Giving Thanks~

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving~

Cheers!

Seeing the difference {Photography}

I was one of the lucky winners of a giveaway to participate in Lisa's (The Long Road to China)
 photography course
"Get out of the Auto zone"
We have had 3 on-line classes so far, with this week being our last
I can't say I "totally" get it, but I am "getting" it!

Here are a few of my "homework" assignments that I shot in MANUAL :)
while sitting on my porch...I still cannot believe that I took these with my kit lens!

These two below really proved to me what can happen when you turn that dial to Manual
This first photo I took in manual

and the photo below, I took in Auto w/no flash
I cannot believe the difference in color..the above is so vibrant
so..needless to say, I am convinced that I must
"stay out of the auto zone" :)

Its November!!

I am so excited that today is November 1st...it means

~the insane month of October is OVER for my sweet hardworking husband

~my sweet boy comes home for break in a little more than 2 weeks

~Thanksgiving is a mere 3 weeks away!

~I still can make LOTS of pumpkin goodies...like these pumpkins scones with maple glaze



~the fireplace will be on more often

~we will celebrate Blake's 17th

~I am left with this memory of Halloween night :)

~there will be LOTS more soup being made

~the Christmas music will be playing...NON-STOP

ahh...I love November!

Happy Halloween!

A little look at Halloweens Past...

n
Pink Swan ~ 2010

Cheerleader ~ 2009

Little Bo Beep ~ 2008

Have a fun and safe night!

Violated

A few days ago, someone came into our home, while we were sleeping and stole my Macbook

MY Macbook...it was MINE

Toby bought it for me 3 years ago for my birthday, and I loved it...I had begun to use it as my personal filing system

It had everything on it...all my pictures, all the videos I had taken of Lucy since she came home, all our passwords, all my inspiration files, all my recipe files

I just can't get over it

I can't get over the fact that someone was in OUR home while we were sleeping

and

I just can't get over the fact that someone stole MY memories~

I'm a little obsessed with Pumpkins :)

I have gone a little crazy with the pumpkins this year :)

Every time I walk into a grocery store...I look to see what they might have

Cinderella pumpkins have always been one of my favorites, and so are ghost pumpkins, but the many colors and shapes of squash are so fun too!

Yesterday, I stopped in Walmart and they had a big box of unusual looking pumpkins :), and my cart on "auto pilot" headed right for them...I found the one below

and I loved this one because it looks EXACTLY like a faux pumpkin I already have!

And to think, we haven't even been to the pumpkin patch yet :)

My Fall Porch

I love Fall

I love porches decorated for Fall

❖

Here is mine this year!

HERE is 2010

❖

HERE is 2009

Today...

I was "excused" from jury duty

and

the sky looked like this much of the day

so, I drank lots of this

{tea with a candle lit for my friend Emily and her Mom}

spent a little time working on this

and reading this

{I LOVED Rob Lowe in the 80's...I thought for sure we would get married :)...glad things didn't work out that way :)}

Fabulous Fall {and Pinterest}!

My most favorite time of year is here!

Not only is it my favorite for the colors, but for the fashion...I LOVE fall fashion

and, I LOVE Pinterest!  Have you started pinning??  You can see my boards here...it is fun and a great way to keep "inspiration" filed away!

These outfits have been pinned and repinned on so many boards, and for very good reason, they are so cute and so easy to duplicate!

I also found this cute idea on Pinterest too!

It is from HERE, and she has kindly provided the free printable

my family is SO doing this!

So, what about you??  Do you love Fall as much as I do??

Halloween 2010

In My Kitchen {Pumpkin Scones (JUST like St*arbucks!)}

My friend Catie has a FABULOUS scone recipe, but when it came to making these I just didn't know how to incorporate in the pumpkin...so I found a recipe on line, and tweaked it a little...and the result is AMAZING!!

