.my fall mantel.

Mirror: Thrifted and spray-painted black
Candle Holders: Clearance Hobby Lobby
Green Plants & Pots: IKEA
Pumpkin by Pug Frame: Paper Mache' {from flea market}
Pumpkins sitting on Candles: Dollar General
Frames: Walmart
Leaf Garland: Dollar General
Ampersand: Clearance Hobby Lobby & painted
Book: Thrifted Readers Digest

.gripes and good news.

{source}

Today it only sort-of felt like Fall. It rained some, so I got to wear my new gray rain boots, but the temps haven't really made it out of the high 70's, low 80's yet. Even though the foliage is starting to get pretty, it just doesn't feel like Fall until the highs are in the upper 50's/low 60's. I would at least like to wear a scarf and not break a sweat as soon as I put it on. It's almost mid-October; I mean, is that too much to ask?

Ok, enough ranting.

I have news. I will be participating in my very first local craft show in November!

Do I have inventory stocked up? NO!
Do I know what I'm doing? NO!
Am I going to sew my heart out for the next month? YES! (As soon as I'm done blogging, of course.)
Will the housework suffer due to the fact that I'm sewing all the time? YES!
Am I going to go all out and decorate my booth all cute? YES!


The best part about this event is that it is FREE to anyone who wants a booth space. I live in a very small town, and this craft fair will be a part of its first annual Fall Festival. It will be held in the city park, with 75 10x10 spots available. I've never done anything like this before, but I'm excited to try my hand at it with nothing on the line. I have a solid month to get enough inventory made to fill my space, but I work better under pressure any way, so I'm pumped!

Well, I'm off to sew!

.thanks to pinterest.

Thanks to Pinterest, I cooked a yummy main dish tonight for dinner and created some cute new decor for my kitchen counter! See, Pinterest can be so much more than just a fabulously fun way to waste time!

First of all, I came across this cute little idea from The Wright House:

I love the DIY pedestal with cute little soap dispensers and the towel thrown across. I knew I had a white plate I could use for the stand and a brass candlestick that just needed some gray spray paint. I super-glued the two together, sat my (not so cool) soaps on top with a towel and BAM! In hardly any time at all I had my own version of the above picture.

Thank you, Pinterest!


While meal planning last week, I perused through my Recipes album on Pinterest, looking for something new and exciting to make. I wrote down the ingredients for Salmon or Chicken Cakes from THIS blog and made the salmon cakes (minus the Aioli) for dinner tonight. MAJOR SCORE! Let's just say I held myself back from eating way more than my fair share.

Image via Maria's Nutritious and Delicious Journal

I thought it might be helpful to list the recipe's original ingredients and how I substituted to fit my elementary school taste buds.

2 TBS coconut flour...{Or unmeasured amount of crumbled Ritz crackers}
1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms...{I nixed this ingredient. Sorry, hubs.}
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
16 oz boneless/skinless chicken breast...{I used 2 small cans of boneless salmon}
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tsp Cajun seasoning....{I sprinkled in some Tony Chachere's b/c it's what I had on hand}
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt...{I used regular salt because it's what I had}
1 egg
2 tsp coconut oil OR ghee...{I probably would have substituted with EVOO, but I accidentally left this step out}

All in all, I'm sure my version was not as healthy as the original, but it sure tasted good! Even with the left-out oil. I will be making these again!

And again, for good measure: Thank you, Pinterest!