restless, looking for you...

this is my favorite song right now!!! & i had to share it because the words are just so amazing!!! switchfoot's new cd, vice verses was released earlier this week... & it's all 
i have been listening too! :) anyway, that is all for today... i hope you have a happy friday & weekend!

a sweet pumpkin recipe...

• 
  

  • Ingredients for the pumpkin cookies...
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • (i didn't have ginger, so i used nutmeg)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup apple sauce
  • 3 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Ingredients for the cream cheese filling...
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions...

      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper & set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. 

In another large bowl, mix together brown sugar, oil & apple sauce until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture until fully incorporated.

Use a spoon to drop desired amount of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. I prefered them to be small. Bake the cookies for about 10-15 minutes depending on the size you made them. If you inserted a toothpick into the center of the cookie & it comes out clean they are done! Let cool completely.

To make the filling: Whisk the confectioner' sugar in a medium bowl; set aside. In another bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. 

To assemble the whoopie pies: Put the filling in a disposable pastry bag (or ziplock bag) and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a dollop of filling on the flat side of one of the cookies. Sandwich with another cookie, pressing down slightly.  Best served chilled.

i did change a few things from the original recipe & i am sure they aren't quite as good, but they are a bit healthier & they were still very yummy! Also, I did find that these cookies can be messy... So I chilled them in the freezer before serving & that helped them to set up pretty good.

yumm... :) 

fall colors through my lens...

the leaves are just starting to change & even though it still kind of feels like summer around here, i am full of excitement for fall! i just love the colors! of course with fall in the air, i have been hunting for new yarns... i was really wanting a rusty orange yarn & was having a hard time finding anything good. but over the weekend, i found the most beautiful yarn that was just what i wanted... normally pretty expensive, but i got it for half the price!!! i can't wait to make something lovely with it very soon!! :)

silly photo booth snapshots...

my cousin just emailed me these photo booth pictures, from her wedding last month!!

yay! they are so fun! my favorite is the one above, with my brother & sister! haha! 

i love them so much! :)

{my grandparents with sweetie ren}

{with my sister & our friend, brittney}

{my mom & sister}

happy fall & a 20% off sale...

 i am so excited that fall has officially arrived!! 

to celebrate, i did a fun photo shoot with the little pumpkins that i got last weekend! aren't they cute?! :) i am so excited for all of the fall-ish things to come... yummy soup, apple cider, golden leaves & of course that cool crisp in the air! & hopefully it will come soon, because today the high is 89. :( anyway, it really is a beautiful time of year & i am so excited! 

what do you love most about fall?

ps. i thought it would be fun to celebrate by having a special fall sale...

just use the coupon code: HAPPYFALL20

to get 20% off your whole order!! 

{this sale will last through Sept. 27th}

:)

i hope you all have a lovely first day of fall!!

nail colors for fall...

now that fall is almost officially here (friday!!!) i thought i would share my favorite nail colors for this time of year! i love rusty oranges/reds, dark blues/greens, dusty purples, greys, & gold sparkles! :)

fall nail colors by brightside02 on Polyvore.com

ps. don't forget to visit the blair affairs to enter the giveaway from my shop!
:)

photo print giveaway...

the blair affairs is hosting a giveaway from my shop this week! be sure to visit her blog for all the details! :)

berry picking & homemade pie...

over the weekend, we went to a little farm to pick our own blackberries & raspberries! 

it was so fun searching for the perfect berries to pick!! also, there were so many cute 

things all around that got me so excited for fall! & best of all, we used our goodies to 

make a delicious peach-berry pie! yumm!! :)

i am getting so excited for fall!!

{weekend part two} vintage treasures...

over the weekend, i went with my family to a little farm to pick our own blackberries & raspberries! (more on that later) & while we were there we visited their gift shop, 

which was in a lovely little old home on the farm. i took so many photos of all of the 

beautiful old treasures in the shop... so many pretty things!!

{weekend part one} rockies game...

over the weekend, i went to my last rockies game of the 2011 season! if you don't know, i am a huge fan of colorado rockies baseball!! :) we had really great seats & the weather was perfect! sadly, the rockies lost the game to the gaints & a lot of my favorite guys were not playing... :( but they did have the most amazing firework show after the game, so that was fun! hopefully the rockies will do a lot better in 2012!

anyway, it has been a really fun weekend & i will share more photos soon...

:)

{Psalm 90} a fall morning...

...from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Psalm 90:2

i read Psalm 90 last night & i really loved so many of the verses from that chapter!

no matter what happens in life, big or small, God's love is true, from beginning to end...

satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love,
   that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 

Psalm 90:14

this morning, i took my dog outside & saw the there was a beautiful light fog in the air.

there is just something so magical about early fall mornings like this...

one of the most beautiful things about this time of the year!

that beauty is such a happy reminder that each morning is brand new.

& then, i was reminded of these beautiful verses too...

because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail.

they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

we really have so much to be thankful for every day!

anyway, i hope you all have a lovely friday & weekend...

i am going to one last rockies game with my family! yay!!!

:)

{hairstyle} the gibson tuck...

i recently discovered how to create this victorian hairstyle, the gibson tuck.

there is a really great how-to video (and photos) on this blog...

check it out, it's pretty easy to do!

today is a lovely fall-ish day... chilly, grey, & rainy outside! yay!!

it doesn't rain much here, so i am enjoying it!

has fall hit where you live yet?

hope you are having a good thursday!

:)