a fall tradition.

tonight, we started a new fall family tradition.

ever since we moved back to maine two years ago, i've been wanting to take a trip to treworgy family orchards.  a family i know from high school owns and operates this sweet farm, complete with animals to feed, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, an apple orchard, and endless squashes and gourds for sale.  not to mention an ice cream counter, which was a total hit for the girls...

i may or may not have used it as a bribe to get them to cooperate for a family photo.

i am honestly in shock that tonight was our first trip to this place.  i mean, anyone who knows me knows stuff like this is right up my alley.  fall has been such a crazy time for our little family with nick's football season that we have to be super disciplined to fit activities like these in... 

and tonight, i drank in every minute.  

watching the girls giggle as goats ate grain out of their little palms.  breathing in the sweet smell of apples from the orchard.  holding the girls tiny hands as we circled the property on a hayride...twice.  watching their little eyes take everything in with such excitement.  kissing their chocolatey faces, sticky with ice cream.  watching the sun sink down, melting into a pool of autumn gold, shimmering across the fields of corn.

it was lovely.

the barn and ice cream counter

buying the grain to feed the goats

"mama, look!  i'm feeding the camels!"

even ems got in on the action

corn, corn everywhere

how she sat the whole time on the hayride; one hand on each of our legs :)

my big girl; the hayride was her favorite

us

my littlest pumpkin

fall beauty

sister hugs...

and kisses...

ice cream!

one of the best pictures ever

she thought it was pretty cool they were having ice cream before dinner...

love making these memories with our girls.  i oftentimes think of what traditions and memories they will hold close as they grow up... i hope and pray they will look back at their childhood with happiness and gratitude.

i couldn't help but think tonight; while these years with little ones are exhausting, i will very much miss days like today.

instafriday.

hangin with the meems

the best kind of campfire is one in the fall, surrounded by good friends

refinished: my grandparent's hutch

mama/emmy date; sesame street live

my little sidekick

my favorite part of the day

one of the perks of our jobs: we're in our thirties but we still get school pics

fallifying my home

thankful: for bathtime, freshly washed hair and constant giggles from these two as they splash and play

thankful: watching bella in her gymnastics class never gets old

what's for dinner tonight {crockpot chicken tikka masala}.

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chicken tikka masala is seriously one of my favorite foods.  ever.

when we lived in texas, we lived in an area that was densely populated by indian people.  bollywood movies played at the movie theater up the street and we were surrounded by indian restaurants with delicious food.  when i was on staff at our church, one of my coworkers and good friend, marilyn, introduced me to a little indian cafe nearby.  whenever we went there for lunch it just made my day.  they had an amazing buffet and marilyn was an indian food expert, so she would tell me what everything was and what to try.  seriously; the perfect way to get introduced to a different cuisine.  we would have the best talks over our delicious lunches, warm naan and glasses of iced tea.

i miss those times!

i quickly learned my favorite dish was chicken tikka masala.  so so good.  if you've been scared to try indian food, this would be your perfect introductory dish.  it's tender chicken cooked in a creamy, spicy tomato based sauce with cilantro and yogurt.  it's super yummy served with rice and some buttery naan.  

my mouth is watering.

i found this recipe a while ago on the weight watchers website and have been wanting to try it for a while now.  i found it a bit difficult to track down some of the spices i needed... i ended up hitting up our local healthfood store and found everything i needed for this dish.  and for super cheap!  great hint for spices: buy out of those bulk bins!

let me just say: this isn't nearly as delicious as a good indian restaurant, but it definitely is a good, homemade (and healthy) substitute.  and now, for the recipe...

crockpot chicken tikka masala

* 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
* 1 small onion, minced
* 1 T. garlic, minced
* 1 T. ginger, minced
* 2 T. garam masala
* 1 T. brown sugar
* 1/2 t. ground cumin
* 1/2 t. ground coriander
* 2 lbs. chicken breast (you could use thighs, but i prefer boneless chicken breasts for all my dishes!)
* 1 T. salt
* 1/2 c. plain lowfat greek yogurt
* 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

- combine all ingredients in crockpot, except yogurt and cilantro.  cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- turn off heat and stir in yogurt and cilantro.

that's it!  super easy.  we like ours with brown rice and homemade naan.  delicious.
enjoy!

beginning again.

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fall has always been my favorite.  ever since i was a little girl.

i have these memories of playing outside until it was dark, bundled up for the crisp, fall air.  my name called from the backdoor told me it was time for supper, and the warmth of our house would melt away the chilled pink in my cheeks and nose.  i'd watch the leaves swirl about, pick painted pumpkins with my sister and stare at the arches of golden and scarlet trees lining the roadsides.

yes, fall has always been my favorite.

until two years ago, when i lost my dad.  seasons have a way of reminding us of times past.  the smells, the feel of the air.  they trigger our senses to remember.  and suddenly, crisp air and warm jackets, pumpkin lattes and leaves ablaze reminded me of unbearable pain.  of heart shattering loss.  of watching my father lay in a hospital bed for weeks, and eventually leave us forever.

my faith has surely sustained me through the past almost-two-years.  my dad was always my rock, but jesus has been lovingly showing me that he is truly the one who can hold me up.  it's amazing how two years can feel like one giant bad dream.  and yet, i find myself remembering often that it's reality, this life without my dad.  and even though the days and years march on, i remind myself that it's still okay to cry.

