HaVE a SpOoKTacULar HaLLoWeEn

Tonight Is The Night

Tonight is the night
When dead leaves fly
Like witches on switches
Across the sky,
When elf and sprtite
Flit through the night
On a moony sheen.

Tonight is the night
When leaves makes a sound
Like a gnome in his home
Under the ground,
When spooks and trolls
Creep out of holes
Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night
When pumpkins stare
Through sheaves and leaves
Everywhere,
When ghouls and ghost
And goblin host
Dance round their queen
Tonight is the night
Its Halloween!

By Harry Behn

Jon and Kate Plus 8 Needs Your Opinion

For Halloween Kent and I are going to be Jon and Kate! I have the wig, big sun glasses, and I'm making a little pin for my shirt with a picture of all the kiddos. We'll be at our restaurant Halloween night and don’t think I will be able to work with 8 kiddos strapped to me so I opted for the pin.

I wanted to ask your opinion about something…….I thought it would be fun to make a shirt that says I’m with stupid. What do you think? I thought it would be funny since she’s so mean to him on the show and maybe something that other people (it’s going to be a popular costume this year) wouldn’t think of. When I called Kent to tell him (I thought I was so clever) he didn’t really think it was such a great idea. What do you think? Should I do the shirt or dress in usual Kate fashion? My other option is a pair of dark denim jeans, black flats, big hoop earring, black sweater vest with frilly white button up shirt under it.

I have to straighten my hair to get this thing on......oh the woes of having curly hair ;0)

Kent is going to wear a Christian Audigier shirt, jeans, stick-on earrings :P, and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. I’m trying to get him to lose the glasses for the night but he’s not letting up. He’ll just have to be Jon with glasses. Any ideas of something we can add that to make his costume stand out? We will be working so it can’t be anything too restricting.

To make the shirt or not? That is the question.

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 2

Week 2: Getting in the Groove
(If you didn't have time to join us last week you can join in this week)

My Answers: 1. How did your week go? My week went pretty well. I ate within my point allowance and did a good job of writing what I ate in my food journal. Who would have thought something as simple as writing down what you eat would make such a difference. It really keeps you accountable and reminds you what you’ve eaten throughout the day.



2. Were you faced with any challenges? If so what were they? Well, I didn’t do so hot in regards to my workouts. I set a goal to work out 4-5 times a week and only made it to the gym once, shame on me. Also aunt Flow decided to come for a visit the day before my WW meeting. I usually go up a pound or 2 when it’s that time of the month so I really didn’t want to go to my meeting because I knew it wouldn’t show my loss. The good thing is that I faced the facts and went anyway and I’m glad I did even if the scale said that I went up .4 (which is much better than my usual 2lbs when aunt Flow is here).


3. How do you plan to work on conquering these challenges in the upcoming weeks? If you were a rock star and went through the week without any concerns you can talk about that here as well. I’m working on my workout rut. I went to the gym bright and early Monday morning and made friends with the elliptical, we hung out for about 40 min with a 5 min cool down! Kent downloaded some old episodes of The Office for me to watch on my little player. I love The Office and it will give me something to look forward to during my workouts. I hope the other gym patrons didn't think I was too crazy when I let out a little chuckle now and then.


4. What were a few things you did this week to get you moving in the right direction? If you took a picture/pictures of you doing any of these activities you can include them here.

Where was I going on this lazy rainy day...........

to the gym, to get my booty in gear and here is proof! I tried to take a pic of myself after the workout but it sure wasn’t pretty so I thought I would save you from being blinded by a big hot sweaty mess ;o)

A few other things I did:

1. Did ya know that we own a pizza restaurant? Well we do and let me tell ya it's hard to stay on track when your around pizza a lot. I made sure I wasn't hungry when I went into the restaurant and stayed away from the pizza. I sure did miss it though so Kent and I went up one night and had a few slices (my cheat meal of course) and that was it for the week.

