Oh Hey Friday // Happy Halloween

Well hi!  I hope you had a lovely week.  Are you a Halloween aficionado?  I must confess that I sort of forgot about it until exactly a week ago... Lets just say that thanks to October being prime time for papers and midterms, Halloween doesn't always make it to the top of my priorities list.  However, in honor of the "holiday", today's Oh Hey Friday 5s will be all my favorite Halloween things.  As usual I am linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September FARM - click on those links to check out more of the Oh Hey Friday link up.

1.  I'm just going to put it out there and say that my very favorite part of Halloween is all of the yummy treats.  I doubt I am alone in this.  Probably the best are the popcorn balls that my mother-in-law's good friend makes for us every year (I really scored by marrying Brett and thus being given my own popcorn ball every year... Hehehe).  I am tempted to try making my own one year and this recipe seems pretty easy (probably the one that I will try).  Thankfully, it does not require the making of caramel (been there, tried that, it wasn't pretty) so that is definitely a step in the right direction.

2.  Couples Halloween costumes.  One year Brett and I got really creative and dressed up as Minnie and Mickey Mouse.  I searched and searched to find a picture of us together but seriously can't find one anywhere.  Sheesh.

3.  Creative decor.  I am not the type to go all out on themed decor - I'm not sure if this is because it requires advanced planning and don't think about it enough ahead of time (I really struggle sometimes guys) or if I am actually just lazy, but for some reason it just doesn't happen for me.  That being said, next year I really want to do this somehow (minus the forest, growing the forest in southern Saskatchewan would take an actual act of magic...).

Source

4.  Seeing all the cute little kids dressed up.  Seriously, the cutest (I can feel the baby fever setting in):

5.  Seeing all the children get waaaay to wired on candy.  After all, the best cure for baby fever is reminding yourself that you can sit on your couch and relax while all the parents in the neighborhood try to put their overtired, all-jacked-up-on-candy children to sleep.  Hehehe.

Enjoy your Halloween and your weekend!  Also, thanks so much to everyone who participated in my giveaway this past week!!

The Winner of the Giveaway!!

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  Our randomly chosen winner is Kelsey Singbeil.  Congrats!  Send me a facebook message to let me know which earrings you want!

Blogger Men Tell All

Linking up with The Samantha Life today

Weren't you just dying to see another link up?  This one is a fun one and really perfect timing actually because today is my wonderful husband's 25th birthday!!  I find it hard to believe that Brett was 20 when we started dating and now suddenly he is 25.  Where did the time go??  In any case, a post all about him on his birthday is just right.  For the link up, the men are given five interview questions to answer.  Let's get at it!

1.  Is Halloween your favorite holiday?  If not, what is?

"Halloween is not my favorite holiday.  Christmas is definitely my favorite; because you get time off, get to hang out with lots of family and I like the feeling of the season."

2.  What will you be dressing up as for Halloween this year?

"Haha... Ummm... That's usually something I plan the day of the Halloween party."
Classic man!

Brett and Rob - one of his best buds from Ag school.  I feel like I should note that these are Halloween costumes and not how they actually dress in their day-to-day lives.

3.  What is your go-to drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)?

"Great western beer."

4.  What is your favorite scary movie?

"I like The Walking Dead series.  I realize that this is not a horror film.  The Woman in Black is definitely the scariest one I have seen, but I wouldn't say I 'liked' it."

5.  What is your best Halloween memory?

"My favorite Halloween memories are growing up in our small town.  Our goal as kids was to get to every single house in town.  Winning the challenge was awesome, and it was cool to grow up in a town small enough where you could actually get to every house and as an older kid you could go alone with your friends because the town was so safe."

Bonus section!  These didn't come from the link up, but I figured we should have a few non-Halloweenish questions as well, considering it is his birthday.

6.  If money was no object, what would be your ideal way to spend your birthday?

"I think the ideal way to spend my birthday if money were no object would be to drive to California with our good friends/family Steve and Stacey in our corvettes [we don't have corvettes by the way, this is the money is no object part].  When we get there we would hang out, Steve and I would go drive our cars on a race track, and we would all just relax."