So...here you go!!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• (I used 1c whole wheat and 1cup all-purpose)
• 7 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1 large egg

Mix together dry ingredients, cut in butter (I used my food processor) set aside

Whisk pumpkin, egg and half and half, then fold into dry ingredients.

Turn onto a lightly floured board...seperate dough in half.  With each half shape into a circular mound :) and cut into 4 pie like pieces (this recipe made 8 scones)

Bake at 425 for 14 -16 min

Cool, and then make a glaze of 1c powdered sugar and 2 T milk (half and half)

These are not dry, very cake like....really delicious!

My name is Dawn, and I am addicted to PUMPKIN!

Once the kids go back to school, it really feels like fall kicks in for me...

and nothing says "FALL" like PUMPKIN!

I have shared my love of Pumpkin Spice Lattes HERE..which I now make on my own..thank you very much!

I just made the MOST delish Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting...recipe HERE

I eat Pumpkin Oatmeal...a recipe I found in Clean Eating Magazine, DELICIOUS!

I have made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies,

 and this week I have made (TWICE)

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

(how cute are these cupcake papers by Wilton?  I found them at Walmart:) 


So...what about you, do you love pumpkin too??

Ciao Bella Italia!

I have been blessed with two trips to my beloved Italy~

Both trips were at almost the exact time of year...the end of October.  So every year at this time...my heart aches for this beautiful place...the history, the people, the food!

Our first trip was in 2002, and we toured the Tuscan Countryside, wine tasted, had cooking lessons, olive picked, went to many wonderful cities and stayed in countryside  Villas...a dream come true trip.

My second trip was in 2005 with my sweet Mom.

I encouraged my Italian Mom to go see this beautiful country.  She had never left the U.S. before, so this was a very exciting trip for her.

We decided to stay in Roma (Rome) for the whote 8 days and make a day trip by train to Florence, one of my most favorite cities~

The Coloseum, the Vatican, the Parthenon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish steps...

be still my heart♥

Oh David...how I love thee!

Oh my sweet Italia...we will see each other again one day~

♥Ti amo Italia♥

A Harvest Birthday Dinner Tablescape~

This last Sunday I hosted a Birthday dinner for my Mom and Stepdad~

The tablescape is my take on the PB table I posted about in my previous post

As much as I love all the white...my home is more about color...I am inspired by the colors in "tuscan style" decorating, and at this time of year it is abundant!

I know, I know, my Boys let me know, I forgot an "E" in celEbrate! :)

I just had to share my roasted chickens. 

 Anne mentioned in a recent post about the simplicity and comfort of a Sunday Roast...and shared this 

Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Sage 

recipe from House Beautiful...so I thought I would give it a try.

As I was flipping through my House Beautiful magazine I also found this recipe

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

(image House Beatutiful)

...so I made those too...these were sooo delicious...a MUST try!!  

...and I also saw this recipe

Broiled Mushrooms in Tamari Butter

(image House Beautiful)

...so I made those too!

Delicious...I made wild rice and bread to accompany it all!

A perfect Havest Birthday Dinner!!

In My Kitchen{Pumpkin Spice Latte}

This time of year....I am CRAZY for a Star*bucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

However, I cannot justify spending $4.50 (appx) for a grande.....

SO....I have perfected my own!

I have been hunting around trying to find the right stuff.  Star*bucks does not sell their pumpkin syrup, I have tried another syrup called Pumpkin Spice...and it just wasn't right

until....THIS

 DaVinci's Pumpkin Pie Sauce

YES...it has to be "sauce"...more like the consistency of Hershey's syrup!
I add some of this to the bottom of my latte mug, make my latte (with non-fat milk) on my espresso machine...and voila...my very own...

Pumpkin Spice Latte


Do you have a favorite coffee drink this time of year??

I'm in love, I'm in love...and I don't care who knows it!

Well...they are here.

The fall boots are in at Anthropologie...

(sigh)

☝

I have to say as of right now...these two

are my favorites!

☟