Love

It's 12:42am and I'm catching up on my favorite blogs. I turn around and this is what I see. Can life really be any better? Please note my baby-dog resting with my baby-girl, a teddy bear, and two dolls hanging on the couch. Sweet.

Fall Treat Fail

In honor of the delicious fall treats circling blogland...like here, here, and here, I thought I would share my recent attempt at an edible fall creation...fail. This post is proof that I can't cook....no matter how easy the recipe. It's just not in the cards for me.

This recipe couldn't have been any easier. You mix a spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin together and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. When cooled, ice the cake and sprinkle with cinnamon. Simple huh? Well it wasn't for me. The dang cake wouldn't cook. I ended up cooking it for 20 minutes and it was still falling apart. I'm pretty much blaming it on the oven...that's got to be it, right?

I realize it looks okay at this point, but the center is mush. Just a mess of pumpkin mush.

I'm not going to lie to you. We ate it anyway....and it wasn't half bad. :)

Looks like I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon.

Here Lately...

Here lately...

I am uninspired and unmotivated, but not unhappy.
I am staying away from television and reading a lot.
I am enjoying colorful leaves and excited for cool weather.
I am on a diet and craving pumpkin goodies. This is not a great combination.
I am in need of some serious alone time, but don't see it happening any time soon.
I am confused about the hearts of some people, but thankful for others who stand for something.

I am loving the Julie Doiron station on Pandora. It's fantastic.

I am anticipating change. I don't know what it will be, but I'm looking forward to it.

I am growing my hair out and it's driving me nuts.

I am bored, but it's better than overwhelmed.
I am missing friends who are far away, but know they are well. This makes me happy.
I am noticing my daughter growing up right before my eyes. I sure love her.
I am tired of bills, but grateful for an income to pay them.
I am feeling a bit stagnant, but that's okay for now.

I am sleepy a lot. I think my body is entering hibernation mode.

I am feeling close to My God.
I am embracing my views/opinions/qualities, even when others disagree with them.
I am loving myself when others make me feel that maybe I shouldn't.

I am working on patience and understanding.

Crazy. Awesome.

Do you remember my post a few days ago about my girl's birthday bike being stolen? Guess what? We found it!

Last Thursday, I walked over to the recreation center behind my apartment to attend my weekly yoga class. As I walked up, there sat the bike. After a phone call to the police station and speaking with the kids who claim they found it, we got the bike back. We are both sooooo happy. Crazy. Awesome.

L5P Halloween Parade

I love everything about fall...especially Halloween. Hayley, my sis, and I headed down to the L5P parade this weekend to celebrate the festivities. Little Five Points is a funky, eclectic area where you can find an interesting mix of people. It is one of my favorite areas in Atlanta to shop for vintage clothing, check out crazy novelty shops, or grab a drink and people-watch. Plus, they really know how to do Halloween...that is a plus in my book.

Hot-Tub-Time-Machine girls dancing on a U-Haul...

Cute Mummies ...

A little bit retro...

 Zombie Car...

 Super scary dude...

Man dressed as a woman...

Acrobats...

BeetleJuice...

Me & Hayley having fun...

Rah! Rah! Sis-Boom-Bah!

I have been quite busy lately with Hayley's new found sport. I never would have thought she would be interested in cheerleading, but she loves it.

I was a cheerleader for years. Looking back, I don't know why. I hated cheering outside in 100 degree weather. I wasn't a fan of all the girl/parent drama. And I don't know the first thing about football. I guess I did it because my friends and siblings were involved...and that's just what we did.

I sort of hoped to detour Hayley from participating in this sport since I have witnessed a lot of the nonsense it tends to invoke. I can't seem to sway her, so I will support her love for cheerleading. I will remain calm when I hear 5-6-7-8 or "Mom, watch this cheer" twenty times in a row. I will smile and say, "Go Hayley!"

So, we've been doing a lot of this....

She sure is a cute, little cheerleader, anyway. Go Hornets!

PAR-TAY!

We celebrated Hayley's birthday a couple of weeks ago....it was super cute. She chose to have dessert here. Then we moved the after-party to our place for a sleepover.

Hayley and her cute friends posing for some fabulous photos....because they are soooo fabulous.

Getting ready to open some fun presents.

The birthday girl with the coolest mom and coolest aunt ever.

We got a little too excited about dessert and sort of forgot the candles/singing ...I know, I know. But we made up for it before eating a late-night snack. See....

My crazy girl about to eat chocolate cake from Aqua Blue on her birthday.

Hayley and some of her gifts from me...at least she got to enjoy her new bike for a couple of weeks before some jerk stole it. Now I get to buy another one....awesome.

Fun times! (Well, except for the bike incident...jerk.)

Sweet Family Photos

My awesome friend, Julia took a photo shoot of my little family yesterday. Here is a sneak peek...

I think they are great and I can't wait to see the rest...so exciting. Julia is super talented...you can check her out here. Thank you, Julia!