Pumpkin Bread

I just love to bake! I made a couple of loaves of pumpkin bread a few days ago and it turned out very yummy. I love the way that it makes the house smell! The recipe is down below and is an old family favorite.

Farm Fresh Eggs...

I tend to make just a bit of a mess when sifting flour...

And maybe just a little bit of a mess when blending it all together...

Ready to eat!!

3 C Sugar
1 C Salad Oil (read: Vegetable Oil)
4 eggs, beaten
1 C pumpkin
2/3 C water
31/2 C flour
1/2 C walnuts
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each of nutmeg, all spice and cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

1) Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well
2) Sift dry ingredients into separate bowl
3) Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternating with water
4) Pour mix into 2 9x5 greased/floured loaf pans
5) Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Stand 10 min. Remove from loaf pan to cool

Midwestern Winter

A few shots from Iowa and Minnesota last Christmas. Shot with 35mm film; these are scanned negatives. I got them scanned at RiteAid (I know, I know) and they totally screwed up the scans; but I feel like the results are rather intriguing. There is almost a translucent feel to them. I shot them all except for where noted otherwise. Enjoy a winter treatise!

Above and below shot by hubby DB

Above shot by DB. Amazing the peaceful quality he captures.

Traditional Trimmings

This is the last set of images from Hello Holidays! I had such a great time pulling all of this together! These images are meant to inspire a traditional homemaker to branch out just a little bit. Add a bit of sparkle and just a few woodsy-elements to update your heirloom holiday decor. A gilded mirror with an evergreen garland can be beautiful! And the evergreen doesn't need to be a traditional pine garland; it could be made of magnolia leaves, boxwood branches, rosemary sprigs, or eucalyptus. I hope you all find a bit of inspiration to decorate your homes this season! I can't wait to put up our tree and get ready for the holidays!

Scandinavian Snowfall

This is the second set of lovely inspiring images from the Hello Holidays! workshop from this past weekend. This theme was inspired by clean, modern winter designs: stark whites against bright reds, clean lines, geometric shapes, and a bit of mid-century Scandinavian. I love absorbing this clean, modern, style; but have yet to pull it off in my own home! Maybe someday if I end up in a 50's ranch-style home, I can go nuts with this sleek modern design, but until then, just soaking up all this beauty in images works for me!

West Elm

Crate and Barrel

Stay tuned for the last set of beautiful pictures later this week!

Woodland Wonderland

I had such a blast presenting at Hello Holidays! this past weekend. I presented on decorating for the holidays and part of my session was a collection of inspiring images! The first set of images was based on a "Woodland Wonderland" theme. I built this around the warm, cozy feeling of the holidays: lots of flannel, cozy bits, full of outdoor goodies; very much a modern take on the hunting/ski lodge in the mountains. Enjoy a bit of cuddly respite from the chaos of the season!

ps--the Danish word I referred to in my workshop is spelled "hoogley" and it (roughly) means, cozy, warm, small, cuddly. Just imagine the feeling of being curled up in front of a roaring fire on a snowy winter day with warm cup of coffee and all your loved ones; that is the definition of hoogley. I'm afraid this could be an "Americanized" spelling of the word; but it is the closest I could find :)

Toast

Toast

ZGallerie

Amy Rupel

Check back later this week for the other two sets of inspiring holiday images! Lots of beautiful things to come!

if ever you want to buy me a gift...

Look at these beautiful baubles by Becky Kelso. I don't know much about jewelry design, but these almost feel Moroccan or Indian inspired with a dash of classic French touches. Whatever they are, they sure are pretty!

I think this one (above) is my favorite!