happy pumpkin day

Today is the day many kids and parents look forward to (kids go door-to-door for candy; parents sneak and eat it while the kids are asleep). To be honest, this is not my favorite holiday. I'm not a huge fan of dressing up and I don't always dig Halloween decor - fall I love, but Halloween...eh. I did however find some unique ways to decorate with pumpkins giving it a fun yet tasteful twist for Halloween.

{via Martha Stewart}

a letter

Last week, I saw this post from Jenny at Little Green Notebook.  Try to find your letter at Daily Drop Cap.

Here are mine.

first initial...

and last...

I wish I were talented enough to come up with designs like this but I am talented enough to print and display it!

pumpkin goodness

Did you know there is a shortage of pumpkin this year? Apparently last year's crop of pumpkins was not plentiful; therefore, there is a short supply of canned pumpkin this season. Go to the grocery store - you'll see what I mean. I'm quite saddened by this. I LOVE to make pumpkin bread in the fall. There's nothing better than the smell of pumpkin bread right out of the oven. When I went in search of canned pumpkin for cooking, I was very surprised to see the only kind available was organic. I thought this was pretty ironic since Hubby and I are making an effort to eat more organically grown foods. I bought the can (much more expensive that normal pumpkin but that’s okay!) and whipped up two loaves of baked goodness.

tunic

I'm liking tunics right now...might have to get one (or two...or three) for myself.  I found these fun tunics over at Mod Cloth.

fall weekend ~ part 5

We were finally at home last weekend but had a very busy social calendar! It started with a gathering of my co-workers for a hayride. I hadn't been on a hayride in ages. It was the perfect night - just cool enough to be bundled up but not too cold that it wasn't enjoyable. The location for the hayride was beautiful. A local family hosts these fall events on their acreage – lots of beautiful land. We started the ride just as the sun was setting. We were driven to a fire pit and enjoyed some s’mores and roasted marshmallows - yum! 

{the beautiful background}

{fire - look closely for the marshmallows!}

The next night we headed back to one of our favorite spots in Weston. This time, we went with friends and had a great time listening to some Irish folk and enjoying one another’s company.

It was a busy but fun weekend. Maybe when the weather turns cold and wintry, we will stay at home and just be.

{stealing} an idea

I saw this post on Design Evolution the other day and think it's a brilliant and inexpensive solution to a bed without a headboard. The look is so simple and clean. I love how neat it looks.

{via Haven in Paris}

fall weeknight

After several chilly days, we finally experienced a day that actually felt fall-like - the perfect temperature balance that makes you want to spend all day outdoors. Knowing full well the warm weather wouldn't last, I convinced Hubby to take a walk with me last night. We have a nice park and large walking trail not far from our home. We don't take advantage of this area enough but last night was the perfect night to do so. The wind was calm, the sun was just starting to set, and the fall colors were in full force.

I am in awe of the fall changes. I know I've mentioned this before but fall is the best. It is like a long missed friend...after the heat wave of summer I welcome in the cooler, more comfortable temperatures. It is a thing of beauty. So many amazing colors for the eye to see. On my journey to and from work I drive down a street, not far from our house that is lined with trees. As I drove down that street this morning I stared at the trees. So many different colors - greens, yellows, oranges, reds, purples - it is lovely.

Hubby only snickered a little when I grabbed the camera as we left for our walk yesterday. I'm glad I did. We were able to get some great shots of the evidence of fall. Enjoying it now because it will be over much too soon.

who knew

JC Penny - a store we frequented often when I was younger. Our mall was...very small in my hometown and JC Penny, or Penny's as we called it, was one of the main shopping points if we didn't want to venture into Omaha. Because of this, I think I went a little sour on the store. I tended to avoid the chain and did my shopping at other venues. But last weekend, I let myself wander once again through those familiar doors and this is what I found:

I love this sweater! Actually, you'll have to imagine it in a gray color as well as a light brown color...because those are the two colors I bought. As I mentioned earlier, I am into cardigans this season so this sweater style is right up my alley.

Penny's - sorry for my long absence. My faith in you is renewed.

a chalky space

I would love to create something like this...

{via apartment therapy}

Most likely not covering our entire wall but something of the smaller scale to jot down notes, shopping lists, menu items...need to look for more inspiration.

fall weekend ~ part 4

Hubby and I have been quite busy over the past couple weekends. It's absolutely amazing to me there are only two more weekends in October. I am trying with all my might to savor the cool - not cold - weather and the leaves as they change in color. It all happens so quickly!

