Autumn Amelia

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend!

Mine was simply fabulous as it was my Birthday Weekend.

Erik and I have a motto that you get to do whatever you want on your birthday.

We usually celebrate the entire weekend before or after our actual birthday and that eventually rolls over to include a good week of celebrating.

The rule that you get to do whatever you want on your birthday applies to the full week as well.

This weekend we fit so many of my favorite things in.

Friday included a surprise visit from Erik at lunch.

He brought me food and yellow roses or "golden" roses since it's my golden birthday.

That night we ordered pizza and relaxed at home.

If you know Erik he would rather pick up food than pay for the delivery fee so, I make sure to take advantage of getting food delivered on my birthday.

I opened my presents which all had a gold element to them.

We ate Funfetti cake, watched a chick flick and Erik gave me a foot rub.

Saturday morning Erik made me crepes for breakfast.

We went shopping at the mall and Target and Erik talked me into buying things I normally wouldn't.

After shopping I treated myself to a pedicure and got some sparkly gold toes.

Then we ran to the movie theatre and grabbed some popcorn just to bring home and munch on.

Sunday we slept in and relaxed a good portion of the day.

It was actually warm enough to go for a walk so we went outside and got some Vitamin D.

That evening we watched the Wizard of Oz in preparation for the play Wicked which we will be seeing on my actual birthday. 

I feel so spoiled and it's not even my birthday yet.

My birthday is tomorrow and there is much more celebrating to be had.

As I mentioned we are going to see Wicked and then spending the night at my favorite hotel. 

I am so grateful for my husband.

He helps me celebrate life by being up for anything and everything.

I feel so rejuvenated after this weekend and it has reminded me that sometimes you just gotta treat yo' self.

What would your perfect birthday include?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

My birthday is in just a few days!

And if you did not know, there are many places that offer FREE things to you for your birthday.

There are so many offers to take advantage of, I am going to narrow it down to the five things I get every year.

Sephora

Sephora offers a free gift to you for your birthday if you are a member of Beauty Insider.

It's free to join and you get a nice high priced item for your birthday.

They usually offer a selection of two things so, you have a higher chance of snagging something you'll use.

This year it's a Kat Von D Make Up Set or Drunk Elephant Skin Set.

I am not fancy...

All of my make up is from the grocery store so, I love to snag an upper scale item to try out. 

Red Robin

Red Robin offers a free burger for your birthday if you are a member of Red Robin Royalty.

It is also free to join and you earn rewards each time you visit to apply to future food.

Erik and I have frequented Red Robin since we were teenagers.

Fries are my love language and their fries are bottomless so, we tend to make a stop around here on my birthday.

The Container Store

Don't judge me...

I only discovered the Container Store within the last few years and it is my heaven on Earth.

I am all about organizing but, it can add up quickly.

Good thing the Container Store offers a 15% off your purchase coupon during the month of your birthday if you are a member of POP! Rewards.
It is free to join and it will help you get your life together.

I honestly could spend my whole birthday organizing and I would be satisfied.

Starbucks

I am not much of a coffee drinker...

But, I do love me some peppermint white hot chocolate during the winter and a pink drink or refresher during the spring and summer.

Starbucks offers a free drink for your birthday if you are a member of Starbucks Rewards.
It's free to join and is a must if you are a coffee addict. 

I love to score my free drink at a Target location and sip on it while shopping.

I know I am a basic white girl...

Honorable Mention:

I am a huge fan of Tarte Cosmetics.

They are the only non grocery store make up I have ever purchased.

They just announced that they will be offering a free gift if you are a Tarte Rewards member and I am so excited!

From what I can gather from the clip they posted on Instagram it will be a trial sized blush and mascara.

I am obsessed with their blush and have been dying to try their mascara so I am all for this!

If you are interested in finding out what free offers you can score on your birthday here is a looong list that should cover all of your needs.

Do you like to score freebies for your birthday?

What is your favorite one?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

Last week was a long one for me.

It started with a mom hunting me down in a store on Monday and screaming at me for not accepting her son's apology after he ran into me, I hope you know me well enough to know that is not true, and ended with me waking up to an earthquake on Friday morning.

Halfway through the week I was feeling pretty overwhelmed.

I have mentioned previously that I have anxiety but I don't think I have mentioned that it keeps me from sleeping.

A get a few hours a night if I am lucky.

Wednesday evening I was feeling really down and facing a night of no sleep was something I was not looking forward to. 

Erik could tell something was wrong, so he asked what was bothering me.

I told him what was on my mind and he immediately leapt into action.