2. I cut my Starbucks trips wayyy down. I drank hot tea and coffee at home :0)

3. I included lots of veggies with my meals to keep me nice and full.


Next week.......... I'm going to ask you to include your favorite healthy recipe. It could be a meal or a snack. If you happen to cook it this week take a picture so you can include it in your post next week. Also I will want to know your favorite healthy items that you keep stocked in your home. It can be a product or your favorite fruit or veggie. If you have them on hand snap a picture of it as well so you can include it in next weeks post.

Ok, it's your turn. Be sure that you've read the rules before you link up with Mr. Linky.

Rules

1. We are forming a kind and friendly support system so take some time to visit our group members and pass on some words of encouragement.

2. Be honest in your answers to this week’s questions as well as upcoming weeks. You owe it to yourself!

3. If there is a weekly question you do not feel comfortable answering…..no problem, just skip it.

4. If you have something weighing on your heart that does not correlate to the weekly questions but is something relating to your weight loss goal include it in your weekly post. We’re doing this to support each other so blog about whatever your little heart needs to, to get you moving in the right direction.

5. You do not need to have a blog to participate in the Weight Loss Challenge. You can answer each weeks question in a comment under each weekly post. It would be helpful if you have an e-mail address that is accessible in your profile so we can support you along the way.

6. Visit each Monday for new questions and Mr Linky so you can link up your Weight Loss Challenge post.

7. In your Weight Loss Challenge post please link back to Domestic Princess in Training.

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 2

Hey my fellow Weight Loss Challenge buddies! I wanted to pop in and quickly post this week’s questions. I just got home and it’s 12:30am. I’m super tired and need to get to bed. My day ended up being A LOT longer than planned. I apologize for getting this up so late.


For now I’m just going to post the questions so you can start thinking about your answers. I’ll be back tomorrow morning; well it’s actually already tomorrow….wow that’s a little confusing. Ok, I’ll be back in a few hours with my answers and Mr. Linky so you can link up.

Week 2: Getting in the Groove

1. How did your week go?
2. Were you faced with any challenges? If so what were they?
3. How do you plan to work on conquering these challenges in the upcoming weeks? If you were a rock star and went through the week without any concerns you can talk about that here as well.
4.What were a few things you did this week to get you moving in the right direction? If you took a picture/pictures of you doing any of these activities you can include them here.

Christmas and Halloween All in 1 Trip

Do you LOVE Christmas ornaments like I do? I stopped by Garden Ridge the other day to pick up a few Halloween decorations for our restaurant and got completely side tracked by the aisles and aisles of Christmas ornaments. Really, they have a row for every color of the rainbow!

Ahh lime green! I’ve been using lime green in my Christmas décor for years. I guess I was on the early heels of a trend because what use to be hard to find is now all over the place. They even have a lime green aisle! I guess I don’t have to stock pile lime green ornaments when I come across them anymore.

Can you guess which one of these cuties I brought home with me?

I picked up a couple of the lime green and red polkadotted Christmas trees (bottom right corner). They’re a little fun and funky!

I really, really, really wanted this rug for my kitchen. It was $20.00 and being the cheapo that I am I talked myself out of it. I still love it! Maybe I’ll pick one up after Christmas when it’s on sale (if they still have some left).

Where else can you go looking for Halloween decorations and with leave Christmas ornaments! I did find some great Halloween decorations which were 50% off. I’ll take a few pictures once I put them out in the restaurant.

We’re hosting a horror movie marathon at the restaurantrestaurant next week….a different horror classic every night starting Monday. We just printed some spooky Halloween cocktail menus and are having a costume contest Halloween night…..fun, fun, fun! I’m sure I’ll have some crazy pictures to share after Halloween. Kent and I have decided what were going to be. I’ll post some pictures of that next week too.

Frugal Fashions

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve shared my thrifty finds! Oh no, I haven’t quit the habit yet (not sure it’s an addiction I want to quit). I’m still hitting up Goodwill and Thrift Stores whenever I can. I even had a dream the other night that I was shopping at Goodwill. It was just like my normal trips to Goodwill; I met some nice AND strange people, I dug through piles of what others may see as junk, I parked my shopping cart as close to the bathroom as I could and did my business super fast in fear that someone would steal one of my lovely treasures out of my cart while I was in the bathroom. The sad thing is that someone actually did steal something out of my cart this time! Good thing it was only a dream ;o) I see people eyeing my cart when I’m shopping at Goodwill (in real life) but have never had any one take anything out while I was not looking. Have you?

