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Fall Décor

Happy Tuesday

and welcome to the first full week of fall 2017!

Saturday I headed upstairs to discover the fall décor that I packed away just before Christmas 2016.I have LOTS of stuff!

Apparently I’m a better organizer than I thought because the fall container was front and center and easily retrieved.  The Jack-O-Lantern took a little more effort to reach.
I pulled everything out and that was about as far as I got.

My house was screaming to be cleaned and the treadmill needed my attention even more. With the exception of a wreath that I strategically placed in the living room, the fall décor is scattered on my dining room table.

Although I didn’t decorate this weekend, I did celebrate the season.

As I mentioned in a previous post, actually two previous posts (here and here), I baked a pumpkin pound cake Saturday afternoon.

Sunday was LB’s first day off in three weeks.

He has been working long hours, every day since a few days before hurricane Irma befell.  To celebrate (in addition to LB’s pumpkin treat) we went to

Pier One

and stumbled on to an excellent sale!

and found more fall décor

This little guy made me LOL!She reminds me of someone I know!This little turkey came home with me! And so did this little guy!We found some beautiful thingsAnd picked out several items to take home with usIn addition to all the seasonal items, there were things that made me think of some of my family members.  This little bird reminded me of MamaThis fancy cat made me think of StephanieAnd although I cannot explain it, this Llama called Amanda to mindDisclaimer:  No suggestion that Amanda resembles a Llama was intended in the publishing of this post. Now I will need to get that decorating done!

I’m going to need another day off!

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Friday I said I was planning to make this

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Saturday afternoon I did!

It looks great right?

I’m not going to take credit for a recipe that isn’t mine, but you may find the author of this pumpkin cake here.

Here are the instructions that I followed:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°.  Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour (3 Cups), baking powder (2 tsp), baking soda (1 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp), cinnamon (2 tsp), nutmeg (1/2 tsp), ginger (1/2 tsp), cloves (1/4 tsp); set aside.
  3. In mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks of  butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 3/4 cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Mix in 5 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Mix in 1 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture. Continue mixing on medium speed until the batter is smooth and well blended. Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center.

Once again, I can’t take credit for this cake recipe.  I think it is very delicious, but it belongs to The Spruce who has several good recipes, and you can this one find here.

You’re welcome!

It looks pretty good.

And it tastes great.

That buttery maple pecan glaze is delicious.

Here are the instructions for the glaze:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine 4 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp maple syrup, and 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream; bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute.
  2. Remove from heat and sift 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar into the hot mixture. Whisk until smooth. Let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  3. Stir in 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans (optional). Drizzle over the cooled cake.

And that is the way to begin a new season!

 

Friday Favorites

This week has been torturous to say the least.

No one is happier than me to welcome the weekend.

Today I left the office in grandiose style…

Lionsgate Home Entertainment friday patrick swayze dirty dancing jennifer grey GIFLook out weekend… here I come!

 

Yesterday I rambled on and on about the seasons changing.

That said…

Favorite # ONE

FALL!

Tomorrow I will head upstairs and begin my search for the fall décor that I stashed away before last Christmas.  Of course that means I will have to pull out the Christmas décor to find it.

I’ll plan better next time.

What is fun about this is how I have forgotten about all of the cute decorations that I own. When I retrieve them from the closet, it will be like getting something new without spending more money! I’m looking forward to it with great anticipation!

And LB is so excited about fall

[it’s vacation time after all]

that he brought pumpkins home tonight!

And because fall means it is time for “all things pumpkin”, I am currently planning

Favorite # TWO

LB loves pumpkin!  When I mentioned finding a recipe for a PUMPKIN POUND CAKE he almost couldn’t contain himself.

A google search for pumpkin pound cake revealed…Doesn’t it look good???  We’re ALL IN!

I’m excited, LB is excited, and if I call Mama and tell her to come over once it is baked, she’ll be excited!

Speaking of excited, I made a new friend this week!

