feeling festive

It's midweek and I've been feeling festive around these parts. Only a few more days until Halloween and I still have plans to make cookies with my new cookie cutters and decorate our trio of pumpkins. 

We had plans for a mini vacation this weekend but we decided to skip it and stay home to enjoy any last minute plans that might pop up. Travis missed spending last Halloween (Ella's first) with us while he was working in LA and we were visiting friends in Northern California. This year we'll be together as a family, yay!

trick or treat bag

I've been going a little crazy with Halloween this year. Ok, who am I kidding? No I haven't, I just love any excuse to be crafty and make my little one fun things. Like this...a trick or treat bag.

When I was young my mother (who was a seamstress) made me a trick or treat bag. It had a witch on the front and her legs hung from the bottom of the bag. I used it every year for my trick or treating candy loot, and I loved carrying it. 

So, I thought Ella would want one of her own. Low and behold I dreamed up my version of a trick or treat bag for her. One side has ruffles and green ric rac (a halloween spin off my Ruffle Carryall Totes from the shop) and the other has her initial "E" appliqued along with yoyo flowers, fabric rosettes, a mini bow and some fun ribbon loops. 

I think it turned out darling and I hope she gets years and years of use out of it!

ruffle pumpkin shirt tutorial

Remember the shirt Ella wore to our outing at Apple Hill? Here's the tutorial so you can all make one for your little pumpkins. It's a pretty self explanatory tutorial so i'll let the pictures speak for themselves. If you have any questions leave them in the comments and  i'll try and answer them.

All Done!

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insta-friday

Another week gone by, another week in photos.

beautiful child

thrifted vintage yoyo's

thrifted necklace

diy necklace

wiww/date night

ryan adams

<3

crave this place weekly

shoes

silly beautiful child

best night ever

bedside ikat

off to church

me

pumpkin beer

baby legs with crocheted flowers

love her eye makeup

paula deen's crockpot mac n' cheese

lip gloss, boot polish, solar oil

turkey applique shirt

ruffle pumpkin shirt

new ppb diaper clutch

apple hill + halloween outfit

As soon as October hits and there is the slightest feeling of Fall in the air everyone in Northern California gears up to head out to Apple Hill. Never mind that it's still 85 degrees outside, if the apple pie, apple butter, apple donuts, apple-you-name-it is being made then then we consider Fall among us. 

Apple Hill is a tradition around these parts. Basically, its just a group of 20+ apple orchards that open up for the Fall for apple picking, craft vendors, yummy apple baked goods, pumpkin patches and an all around good time. Each farm is different and offers different things, some more kid/family friendly with attractions and tractor rides and some are just for apple picking. 

Yesterday I ignored that it was 77 degrees out and dressed Ella in her Halloween outfit for our trip up to Apple Hill, because c'mon now I spent all that time making it and it's almost Halloween and she hasn't worn the getup once. Sorry Ella if you were sweating through that black shirt. All in the name of fashion, right?

I'm going to share the ruffle pumpkin shirt tutorial next Monday, but it's such a quick project you'll have no time getting it done before the 31st. Plus, it's a pretty basic Fall design so you should be able to carry on the wearing of it until Thanksgiving rolls around.

The ruffle pants are my favorite part of the outfit. Those I made with some fabric I picked up in the remnants section at the fabric store (yay for cheap!). Travis calls them her halloween bell bottoms, I call them just plain adorable. 

 (In case you were wondering about her bow, it was leftover from last years halloween bows I had in the shop). 

yummy yummy pumpkin bread

If you're looking for my giveaway at Keepin' It Thrifty, click HERE.

It's October, time to make yummy pumpkin recipes! This one is for the most amazing, moist, just enough spice, pumpkin bread. Make it today, you won't be disappointed. I doubled the recipe exactly and it yielded 6 beautiful yummy loaves of bread.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 2.5 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Recipe Yields 3 - 7x3 inch loaf pans 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. Top with desired extras (nuts, chocolate chips, etc.)
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.