These shoes were made possible by the good people at Oprah.

I only watch Oprah when Stephanie Nielson is on it. But when I heard about the Payless Shoes coupon she was giving away, I had to check it out. Stella was desperately in need of new every day shoes. Of course she picked out the sparkly pink princess ones. She is almost two, after all. They gray ones are for Mike, who always seems to wear his good shoes to do yardwork and therefore has no more good shoes. The other two were about $2.50 a pair. Can you believe it! I'm not even a shoe person, but I couldn't resist.

You have until the end of today (Friday) to use it! Get yours here.

Have a happy Halloween!

the lovliest kind of day

some highlights from our day:

Oliver didn't freak out when he got 3 shots this morning at the doctor. (He has been known to majorly freak out.) But today he was so brave.

Other than the doctor appointment, we didn't have a thing we needed to do, which meant naps, relaxation, and snuggling for everyone.

We ate pumpkin pie frozen yogurt.

Mike came home from work early (yay!), just in time to teach Oliver how to ride his bike at the park behind our house. It was a success.

It was sunny, breezy, and cool. I even wore long sleeves. It was so very nice.


I hope your day was lovely, too.

Oliver and I love trying new treats.

Especially when they are pumpkin treats. This is my favorite baking season. It is just so delicious. As soon as Oliver got home from school today, we whipped up a batch of these pumpkin yummies.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopies
for the cookies:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 package spice cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

for the marshmallow spice filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
half of a 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (grease foil, if using).

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat pumpkin and butter on medium until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs, and milk; beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for one minute.

3. By the heaping tablespoon, drop mounds of batter on cookie sheet; keep remaining batter chilled. Bake 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Carefully remove from parchment or foil; cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, using new parchment paper for each batch.

If desired, place cookies in a covered storage container with waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking. Store cookies at room temperature for 24 hours. Prepare marshmallow spice filling up to 2 hours before serving.

4. To make marshmallow spice filling, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, marshmallow cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until well combined.

5. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons filling on flat side of one cookie; top with a second cookie. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours.

Makes 15 whoopies.

I neglected to buy marshmallow cream. So I made the filling without it, and you know what? It was still really really good. I also put chocolate chips in half of them because really, who doesn't love chocolate chips? I would definitely make these again. But be prepared to share. They are rich.


from bhg.com

Black Tie Optional

view from the back

It's going to look killer with her red pumps.

You can call me Maria.

Because this week I am making a dress out of discarded curtains. A while back I made some pretty curtains for my living room that just didn't look right. They hung on the window for about 2 minutes before I decided they were all wrong. This weekend my sister-in-law, Abbie, will be attending a fancy wedding reception and is in need of a fancy dress. Enter the curtains, and a project for me.

a note: All vintage patterns are not created equal, and the one I am using is particularly crazy. Wish me luck.

The City

jooj, mom, me, and les in Washington Square Park

I spent last weekend in New York with my mom and sisters. It's been a long time since I have traveled anywhere alone, and a long time since I was last in New York, and it was just completely wonderful.

We spent the weekend doing what you do while visiting New York: walking, shopping, going to museums, and eating really yummy food.

Julianne lives in Harlem and works at the UN. Yes, she is that cool. She was the perfect city guide.

Here are some highlights (stolen from Leslie's camera, of course.):

jooj, mom, me (freezing) walking across the pretty Brooklyn Bridge

We broke down and went to Times Square. I know, how very touristy of us. :)

We stopped at teeny Purl Patchwork in soho for some cute fabric for Stella's birthday dress.

The weekend was a great success.
Let's do it again! London 2011?

For a full rundown on the trip, check Leslie's blog.

Special thanks go to:

Mike, for being Mr. Mom while I was gone. The kids were well taken care of, happy, and I even came home to a clean house.

Grandma Donna, for feeding and watching my kids while Mike worked. From what I've heard, they didn't want to leave her house.

My Mom and Leslie for making the trip a reality.

Morning sickness is not going to get me down.

I had half of a big can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge. I had to bake something with it, and I had to do it fast. So I got myself off the couch and tried a new recipe. It was exactly what I was looking for. You should totally give it a try.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease one 9x13 inch pan.

2. Reserve 1 cup cake mix. In a large bowl, combine the remaining dry cake mix with 1 egg and 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix well, and then pat into prepared pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour over crust.

4. In a small bowl, combine reserved 1 cup cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons softened butter. Crumble over pumpkin filling. Sprinkle nuts evenly over the top, if desired.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

This cake is just right. It is pumpkiny, buttery, a little crunchy, and super delicious. I am definitely adding it to my list of favorite pumpkin treats. Since Mabel is allergic to tree nuts, I skipped the nuts this time. But I think they would be a nice addition.

from allrecipes.com

I made pumpkin bread.

Because it is my favorite treat in the whole world. And it is not fall unless there is some baking in my oven. Even if I feel like throwing up.

And because I think everyone needs to have some baking in their own oven right now, here is my great aunt Lucille's recipe:

Pumpkin Bread
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. Pour into two greased bread pans.
4. Bake for one hour.

In other news, we haven't had to use our air conditioner in 2 days! I know some of you don't like fall because it means that winter is right around the corner. Guess what, I feel the same way about spring. But fall, fall is heaven here in the desert. You should come visit.