Pinspiration Thursday

The Pin



This was a super fun and easy project I found on Pinterest.  This pin links to a blog post of printable banner letters.  Every letter in the alphabet is available including some punctuation and special characters in another post (snowflakes, hearts, etc.)

The hardest part about this project is all the printing and cutting.  The office looked like this for awhile the day I tackled this banner.

What you need for this is paper, a printer, twine, and tape...EASY!

First, plan out your saying and figure out how many letters it takes.  This will allow you to buy the correct amount of paper at the store.  I bought silver shimmery scrapbook paper and cut it to an 8 1/2 x 11 size.

Next, find common letters in the saying.  This allows you to click on each letter you need only once (a time and convenience issue).

Print out all of your letters then cut them out. 

Arrange the letters how you want them to hang and tape them to the twine.

Hang and enjoy!

I chose "Merry and Bright" for our office and  I am totally in love with it!

Go HERE to visit the original blog post and start your banner!

Krispy Kreme

I had to work all weekend which meant I needed some sort of motivation to wake up early and be amicable on Saturday morning.  Krispy Kreme always seems to do the trick.  When that red "Hot and Ready" sign is on it is hard not to stop!



Although I settled for a decaf coffee, they offer a red velvet latte.  *Mind blown*  If I were indulging in caffeine these days nothing would've come between me and that red velvet latte!

 

 





Words are not necessary.  Your salivary glands do all the talking.

20 Weeks

Halfway there!!! Woohoo!!!



Shirt: Gap Vest: Gap Jeans: Loft

None of the clothes in this picture are maternity.  I am lucky enough to still be able to wear some of my pre pregnancy jeans and most of my tops.  I do have to extend the button of my jeans with a hair tie and I use the belly band too.

I can't believe I'm already half way there.  It is finally starting to feel real now!  I feel kicks and other movement on a daily basis which is so fun.

Still no crazy cravings. Foods I'm eating a lot of are pickles, mustard, oranges, and anything sweet (milkshakes, chocolate, you name it!)

This Friday we find out whether we will be having a boy or a girl and I couldn't be more excited!!! I don't think I'll  be getting much sleep Thursday night :)

My Style Friday

I'm taking a different approach to "my style" this Friday.  Being that I'm just trying to use the clothes I currently have in my closet to fit my ever growing midsection I haven't felt eager to take many pictures the past few weeks.  So, here is a pick of my favorite styles at my favorite stores that I would totally add to my wardrobe if I weren't 20 weeks pregnant :)

 

1/2/3/4/5/6

 

Pinspiration Thursday

The Pin

 

 

I have seen so many amazing pins about DIY Christmas decorations and I knew this one was going to be the first one I tackled.  I made a trip to Michaels and used some ribbon and paint I already had to complete the craft.

 

 



 

 

This picture includes some other items I was using for another project which I'll reveal sometime in the near future ;)  Basically what I needed was:

 

-garland

-ribbon

-letters of choice

-paint

 

EASY!

 

Michaels had a great sale on garland so I bought 2 different styles and arranged them together across the top of the china cabinet.

 

 

 

 

I cut ribbon to the length that I wanted the letters to hang down to.

 

 

I painted the letters white first for a clean slate and then added a coat of metallic silver paint.

 

 

 

 

Final step was to attach the letters to the ribbon and hang them up!

 

 

 

I am SO in love with my new addition and it couldn't have been easier!



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Cranberry Salad

Fresh Cranberry Salad

What you need:

4 cups fresh cranberries
1 apple (of your choice)
1 can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup orange juice
sugar to taste

What you do:

-Chop up the cranberries and apple in food processor to desired consistency (When I made it the last time I left if pretty chunky which I really enjoyed)
-Mix together fruit, and orange juice in bowl
-Add sugar to desired sweetness

Enjoy!

I really love this recipe and ate a big bowl of it daily after I made it.  It would be a great way to incorporate cranberries into your holiday menu

Christmas Decor

If you know me, you know how much I LOVE Christmas!  We got our decorations up on Sunday, so the house is looking bright and festive :)  Here are a few pictures of the main attractions.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our tree in the front office.  The picture isn't the best but this tree is so pretty! I absolutely love it <3  All of the ornaments are silver and I made the big bow at the top for a tree topper.  Dancing Santa is guarding the bottom of the tree so Mac and Coco stay away from it (3 minutes after putting the tree up the first ornament of many fell).  Apparently Santa isn't scary enough.



This is our main (family) tree in the main room.  It has all of our ornaments from all the trips we've taken and other fun "us" ornaments.  It is without a tree topper for now until we can find a replacement for our old (broken) one.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, this is our dining room.  I have some more I want to do in here which I'll share when I finish, but I love the pop of the bright green and red against the dark furniture.

