fall is here, people.

photo credit / michael curtis

life lately has been crazy. the fall is always crazy for philip's schedule, but adding another baby to mix has made it feel a little crazier. still good, but a little nutso. my patience starts to run thin with judah especially at the end of the day as we have never been able to get him to sleep well. my to do list often feels like i can't possibly get through it all and i generally don't. i am spending way more time on laundry than i ever have and coffee is one of my most faithful bffs.

i'm so not ready to part with summer. having a baby in the middle of the summer sort of changed how the summer felt. we also weren't here for the first time in seven years. i was looking forward to the break, but it's also like our little adventure we go on every summer and i hope we'll get to continue.

i've been sampling fall beers. i'm not much of a beer person, but so far i like this one.

jude took a liking to baking this summer. mainly he likes the results, but this has been my favorite recipe we have made this fall. we first tried the full fat version because it got such good reviews, but will try the healthier one soon.

i'm really liking this swaddle that i borrowed from a friend. it make sense to have room for the babies' arms to come up since both of my children used to fight the traditional swaddle.

i'm so glad to finally have some energy back to put into my little shop. during the pregnancy i thought one delightful button might be toast because of my lack of desire and energy, but its still kicking. enjoying making this new fun item lately..

we will eventually switch to cloth diapers, but right now i am loving these diapers. i love what they are made of and i can't handle the cute patterns. the price actually does seem reasonable too and the customer service is excellent.

also, did you read this? i still love starbucks, but am hoping they will start to have organic milk and clean up their ingredients. i'm hooked on this lady's blog.

that's all for now folks. happy monday!

felt like fall

this is a punny post, peeps.

i have felt like embracing fall lately. so i made a trip to michaels for some felt sheets.

i traced small circles on the felt and cut them out - then stacked them in a pattern so colors didn't repeat too quickly. then i stitched them together with my handy dandy sewing machine. i left a little gap between each circle.

and voila!

ignore the painting above the fall bunting. temporary housing, what can you do?

 i made have to make this little gem for every season - it was fun & cheap & easy!

Autumn & Soups

Is it me or is pumpkin all the rage in the fall? Don't you love things that make you feel like its fall? Or any of the changing of the seasons really. I love the newness of it. Pulling out my winter/fall clothes that I haven't worn in months.

It's a good thing by now I have forgotten February. I just hate the cold by the time February gets here and don't get me started on March. But for now I will enjoy the fall and pretend like those terrible cold winter months are not coming.

For me soups are sacred in the fall. That sounds strange. It just doesn't feel right making soups in the summer. I do on occasion because I love that it is a whole meal in one bowl, but it isn't the same as making a soup in the fall. I have not done much cooking yet this fall because of baby Jude. Fortunately lots of friends have brought us meals, but here is one of my favorite chili recipes.

It's called Tarheel Chili...(credit)

What you'll need: 

• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 large onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 1/2 cups dark beer
• 2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, cook celery, onions and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in beef, tomato sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, beer, chili beans, kidney beans, cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne and Worcestershire. Simmer over low heat 3 hours, until flavors are well blended.

It is delicious. Honestly...the beer makes it so good. 


Let me know if you try it or if you have any fall recipes.