Simple Girl

I remember our first Christmas in Atlanta.  As soon as the Thanksgiving turkey was put away, I ran to Costco and and bought a fresh evergreen wreath.  I immediately hung it on our front door, excited about the familiar sights and smells of Christmas.  Three days later, my fresh wreath had turned brown and the needles fell off every time I opened the front door. Apparently, I hadn't taken into consideration the change in climate. Now that we are back north, I was so excited to find evergreen pots at Costco which I knew would be preserved all winter by the frigid cold! The original pots were lovely, but a little plain.  Having recently been through a few holiday house tours, I decided to dress them up a bit to give them a more designer feel. I added some dried hydrangeas fresh from the garden. (Thanks, mom!) Some red twigs (Michael's or the florist), And some seeded eucalyptus (florist). A burlap bow (Michael's) tied it all together.

I try not to go shopping on Black Friday and here's my top reasons why: Given the choice, I would rather sleep in. My husband won't go with  me. My mom won't go with me. The shopping frenzy forces me to buy more than I should. I end up just buying things for myself. None of which I actually need. If I stay home, I can watch my husband put up the Christmas tree. Which is usually very entertaining. Like observing the 15-year old son try to secure the top-heavy angel on the tree. Stripped down to a t-shirt and boxers. Because balancing on a ladder is a very sweaty job!  Having said this, I usually find a reason to sneak out of the house at some point.   Like this quick trip to Michael's where I found these super cute paper straws . I promise that I will use them every day. And not save them for a special occasion. Because that's what paper straws are for. To make every day special. xo Rachel THIS POST MAY BE LINKED TO:  MONDAYS

Pumpkin is something that one assumes just grows in the can at the grocery store.  I mean, how many times have you made a pumpkin recipe with a real pumpkin from the pumpkin patch?  Can a person even do that?  After the girls asked me if they could bake a pumpkin pie with their halloween pumpkins, I decided to find out. Step One.  Don't use your Jack-O-Lanterns.  To bake a pie, you must first go to your Farmer's Market or grocery store and get a pie pumpkin.  Pie pumpkins are cute and little, about 6'" - 8" in diameter.  Like the one that you don't see pictured here.  Sorry about that. Step Two .  With a serrated knife, saw the pumpkin in half vertically and scoop out the seeds like this.  Oh, sorry. Still no picture. Save the seeds for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ! Step Three .  Line a baking sheet with parchment and put the pumpkin on the baking sheet cut side down.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Step Four.