red velvet gooey butter cookies

 
I'm not much of a baker... I really enjoy stirring.  You know when you are reading the instructions for baking and they always warn you not to "overstir"?  I'm fairly certain that is aimed directly at me.  Also - baking is slooooowwwwwww and I just don't have time to wait!  I get really impatient and/or bored.  Five trays of cookies?  No thanks.  After the first one is out of the oven I'm pretty much over it.

Anyway - I baked with some friends for 7 hours.  I've never done that before - an all-day baking extravaganza.  It was intense.  While I had a lot of fun (and learned a lot) I was pretty much exhausted by the end of it, and was able to further confirm my theory that I'm not meant to bake things.

The recipe I wanted to make was red velvet gooey butter cookies.  For those of you who don't know, gooey butter cake is a St. Louis thing.  It is this amazingly delicious sugary cake that we love.  We love it so much, we turned it into cookies.  And from there, red velvet gooey butter cookies evolved.  Since we've already established that I am not a baker, chances are I will never bake a gooey butter cake.  The cookie version is the closest I will ever get.

If you have never had gooey butter cake/cookies, I encourage you to try some!  If you have had them before, try this recipe to shake things up a bit.


Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg red velvet cakemix
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients, except powdered suagr, and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours
2. Roll into 1" balls, then roll in powdered sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Optional: roll in powdered sugar again once cooled.

*Disclaimer:  we did not roll our cookies in the powdered sugar after they cooled.  Also, these were mixed in a bag with a lot of other cookies which is why you might notice a few crumbs on them :)

Enjoy!

this is why we can't have nice things

We changed the sheets today.  Big accomplishment, right?  Let me rewind......

We have two dogs, pitbulls to be exact,  85 lbs and 45 lbs.  They are basically our children (for now, maybe someday we will have actual children without tails), and yes, they sleep in our bed.  Sometimes even under the blankets.  We aren't freaks or anything, we just love our dogs, a lot.

Ok - earlier this year (March maybe?) the dogs were playing on the bed and tore the comforter.  I was pretty disappointed; we had gotten the comforter as a wedding gift (had been married 1.5 years at that time) and I really loved it.  So I got onto Target's website to see if they happened to still carry it.  Lucky for me, they did!  We ordered a new one (king size for our queen size bed, someone *me* hogs the blankets), but when it came in the mail my husband decided to just leave it in the box because soon we wouldn't need the comforter anymore (it would be too warm).  So there it sat, in our office/storage room until today.

Ok - another (similar) story.  A week or so ago, the dogs were playing on the bed and ripped a giant tear in the fitted sheet (exactly where I sleep, if you were wondering).  When I say giant, I mean I would wake up and my entire arm would be stuck in between the fitted sheet and the mattress because I had gotten it stuck in the torn fabric.  We have another set of sheets but I just hadn't gotten around to changing them out (too busy getting my Christmas home tour ready).  Yesterday we were at Costco and they had some sheets that were almost the exact color of said torn sheets, so we bought them.

Side bar: this story is soooo interesting, I'm sure your dying to hear the end of it!

My husband is off work for the remainder of the year, so I asked him to wash the new sheets and new/old comforter while I was at work so we could change out the bedding and everything would be fresh and new and clean and happy.  So we did all the swapping this evening.  We had even bought two new pillows yesterday so we busted those out of the package as well.  Exciting stuff, really.  While I am straightening out the comforter, my husband lets the dogs in from outside and Diesel runs in and immediately jumps on the bed.

This is what happens:

MUD.  Everywhere!  He is covering up half of the paw prints.  You can visibly see at least five, but trust me, there are more.  He is looking quite guilty and pitiful, isn't he?

Truly, this is why we can't have nice things

I already told you about how my cats were trying to ruin Christmas.  And now this!  I'm not even mad though.  It will come out in the washer.

And you know what?  I wouldn't have it any other way.  I would rather buy new bedding every 1.5 years and have our pups sleep with us.  And if you think I'm crazy, well that's okay :)

*Disclaimer:  this post was supposed to be explaining how even people who blog about their house have messes too, but it ended up being about how much I love the dogs.  Maybe I am a little crazy............

christmas home tour

I'm getting this posted just a few days before Christmas... if you read my last post you will understand why... 

