Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving,weather you spent if with family, friends, working, or just had a relaxing day I hope it was great. And if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving I hope you had a wonderful Thursday!

Thank you to all of you that have read this blog and keep making me want to come back and write more.

I am planning some Holiday posts so stay tuned for those.

Have a wonderful holiday and if you have to work retail this weekend good luck and thank you to all the nurses, first responders, doctors, care givers, and everyone that works on thanksgiving.

-Holly

Holiday Planner

With Thanksgiving just a week away and stores having had their Christmas products in stores since before Halloween (some even in August) I thought it was time to break out my Holiday Planner. This is something new that I am trying this year to try and say a little more organized during the Holidays and to not forget anything.

I started with this by just going on YouTube and Pinterest looking for holiday planners to get an idea of what one has in it. I also saw that you can by some that are pre-made and you can you print at home but I thought I can us easily make one on Microsoft Word. I made six different sections in it including; a December calendar, a to do list, gift buying list, supplies needed, my own Holiday wish list, and some recipe cards for anything I want to make/bake this Holiday season.

I made each of these pages using Microsoft word and finding pictures in clip art and from google images.

Lets start with what is stored in it and the cover.

I have my Holiday planner in a 1/2 inch three ring binder. The cover boarder is from google images.

The first thing you see when you open the binder is a December calendar. This is place for me to write down any thing that I know I want to do on a certain day. You can see on the 9th I have write down be done with Christmas shopping since that is the day I would like to have all my shopping done by. 

The next page in the planner is my to do list page this is more so for the stuff I want to get done by Christmas such has get wrapping paper, decorate, or bake something. These are things that do not have dates they need to be done by but that I would like to remember to maybe do this season.

Next is the gift buying guide, this is a place for me to write down what people have told me that may want for Christmas and to also put down the store it comes from and around how much it is there is also a place for me to check off when I get that item for them. If I do not end up getting them that gift for any reason I just cross out the whole line. I also have at the bottom a spot for notes so if there is anything extra I need to write down I can. Off to the side and not in the photo is a pink sticky note for me to keep track of how much I am spending on each person. This is because I like to spend around the same per person. 

Next is the supplies needed page, this is anything that I will be needing for the holidays from gift wrap, to bags, gift tags, cards, etc. 

Next would be my personal holiday wish list. This is different from my Christmas list because it is stuff that I would want before Christmas to have but don't want to forget about. 

The last page is recipe cards, these I printed on card stock so they where stiffer but these are just what they are anything I want to make/bake for the season. 

I had a lot of fun making this Holiday planner and can not wait to really get in to using it. 

How do you stay organized for the Holidays?

-Holly

Picture Perfect Fall

Hard to believe that its already November and that Thanksgiving is 3 weeks away and that Christmas is just over a month away. And I must admit that I did not like the fact that from August to October I was seeing Christmas stuff in all the stores, on Halloween I was already thinking of Christmas gifts and movies to watch.

But before I get to deep into the Christmas prep and spirit I want to still enjoy this beautiful Midwest fall we are having. Before we know it snow will be falling and winter coats and mittens will be a staple on every coat hook and in every house.

So when the fall colors on the trees where at their peak I took my camera and went down to a college campus close to me and started taking pictures. I love how they all turned out, and even loved that I found a new setting on my camera to take viberent photos; it shows off the colors that much more.

The next post will be the start of my Christmas posts starting with something new I am trying this year and that is a Holiday Planner. So be on the look out for that post. 

I hope you are enjoying fall where ever you are!

-Holly

WOO!!! No posts in almost a month!

Ok so I know there has been no new post in almost a month and all I can say is life got busy with work and school. But I have started working on some plans for the holidays and cannot wait to share them with you all.

So please keep a look out for the holiday posts to come soon. I also have been changing up how I use my planner each day and I am planning on sharing that hopefully this week if not this coming weekend.

Stay tuned for a post soon!

-Holly

Home Sweet Home: Halloween Decorations

October has begun and that means Halloween is only 3 weeks away so let the pumpkins, ghosts, and witches decorations come out to play. 

I personally love decorating for Halloween almost as much as I like decorating for Christmas. Lets face it Halloween in its own way kind of kicks off the holiday season. If you think about it after Halloween Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away and for me you need all those days to prep and get ready for Thanksgiving. 

I decorate for Halloween this past weekend and wanted to share with you my take on simple decorations that don't go over the top but still add that Halloween pop to any room.