Anyway let me get back on track. I hit the goldmine the other day at a local thrift store and want to share what I brought home.

Brown boots, $4.00
My 1st pair of thrift store shoes!! I never thought I could do it but
I caved in when I saw these. Don’t worry their all sanitized and ready to go.

Remember when I said above that I hit the goldmine? Well I really did! It just so happened that they were having a big sale on their clothing the day I walked in.
Everything I purchased below was 50% off!!!

Gap Stretch Sweater, $2.00
Not super cute on the hanger but I have a vision for this one.
I’m seeing big gold hoop earrings, a flowy bright pink scarf, dark denim jeans and brown boots!

I tried to get a few pictures of me wearing my finds but it’ not easy. I just don’t think seeing them on the hanger does them justice. Oh well I'll work on it.

A bag FULL of clothing for $12.00! Don’t think good ole Marshalls or Ross (two of other favs) could even beat that price! It may be a pain to dig through racks of mished-mashed clothing but sometimes you get lucky and find some great items!


I'm linking up with:
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for: The Frugal Fashionista Show

Few shirts I pick up for Kent, total price for all 3: $4.50He loves when I bring back goodies for him. Not sure which he likes
better, the goodies or the crazy low prices we pay for them.


Banana Republic Sweater, $1.50
I added the pick flower to give it a little color.
It’s on a pin so I can take it off if I like. The flower is also a thrift store find.

Weight Loss Challenge: Week 1 and a Little Crafty Preview

Let’s get our week off to a healthy start !

I’m so excited that some of you decided to join our first weight loss challenge! If this one goes well I would like to do others in the future! We all need support when trying to achieve our goals and I thought this would be a WONDERFUL way to keep ourselves in check and create a support system for one another.

Week 1: Laying the Foundation

1. What is the goal are you trying to reach by November 12th? Remember it doesn’t have to be a number you are trying to lose. It can be something that will move you in the right direction (example: I’m going to make exercise part of my daily routine. I will include healthier meals and snacks into my weekly menu.) When setting your goal use words like I am......and, I will......, avoid words like I want to......or I hope to......When setting your goal make sure you set yourself up for success. Do not set a goal that is something you cannot realistically reach by Nov. 12th.

2. What are you going to do to support yourself in reaching your goal? Be specific when laying these out and do not rely on the assistance of someone else (example of what not to do: I plan to walk three times a week with my best friend Sally.) What happens if Sally decides not to walk for a few weeks and you’ve made her part of your plan? Most likely you will not walk either and in your mind blame Sally as the reason that you did not walk (I hope I’m making sense here).

3. This one is optional but if you like include a picture/pictures of the things that you are going to use to get you moving in the right direction. Take a picture of a sidewalk if you are going to walk in your neighborhood, take a picture of your grocery list if you’ve included healthier options, take a picture of an outfit you are trying to get back into…..be creative and have fun with it!

*Rules*

*We are forming a kind and friendly support system so take some time to visit our group members and pass on some words of encouragement.

*Be honest in your answers to this week’s questions as well as upcoming weeks. You owe it to yourself!

*If there is a weekly question you do not feel comfortable answering…..no problem, just skip it.

*If you have something weighing on your heart that does not correlate to the weekly questions but is something relating to your weight loss goal include it in your weekly post. We’re doing this to support each other so blog about whatever your little heart needs to, to get you moving in the right direction.

*You do not need to have a blog to participate in the Weight Loss Challenge. You can answer each weeks question in a comment under each weekly post. It would be helpful if you have an e-mail address that is accessible in your profile so we can support you along the way.

*Visit each Monday for new questions and Mr Linky so you can link up your Weight Loss Challenge post.

*In your Weight Loss Challenge post please link back to Domestic Princess in Training.