Favorite # THREE

Ann-Claude

I met her when I signed up for Trunk Club.  We chatted this past week and now I have a trunk on the way.  I’ll be sharing more about this very soon!

Looking forward to it!

on an entirely different subject…

Favorite # FOUR

Starbucks Doubleshot Espressothis is a new necessity in my life [since I can’t seem to get more than six hours of sleep per night].

I enjoyed one of these little caffeine drinks this week around 2:00PM and I will be bringing more of them to the office with me in the future!

Favorite # FIVE

Gift sets from Mary Kay…

and there are a lot of them!

The White Tea & Citrus Satin Hands® Pampering Set

The Mary Kay Eau So Cute™ Eau de Toilette

makes a fun stocking stuffer…My girls are going to be in for a surprise this year… right?

Happy Friday!

Happy Fall!

Last Day of Summer

Today is the last day of summer.

It sounds like such a sad thing, but the end of one season brings about the beginning of another.  All the seasons are good.

Although some may be more favored than others.

Several years ago I remember taking an “About Me” questionnaire which included the question “What is your favorite season?”  LB and I found that we had something in common when we both answered

“FALL”.

There is something about the way the sunlight shines with such a glow that makes you know that fall is in the air.  As the season changes, the sun sits lower in the sky.  The lower humidity and fewer clouds makes the sky seem bluer.  The days appear to be more vibrant than they were in the very hot summer months.

Although Florida will not enjoy very cool temperatures for several months, it will be apparent that fall has arrived.  This year that day will come tomorrow, September 22nd.

Although summer is known for vacations, days spent at the beach, cookouts, and relaxing by the pool, there are also many wonderful things about fall.  We can look forward to holidays and other festivities.  Comfy sweaters.  Eventually.  Bonfires and hayrides.  Warm apple cider, hot chocolate, and PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. I am looking forward to staking my happy scarecrow by the front door.

And of course there is

Fall Fashion

Now is the time to whip out your favorite cardigans and booties… all of your fall fashionable attire.  If you are stumped, like I tend to be, there are many sites you can check out to get ideas for what to wear this fall; and how to transition from summer to fall.  In the next few days, I’ll be sharing my ideas and where I find my inspiration.

 

Looking forward to it!

 

“Women who wear black lead colorful lives”

– Neiman Marcus

When I realized that I have been wearing outfits that are predominately black this week, it started me to thinking… maybe my favorite color truly is black. 

It seems like I’ve had this discussion with my sister before.

Recently I saw this on Pinterest “If your favorite color is black, you value your inner world and enjoy keeping your private life private. Only close relatives and friends are privy to your thoughts and feelings.

Articulate and at times dramatic you know how to share your point of view with conviction and authority. Drama does not mean unrestrained. You maintain self-control with ease, which enables you to control most situations as well.

Others perceive you as serious maybe to the extent of intimidating. Focusing on the details and getting things right is important to you. You are comfortable projecting an air of mysterious and guarded which can help mask moments of insecurity. People find your juxtaposition of the conventional and unconventional intriguing.”

(Source)

 Follow the I ♥ COLOR Series on Pinterest.

While some of those characteristics are true of me, my “personality color” told a different story.

An online quiz to determine the color that best matches your personality did not match me with black.

Interestingly enough the Color Personality Quiz revealed:

You are red!

“You’re passionate and full of energy, making you popular among friends. You have the ability to love deeply, and you sometimes don’t think before you put your heart and soul into your relationships. Your strong sense of ambition means you will do well in your career. This, however, is offset by a fiery temper and a lack of patience. Work hard at keeping a balance in your life and you’ll go far.”

When Wendy pointed out that I misunderstood one of the questions, I took the test again and changed that one answer.

Still Red.

I’ve been guilty in the past of click bait type tests, but I  do think its fun.

Take the Quiz.

As for my results, (HA!)  I don’t completely agree with the part about a fiery temper.  Maybe LB would have a different opinion.

As for my passion for black fashion, I have a few posts that specifically reference black including this post about little black blouses.

 

“Women who wear black lead colorful lives”

It’s true.

