Monthly Archives: November 2013

 Today is Thanksgiving in United States.

But you don’t have to live here to say thank you or to take a moment to be thankful for all that you have.

Today, I’m thankful for so many things: this blog, my readers, the friends I have made here, and of course, my family and the multitude of blessings we have enjoyed this year.

Here’s to wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving wherever you are!

(And, a Happy Hannukah, too!)

Cheers!

Julie

I love recipes that are easy, delicious and freeze well – especially around the holidays.

When you have family coming in for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or if you just want a special treat in the morning and you don’t want to fuss, then these Apple Pumpkin Muffins are just the ticket for making ahead and freezing to serve when needed.  

Of course, eating them fresh out of the oven is absolutely divine but, we all know that having something ready to go when things get busy is a sanity-saver – especially when you’re already destined for a full day in the kitchen.

Not only are these delicious, but they’re a great breakfast, brunch or snacking treat to make whenever you have leftover canned pumpkin (which happens to me after I make my banana pumpkin bread).

I’d love to tell you that I came up with this recipe on my own or that it’s been handed down generation after generation, but like many of my best recipes, it was discovered, tried and now cherished.  

I like to share them on this blog in the same way I would to pass them on to a friend.  After all, aren’t we all looking for great recipes?

I will always give credit where it is due if the recipe did not come from me.  In this case, I would love to provide the online source where I got it from. I promise, I tried to get the original link to where I got these, but try as I might, I could not find it.  So, I’m just going to tell you where it came from:  the Good Morning Texas program on WFAA-TV.  One of the anchors,  Amy Vanderoef, shares many of her family recipes on the show and this one is a keeper.  So, Amy, if you ever read this post, please send me the link!

 They’re so easy to make and they’re perfect for company.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember my cute vintage wash tub?  

She’s all decked out for the holidays.  

Yep.  I’ve started my Christmas decorating.  

I didn’t do anything fancy, but the bright pops of red and green and the fresh plants make me happy.

It took just a few minutes to switch out my fall decor with a few simple winter plants and some metal holiday decorations I already had.

The plants (cyclamen and ivy) will need a minimum of care over the winter.  

When Christmas is over, I can exchange the holiday decorations with something else. 

My Christmas decor is just starting to take shape, but it’s a good start.  

How about you?  Have you started decorating yet?

The holiday boxes and bins are coming out of the attic this week.

But, before I get started decking the halls I decided to check out my Pinterest boards for some new inspiration.  After all, I pin these great images all year long for decorating ideas, so it might be a good idea to actually look at them before I start decorating.   

And, I thought I would share a few of  my favorite pins with you this week.

Here are five that caught my eye:

I just love the look and feeling of this room.  Festive, yet not over the top.

I love the idea of using galvanized buckets to corral small packages under the tree!

Isn’t this little tree with all of the pine cones and rustic, outdoor elements cute? 

Because I’m of both Norwegian and Swedish heritage, I’ve decided that I need to have something in my home that says this:

Finally, I adore this rustic tablescape.  Doesn’t it feel cozy and inviting?

I have over a hundred more pictures on my Christmas pin board  so head on over to Pinterest and follow me there!

I will be pinning Christmas ideas all season long.

Thanks for reading today!