7.  When do you feel happiest?

"Probably my favorite days are when we take a slow morning, relaxing in our house.  Also, if I have time to go for a drive or motorcycle ride just for the fun of it."

8.  Farming isn't a job many people would do.  What are three occupations that you would never do?

"I would never be able to be an accountant/lawyer type job (way too tedious and I wouldn't want to sit at a desk all day), or a nurse/doctor (I don't want none of that gross people stuff) [hahahaha], or anything requiring me to stay in a cubicle all day."

9.  What are the top three things you want to do in your next five years?

"I would like to start having a family in the next five years.  I'd like to go on an out-of-country holiday.  And I would like to expand our farm company."

10.  What are some of your favorite birthday memories?

"The birthday when my parents got me a super nintendo... That was awesome.  I like getting cooked my favorite meal on my birthday.  And when you planned a surprise party for me and I actually was surprised and then you made me a tractor cake."

P.S.  Today is the last day to enter into my blog anniversary giveway!  Winner will be chosen tomorrow so get on it!  Follow this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easy Chicken Chili Recipe

Before I get into this recipe, I want to remind you to enter the earring giveaway commemorating my one year blogging anniversary later this week.  You can see the earrings here and you can enter the giveaway at this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway  If you have already entered the giveaway, you can use one of the other options for more entries!

And now onto the recipe:

Fall always makes me crave chili.  It is so warm and comforting to eat, and freezes well into lunch sized portions so I don't have to get up as early on cold mornings to make a lunch.  I know that lots of people love spicy food and spicy chili, I am just not one of those people.  I am definitely more of a sweet chili type of girl.  If you love spicy chili, you can definitely adapt this recipe and it would be spicy and sweet at the same time (that does sound delicious).  But if you suffer from heartburn issues like myself, sweet chili is a great alternative.

This is always my go-to meal when I want something hearty and that won't take a lot of time to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 package of ground chicken (I also use ground beef, but I prefer the taste of chicken if I can get it)
2 14oz cans of brown beans in maple sauce
1 14oz can of brown beans in tomato sauce
1 12oz can of corn niblets
1 can of chickpeas (optional)
1 can of mushroom pieces and stems (optional)
Spices to taste (I usually use garlic and onion powder and seasoning salt)

*the ideal would be to also chop up an onion and cook the chicken with the onion... But an allergy that causes my whole face to get hives when I am anywhere in the near vicinity of an onion being cut leads me to just use the powder (who knew you would get so much of my medical history with this recipe post).*

Directions:

1.  Brown the chicken in a large saucepan with about an inch of water in the bottom (you know the chicken is cooked thoroughly when the water is gone).

2.  Add in the beans, corn, chickpeas (if you wish), mushrooms (if you wish) and seasonings as desired.  Stir well and turn heat down to low.

3.  This can be eaten as soon as it is hot; but if you have the time, I like to let it simmer on low for at least 30mins to allow the flavors to meld together.

4.  Serve with biscuits or bread and a little cheese on top.

Hope you enjoy this chili as much as I do!  I cook it so often during the winter that Brett gets pretty sick of it by spring, but it is just so good!

Have a lovely Monday!

Oh Hey Friday // Cats are where its at

Hello on another lovely Friday!  As usual I am linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September FARM for the ole Oh Hey Friday link up - click on those links to check out more of the Oh Hey Friday link up.

Today is the day for you all to hear all about why cats are better than dogs.  Just kidding.  I will, however, be letting you in on the five reasons I would call myself a cat person/five myths about cats.  There's a lot of people hating on cats and cat people, and I am just not a fan of that attitude.  It is time for some cat lovin' up in here.

1.  They actually are cuddly.  Whenever I tell someone we have a cat or I like cats I always get the "Why would you want a cat?  They don't care to cuddle with people, they just do their own thing."  Not true.  Although George has times of day when he is more active and less likely to want snuggles (generally after 9PM and before 7AM), during the afternoon and evening all he wants to do is cuddle with us.  Exhibit A:

Is that my cat swaddled like a baby? Yes. Did he sleep like that for almost an hour? Yes.

