Mona

If you've been reading awhile, you may have gathered that I'm obsessive compulsive.   

If you're new here, hi!  I'm obsessive compulsive. 

Nate and I went antiquing with my parents about a month ago. In one of the shops, I saw the coolest Mona Lisa replica.  Nate thought it was dumb. I was trying to be a good wife and compromise or something stupid. 

I kept thinking about Mona.  I couldn't get her out of my head. She needed to live in my house.  So I asked my dad if he would stop by and purchase her if she was still there.  He's all about supporting my crazy endeavors, as a good dad should. 

I received this text from him. 

This is why my dad is one of my favorite humans.  Besides the whole contributing to my life thing. 

So, I kept Mona a secret and Nate unwrapped her for his birthday.  My dad and I thought it was hilarious.  Nate didn't get it.  You know, the usual. 

She's quite stunning. 

I'm not exactly sure where she is going to permanently live.  I'm thinking the office or the dining room.  Only time will tell.   Or maybe above Nate's side of the bed.

There are a bunch of scribbles on the back.  I think someone thought it was an original.  Which it totally is. 

Moral of this story: I'm a crazy person with a cool dad who likes to do things that annoy her husband.

Happy weekend! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

All things pumpkin is sort of blogger cliche.  But I'm totally doing it today.   I should have had a chevron fabric background with a mason jar of milk next to it.  Someday I'll get these things right.

Can you believe that I didn't eat pumpkin until last year?  I've always been a picky eater but I've been trying to expand my horizons the past couple of years.  Good thing or I would have completely missed out on pumpkin.  That would have been tragic. 

Today I thought I'd share with you one of my new favorites, pumpkin chocolate chip bread. 

I want to eat another loaf in one setting just looking at the gorgeous nighttime photo. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

• 1 can pumpkin puree (plus a little more if you love pumpkin)
• 1 tsp vanilla  
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup chocolate chips + some for sprinkling on top

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl: combine the pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
3. In large bowl: sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
5. Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips.
6. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake ~70-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Eat up!

Need more pumpkin in your life?  Try these other tasty pumpkin recipes! Pumpkin Bars,  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie!

Controlling the TV with My Mind

Phew.  Where did the weekend go?  I spent Saturday shopping in Naperville, Il with the ladies of Nate's family.  I didn't find a ton of house bargains (more clothes).  I did pick up our new dining room chairs though.  Super exciting.  That post will be coming soon.

Yesterday my family was in town for lunch.  It was a quick trip but it was good to see them.  I then played Nate's photography assistant as he took some family photos.  As fun as it all was, my hermit self longed for my couch.

So, I'm not much a tv person.  I have a few shows I DVR but I could go days without turning the tv on.  Nate, on the other hand, turns the tv on the second he walks in the door and doesn't shut it off until the second before he falls asleep.   

For his birthday he got the Logitech Harmony Remote from his parents. 

via Logitech  

Nate wanted this remote because it has closed cabinet control.  Meaning you can control devices behind cabinet doors.  (Fancy!)  This will come in handy when we build our living room cabinets.  He also wanted it because you can control the tv, Roku box, etc with your smart phone.  What?  He hooked it up and showed me.  I was like, "Eh.  That's cool but the remote is sitting right there.  I don't get it."  He then tried to impress me by not shutting the tv off until we got all of the way upstairs or down the hall. I told him to stop being weird.

The other night I felt like watching tv.  I asked Nate to hand me the remote.  He said "no", as most loving husbands do.  I whined. He told me to use my phone.  I whined because I didn't know how to do that.  (Do you see why I don't watch tv?)  He hooked it up for me and HOLY COW, I CAN CHANGE THE TV WITH MY PHONE!!!!   My life is changed.

Ike is impressed too.  Nate has our favorite channels stored so I just the HGTV button and bam! HGTV appears.  Super cool. You can adjust the volume, change the channel, anything.  Crazy. Ike loves it. 

That's today's pointless point.  I seriously can't get over how cool it is to turn the tv on with my phone. I'm sure the novelty will wear off but I'll keep telling everyone I know until then.  The only problem is that I can't call Nate weird anymore.  At least in regards to the phone remote business.   I also can't wait to get into a channel war using our phones.  Mwah ha ha.