Guess What Day It Is

Bah-da bah-da-da-da

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
A-you can find me cryin´ all of the time

(Thank you to The Mamas & the Papas)

It’s hard to explain why I have such a hard time appreciating Monday.

I’m not even going there.

Take 2

It’s a new week and I am blessed!

I woke up this morning.

I am healthy.

And loved.

I have a job.

Which brings me to what I like to talk about…

What I Wore

to work today.

This is pretty cut and dry, but if you are like me and always searching for outfit ideas, here is another one to add to the list.  Today I am wearing a red sleeveless blouse.  I simply cannot remember where I found this blouse.  It may have been Forever21, but I’m not sure.

Dementia.

It has been a bit chilly in the office, so I took along a black cardigan along to keep me warm.

I’ve mentioned this scuba skirt before… or maybe the white one that is just like it.  Actually I have a fuchsia scuba skirt, too.  They all came from Forever21 and are no longer available, which is too bad.  I love them all and pair them with different blouses all the time.

My Brighton tote is a favorite

If you’re shopping for similar items, you can find these basics anywhere clothing is sold as you can see in the following examples…

Looking for a Red Blouse?  Check out these suggestions here, here, and here//similar black skirt //similar Brighton tote or maybe this Brighton tote // black sandals (similar, similar).

Shopping is a great pleasure and also therapy…

and so is a good song!

Friday Favorites

Kim says:

IT’S FRIDAY Y’ALL!

Shalita says:Apparently we have SOMETHING in common ’cause I’m dancin’ too!

And it is time to post my Friday Favorites!

Favorite # ONE

This has been a stressful week with all the drama caused by Hurricane Irma on Sunday and Monday. Luckily the generator kept the news up and running during the entire event. The channels were limited, but my favorite weatherman made it bearable.
Thank you Richard Nunn!In case you don’t know him, Richard is the one on the left.

Favorite # TWO

Hurricane Irma Cookies

On the subject of Hurricane Irma… this week’s meteorological conditions brought about some irrational behavior [as it is unlike me to binge on carbs]. However, unlike me as it was, for our mini-evacuation, I packed mostly malevolent processed products.

Reason being?  Mostly due to the ease with which these items travel and stay edible over several hours/days. Although I’m now paying the price for it, we enjoyed little sandwiches, pretzels, kettle chips, turkey jerky, and my very own homemade Hurricane Irma Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This is how I made those cookies…

Cream together:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
Add into mix, one at a time:
2 large eggs
Add:
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine together:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Then add to wet ingredients.
Stir in:
1/2 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 (12-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
Bake at 375°F on a parchment lined pan for 12 minutes

And voilà… a new addition to my menu’s “Recipe” page

Favorite # THREE

Smock off the Shoulder Top

It was ordered last month, and just received a few days ago…
My new Smock off the Shoulder top from Venus comes in sizes XS – XL and is adorable!
This bohemian style blouse has alternating floral and animal prints and includes a faux tassel drawstring at the waist.
The top is smocked at the bust and shoulders and finished with trendy bell sleeves.
Just in time for fall… which is happening next week!

Favorite # FOUR

My sense of humor is more bizarre than any other I know… with the exception of my sister. Looking through some of the memes in Pinterest,  l came across a new one that I had to add to my “Very Funny” boardMaybe it was because I was so tired I couldn’t think straight, but this one made me LoL!

Favorite # FIVE

I Want My 80s

on MTV

Since LB had to work late, Elvis and I sat down in front of the tv and ended up watching classic music videos from the 80s.  When LB came home, he was happy to join in.

I remember the first time I experienced MTV.  It was 1983 and we had one of those cable TV controllers that slide from channel to channel.  The first music video I ever saw was Michael Jackson’s Thriller.  What an inauguration, right?

Tonight we have watched performances by Billy Joel, ACDC, Madonna, Debarge, Cheap Trick, Huey Lewis and the News, Aerosmith, Will Smith, Bad English and Guns & Roses.

Take me Back!

…or Down

to Paradise City!

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