My Answers:

1. By November 12th I will lose the 8.4 pounds I’ve put on in the last 2 months.

2. *I will work-out 4-5 times a week. If I do not go to the gym I will work-out at home…..no excuses! Once I have my endurance back I will kick it up to 5-6 times a week.
*I will not miss a Weight Watchers meeting. If I cannot attend my normal weekly meeting I will find a replacement meeting.
*I will stay on program! I will keep track of my points in my food journal, I will plan a healthy menu, I’m going to make wise choices that support me in my goal. I’m worth it!!!
* I will allow myself one cheat meal a week and that’s it! My cheat meal will not be over board and will be chosen with my goal in mind. It will be 1 meal and not a cheat day or week. Once I’ve eaten my cheat meal I will get back on track. The day I choose to eat my eat meal must be a day that I’ve worked-out.
*I’m going to e-mail my goal as well as the steps I’m taking to reach my goal to Kent (my fiancee) so he knows how he can support me in my journey.

3.

Here is the preview I talked about in the title of this post. The support items I've shown below are resting on something I'm working on. Hopefully I'll have it finished this week!

Item Description

1. I rented these from NetFlix. If I want to switch up my work-out I have these babies ready to go. Yes, that's a Dirty Dancing work-out DVD you see. They teach you some of the Dirty Dancing dances....I can't wait!!! I'm going to do that one today :o)

2. I picked these up at my WW meeting last week. I love anything mint flavored and thought a WW mint white chocolate smoothie would be a good option for my super crazy sweet tooth.

3. A little points calculator I can keep in my purse so I don't have to carry around the big cardboard slider. This will come in handy while I'm at the grocery store.

4. My food journal. I already have breakfast logged and will soon be writing down what I'm going to eat for lunch.

Next week......... I will ask you to post a picture/pictures of you doing something working towards your goal. It can be a healthy meal you've cooked, a picture of you working out, picture of some healthy food items you've picked up at the grocery store. You don't have to be in the picture but it should include something your are doing or have accomplished! Keep that in mind so you will be ready to go next week. Again this is optional but is something fun and a way to keep you accountable :0)

Ok, it's your turn. Set those goals, come back here and link up. Be sure that you've read the rules before you link up with Mr. Linky.

We have a WINNER

A BIG thanks to Krista for sponsoring our 1st giveaway and a BIG congrats to Bekah who is the winner!!!

Bekah: I've sent you an e-mail to tell you the good news. Please get your address to me a.s.a.p. so we can get your prize to you :0)

Reminder: I'll be blogging tomorrow about our first Weight Loss Challenge. If you have signed up be sure that you check back tomorrow for 1st weeks questions and the Mr. Linky party. If anyone has the know how and would like to create a button for our challenge it would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail me if your interested.

Fancy Soap Dispenser

A few years ago my Mom bought me a super cute olive oil bottle (like the one below) with a hand painted pear on it. I filled it with soap and used it in my kitchen. I don’t know why but I just loved that little soap dispenser!

Well I moved to China for a bit had a HUGE garage sale to get rid of all my stuff and the olive oil bottle was one of the items I sold in my pre-move garage sale :o( When I moved back to the states I looked all over for the company my Mom purchased my little oil bottle from and was sad to find out that they went out of business. So here I am 4 years later still missing that olive oil bottle turned into a make shift soap dispenser. What does a crafty gal do when she wants something in particular and can’t find it……..she makes one on her own!

Let the How-2 Begin

I purchased this olive oil bottle at Walmart for around $4.00. It’s been sitting in my craft room for some time so I’m not 100% sure how much I paid for it.I originally planned to hand paint a cute little pear on the bottle to match the one my Mom bought. Then I remembered, I can’t paint or draw worth a flip and needed to think of a plan B. That’s why this little guy sat in my craft room for months.

I was at good old Walmart this week and saw some French inspired Rub Ons in the craft section. Of course a big crafty light bulb appeared above my head; you know an ahhh haaaa moment!

Tip: If you decide to tackle this project be sure you find the smoothest side of the bottle. The bottle I purchased had a few small air bubbles on the sides which will interfere with the Rub On.

