Halloween Pumpkins and Costumes

Happy Halloween! I can't wait to pass out candy tonight to the neighborhood kiddos and watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown which airs tonight at 8:00 on ABC ;-)

Halloween always brings out the nostalgia in me.... growing up my brother and I always went trick or treating with my cousins and then went back to my grandparents afterwards for them to give us some Halloween goodies. This year just hurts because I lost not one not two but three of my loved ones that I have such great holiday memories with in less than a year. Ugh.... I'm weepy just typing this but a good weepy. So many great memories.

This was the 1st year in a while we didn't dress up for Halloween, as our friends who usually host a party were out of town. So, we went to a haunted house with friends and carved our pumpkin a few days ago.

Some of my favorites from years past....

Cave People 2012... loved that H was wearing a dress!

Halloween 2009

Dog backin' it up on a Pirate

Pirates!

2008 ~ Mobsters

My only Halloween pic from college on my Nextel.. yes Nextel camera phone. We were hula girls wearing coconuts and grass skirts in Connecticut in late October.... no wonder we both live in Florida now! 

*Circa 2004*

Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween and makes lots of happy memories!

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Someday....

Happy Hump Day! Can't believe tomorrow is Halloween... now if I could just stop eating the candy I got for the trick-or-treaters....

Some day....

~ I will be able to walk out of Target without spending at least $50

~ I will stop quoting Mean Girls and Forrest Gump (the most inappropriate quotes of course)

~ I will have all the witty comments/comebacks roll off my tongue at the right time instead of thinking of the perfect thing to say afterwards... yep

~ I will stock up on bottles of wine instead of drinking everything in stock at home :-P

~ I will learn how to curl my own hair

~ I will stop dropping it like it's hot

~ I will stop obsessively compulsively cleaning up after H

~ I will learn my lesson and stop overeating on pasta night oooooh the pain....

~ I will be that girl who's excited for sweaters, boots, and scarves instead of holding on desperately to my sundresses and sandals.

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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes from scratch

I made pumpkin spice cupcakes this past weekend for our pre-Thanksgiving feast with friends and everyone was raving about them. They're super moist and perfect for this time of year.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cake

Cream 1 and 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter until smooth in a large bowl

Add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar and mix until smooth

Add 3 eggs one at a time and set aside

Combine 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, and 1 tsp. of vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside

Combine 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and 1 tsp. of baking soda in a large bowl.

In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture blending well until smooth.

To make a cake pour batter into three 8 inch pans and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees

To make cupcakes, pour batter into cupcake liners in a muffin pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes 

After the cakes have cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat one 8 oz. package of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of butter (both softened) until fluffy.

Gradually add 16 oz. of powdered sugar beating at low speed until blended.

Add 1 tsp. of vanilla beating until well blended

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Store any leftovers in the fridge as the frosting contains cream cheese ;-)

Joining Jessica and Ashley for Taste of Tuesday, hop on over and share a recipe with us.

Recipe

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Fall Weekend Shenanigans

I can't believe this was the last weekend in October and we're already moving into November. Craziness! I'm getting a little too excited for the upcoming holiday season :-D

~ Seadog Blueberry at happy hour on Friday

~ Wine tasting at Super Target... making my happy place even happier. We even donned bracelets so we could go from station to station without getting carded over and over.

~ Making pumpkin spice cupcakes *recipe coming tomorrow*

~ Finished product....delish!

~ Under the dryer at the salon catching up on the latest Glamour. First time it wasn't too hot to wear jeans in months

~ Fresh highlights

~ The boys testing out the deep fryer on the ham and the turkey

~ Carving time

~ Our pre-Thanksgiving feast

~ H and I in line at the haunted house

~ We survived the haunted house and came across a scream mask and I was brought right back to the 90's

~ Handsome boy with a new fur-cut

~ Fire pit time

~ Silly face for this year's jack-o-lantern

Joining Sami for Weekend Shenanigans, hop on over and share your weekend with us!

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Halloweeny Weekend

It started to cool off and feel like fall the past few days here (although it's warming back up again next week.... which I'm not complaining about) so I'm going to take advantage of some cooler weather activities this weekend.

Tonight, I'll be getting my Betty Crocker on and making pumpkin spice cupcakes for tomorrow's pre-Thanksgiving feast at our friends house. Our friend is doing a test run of his turkey frier so a bunch of us are bringing over side dishes and we'll have a feast before heading out to a haunted house.

Tomorrow, I am finally getting my hair done. Let's not even talk about how long it's been or how long my roots are. Ok... you got it out of me.. it's been since July. I kept putting it off because I want my highlights to look fresh for our upcoming cruise. Ya know.. first world problems. 

 

Then I'll be whipping up some green bean casserole as my side to bring along with the cupcakes for the evening's feast. I'm also hoping to whip up another batch of caramel apple cider which would be delish!

I have a feeling we're going to gorge on all the goodness and drink too much wine before going to the haunted house and ending the night by the fire pit. 