 

 

Like I said, I have some DIY I want to do the complete our Christmas decor this year.  I will be sure the share the final results :)

18/19 Weeks

This picture was taken at 18 weeks, but I'm currently 19 weeks. 

 

Top: Gap, Jeans: A Pea in the Pod, Shoes: Sperry

 

I've been feeling a lot of movement the past couple weeks which has been really neat!

 

The other day I had a major craving for mustard which is strange for me because I don't normally like mustard

 

Have a great week :)

 



Pinspiration Thursday

The Pin:




Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

What You Need:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour plus 2 Tbsp
cinnamon and sugar mixture

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease doughnut pan.
Add first 7 ingredients to bowl and beat until smooth.
Add in flour and beat until just combined.
Fill each doughnut mold about 3/4 the way full and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together cinnamon and sugar to desired ratio
After removing doughnuts from the oven let sit for a few minutes then roll in cinnamon sugar while still warm

Enjoy!

Tis The Season

There is no question that I love love love Christmas!  The day after Halloween I was ready to listen to Christmas music and put up the tree.  I have resisted the urge to decorate, but that hasn't stopped me from starting Christmas shopping and enjoying one of my favorite holiday beverages...peppermint mocha latte!

McDonald's also has a peppermint mocha latte that I love but they don't do decaf, so it's either Starbucks or store bought peppermint mocha creamer for me.  Regardless, I'm going to be enjoying these sweet treats all season long :)

Weird Places I Find Mac

I know cats like to be up high and make "nests" but these are 2 places I've recently found Mac that just made me wonder.  

17 Weeks

I have been really bad about updating lately, but the last thing I want to do on my days off is stare at a computer screen (being that I stare at a computer all day at work). 

I am still trying to figure out this whole style thing when it comes to being pregnant, so I haven't taken many pictures these past few weeks.  Last week my bump finally popped out.  I had been having weird pains for a few days then I woke up one morning and there it was....well, here it is.





BAM!  There it is.  I am wearing official maternity  jeans and a shirt in this picture.  Both from a Pea in the Pod.  As far as tops go, this was the only time I've warn an actual maternity top so far and I don't think I will wear another one for awhile.  I'm just not big enough yet.  Pants are a different story though.  I have still been wearing normal work pants and jeans with a small hair tie around the button and through the loop to extend them, but that has been getting uncomfortable.  I think it's time to start wearing maternity pants on a regular basis.  I'm going to keep experimenting with my wardrobe so I can wear my regular clothes as long as possible and I promise to share my gems when I find them.

The 2 most common questions I've been getting are how are you feeling and what are you craving.  I feel pretty normal other than having a bump.  I seem to have gotten some of my energy back since the first trimester and I don't have any nausea anymore.

I haven't had many cravings either.  Last week the only thing I wanted that was out of the ordinary was a milkshake.  Soup has sounded really good lately too, but that could also be due to the cold weather.

That's all I have for my 17 week update, have a fabulous week!

My Style Friday



Top: Old Navy Jeans: Banana Republic

Time for the bump shot!

 

Not really much of a bump yet.  I am 14 weeks in this picture.  Luckily, I can still wear all most of my clothes.  I do need to extend the button of all my pants with a small hair tie, but that's ok with me.  No weight gain yet, but I'm sure it'll start creeping on here shortly.  I will try to post weekly updates with my progression to keep everyone updated.

 

Happy Friday!

Pinspiration Thursday

The Pin:

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

 What You Need:
1/2 cup panko or other bread crumbs
1.5 – 2 tsp taco seasoning or mixture of your own
1 egg
2 oz fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2%)
1-2 jalapeño peppers, minced
2 chicken breasts

What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 375 and spray baking dish with cooking spray

Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl or dish and add the taco seasoning

In another shallow bowl or dish, lightly beat an egg

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños

 

Using a small utility knife, cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast, or horizontally slice the chicken through the center, until it is almost butterflied. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper, and then divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between each chicken breast’s pocket. Use toothpicks to secure, if necessary

Dip the chicken pieces one at a time first into the egg, and then into the bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat the chicken completely. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish and cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.



Fabric

I think today is the first day in what feels like forever that I actually have some extra energy.  Even before I found out I was pregnant I was falling asleep on the couch at 8:30 at night (loser!).  Most of my days off during my first trimester were spent in sweats laying on the couch watching TV and napping.  Today I am 14w+5d and I am starting to feel the fog lift (finally!).

With the extra energy I had today I decided to go browse fabric at JoAnn's.  I have a color theme in mind for the baby's room, but I'm just not 100% sure on what I want it to look like.  Here are the fabrics I came home with.