Center your Rub On and go to town. You will need to apply pressure and complete several strokes to make sure the Rub On sticks to the surface. You should see me over here trying to think of descriptive words to explain this step without sounding dirty ;o)

In just a few minutes you have a new handy dandy olive oil bottle or soap dispenser (however you choose to use it).

Tip: After you have pulled away the Rub On plastic use your finger to rub over the decal a few times to make sure it's stuck to the bottle.

Now I don’t have to hide our big ugly soap bottle when company comes over. Not sure how long the Rub On will last before it starts to wear off but that’s ok, the kit came with several of the same pattern so I can just redo it if I need to.

Tip: You will need to water down the dish soap so it's able to flow from the spout.

I'm linking up wiht:

Transformation Thursday
TDC

Weight Loss Challenge 2009

Warning: This post does not include crafts or home decor fun. Continue reading at your own dissection ;o)

As some of you know I follow the Weight Watchers (WW) program and have been for what seems like FOREVER! I LOVE WW and it really does work.....if you work the program. A few months ago I rejoined WW after loosing 10 pounds through Jenny Craig (which I also like but just got tired of all the frozen meals and not to mention it's super expensive). I was soooo happy to be back with WW. I love the meetings and the flexibility of the program. Since I've been back I've lost another 10 pounds bringing my total to a 20 pound loss! I'm the smallest I've been in years and "was" VERY close to reaching a huge goal! I "was" about to see a number I have not seen in at least 3 years.


Well my birthday hit and ever since then I've been on a downward spiral. I have not been to a meeting since my birthday and have eaten tons of junk. I'm going to be honest and put this out there; since my birthday (Aug 29th) I have pack on 8.4 pounds and no I'm not pregnant that's all FAT! I can't believe it and am soooo disgusted with myself. The holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means; I can hear the holiday weight knocking at my door.


Why do I always do this to myself? It seems like every time I'm close to reaching a goal (whatever it may be) I sabotage myself some how. Do you ever do this or am I the only one that for some reason never allows myself to achieve a long term goal?


I've had this on my mind for sometime and decided I can either sit here and pity myself for packing on a few pounds or get out and do something about it before 7 pounds turns into 20 pounds. Not that I only have 7 total pounds to loose (more like 40) but I'm working on small goals to reach my BIG goal.

Here's What I'm Going to do to Fix the Problem

1. I found a WW meeting that better fits my schedule and has a variety of meetings available. If for some reason I'm not able to make my usual meeting I can find a replacement. I promise to attend a meeting each and every week; no excuses!


2. I've reactivated my gym membership and set a goal to start working out 4-5 times a week. I plan to increase this amount once I get my endurance back :o)


3. I'm going to keep up with my food journal and make sure that I'm logging my points used for each day.


4. I hope to lose the 8.4 pounds I put on by November 12th. I will post a blog Nov 12th to let you guys know the results.

*Here's Where YOU Come In*
How about you,? Do you have a weight loss goal that you are trying to reach? Would like a support system or a way to hold yourself accountable? If so let me know in your comment. If we have enough people interested I would LOVE to do a Mr. Linky party where we can link up each week to check in on one another. Think of a weight loss goal that you would like to achieve by Nov 12th. If we have enough people interested I will post Mr. Linky Monday, October 20th with a few weight loss challenge question for you to blog about on your site. If you do not have a blog and want to participate you still can....you can leave your answer to my questions in your comment under the weekly Mr Linky post.

Your Homework if You Decide to Participate:

1. Think of a weight loss goal you would like to reach by November 12th. Be sure that it's something you truly think you can attain. Do not set yourself up for failure. It doesn't have to be weight related. It could be something like......I want to get back into my skinny jeans or I want to start routinely working out. It does need to be something that will help motive you in the right weight loss direction.


2. Check back here Monday October 20th for the Mr. Linky party. Make sure that you leave a comment under this post so I know your interested. If we do not have enough people on board I'm not going to do it.


3. Tell your bloggy friends and real life friends about the challenge so they can join in as well. The more the merrier! Be sure you they come by and sigh up under this post. You may even want to post about it on your blog so the word spreads.

At the end of our challenge I'll do a giveaway that's exclusively for us weight loss gals/guys!