He got me my night time necessities, a nice cold glass of water and my heating pad.

He gave me a foot rub, stayed awake and talked with me until way past his bedtime.

We were laying in bed talking and I watched as the clock ticked past midnight turning into Valentine's Day and thought how lucky I was that he was my valentine.

I knew that Erik would give me an amazing Valentine's Day in a few hours but it couldn't compare to that moment.

Roses and chocolate are amazing gifts but, having him take care of my needs meant so much more.

I am so grateful for Erik and his patience.
He is an amazing man and I am very lucky that I was able to snatch him up.
If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to marry someone like him.
I hope you all had an amazing Valentine's Day.
And here is to a better week!

All my love,
Autumn

The Decor:

Gold, gold and more gold.

You can never have too much gold when it comes to a golden birthday.

Go gold or go home! 

Gold is back baby!

I never thought I would have gold accents in my home but I can't get enough!

I used some of our gold home decor to ad shape.

Like this gold sea urchin thing.

Erik's favorite candy is Reese's.

The miniatures come wrapped in gold so, I placed some in an apothecary jar and added them as a decoration as well. 

The Music:

Each year Erik and I choose a song for our birthday.

It usually includes the number of the age we are turning.

We had a hard time finding one for 26...

Since it is our golden birthday, we figured a song about gold would work.

Erik requested Golden Years by David Bowie and I couldn't have been more proud.

"Golden" Songs:

David Bowie - Golden Years
Macklemore - Gold
Prince - Gold
Imagine Dragons - Gold
The Turtles - Glitter and Gold
The Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling
The Kinks - Heart of Gold
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Thompson Twins - Fools Gold
Ben Harper - Gold To Me
Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Women
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - Gold Lion
Smash Mouth - All Star

CHVRCHES - Make Them Gold
Kanye West - Gold Digger
Gallant - Weight In Gold
MIKA - We Are Golden

Galantis - Gold Dust
Kiiara - Gold

The Gifts:

My sister's golden birthday was a few years ago and I shared this golden birthday idea.

It included several gold items, including a gold Made By Mary necklace.

A gold or rose gold piece of jewelry is the perfect gift for a golden birthday.

It's on my wish list for sure!

I am so excited to celebrate my golden birthday.

As you know I am big into celebrations and we are going BIG since it's my golden.

What did/would you do for your golden birthday?

Hello everyone!

This past weekend my niece Baylee turned six.

Erik and I took her out on a little day date to celebrate.

We went to the mall and stopped by Claire's because that store is what little girls dreams are made of.

After our visit, I think my niece would have to agree.

There were having a deal; buy three things, get three free

So, we let her pick six items out by herself.

She chose a make up palette, make up brushes, a set of 5 rings, sparkly nail polish, a set of 3 bangles and a birthday crown.

Baylee saw a commercial for Olive Garden a few weeks ago and asked if we could go there.

I thought it would be the perfect place for lunch after our shopping trip.

When we arrived, she asked if she could get ready before going in.

She put on her crown, bangles, rings, and some gold glitter eye shadow.

It was so fun to watch her get all dressed up and take each item into consideration before putting it on.

When we walked in all the servers wished her a Happy Birthday.

She loved it!

She enjoyed playing games with Erik on her menu and ate all the breadsticks.

Since it was her birthday celebration she received an ice cream sundae and was sang Happy Birthday.

Afterwards, Erik realized that the Olive Garden shared a parking lot with Krispy Kreme.

And Erik cannot pass up a donut...

So, we made one more stop and got a donut each.

Baylee chose a valentine themed one that was decorated like a conversation heart.

She got the biggest kick out of the fact that it said "Call Me" on it. 

My nieces have such a special place in my heart.

I love to hear about their interests and watch their imaginations grow.
They are so creative.

I can't wait to see all that they accomplish.

Happy Sixth Birthday Baylee!

We love you!

All my love,

Aunt "Artie"

Hello everyone!

Valentine's Day is less than a week away!

I have always loved Valentine's Day and the opportunity it provides to show love to those around me.

There can be a lot of pressure associated with Valentine's Day to buy this and that. 

But, I believe that you don't have to drop a lot of cash to make it a good day.
It's about being with each other.

And making breakfast together is a great low cost option.

To make it even more festive I am sharing this delicious homemade red velvet heart shaped pancake recipe.