 

These are two totally different fabrics but I was drawn to both of them. I plan on doing the nursery gray and yellow, so both of these fabrics would be perfect.  

 

 

I actually prefer this fabric of the two for the more simplistic pattern.  I also love the orange and navy with the yellow and gray.  I will definitely use this, just not sure how yet.

 

 



 This is definitely a busy fabric.  I saw this one first, because I went in actually looking for a chevron pattern.  I think this could be used in the crib bumper or in some other small way since the pattern is so wild.

 

I got these fabrics a while ago on clearance at Walmart.  I couldn't resist them because they were gray and yellow!  For these I'm thinking quilt, pillow covers, or cute accessories.

World Market

I have not been to World Market in forever, so last week when I was out running errands I decided to stop in. 

There is truly something for everyone in that store from wine to gourmet coffee to furniture. 

In the past I've mainly bought wine, coffee, and seasonal items but this time around I found a bunch of cute items!

 

 

I could not resist the cute scarves for some reason! They had such a huge selection of accessories I'm lucky I didn't come out of the store with way more.  These 2 scarves will be a great addition to my fall wardrobe.

 

The white vases are unreal.  The minute I saw them I knew I had to have them.  I love unique multifunctional pieces like that, another no-brainer in my book.

 

And of course my love for owls made me get these adorable magnets.  No way are they going on my refrigerator, but I know I'll find something fun to do with them.

Crock Pot Pizza

This is probably one of my favorite crock pot recipes! I am a huge pizza lover, so the fact that I can make it in my beloved crock pot makes it even better.  I made this on Friday to provide dinners for the weekend while I was at work.

What you need:
-1 can pizza sauce
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 green pepper
-1 onion
-Italian seasoning
-1 lb ground turkey
-1 tube of biscuits
-shredded mozzarella

***You can put any pizza toppings in this that you like.  Have fun and play around with it!

What you do:
1. Brown the ground turkey

 

2. Chop all the veges and throw all your toppings into the crock pot

 

 



3. Add turkey, pizza sauce, and italian seasoning (to your taste) and stir

 

 

4. Tear biscuit dough into pieces and drop over top of mixture to cover

 

 

5. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until biscuits are done

6. Top with cheese and melt

7. Enjoy!

 

 





 

My Style Friday

Tank: NYAC Cardigan: LOFT Capris: Banana Republic

 



Another work outfit displaying my fabulous ugly comfy shoes :)  Looking back on my posts, I have worn these capris a lot.  Definitely a piece that was worth it!

Oh, and NYAC means New York and Company.

Happy Friday!

Pinspiration Thursday

The Pin:



Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

What you need:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can pumpkin, 15oz.

3 T apple cider
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 t pumpkin pie spice

 

What you do:

 

With a hand or stand mixer, combine cake mix and pumpkin.

 

 

Pour into a greased 7x11 pan.  I used a 9x9 pan, because I didn't have a 7x11 and it turned out fine

 

Bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean

 

Meanwhile, combine the powdered sugar, apple cider, and pumpkin pie spice.

 

 

Let the cake cook for a few minutes then pour the glaze onto the cake while it is still warm.

 

 

I added some festive fall sprinkles for fun :)  You might as well get a fork out because you will not be able to wait to dig into this cake!

 

Follow me on Pinterest







Owl Love

Hello, my name is Lindsey and I love owls.

Check out this mug I got at Kroger!

 

I mean, seriously! It doesn't get any cuter than that.  They also have the mugs in orange and huge owl cookie jars too.  If you are lucky enough to have a Kroger near you go and check out the collection, it is too cute.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Fall

In celebration of the first day of fall, I broke out all of our fall decorations this weekend!  I love all fall decor from pumpkins to bright colored leaves.  I even put apple cinnamon wax in our melter so the house smelled like fall too (I tend to get carried away with seasonal items). 

 

This is a wreath I made a couple years ago.  I got everything at Michael's and it was a super easy and fun project.  The bow is looking a little sad from being stored for a year, but replacing a bow yearly is easy and cheap.

 

 





This is our dining room table decor.  We rarely use our dining room but I always like to keep it looking nice.  Again, I made all of these arrangements from supplies at Michael's and the table runner is from Home Goods.  Today, the table runner is askew and one of the arrangements is completely disassembled laying on the table.  Mac is not a fan of any "clutter" on "his" tables.

 

 

 

 

This is our centerpiece on our kitchen table.  The base is from a candle we got as a wedding gift.  I just took the candle out and replaced it with fall "filler."  As per usual, I believe I got the filler at Michael's too.

 

 

There are a couple of fall ideas on Pinterest that I'm itching to try as well.  I will be sure to share them if I decide to try :)

 

Happy Fall!