Anyone can join in. It doesn't matter if you have a lot to loose or a little, we can all use a little support from time to time.

Just be sure that you let me know you're interested in your comment at the end of this post.

PS..Anyone want to volunteer their time to make button for our challenge. I have no idea how to do one. If you do shoot me any e-mail :o)

Halloween Craft

I was having crafting withdrawals the other day. I had an hour of down time and wanted to do something quick and easy. Well, it was quick and easy but being the Domestic Princess “in Training” I made it harder than it was.

I used Avery T-Shirt Transfers, a flour sack (purchased at Tuesday Morning),

ribbon, and a clip art image I found online.......

and turned it into a festive Halloween dish towel!

I think she looks nice next to me Jessie Steele apron.

If you don't know who Jessie Steele is you have to check out her site. She designs the cuties aprons!

Here are the problems I encountered while doing this super easy (project that I made harder than it should be).

1. If you decide to tackle this be sure that you iron your fabric extremely well. Even if you think you've gotten all the wrinkles out, look again. If it's not ironed properly the wrinkles will cause wrinkles in the transfer.

2. The first one I did (yes you are seeing attempt 3 above, I know I'm sad.) was sooo cute! I Typed the words Witch way to the candy? in a fun bright orange font under the witch. Well when I did the transfer the words came out backwards......duh! I spent a good 30min trying to figure out how to invert the wording so it would come out the right way. Like I said above, I only had an hour for a fast and simple project and I was approaching my stopping point. After doing some research and trying to figure it out I gave up and did one without the wording. That's why you are seeing the towel above without the fun phrase. If anyone knows how to invert wording or pictures on Word and would like to spread the knowledge I would love to learn!

Even though she's missing a little color I think she came out nicely. Another cheap, and versatile project. Once I master the wording trick I'm going to do a few more.

If you haven't signed up for the BeJewled giveaway be you do. We have 2 and 1/2 days left!

I'm linking up with:
Reinvented for DIY day
Transformation Thursday

Who Wants to Win Something?????

Krista at BeJewled Designs is sponsoring our first giveaway!!!

Krista's site if full of great items, she really has something for everyone. Her items would make wonderful for Christmas gifts or if you Christmas shop like I do (2 gifts for myself, one for my Mom, another gift for me and one for my friend.....you get the point) I'm sure you will find something that tickles your fancy too!

Here's what Krista has to say about BeJuled Designs:
Krista:The recent economic downturn changed my life from business suits and conference calls to blue jeans and tea parties. What an unexpected blessing! I have taken my love for scrapbooking and creating and turned it into personalized necklaces for all ages. BeJuled Designs are great for little girls, tweens, Mommy’s, Grandmas, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, first time Mom, second baby, teacher gifts, holidays or JUST FOR FUN!

Kendra:Below are just a few of my favorites.

She even has the pet lovers covered. I don't know whose dog this is but he/she is super cute!





One lucky winner will soon be the new owner of this cute Halloween themed necklace. On the count of three lets hear a BIG ohhhh-ahhhh, 1.......2.......3....... OHHHH-AHHHHH. I know, super cute right? Would you like to win this? Well keep reading the regulations are below.
This is the front and back view of the necklace. It's like getting 2 for1!




We are providing 4 opportunities per person to enter this giveaway.

1. Look at Krista's site and let me know what item is your favorite. If you're favorite is an item that can be personalize let me know how you would personalize it.

2. Become a follower of Domestic Princess in Training and leave an additional comment letting me know that you are a new follower.

3. Become a follower of BeJuled Designs and leave a comment here letting me know that you are now following Krista's site.

4. Post about this giveaway on your blog, come back to Domestic Princess in Training and leave a comment under this post letting me know that you blogged about it.

**Be sure that you leave your comments under this post so they are all together and I don't have to hunt down all the entries.**

The giveaway will end Friday October 16th at 12:00pm. I will announce a winner Saturday October 17th.




Good Luck!!

