Tutorial: Carving a pumpkin with a Cool Design.

This year I decided to use a design which I found online.

I am not the greatest at freehand with pumpkin carving.

In fact I still struggle when trying to copy a design =)

So this year Andrew came up with a genius idea!

1. Find a design you like for your pumpkin (I would recommend google as it comes up with lots of different images). Pinterest may work if you have a specific one you have seen in mind.
2. Enlarge the image on your computer (May need to download and zoom in)
3. Take a piece of paper and gently trace the lines on the screen with a pencil (DO NOT push too hard!). A laptop may be easier for this as you can lie it flat and then trace.
4. Take the paper and transfer the pattern to your pumpkin using a pin. Make dots along the lines onto the pumpkin. (I did mine pretty close together)
5. Remove paper when finished and you are ready to carve! 

Hope that helps! 

Enjoy your pumpkins!

Much Love,

L

Pumpkin Party Photos.

Photo Credit: Jenny Mergos

Photo Credit: Jenny Mergos

How do you guys carve your pumpkins?

Much Love,

L

Cute Proposal.

So if you havn't discovered Karen Kingsbury's books yet....you might just need to check them out. 

She writes such inspiring stories which are so touching.

To promote her books, videos have been made on YouTube showing the characters. Such a GREAT idea! 

Her own daughter, Kelsey, appears as Bailey Flannigan...the main character in her latest series.

This video is of her daughter getting engaged (in real life) to one of the other actors in these videos (Kyle from Anthem Lights). 

SO cute! Only have eyes for each other in this sweet moment.

Don't you love proposals?

Much love,

L

P.S. If you havn't heard songs by Anthem Lights check them out on Youtube or Facebook. They rock! I'm stoked they're coming here in Dec! Eeekk!I think my favorites have to be 'Can't Get Over You' and 'Can't Shut Up'

Enjoying the Leaves much?

 

Last Saturday, we managed to get some time together and decided to head out for a bike ride.

This was a plan from last year, we were planning on going biking when the leaves started to change color and just didn't make it out for the trip before I left. Then we spent the rest of the season apart. So this is my first Fall stateside, I'm loving it.

Andrew had the entire weekend off *one very happy Me* so we picked this weekend for our trip.

State park ~ Here we come!

We went out and even got a bike carrier for the car.

They are actually decently priced in Walmart and hey if it means you get to go on fun free  (minus initial cost of bike carrier & gas anyway!) adventures like these....I would highly recommend investing in one.

Anyway....Here are some fun photos. 

 My favorite Goofy guy.

Aren't the colors just stunning! =)

I should probably explain a little about what happened while we were there.

So I chose to look 'cute' for our day out. One can look ladylike and feminine while riding a bike. Seriously.

So I picked out a cute dress I got on clearance from Old Navy the day before ($9!), I did have shorts on underneath (not completely unrealistic). Plus I had washed my hair and tied it up cutely and worn flip flops. I figured it was one of my last chances to make the most of the cute summer clothing since its been like 80-90F for the past week. Doubt it will stay that way for much longer.

So we look at the map once in the Park and see there's a mountain bike trail.

Here's where the american translation was lost on me (doesn't happen that often really). I had in my mind, biking trail and thought oh cool a place we won't annoy pedestrians. Let's go!

Really it was an intense mountain bike trail! 

So we did the 5-mile trail....me in dress and flipflops =)

Well I felt stylish =)

 Working the dress at the 3 mile marker.

Yea baby! 

Fashion aside....it was a super fun trail.

Even if it was intense.

We had fun.

The colors were also breathtaking! 

Praise God for making such an artistic canvas of leaves in the Fall.

So glad no-one came up on the trail behind us at this point.

How are you guys getting out to enjoy the colors?
Much love,
Lisa

This Winter's Quilt.

 Every Winter so far in our marriage (ok last year and now this year =) haha), I have made a quilt. 

Last winter I made an afghan which has been AMAZING on our bed this year. It's super warm and matches the colors in the bedsheets which I chose for our registry a year ago. 

I must have just liked the colors because I didn't even choose them based on the colors in the room =) 

It also works in the living room on our couches to curl under and watch movies in the evenings.

My plan is to make another afgan in different colors. I figured increasing our collection of homemade blankets would be a good thing to do over time.

This winter I am working on another quilt. (Pattern: Joanns ready made quilt set, kind of like this one)

This would be my first successful large quilt. I made a queen size quilt for my first quilting project but didn't use a pattern.....so it was redone several times. I have finally repieced it last Fall, it just needs finishing up. 

Since then I have been into making baby quilts....of which I have made about 5 of them in total. Great for gifts and I kept one for a Hope Chest item =)

This is the quilt for this winter.

I LOVE the colors.....it's the same pattern but different shades of greens, blues and browns. This photo is not the finishing quilt, hence the mistake of the 2 blue squares next to each other at the bottom.

My hope is to finish binding and filling it in the next few weeks.

I may or may not work on the other afghan this year. Will have to see if the yarn I want comes on sale.

What projects do you have for the winter?

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

I have been praying for a while for some wonderful girls my own age in this area. Having only recently moved here permanently.

Just to hang with every once in a while and enjoy lunch or coffee out sometime.

God answered my prayers in a big way this week.

I met up with Shannon, a friend I had not seen for about 11 months!!! =)

We thought this was insane and I had such a wonderful time catching up and sharing things happening in life.

Then yesterday (a day after meeting with Shannon), I met with Ana. A truly sweet girl from our new church. What a wonderful time getting to know these girls striving to live daily for the Lord.

Both these girls are precious.

I am SO thankful! =)

Plus, I have been able to remove another item from my bucket (fall) list.

I had the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks on both occasions. I'm not a huge coffee/tea person, so this was a BIG accomplishment for me. 

Since its been super warm the last few days though....I had both as a frappuccino. I'm still counting this though since it was still the pumpkin spice flavor =)

I liked it a lot more the second time.

If you havn't been to starbucks yet...I HIGHLY recommend you get there and try one.

Much love!

Lisa

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tstrick/4089872104/