Tag: fall

Menu | Week of 10.14.2013 and Trader Joe’s

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I almost jumped back on another meal planning program. I was so uninspired this morning while making our menu and grocery list. Nothing sounded good and I was tired with the same old, same old. The rainy weather was also making me dread a grocery trip with little man in tow. Thankfully he did really well and it only rained while we were inside. Whew!

Monday | Herb Crusted Salmon Basa – I fully intended to get salmon for tonight’s recipe but when I got to the fish counter and asked for my usual (12 oz of salmon with the skin removed), the guy behind the counter seemed stumped. He wasn’t the usual “fish guy” so I changed my mind. I was worried my salmon would come back mutilated.

Tuesday | I know I’ve made this a lot but I really do love how easy it is to throw together and it always tastes good. Quick Sausage Bake

Wednesday | Fat Almond Pancake

Thursday | Slow Cooker Frittata I may actually make this earlier in the week so we can eat the leftovers for breakfasts

Friday | Cheese Tortellini in Pumpkin Gorgonzola Sauce with Roasted Sweet Potatoes – sounds totally rich but oh my word, I have to try it!

Saturday | Crockpot Chili and cornbread – we are visiting a local pumpkin patch and I thought a bowl of chili would be perfect for after our adventures. The weather looks like it’ll be a bit cooler too!

Sunday | Leftovers or a frozen meal

Did you hear? There is a Trader Joe’s in Austin now (with 2 more in the works)! It opened a few weeks back and William and I went to check it out. It was a quick trip because he was sleepy but we grabbed a few fun things and some flowers. I don’t think it’ll be a weekly trip for us, maybe once or twice a month. It’s a fun change and I love all their items made with pumpkin! Need to go back and get the pumpkin butter….definitely worth a trip!

In My Closet | Day or Night

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I love a good deal, I mean who doesn’t? And good deals on clothes are even better. The top and shorts only cost me $12 total! I am really excited to wear this outfit and maybe even add tights when the weather cools a bit. It’s a big maybe though…I may not be daring enough.

Top | Olivia Moon from Marshalls
Shorts | Mossimo from Target
Sandals | Bandolino from forever ago (These would also be cute!)
Earrings | World Market (These would be great!)

I think this outfit could be great for around town running errands, evening drinks on South Congress or brunch on Saturday morning. If I do wear this and am just doing errands, I’d probably wear different shoes. I love these sandals but all day wear is rough.

The shirt is kind of like a t-shirt in the front but more sheer in the back. Not just a boring tee. 

ReFashion | Maxi Dress to Maxi Skirt

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I bought this dress at Forever21 a couple years ago and wore it a few times then washed it. Well, thank you F21 for selling such good quality clothing…not. The shirred bodice started to unravel. I wore it again at Easter but rolled the bodice down and covered it with a wide belt. It worked but was hard to recreate.

Here’s a photo where you can see it a bit. 

I really love the colors and pattern of the skirt so getting rid of it was hard. I almost did it a few times.

Last week I was on a “make it work” kick (thank you Tim Gunn). I had a day of mending, sewing on buttons and finishing up a project from April so I could start on new projects. Turning this dress into a skirt was on my list and it was super easy. The days Project Runway is on also motivates me for some reason too…..

It actually wasn’t that flattering as a dress. The bodice was too small and the length was odd on me. It also didn’t stay up too well – my problem with a lot of strapless things.

I chose a point and went to town with a pair of scissors.

The narrow band of elastic at the base of the bodice, I used as the new waistband elastic. Score. I thought I was going to have to put in elastic for the waistband.

I then folded the remaining section of the bodice down over the elastic and stitched in place. It’s not the most finished or perfect waistband but I figured I’d be wearing a belt or cardigan over it anyway.

Finished! I put it on so you could see better how it looked.

It’s much longer now and will be great with sandals now or flats when it cools down a bit more. Yay! I love maxi skirts. They are my go to when I don’t want to shave and don’t want to wear pants. Haha!

Next up to ReFashion is a t-shirt from H&M that is too small in the shoulders.

Sweet Berry Farm | Marble Falls, TX | 10.05.2013

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Sweet Berry Farm is a great little place to take a day trip from Austin. I had not visited in quite a while and it was a lot bigger this time, like 5 times bigger. The last time I went was to pick strawberries. This time we picked flowers and had a hayride. William rode the tractor train by himself and pet as many goats as he could. There were a lot of other activities but most of them were for older kids like sand art and painting your own pumpkin. I highly recommend it for kids of all ages! Take a lot of cash though. It’s free to get in and park but all the activities are anywhere from $1 to $5 per person.

Oh my word, these faces! I am not sure if he is impressed or not.

Family hayride! The tractor scared William at first and then he sat on my lap and was ok.

There are two sides to the farm…on one side of the road are the crafts, food and pumpkins. The other side has the flowers, rides and goats. You walk through a tunnel under the road to get back and forth.

There was a minor battle wound (not surprised) too. William lost a battle with the gravel walkway. His lip and nose paid the price. You can see his fat upper lip a little bit in this picture.

I loved the flower fields….zinnias and sunflowers. It’s $3 for as many as you can fit in the little vase pouches they give you or if you want sunflowers, you can cut three. I opted for the zinnias and could have spent a long time there.

Such a dirty face but a happy (and sleepy) boy.

What a lovely day! The weather was perfect and we didn’t get rained out which I was a little worried about. Our next day trip will be to Barton Hill Farms in Bastrop. We’ll do the maze there and get some pumpkin photos. Can’t wait!

Menu | Week of 09.30.2013 and Pumpkins!

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Monday | I love making Mondays fish days. There is something about eating the fish the same day you buy it. If it sits in the fridge a day or two, I am so not interested in eating it still. I also like to keep Mondays easy after going to the grocery store and running errands – my usual Monday routine. Salmon with veggies.

Tuesday | Easy Roasted Lemon Chicken with tomatoes and potatoes – I’ll do a half recipe of this and use the thighs I have in the freezer.

Wednesday | This looks really delicious and I like having a vegetarian meal at least once a week. I hope the boys like it too! Pesto Gnocchi. I’ll make this easier and buy ready made gnocchi and pesto.

Thursday | Fat Almond Pancake and eggs

Friday | Turkey Meatballs with Polenta

Saturday | Sweet Berry Farms – Pick your own sunflowers and zinnias! Explore the maze, make a scarecrow, take a hay ride. Lunch will be eaten out, maybe at Bluebonnet Cafe so I’ll keep dinner easy. Maybe a frozen pizza or chicken salad.

Sunday | Crockpot Zucchini Lasagna – easy to throw together before or after church!

And because October 1 is tomorrow….a few fall photos from 2008.