Happy Halloweekend!

Just the laugh I needed!  

I hope you all have a fantastic Halloween weekend! 

We kicked off the celebrations today with a Halloween party at the school!  

I love dressing up and this holiday! :) 

life, loss, change

Grief may be a thing we all have in common, but it looks different on everyone. It isn’t just death we have to grieve. It’s life. It’s loss. It’s change. And when we wonder why it has to suck so much sometimes, has to hurt so bad. The thing we gotta try to remember is that it can turn on a dime. That’s how you stay alive. When it hurts so much you can’t breathe, that’s how you survive. By remembering that one day, somehow, impossibly, you won’t feel this way. It won’t hurt this much. Grief comes in its own time for everyone, in its own way. So the best we can do, the best anyone can do, is try for honesty. The really crappy thing, the very worst part of grief is that you can’t control it. The best we can do is try to let ourselves feel it when it comes. And let it go when we can. The very worst part is that the minute you think you’re past it, it starts all over again. And always, every time, it takes your breath away. There are five stages of grief. They look different on all of us, but there are always five. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance.

-Greys Anatomy

I've been having a bit a rough week blogging.  Whenever I sign on to blogger I just don't feel inspired.  I think a lot of this uninspiration has to do with this news we received earlier in the week.  When I read about Summer's father passing it hit too close to home.  It's only been 3 months and my heart still hurts from my own dad's passing.  I hope to be back to blogging normal again soon.  and please say prayers for Summer and her family. 

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5 Senses Friday

Tasting: sweet apple pie.  I'm a big fan of eating dessert before dinner. ;)

Smelling: the autumn candle I have burning in the living room

Hearing: Oprah on the TV in the background.

Seeing: the orange glow reflecting from the tree leaves outside the window

Feeling: a little overwhelmed.  never enough hours in the day when you're a teacher...

but so happy it's the weekend!  

{what's filling your senses?}

learn more about 5 Senses Friday at abby try again

Happy Friday :)   

[image via mary ruffle]

Pumpkin Pie in a Jar

I'm a pie girl.  and I think one of the reasons I love this time of year is all the amazing pies... apple, cherry, and of course pumpkin pie.  which is why I got really excited when I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Pie in a Jar!  It's such an awesome idea, baking pie in a jar.  a perfect idea for a gift, or to stash in your lunch for a mid-day treat!  I'm totally going to try making some pumpkin pie's in a jar this year!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Procedures

Cream the butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment at medium speed until fluffy, then add the sugars slowly, continuing to mix until creamy and smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the pumpkin and water.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and spices. Add to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Add nuts, if desired.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Pour batter into well buttered or greased jars. Fill each jar slightly more than halfway full. (Keep the lids and rings off to the side though). Bake for about 30 minutes if you're using baby food jars, 40-45 minutes for pint-sized jars.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. Place a circle of waxed paper on top of the cake to protect it from sticking to the top of the jar, and put the lids on the jars.

To serve, open jars, and slide a knife around the inside of the jar to loosen the cake. You can remove the cakes from the jars or eat it straight from the jar, but rest assured that they're far tastier when topped with frosting or freshly whipped cream directly before serving.

sounds so yummy! :)

recipe and images via ireallylikefood

Wordless Wednesday {think pink}

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Words to Live By...

 
“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be.
There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want.
You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing.
We can make the best or the worst of it.
I hope you make the best of it.
I hope you see things that startle you.
I hope you feel things you never felt before.
I hope you meet people with a different point of view.
I hope you live a life you’re proud of.
If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

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Weekend Kick-Start

I had the perfect morning to kick-start the weekend!  Having the day off work {thanks to teacher in-service day} I was able to sleep in for the first time in a while.  I mean really sleep in, turn off the alarm, and sleep until my body naturally wakes up.  I made myself breakfast, instead of scarfing down a bowl of cereal, and leisurely enjoyed 2 cups of coffee.  Pure joy.

and now I look forward to a weekend full of Italian dinners, complete with wine. meeting my friend's new baby boy for the first time. catching up on project runway. and enjoying the fabulous fall weather. 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

p.s. I love reading all your comments on yesterday's post.  I think we all should go out to dinner alone sometime and have some quality "me time" :)

[image via]

Today's Musing...

would you ever go out to eat alone? 

while getting dinner with my mom yesterday I saw a girl, maybe a little older then me, sitting, eating and drinking some wine, by herself.  I know of people going to the movies alone, and I suppose I would too if it was a movie I really wanted to see and no one would see it with me, but out to eat dinner?  

to be honest, I was a little jealous.  she seemed quite content to be sitting there alone, in a fabulous restaurant with great music playing in the playground {frank sinatra-esque}. she wasn't lonely, like many would assume she would be {or at least she didn't look it}.  I'd love to have that kind of self-confidence, to be able to go to my favorite restaurant, by myself and eat alone, not caring if the other patrons thought I was some poor lonely girl, because I know I'm not. 

it takes a lot of self-confidence to be able to do something like that.

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Wordless Wednesday {Pink at Home}

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[images via google]

An Autumn Afternoon Walk

 While I was watching my friend's son after school, I convinced him to go for a walk in the neighborhood instead of watching whatever was on the Disney channel {though I am beginning to find Phineas and Ferb and Suite Life on Deck entertaining}.

We're entering "peak color", where most of the trees have changed, or almost completely changed color.  I love this time of year and really try to soak in the beautiful scenery before a wind storm comes by and all the leaves are blown off the trees.

 

 

we found a secret walkway