You Never Know what you’ll Find at Goodwill

I walked into Goodwill last week and was immediately greeted by these lovely wedding dresses. Their not your run of the mill Goodwill 80's style dresses. Yes they need to be dry cleaned and are full of wrinkles but they are beautiful. I automatically started thinking....who do I know that needs a wedding dress? I already have my dress but thought humm maybe I could purchase one of these for my trash the dress photo shoot! Boo.....they didn't have my size so I decided to take pictures to share with you guys.

Goodwill is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.......and that's why I love it!

This was my favorite out of the bunch, simple and elegant.

Here's a shot of the back, just needs to be dry cleaned and it's good as new!


I loved this one too.

It has just the right amount of glitz!

I loved the bead work on this gal. It has a really long beaded train train but I didn't get a picture of it.

Wouldn't this be a beautiful bridesmaid dress for a summer wedding?

This picture does not do this bridesmaid dress justice. It was so beautiful. I automatically thought beach wedding when I saw this and what do ya know......we're having a beach wedding! We decided no to have a wedding party though so I'll leave this little beauty for someone else.

Here's the best part, all these dresses were between $30.00 to $80.00 and they still have the tags on them. They had a ton of dresses, wedding dresses, flower girl dresses, mother of the bride dresses, and bridesmaid dresses but people were starting to stare at me so I only took pictures of a few. I'm wondering if a wedding salon closed and donated their dresses to Goodwill; not sure but either way they are going to make a few brides very happy :0)

Pumpkin Flavored Coffee For LESS

As some of you know I’m a Starbucks fanatic and LOVE their pumpkins spice latte but I’m trying to cut back on my expensive Starbucks trips. They always get me; I go in for a latte and leave with a delicious treat to accompany my Fat Free, no whip, pumpkin spice goodness (of course I opt for a treat that is not Weight Watchers friendly…shame shame is my name ;D).


I sat down and created a Starbucks budget. Each month I’m going to put my Starbucks allowance on a gift card. Once I spend my allowance for that month, that’s it…..at least until the next month rolls around. Since my Starbucks trips are limited and I’m going to miss that daily pumpkin goodness (ok not daily but I am there a lot) I’ve been on the hunt for a few substitutes.

Here’s what I found........

7 Eleven has a pumpkin spice latte (sorry I forgot to snap a pic of it). I purchased a 160z pumpkin spice latte for $1.39. It was good but I wish it had a stronger coffee flavor. I would drink it again but only if I feel like being bad; It has to be packed it calories. 7 Eleven does have a pretty cool drink bar though; lots of flavors and fixens to personalize your drink.

Exxon on the Run has pumpkin spiced coffee!! I purchased a 12oz pumpkin spice coffee for $1.29 and was very pleased. It was delicious and cheap and even better I could add what I wanted so I was able to keep the calorie count down. I will drink this pumpkin goodness again :o)

I know there must be other cheap but good Fall flavored coffee out there. Do you have a favorite place to stop and grab a cup of joe (besides Starbucks)?

Fall Wreath

I wasn’t going to do one but just couldn’t help myself.

I saw a Fall wreath over at Binevenue and fell in love with it!

I took all the fixens off my Summer grapevine wreath a made a quick trip to Joann’s and Wally World.

Susie's Fall wreath has a cousin in Texas!

Shhh.......don’t tell the Landscaping Police (whoever they may be)

that I still have my summer plants out.

Are you wondering what the little black and white frame in the window is? It’s my "No Soliciting" sign. To see how it came to be click here.

I'm linking you with Reinvented for DIY Day

I'm linking up with The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday!

HaLLoWEeN Extravaganza Post 5:Ghoulish Food for a Halloween Party

If your interested in whipping up any of these delicious items click the title below and the magic computer man will take you to the full recipe :o)

Yum-O, I’m a fanatic for anything pumpkin flavored!

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Pumpkin-Seed Brittle

Pumpkin Spice Graveyard Cake

Oozing Bre

Ghoulish Halloween Tombstone Sandwiches (I made these last year for our Halloween party and they were delish!)

Our Halloween Extravaganza has come to an end……whew that was a lot of post! I hope you saw some things that made you want to create, craft, and cook! Enjoy Halloween while you can before you know it, it will be time to decorate for Christmas ;o)