I think they taste better on day 2 or 3 compared to fresh out of the oven! I love recipes like that!

 

 

 

 

It's always so hard to stop at just one!

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ PB Buttercream

 

Chocolate Cupcakes

 

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa {I like Hershey Dark}

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup mayonnaise {not low fat}

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup boiling water

 

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt. In mixing bowl combine sugar & eggs and beat on medium/high until light and fluffy. Beat in the mayo and vanilla just until combined. Reduce speed to medium and beat in half of the flour mixture just until combined, scraping down the sides. Add half of the boiling water and beat on low until the batter is smooth. Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the sides. Add remaining boiling water and beat on low until the batter is smooth again. Batter will be pretty thin. Pour batter into cupcake tins prepared with liners. Fill 3/4 full. Makes 24+ cupcakes. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Cupcake is done when you touch the middle of the cupcake with your finger and it springs back and when it no longer looks "wet". Transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

 

 

Peanut Butter Buttercream

 

1/2 cup butter, softened (real - not margarine!)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

 

{for more pb flavor add up to 1 cup pb.

I generally add a generous 1/2 cup for a delicate pb flavor}

 

Beat butter & peanut butter together. Slowly beat in milk and then powered sugar.

Add a little more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.

 

I iced these cupcakes with Wilton tip 1M and garnished with a mini Reese's cup

 

 

 

The worst part about posting recipes is then all I can think about is eating what I'm posting about and then I have to turn around and make it again!

{cause I never get posts up before we've devoured every last bite!}

Sydney's 16th

A couple of weeks ago Kevin's niece (Sydney) turned 16!

 

I still can't believe she's 16!!!!

{sniff, sniff *tear*}

 

Isn't she beautiful?! Yes. The answer is Yes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got to do the decorations & desserts for the birthday bash/cookout

The theme was music; using the colors purple, blue, green & black

 

This may not pop out in the picture below, but Syndey's mom made a homemade guac dip which I am now completely addicted to. So if you have a party I will probably make and bring it just so I can eat it... so have a party and invite me already!!

 

 

 

 

Sydney's mom also made this awesome shark watermellon inspired by pinterest!

 

 

 

 

Close up of the circle garland

{made out of construction paper using a circle cutter & circle punches, then sewn together} 

and musical notes

{made out of black poster board & party city fans}

 

 

 

 

It was hard to get a good picture of the circles above the dessert table, but they turned out really cool!

We used cardstock and two different sizes of circles - sewing them every other one to make these circle streamers that hung from the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

Desserts included chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, chocolate cupcakes with cake batter frosting, cookies & cream cupcakes, cakepops, white chocolate popcorn, musical note sugar cookies & a cake!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a "photo booth" set up with props for some serious seriously fun picture taking!

 

Ray & Dottie {Mom & Dad}

 

 

 

 

Me & Grant {nephew}

 

 

 

 

Kevin & I {umm... the cool uncle & aunt!?!}

 

 

 

 

Claire {niece}

 

 

 

 

Jayne {niece)

 

 

 

 

The theme came together at the last minute so I owe many thanks to Kevin, Amy & JD for slaving away Friday night cutting & sewing circles & decorating cookies while I baked the cupcakes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So thankful for the help of friends and the love of family!