October 31, 2016

Colors, Costumes and Cookies

October 31, 2016/ Michelle S

Happy Halloween!

Fall is just the worst, isn't it? I kid.

We've been enjoying the Fall colors and the Halloween celebrations! The lovely NewlyWoodwards hosted a family party on Saturday night. We tried to help out the ol' Chicago Cubs. Clark went as Clark the Cub Bear, Nate was Harry Caray and I went as the cursed Billy Goat. Clark and Harry tried to make peace with the goat but it appears we need more than dorky costumes to reverse the curse! Maybe it would help if I put more than 10 minutes of effort into our costumes. I always have such good intentions and then time gets away from me.

Why?

Because I spent way too much time making Halloween cookies. I am obsessed with royal icing. It's basically edible art and it's so fun. (It's also messy and time consuming.) If you're interested in learning, I highly recommend Alison's Cookie Party. It's totally worth the $30 but she also usually runs specials around the major holidays. It's seriously so fun. (Alison doesn't know I exist. I'm just a big fan of her e-course!) It takes some practice but isn't terribly difficult. The right tools definitely help. Here are some of my favorites!

Gel Food Color, Mini Squeeze Bottles, Lemon Squeezer, Edible Pens, Baking Sheets, 101-Piece Cookie Cutter Set

Tell me about your Halloween costumes! I always love to hear what people come up with!

October 24, 2016

Halloween Favorites

October 24, 2016/ Michelle S

Halloween is just around the corner? Are you ready?

We hit up the local pumpkin patch the weekend before last. It was a beautiful 70 degree day.

Iowa has been extra warm this Fall but you will hear zero complaints from me. There will be plenty of time for sweaters, boots and hot drinks. PLENTY. OF. TIME. PEOPLE.

October 17, 2016

Big Boy Birthday Party (First Birthday Party)

October 17, 2016/ Michelle S

I warned Nate going into this whole parenting thing that everything I mother turns out to be a little quirky

Exhibit A: Ike.

Exhibit B: Our baby's favorite "toy" is an old Bob's Big Boy Burger bank. Out of all of the toys in his nursery, his favorite thing to look at/play with is Big Boy. "Big Boy" was even one of his first set of words. He only said it in a whisper which made it even more hilarious.

October 11, 2016

Boo! Halloween Mantel Decor

October 11, 2016/ Michelle S

Boo! I'm backkkkk!

Spooky, right?

My buddy, Gretchen, suckered me back in with her Dec-O-Ween blog hop. Some old and new blog buddies are sharing some awesome Halloween decor inspiration. Halloween decor isn't usually my thing. I tend to favor Fall decor over skeletons and witches. I am, however, glad I had an extra push to bring a little spook into our home. I'm also glad for the extra motivation to jump back into blogging. I've missed blogging. I've missed creating. I've missed you all! (Just don't expect too much. Kind of like before. Bad grammar. Randomness. Lots of dog photos. The usual.)

November 23, 2015

Clark's Nursery: Part 2

November 23, 2015/ Michelle S

Let's continue on with the nursery

Let's continue on with the nursery tour. (Check out Part 1 here!)

November 16, 2015

How to Make a Christmas Wreath Trio

November 16, 2015/ Michelle S

Our front door is having an identity crisis. There are pumpkins on the steps and this darling wreath trio on the front door.

It's just so pretty that I can't take it down! Our front steps will just have to celebrate fall-mas for the next two weeks.

I made this wreath trio for Saturday's DIY Workshop at the Home Depot. It felt so good to do something creative! I'll be sharing my tips and tricks at the Bettendorf store. Come join me to kick off the holiday decorating season!

November 11, 2015

Clark's Nursery: Part 1

November 11, 2015/ Michelle S

Now that Clark is almost 2 months old (Where does time go? Seriously.), it's probably about time to share his nursery. During my pregnancy I was all worried that we wouldn't finish in time. Our baby would totally think we were failures because we didn't have a room ready for him. Turns out he could care less. Babies are weird like that.

I'm breaking the nursery posts into two parts. There are lots of pictures and we spent a lot of time in here. One post didn't seem to do it justice. My gerbil attention span also does better these days if things are broken into segments.

Up first, the built-ins. Nate worked his magic once again.

November 05, 2015

Coming Soon!

November 05, 2015/ Michelle S

Man. I was hoping to have our nursery posts up this week but my little nerd thinks he only needs 20 minute naps at a time.

His cuteness slays me.

I always think about blogging first during my free time but then realize I'm now a mom and I need to do responsible things like shower and do laundry. I really didn't want the blog to turn into a mom blog but something happens when you plop a kid out of you. Your brain is only capable of thinking baby stuff. It's probably some evolutionary thing to help you keep your kid alive. Necessary but annoying. My creative side is starting to come back now that the newborn fog is starting to lift. We're slowly starting to figure out a new routine that has glimpses of free time in it. Hallelujah!

November 02, 2015

The Home Depot Holiday DIY Workshop- Save the Date

November 02, 2015/ Michelle S

Happy November! Who's ready for the holidays? Normally I'd be with those that say "NOT YET CRAZY BLOGGER!". I like to eat my turkey in peace before thinking about Santa and his elves. This year, however, I think I need to start my DIY holiday projects early. The baby is extra helpful. And by helpful, I mean it takes 5 times as long to complete projects with his help.

Our last DIY Workshop of the year at The Home Depot is coming up soon. We're going to be making this awesome wreath trio. This trio will be quite the statement piece in your holiday decorating!