because i do.

i cry for the girls birthdays we celebrate without their bampy, for the empty seat at family gatherings, for the absence of my dad's hugs and his jovial laughter.  i cry for him missing nick's football games or when bella asks me who my daddy is.  i cry for not being able to hug him, talk to him, or tell him one last time just how much i love him, and just how blessed i was to be his daughter.

as much as the fall season triggers my grief and causes my tears to bubble to the surface, i am determined to enjoy it again.  why?  because i am not without hope.  death is not the end.  and i forever hear my father's words reminding us that he lived a good, full life... he didn't want us to be sad, but to celebrate his life and fully live ours. 

for me, grief has been a complicated journey of allowing myself to hurt and feel the immense pain of losing my father... and yet, not only carrying out my dad's wishes but fully recognizing and claiming the promises of my heavenly father as well.  and there's a whole lot of living to do, celebrations to be had, blessings to count and a big ole legacy to live out (thanks, dad).

may fall forever symbolize life anew... beginning again... and the hope of something greater, just around the corner.

fall; i'm determined to like you again.

shabby-chic white hutch.

when we moved into my grandparents old house two years ago, we were also blessed with their dining room set, which included a hutch.  i was super excited about this piece, and i knew right away i wanted to paint it white.

yes, folks... it has taken me two years to *finally* paint this hutch.  but the good news is: it is finished and i love it.

we had leftover sherwin williams paint from our kitchen cupboards, which made this project a bit easier.  i didn't have to sand it since the primer we got has special bonding powers.  guys, i can't even imagine what this would have been like if i would have had to sand this hutch.  this makeover was a bit of a beast: it all of the curves and different surface areas made it a bit tiring.

i may have popped a few advil in my course of this project.  phew.

but it's totally what i imaged it would be in my head, and i'm so thankful i finally tackled it!  i went back and forth on plans for the hutch... i thought of getting new hardware, finding wallpaper to line the back with, i even have a can of mint paint sitting out in the garage because i had most recently planned on painting parts of it mint green (my color crush of late).  when all was said and done, i decided to do the entire thing white and i'm so glad i did.  it's timeless and won't go out of style any time soon.

i originally wanted to change out the hardware, but i knew i'd have a hard time finding handles that would line up with the existing holes.  turns out, i didn't want to take the time to mess with wood filler and a drill.  so, i used some crystal knobs i had on hand for the bottom doors, and simply painted and distressed the original brass handles.  i love the shabby-ness of the brass peeking through the white paint and the distressed edges.  super simple and didn't cost me any money... yay.

this hutch originally had doors on the top half, but i didn't like the dated look, and wanted to use the shelves to display pretty pieces.  so i ditched the doors and filled and sanded the nail holes before painting.  i love the look of the white and cream decorations against the white hutch.  so classic.

i'm really excited about my new hutch and love the look it gives our dining room!  i have a couple more projects (ahem, dining room table and chairs...) to finish for this room to be complete, but the hutch gives me great inspiration to get it all done.

this piece will always remind me of my grandparents and the special place they have in my heart.  being the sentimental gal i am, that is the best part.

instafriday.

the post game huddle had an onlooker who just wanted to be close to her daddy...

this is going to be the death of me

snuggles with my baby and her bunny

there's nothing quite like new england in the fall

well, that's one way to eat a tortilla...

fall centerpiece

cozy mornings with my girls = my favorite

my precious peanut

our thursday tradition is donut holes after gymnastics...today i couldn't resist saving a few pumpkin ones for myself

an evening stroll through bar harbor

what the girls waited all game to do

fall centerpiece.

slowly, but surely i've been starting to fall-ify our house.

cornstalks, mums and pumpkins on the front porch and lots of apple pies being baked in our oven.  i'm a bit picky when it comes to seasonal decor... and since we have so much color and mis-matchyness in our home, i like to stick to a more neutral pallet instead of oranges and reds for fall.  

i have lots of ideas of things to do with dropcloths, a bunch of burlap i have stashed in my fabric supply, brown paper bags (see my brown paper bag wreath i made last fall here) and some white pumpkins i hope to find at a local pumpkin patch this weekend... 

vintage books have always been a love of mine.  i have a couple stacks here and there around our home... i love the worn covers, golden titles and pages yellowed with time and love.  i decided a centerpiece made of book page leaves would be just the perfect idea for a fall centerpiece in our dining room.

 this craft is super simple, the tutorial seems a bit ridiculous to post.  but here's how i did it...

book page fall centerpiece

materials:

* old book pages

* leaf shaped cookie cutters

* branches

* vase

* scissors

* glue

- trace your leaf shapes onto the book pages.  i used two cookie cutters i bought a few years ago at the christmas tree shop: a maple shape and an oak one.

- arrange your branches in a vase.  i used my standard crate&barrel white vase nick&i got as a wedding gift.  i absolutely love this thing.  i found my branches at our favorite park.  they are thicker and have spots of moss on them.  i love decorating with things from the outside!

- cut out your leaves and use little dots of glue to attach them to your branches.

- voila!  you're done.

see, so easy.  i have visions of garlands and wreaths made out of these book page leaves as well... maybe i'll get around to doing those sometime soon...

happy fall!