I am super-duper excited to share with you what our house looks like for Christmas!  As I'm sure you gathered in the fall, my husband and I love Halloween.  I really do love decorating for Halloween, but I also love decorating for Christmas.  The two are so very different, I think that is why I love them both!

Anyway, I've added a few new decorations this year.  Partially because I knew I was going to be sharing photos of our house, and partially because I have been really on top of Christmas this year! (sorry for bragging, this is new for me!)  I was inspired by a friend who said they had almost all of their Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving...  I decided that this year would be different than the last two years.  I would not spend 5 hours sitting on the floor Christmas Eve wrapping every gift just to unwrap it the next morning.  I would not miss out on the special Christmas events around town because I was too busy shopping (or working).  I would not miss out on watching The Grinch as many times as I could squeeze in.  I would not get wrapped up in the busyness to miss enjoying this magical time of year.

Because I have been doing things little by little, it actually left me with some windows of time as the holidays got closer.  The last two years I wanted to add to our holiday decorating, but it just didn't happen.  To be honest, I'm pretty sure my husband and I put up half of our lights in the snow and freezing cold last year, just a couple of weeks before Christmas.  So this year my lack of procrastination paid off - I was able to add a few new things to our Christmas decor!  The garland and accessories on the bookcases are new this year.

Anyway - here it is!  I hope you enjoy :)

How cool is this wreath?  My co-worker made it for a charity auction and I loved it!  (notice the Grinch??)  it is made almost entirely of pipe cleaners

 

Don't mind our dog begging for the pizza my husband was making...

How to make these light up glass blocks here

 

You can purchase this Grinch sign from my Etsy shop

 

 

These wreaths were a set of three tied together, but I cut them apart and added bows to make them work in our kitchen

Click here to see how to make this easy card holder

Merry Christmas!!

diy: light up glass blocks

In preparation of my Christmas home tour, I wanted to do a little DIY post. 

I made these a few years ago.  Well, "made" really isn't the correct word.  I assembled these a few years ago.  I was at my sister-in-law's house and saw these two little guys underneath their Christmas tree.  I told her how cute they were and she explained they have received them as a gift.  I flipped them over and turned them sideways to memorize the details, and a few days later I bought the supplies to make my own set!

What you'll need:

• (2) glass blocks from the craft store, small and medium
• (2) kinds of ribbon, one wide and one skinny
• (2) strands of white mini lights
• extra adornments, as desired

Step 1:  Take the rubber cap out of the bottom of the glass block.  Push the strand of lights into the block, making sure you leave the plug and a little bit of cord outside of the blocks so you can plug it in.  Replace cap.
Step 2:  Tie the ribbons (and adornments, if you want) around the glass blocks.
Step 3:  Plug in.  

This may be my easiest tutorial ever!  These are so easy to make  assemble, I think everyone should have a set!  Make them for that friend or family member who is impossible to shop for, or just because you think they might like them.  They work great under a tree, on a mantle, on a bookshelf, or in a little corner that needs some extra light.

If you have any questions about this DIY post, let me know in the comments section!

(not my) christmas home tour

How are you?  I've been a little late on writing a new post haven't I?  ... Sorry about that.

I've been wanting to show you photos of my Christmas decorations.  This is the hold up: we have cats.

Now, perhaps many of you have mastered the art of cats-not-messing-up-pretty-things, but I have not.  We rescued two kittens (brother and sister) from an abandoned building near our chicken coop this past June.  We I didn't have intentions of keeping them, but after a few weeks, they were ours.  They are cute and funny and sometimes even adorable.  However, I did not fully understand the impact they would have on my home decor.  They knock things over, steal things and then hide them under the couch, and jump everywhere!  I have lived with dogs my entire life, so they were never on the kitchen table or counters...

So anyway, we put up our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving (I waited, as promised).  My husband gently informed me (via youtube videos) that cats can ruin Christmas.  I was horrified!  How did I not realize that so many of my friends and neighbors were being terrorized by their Grinch-y cats?!  So many Christmas trees knocked over!  So many dancing Santa's falling off bookshelves to their demise!  So many ornaments crushed to smithereens!