Backin' that azzzz up with Whitney and her new look :)

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The Great Debate

Every year around this time without a question, I go to get my flu shot. Always have, always will. Maybe it's because I grew up with a nurse for my mom....maybe it's because I'm a germaphobe.... or maybe it's because I've suffered through many horrible flu viruses through the years and ever since I started getting the shot I've been healthy aside from the occasional cold *knock on wood*.

But it never ceases to amaze me how many people refuse to get one or don't actively pursue getting one. Some people think they get the flu from the shot (not true), some think they're invincible from the virus, and others are afraid of needles. Youch! Don't blame them! But this year, I honestly barely felt anything. I'm also so relieved to be protected through the flu season, and if it takes a little pinch in the arm then I'll take it. Nothing's worse than feeling like death over Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Both H and I had flu clinics at our jobs this year which was great, because now I don't have to worry about going on my own time to the doctor's office or to the pharmacy.

I even got a lollipop for being such a good patient! :)

Protect yourself this season, even if you don't want to get the flu shot make sure to take vitamins every day and to wash your hands before eating. *Stepping down off my soapbox*

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Michael Kors Leg Shine

I had my eyes on the Michael Kors Leg Shine for a while and was planning on picking it up with gift cards around my birthday, but alas it was out of stock. And it stayed out of stock... for a while. But I finally got an email letting me know it was back in stock.

I was just surprised at how tiny it was...

It smells great and gives your legs the perfect subtle shine and I was shocked that it was only $10.

It was the perfect little package along with some Bumble & Bumble Hair Thickening Spray. My thin mane thanks me!

Michael Kors Sephora

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Easy Pumpkin Muffins

I think this is hands down the easiest recipe I've ever tried (even easier than Tastefully Simple!)

As I was browsing Pinterest for something to make for our neighbor's FSU-Clemson football party, I came across the easiest pumpkin muffin recipe ever.

One 15 oz. can of pumpkin

One box of yellow cake mix

Combine ingredients and scoop into cupcake liners in a muffin/cupcake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. 

That's it! No other ingredients, no oil and no eggs which make this a low fat guilt free treat. 

Perfect combination of cake and pumpkin flavoring, and they're super moist and chewy. 

Joining Jessica and Ashley for Taste of Tuesday, hop on over and share a recipe with us :)

Recipe

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Beachy Shenanigans

Another beautiful fall weekend bites the dust...

~ Much needed pedicure and wine time

~ Painted my nails for Breast Cancer Awareness Month using OPI's "I Think in Pink" and "You Glitter Be Good to Me"

~ Happy hour with H, I switched out the sour mix in my watermelon margarita for club soda to save some calories. Not a good choice, my drink was "meh". Not recommended, next time I'll just accept the calories with the yumminess.

~ H with K at the resort in Cocoa Beach

~ Emily and I on the beach

~ 2 for 1 beers after a beautiful day at the pool/beach

~ Pumpkin muffins for the FSU and Clemson game

~ Rooting for FSU with my wonderful neighbor who is a die-hard fan

~ New valances we picked up at Target for the game room

Highlight of the weekend was spending the day with Emily and K at the beach. Her parents were in town from Trinidad and they were all spending the weekend at a resort in Cocoa Beach. Great day by the pool filled with drinks and laughs. 

Linkin' up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans, hop on over and share your weekend with us ;-)

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Caramel Apple Cider

Pinterest has done it again.... this time it made our fall weekend more yummy! I made a jug of this yummy concoction for us and our friends for the corn maze and pumpkin patch.

Apple Cider for Grownups 

All I did was combined apple cider, caramel vodka, and sprinkled in a little cinnamon (you can also make this hot by heating on the stove top or in a crock pot).

Perfect for any fall activity... pumpkin picking, the corn maze, tailgating, nights by the fire pit, etc... 

*Cheers*

Recipe

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Current Loves

I love this time of year, it's beautiful outside (not too hot, not too cold) and the holidays are right around the corner. So much to love love love!

~ I'm loving The Voice... I never watched until this season and am hooked! Such a breath of fresh air from all the other played out singing competition shows. My fav is when Blake gets all fired up and starts yelling "NOOOOO!"

Chair sabotage!

~ I'm loving Essie's 2013 fall collection

~ I'm loving part 2 of JT's 20/20 Experience.... True Blood is my new jam!

~ I'm loving this fall decor idea, may have to incorporate this into my Thanksgiving spread:

Bobbing apples and floating candles... LOVE

~ I'm loving Starburst Candy Corn... can't.stop.eating.it!

~ I'm loving my fall candles, the whole house smells amazing!

~ I'm loving Juicy Joe and Rosie... they totally steal the show on RHONJ. I'm sure everyone is beyond over the spliced and diced made up drama on that show, so the hilariousness that is Juicy and Rosie is hands down the best part and they always have me laughing.

Great comic relief!

~ I'm loving that my girl Lauren Conrad is ENGAGED! I usually could give two flying craps about celebrities day-to-day but I have loved Lauren since her Laguna Beach/The Hills days and am so happy for her. She's done an amazing job of creating a successful brand for herself while keeping her personal life private (as it should be) and exuding nothing but class class class. 

~ I'm loving that Catching Fire is finally hitting theaters soon! Bring on Katniss and Peeta!

What are you loving today?

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