Last weekend, Hubby and I ventured to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, home to my alma mater, Augustana College. I hadn't been on campus since my sister graduated in May of 2005. It had been too long! Back in August, I started organizing a reunion of sorts with college friends. Amazingly, there was one weekend in October when we were all free so we got the plans rolling.  The drive up to Sioux Falls was quite nostalgic. Not having been there for a few years, I was wondering how much I would remember and what I might have forgotten. As we rolled into town, it all came back to me - it felt like I was back home! We checked in to our hotel and headed over to see friends immediately. We had a great weekend together! Even with the first round of snow of the season and my first bout of flu of the season, we managed to pack in a lot of laughs.

One of the highlights was going on a self guided tour of my college campus. Since we don't look a day over 19 :) my friend, Kristin, and I managed to get into our freshman and sophomore dorm. Boy did the memories hit! We walked all over campus and even ate lunch in the Commons. It was a great morning!

First window scrape!

Sophomore Dorm

Campus Views

Us with Ole.

In the afternoon, we got pedicures (too bad it was snowing and we had to wear closed toe shoes) and enjoyed some yummy lattes and laughs. It was great to catch up. Unfortunately, I didn't make it through the evening - the stomach flu hit me quick and hard. Despite that, I'm so glad I was able to get back to Sioux Falls and spend time with old friends. Good times.

taking action

Yesterday was  Blog Action Day 2009, which is a day bloggers all over the world get together to unite for a social change event. This year's act - climate change. Unfortunately I am a day late so I didn't officially make the post on 10.15.09 Blog Action Day but coincidentally, I read an article yesterday that really sparked my interested and brings forth my quest for control of our changing climate - recycling.

We do not have curbside recycling in my city. It's a shame. We can recycle everything (cans, paper, boxes...) but glass. Luckily, there is a nonprofit company in our city called Bridging the Gap that has many recycling drop-off sites around the city for all types of recycling from glass to batteries. Hubby and I were in awe the first day we went to take in our containers full of glass. It was so easy and simple! Why don't more people do this?

When I sat down with my morning cup of coffee and the paper yesterday, the front page article staring up at me was about recycling glass. A company called Ripple Glass is aiming to increase the number of glass recycled in our city from 5% to 28%. With many different drop-off sites (beginning in November) in the city, Ripple Glass encourages more people to recycle glass, which will be used by local businesses as fiberglass insulation for more energy-efficient home. As I was reading the article, I was amazed by some of the facts regarding glass, particularly the fact that the amount of energy saved by recycling a bottle made of glass is enough to power a 100 watt light bulb. Wow. Think of how much energy is sitting in our landfills!

This article then got me thinking about uses for recycled glass - fiberglass, jewelry, mosaic tile, roof tile, industrial flooring, retaining wall blocks, ice control (salt replacement), topsoil production (when mixed with sand)...you get the idea - there are a lot of uses. Recycling is so easy - many cities will come to your house to get it! All you have to do is get the bin, pay for the monthly service and take the time to recycle things instead of tossing them into the trash. I'm always a little disappointed when I see people wasting instead of recycling.

So, for Blog Action Day a day late, I challenge you to think about your recycling habits - what are you doing to make a difference?
 

something to be proud of

WARNING!!! This post is work-related. ;)

It's been a very busy time at work - lots of meetings, lots of presentations, lots of deadlines, but I've still managed to do some fun things with my teachers and students. A couple of months ago, I saw something online about Read for the Record, promoted by Jumpstart, a foundation that supports early literacy intervention. On October 8th, Jumpstart encouraged schools around the world to participate in the national Read for the Record day, a day in which students around the world would all read Eric Carle's A Very Hungry Caterpillar in an effort to break a worked record. Together with my librarian, we worked to coordinate this day with our teachers and students. We promoted it in the classroom, to parents, and to our community and the community was listening - one of our classrooms was photographed and interviewed by the paper. It was an exciting day at my building the day the paper was published! I am so proud of my teachers and students and their willingness to place a high emphasis on reading!

To read the article, click here!

time off

The flu hit me this weekend. And I have a busy rest of the work week. Today was a much needed day of rest but now I need to hit full speed as I move into the week ahead.

I won't be posting much this week but will leave you with this image, a beautiful depiction of fall.



via {home sweet home} via {kingorlowest}

toss it

Throw pillows are so fun and easy to accessorize with and can change the tone of the room with a quick switch. I spied some of these online...don't worry hubby - I'm just browsing, not buying!

via {z gallerie}

via {world market}





via {restoration hardware}



via {pottery barn}



via {crate and barrel }