This first decoration is probably my favorite, this sits on top of my desk and is the first thing you see when you come in to the room. I got this candy sign from Gordmans I about two years ago I believe. I know they do not sell it anymore but they have tons of other cute Halloween decor items every year. It has three spots in the back for candles I just use the flameless led candles instead. Here is what it looks like lite up at night. 

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 This jar that sits on my dresser and holds my deodorant and current perfume is a long time favorite of mine. I am not sure where it is from but I have had it for a while. It comes with a white lid put I choose this time to go with out the lid. 

This beanie baby ghost sits on my bed for the month of October adding a pop of Halloween. I have had this since I was little. I know you can get them on ebay though.

The shoe and cat decoration I have had for while and could not tell you where they are from. The shoe sits by my TV and the cat sits on my night stand. The cat used to light up but has since just been a decoration piece. 

The top sign is one that I printed off Pinterest. If you type in Halloween Subway art you will find many different ones. The chalkboard one is just a chalkboard sign I got from Micheal's and took colored chalk and change it for the season or holiday. 

What is your favorite Halloween decoration?

-Holly

Ahhhh.......Apple Pie!

Ahhhh.... The sweet smell of a freshly baked apple pie!

There is just something so warm and comforting that goes along with an apple pie. It was my day off on Tuesday and it was a true fall day with the cool crisp air and partly cloudy which made it the best baking day.

I went back and forth on making apple pie and pumpkin muffins but settled on just making apple pie and I was so glad I did. One less dishes and I got to take my sweet time making it.

I put the recipe below the crust recipe and the filling I just made up as I went basing it off a normal apple pie filling recipe.

The final product might not look very pretty but boy does it taste good!

-Holly

Lifestyle Favorite: Photography

With the first season of fall behind us (September 22nd) and the weather doing what it should, getting cooler and hopefully staying that way. I am finding a renewed love in one of my more current hobbies of photography. Yes I am by no means a professional and am just taking the photos with my little point and shoot digital camera. (Canon PowerShot A23000 HD), but I am loving it and find something so relaxing about just picking a random place on a map and going to take pictures.

Right now I am sticking to landscapes, nature, and photos or anything outside that is not a person. But who knows it could expand more, never say never right!?

I have only gone out twice so far to take pictures but with fall here I can not wait to go take photos of the leaves changing and everything that goes along with fall.

Here are some of the photos I have taken already:

Let me know what you love the most about fall!

-Holly

Top Five Fall Nail Polishes

Awww.... September the time when leafs start to change color, the cool crisp air moves in and football is back in full swing. All this could only mean one thing is not to far away... FALL.

Fall is by far my favorite season next to spring I love the cool weather and of course not having to shave as much! (you understand right ladies?)

With the official start of Fall on September 22nd less than two weeks away I thought what a perfect time to start sharing my fall must haves or just my picks for fall. And since I am a nail polish addict, yes I admit I love nail polish even if it chips off my nails after two days. I wanted to share with you out of the polishes I already have my top picks for fall and one that I turn to each year around this time. This does not mean I will not go out and by more I have my eye out for a deep plum like purple but who said you can ever have to many nail polishes right :)

Some fun with lighting! Mainly moving my bedside lamp around :)

My first pick is Essie's Merino Cool  I have had this color for a few years now and fall more in love with it each time I use it. It is such a versatile color for most season but I love how it looks in fall with the reach colors. I thought I had a photo of this color on my nails but sadly I do not and want to get this post up so this photo is from Essie's website.

My second favorite is a polish I think I got around summer time a year or so ago and that is the Nicole By O.P.I Carrie Underwood Collection  polish in Goodbye Shoes. I love how this color is one that can be worn also in many other seasons but just is such a basic neutral color.

These next two are also Essie polishes no this is not sponsored by Essie I got these as a gift in a little sample kit but love each of the colors.

Next is Essie's Dress to Kilt . This is a true red but with a little deepness to it I feel like. I just think around the colder months you can not go wrong with a red polish. I just have a swatch of this color because I did not want to have to wait to put up this post.

Another one that I love for fall is Essie's Partner in Crime. This is a brown polish I have never owned a brown polish before but when I got it with this little sample kit I fell in love with it and even though its really only a color for fall I like how it looks with the rich fall colors.

Last but not least is my tried and true, always turn to for fall polish and that is Rimmel London's Lasting Finish Pro in Burgundy Flirt. I love this color and yes I have had it probably longer than you should (at least three years) but it's not clumpy and still looks great on so I keep it. It to me is just fall in a bottle color wise.

These are my top five nail polish colors for fall what is your go to nail polish for fall. Let me know below.

Happy Fall!

-Holly