You will need:

2 Cups of Flour

3 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder 

2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder 

1/2 a Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 a Teaspoon of Salt

2 Cups of Milk

2 Tablespoons of White Vinegar

1/2 a Cup of Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of Red Food Coloring

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract

1/3 a Cup of Salted Butter, Melted

Cream Cheese Glaze

6 Ounces of Cream Cheese, Softened

6 Tablespoons of Butter, Softened

2 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1/2 a Cup of Milk

1/2 a Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Preheat griddle to 300o.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the milk and white vinegar together and let rest for 2 minutes.

Add the sugar, eggs, red food coloring, vanilla and melted butter to the milk mixture and whisk until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly, while continuing to whisk, until just combined.

Grease the preheated griddle.

Grease your heart shaped cookie cutter with cooking spray and place flat on the griddle.

Fill the cookie cutter a fourth way full with the batter.
Use a toothpick to help spread the batter, if needed. 

Let cook for three to four minutes on the first side.
The pancake should rise half way up the cookie cutter.

Using an oven mitt, remove the cookie cutter from the griddle raising it straight up.
Be careful it will be HOT!

The pancake should keep its shape on its own.

Flip the pancake over and cook for one to two more minutes on the opposite side. 

Repeat with the rest of the batter.


Prepare the glaze.

In a mixing bowl, blend together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.

Add in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Add more milk to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken, if needed.

Drizzle the glaze on top of the pancakes.

Enjoy!

To make these pancakes even more festive I used a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut the butter into heart shapes as well.

Using cookie cutters to make festive pancakes is a great option for any holiday.

Erik and I have done it since we were first married.

Making red velvet pancakes for Valentine's Day just seemed fitting.

And I am a huge fan of red velvet so you know I loved these!
What do you do to celebrate Valentine's Day?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.

Erik and I sure did!

It was rather eventful.

Friday was full of celebrations.
It was February 1st which means it's officially my birthday month!

We also made it through January.

It was national bubblegum day.

National wear red day.

And it was FRIDAY!

Needless to say we celebrated.

Saturday was Groundhog Day.

That may not be cause for celebration for some but Erik and I are big fans of Groundhog Day.

We read up on the history several years ago and got the biggest kick out of it.

Did you know that Punxsutawney Phil has found the elixir of life?

That's why he has been around for 133 years!

Humans have tried to use it but it just turns them fat and bald. 😂
What a riot!
Also, watching grown men wear top hats and get a crowd excited about a groundhog that predicts the weather is quite a sight to be seen.

Erik and I usually watch the big reveal together and then watch Bill Murray's Groundhog Day later that evening.

This year Erik asked if he could make me a special breakfast for Groundhog Day and of course I said yes.

Here is the masterpiece he presented me with.

Punxsutawney pancakes!

That man makes my world such a happy place.

We ate these while getting the amazing news that spring is on it's way.

Needless to say the pancakes will be part of our Groundhog Day traditions from now on.

Then Sunday was the Super Bowl.

It was such a fun weekend.
I am grateful for a husband who will celebrate everyday with me.

How did you spend your weekend?

I'd love to hear!

All my love,

Autumn

You will need:

Knife

Rolling Pin

Cutting Board

Pastry Brush

Lots of Candy!

 I Used:

Swedish Fish

Haribo Berries

Orange Slices

Mike and Ikes

Fruit By The Foot

Rise Krispie Treats

White Chocolate

Milk Chocolate

Cut one Rice Krispie Treat in half.

With the pastry brush, brush the top of one of the halves with melted white chocolate.

Place your choice of Swedish Fish on top.

Cut Fruit By The Foot into a three inch piece.

Place it over the top of the Swedish Fish and down the sides of the Rice Kripsie Treat.

Press the ends firmly to the Rice Krispie Treat to hold in place.

Using the rolling pin, flatten one Rice Krispie Treat to half its original height.

Place a Haribo Berry at the top of one end and roll until it's completely encased.

Cut of excess Rice Krispie Treat.

Wrap Fruit By The Foot around the entire roll and cut off excess.

Press the Fruit By The Foot firmly to the Rice Krispie Treat to hold.

Cut each Mike and Ike into three equal pieces.

With the rolling pin, flatten one Rice Krispie Treat to half of its original height.

Place the Mike in Ikes at the end of one side of the Rice Krispie Treat in a single layer, an inch or two along the treat.

Roll the Rice Krispie until it's completely encased. 

Cut of excess Rice Krispie Treat.

Wrap Fruit By The Foot around the entire roll.

Cut off excess.

Press Fruit By The Foot firmly to the Rice Krispie Treat to hold.

Erik loved the taste of the entire candy sushi dipped in it but, I found it a little too sour for my taste.

I did enjoy dipping things in it individually though.