Toast, Nashville, a Wedding and a Giveaway

I stole borrowed this blog post idea from my Bestie Veronica who also borrowed it haha! Thanks girl and congrats on your new job :D

One more thing before we get started...go enter this giveaway!! I sponsored Susannah's blog this month and she put together an awesome fall favorites giveaway AND you can read about my favorite fall tradition while you're there!

making : watercolor prints for my Etsy shop! Can't wait to add some new ones
cooking : Not much lately but still eating good! Went to Toast on Monday night with Kim and it was DELISH! I had the meatloaf!

reading: blogs, I have been especially enjoying finding other Richmond bloggers
watching: a lot of things: Walking Dead, Big Bang Theory, Parenthood, New Girl, Modern Family and the list goes on...
looking: forward to our Anniversary vacation next year. Veronica, Kevin, Tim and I are GOING TO NASHVILLE!!
playing: with Artie and watching him take naps on the sofa with the hubby
wasting: time on my computer while I should be cleaning
sewing: I.don't.do.that
wishing: my boss Courtney a Happy Birthday today!
enjoying: all of your kind comments and emails. I will get respond to them all, I promise!
waiting: for the weekend...patiently
liking: the new church that we have found and all of the people we have met there
wondering: what the future holds

listening: to Country...constantly! loving all of the new songs lately especially Lady Antebellum and Band Perry
thanking: God for all of his blessings in my life
going: to the downtown ghost tour on Friday. Yay...another fall bucket list item!

loving: my husband...always
hoping: to find a Richmond photographer to take new blog head shots for me on a small budget
marveling: at the sacredness of marriage. I love being reminded at weddings!
smelling: All of my yummy fall scented candles
wearing: my boots and cardigans!! YAY...I wish the weather could stay like this.
following: lots of people on twitter + instagram...find me there
noticing: the change in the weather...its supposed to get down in the 20's on Friday night...NO I just want pretty fall leaves. Is that too much to ask?
knowing: that I need to eat better or at least cut out sweets but I just can't
thinking: about my friends and family...I miss them
pinning: ideas for a client mood board, remember Mandy that I did the fall swap with? I also found my dream kitchen while on Pinterest

source

opening: a gift from my new SISTER-IN-LAW GABBY!! She sent me a picture of us in an awesome frame!
giggling: at all of the halloween costumes for dogs. We really need to pick one for Artie!
feeling: excited for the upcoming months

 Also, here's a few pics from the wedding we went to this past Saturday! Congrats Emily and Tyler!

 The beautiful bride

She made these centerpieces!!

blurry, but you get the idea

Emily and her mom made homemade grape jam as favors!!

The guestbook

Happy Hump Day!!

High Five for Friday

I can't believe it....we made it to Friday, again! 

To say this week has been crazy would be an understatement but HF4F is all about the positives so I won't bore you with the not-so-fun stuff. Here we go!

1. I added a few new prints to my Etsy shop and have been working on some "surprise watercolors" as well. (VA and CA state prints are available. What other states would you like to see?)

2. I am thinking after being in Richmond for almost a year and a half that we have found a church home. The girls invited me over last Friday to hang out. It was so nice getting to know them. :) 

3. Walking Dead has returned!!!

4. Artie is almost done with training. He is graduating next week!! We have come a long way.

5. I signed up for Bigs and Littles Blogging Network again. I can't wait to get to know my new little Donna.

Also, here are some things I'm looking forward to:

-Emily's wedding tomorrow at a vineyard in Charlottesville!!

-picking a Halloween costume for Artie and dressing him up

-Fall Festival at our new church

-Going to see Catching Fire with my woman crush friend Kim

-getting my fall/winter clothes out (its like a whole new wardrobe!)

Have a wonderful weekend :D

Fall Swap Reveal

I signed up for a Fall Swap last month. It is the first one I've ever participated in and it was SO much fun. I loved getting to know Mandy through her blog and emails. I hope to continue our blog friendship in the future. Stop on over to her blog so see the package I sent her!!

Here is what she sent me:

Opening my package wrapped in sparkly teal tissue paper

In my package:
-(Mandy's favorite Fall) Nail polish
-Rimmel Eye Shadow Compact
-Kitchen Towel
-Kit to make my own Fall Recipe Box :)
      *Blue, Purple and Brown Craft Paint
      *Mod Podge
      *Tabs and Cards to write recipes on
      *Stickers to Label cards
      *Wooden box
      *"Homemade by" labels for any treats I want to give away
      *Craft leaves for decorating

THANKS GIRL!!

Also, here is an update on my fall bucket list!

Fall in my home 2013

Before I get to our fall 2013 decor, I want to remind you that the Design in your Home link-up is still open through the end of October!!

This year I wanted a different look for our fall decorations. I liked what we had last year but I wanted it showcase my style more this year. Here was my inspiration:

source

Cassie describes it as "natural and glam". I think it fits the best of both worlds. I love the colors and textures of fall like the leaves, twigs and pinecones with the contrast of the glam gold dishes.

Here is how I interpreted it (using mostly what we already had)

Should I add the gold polka dots to my burlap runner??

I snagged these glasses from Kroger for $1.60 each :) 

I saved these flowers from my birthday packaging. They fit perfectly in these mini Ball jars.

(Here's one in the natural light)

We still have to go pumpkin picking for our larger pumpkins and I want to get another mum (or two) for our porch.

Here are a few photos from last year's fall decor. I would say I definitely prefer this years.

 *notice that I painted that pumpkin gold?!

Send me links/pictures of your fall home!! I would love to see :)

Linking up with:

ModaMama

The best donuts ever

Did you just click on that link to find out what donuts I'm talking about?

THESE!!! Yes, I ate almost half before snapping a pic! 

Here is our weekend recap (late, of course):

Tim and I (and Artie) went to Carter Mountain this weekend which is on my Fall Bucket List 2013!! And it was AMAZING! Artie loved it (until about 10 kids came up to him at once to pet him). He then proceeded to look at me and beg me to pick him up.

Artie loves road-trips! See....he's smiling :)

We got our bag and started picking apples. We ended up with 10lbs so if anyone has any good apple recipes, send them my way!! The Golden Delicious and Jonagold apples were available for pickin'. Surprisingly Artie didn't try to eat them off the ground.

Afterwards we walked around in their shop and then got w-a-r-m, f-r-e-s-h, APPLE CIDER donuts from their bakery!! I really shouldn't have to say any more than that but I will. We got a half dozen and I am wishing we had gotten more. We will be returning very soon to go apple picking eat apple cider donuts. And then on Monday, Kim decided to inform me that they also have apple cider slushies! What?!

The view was breathtaking. I now see why everyone has been raving about Carter Mountain Orchard!

The rest of the weekend was spent watching football (Tim) and decorating for fall (me). You will have to come back for that because I haven't taken any pictures yet.

I also picked up a Frankenstein toy for Artie while I was Fall shopping and he loved it.

Have you completed anything on your Fall Bucket List yet?? Have you ever been apple picking? What is the best donut you've ever eaten?