After being slightly traumatized, I compromised and we only put up the purely decorative ornaments and ones that were not easily broken.  Each day, to my disappointment, my husband would call with the Christmas casualty report.  Over the course of the week, the cats bent about 10 branches, broke 2 ornaments, and relocated about 20 more.  The tree skirt stayed in place for maybe 2 hours.  We didn't even try to put the train tracks and cars around the tree *sigh*  I was truly beginning to get depressed.  (Dramatic, right?)  I love all of the decorating that comes with Christmas!  I love watching The Grinch while hanging ornaments on the tree. And those darn cats were ruining it!

This past Sunday, I decided I would not let the cats ruin Christmas for me!  We finished the tree and I set gifts under it (really just to anchor the tree skirt more than anything).  Is it currently late Monday evening, and today only one ornament was knocked off the tree and the presents were a little rearranged.  Perhaps the newness is wearing off?  I don't know, I'm (clearly) not a cat whisperer.

So, long story long, I do not have any photos of my Christmas decor yet :)  But they will be coming soon!

In the mean time, check out some of these beautiful home tours:

 

I love seeing how other people decorate their homes for Christmas.  Even in just the few images I have here, you see a white/blue scheme, a "woodsy glam" scheme, a coastal theme, traditional decor and some with bright pops of color!

I dream of the day that I have extra nooks and spaces to put more Christmas decor.  Because of our space limitations, we have to keep things pretty scaled back when it comes to surplus holiday items.

Check back soon for my Christmas home tour!

thanksliving

I promise you this post will consist of decor for Thanksgiving.

I also promise that I will put heartfelt, reflective, and sincere thoughts in this post.

I hope you enjoy, particularly the latter.

Do you have your Christmas decor up yet?  A tree, maybe?  Or perhaps you have capitalized on the last bit of Fall weather and put your Christmas lights on your roof?  I don't blame you, or shame you.  The planner in me has tried to convince myself that it would be okay to start decorating a little early.  "The holidays are already so busy"  "It doesn't hurt to get started now"  "Christmas will be here before you know it".  I have tried very hard to hush this voice.  This is the voice that will talk so loudly it will drown out my grateful heart.

So I told you that I love Halloween.  And this is true, I really do.  But Thanksgiving is also one of my favorite holidays.  Do you know why?  It is not because of the turkey, or any other food I eat too much of.  It is because no matter how old you are, what religion you believe in (or don't believe in), what political party you support, or what color your skin is... we all have something we can be thankful for. 

I'm going to get a bit religious for a minute, if that offends you, skip on ahead :)

One of the most powerful quotes I have ever heard was:

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday"

There are a whole lot of days I would wake up with a bunch of nothing.  And you know what, it is because I do not always take the time to STOP and think about what I am truly thankful for.

Some women at my office started a weekly bible study a few years ago.  I make an effort to attend each week, but my schedule does not always permit.  This week I was able to attend and I am so happy because we talked about Thanksgiving - thanksliving.  The idea that we should live our lives, each day, with a grateful and thankful heart.  Thanksgiving comes around once a year, but we enjoy blessings each and every day.  This is why I love this holiday, because it is a nice reminder of the way we should live our lives year round.

So please, even if for just a fleeting moment, stop all the noise and think about the things you are grateful for.  Enjoy your time with family and friends, no matter how stressful it may be.  Take pleasure in sharing a meal together, even if you hate the way so-and-so makes (insert traditional side dish here).  Laugh.  Play games.  Look at old photos.  Put down your cell phone.  Be thankful.


Alright, I promised you photos... 

I don't put out nearly as much decor for Thanksgiving as I do for Christmas and Halloween.  It is a kind of a nice break between the two, lightens everything up a little bit before the house is full of Christmas-time-galore.

The main theme with my Thanksgiving decor is fall-type things (pumpkins, owls, etc.) and texture.  I feel like Christmas is consumed with glitter and twinkling lights and shiny things.  I really wanted to bring in some different textures before the glitter-takeover.

And of course, my fall wreath has to make an appearance!

  

New this year...

And my set of wood block pumpkins (available for purchase on my Etsy shop)

And finally, this cute little guy we found at the dollar store

What kinds of decor do you like to put out for Thanksgiving?  What are you thankful for?  Sound off in the comments below!