2.  "Cats are so stupid."  No sir, you are incorrect.  I think you have mistaken stupid for indifferent and determined to do what they want.  As someone who is also determined to do what I want, I can respect that.  

Source

3.  "You can't train a cat."  First of all, the fact that you can train your cat to go to the bathroom in a box of dirt and nowhere else in your house makes this argument invalid.  Second of all, other than the bathroom thing, we have taught George to do two things that are (we think) pretty awesome - have I turned into the parent bragging about my kids accomplishments?  Oh its actually worse than that because its my cat....  Moving on.  The two things he can do:

        a. Play fetch with his toy mice

        b. Does not sit on the couch unless his blanket is down to protect the leather.

4.  He always greets me at the door when I come home.  So many people say that cats don't do this, but I beg to differ.  George will greet me at the door when I get home (especially after being away for a long time) and then follow me around the house meowing until I pick him up.

5.  They are a good substitute for TV if you are bored.  Cats do the most hilarious things.  For serious consult this video for further examples.

My message for the day: don't hate on my cat if you don't want me to hate on your dog.  Also, if you haven't heard about my one year blogging anniversary you should definitely get in on it!  Follow this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway and have a lovely weekend!

One Year Blogging Anniversary and a Giveaway!

I can hardly believe that next Thursday will be one year for this little blog!  To commemorate, I will be hosting a giveaway which starts today and goes until Wednesday October 29th.

What you can win (your choice of option 1, 2 or 3):

On Live, Love and be Married's anniversary (October 30th), I will announce the winner on the blog, the twitter page, the instagram page, and the facebook page (so make sure you check at least one of those options).  The winner must send me a message to the facebook page with their choice of the earrings they want and their address within 24hours (before November 1st) to claim their prize.

Other housekeeping items:
1.  To be eligible for this giveaway you must live in either Canada or the United States - I apologize if you are an international reader :(
2.  I do not claim to be a professional jewelry maker.  I just do this as a hobby because I like to and wanted this prize to be something handmade by me.  But keep in mind that these earrings are not fine jewelry and they won't be totally perfect (if only I was that good).
3.  You can tweet about the giveaway each day for the week that I am running the giveaway to earn multiple entried.

Close ups of your options:

Good luck everyone!  Thank you so much for checking out this blog of mine.  I so appreciate all the positive comments and connections I have made over the last year and can't wait to make more over the time to come.

Follow the following to get to the giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Choosing the Perfect Ring

So you are thinking about getting engaged?  Congrats!  This is such an exciting time, and choosing the perfect ring is all part of that.  But it is a big decision and can cause some stress at the beginning (I know it did for Brett and I).  I hope this post can offer some good advice, it is all things that Brett and I learned when we were going through the process.

First, decide on a budget together.  If the man is the one who will be putting out the cash for the ring, then be respectful of his boundaries.  If you plan on purchasing it together, then it should be a joint decision.  This is probably the hardest part of the whole process; it could be the first time you and your significant other really talk about finances.  Probably the best advice I could offer anyone who is going to be purchasing an engagement ring is that the cost of the ring has no bearing on how stable your relationship is or how much your S/O loves you.  Also, as a female, keep in mind how your ring talk can come off.  For instance, I would point out huge Tacori rings and say "Wow what an amazing ring.  Can you imagine wearing that every day?"  To me, this was just a passing comment much like if Brett were to say "Look at that Ferrari... I would love to commute in that every day."  But to Brett he took it more as "I will be ticked right off if that's not what you propose with".  Classic miscommunication - be aware of this.

Next, know what will drive up the cost.  Diamond cost is directly related to four things: cut, clarity, color, and carat.  Keep in mind I am not a diamond expert, this is just what we learned during our ring search.  I suggest getting a more thorough run down of these concepts by an actual jeweller.

1.  Cut refers to the number of "cuts" (facets) on the diamond itself, rather than its actual shape.  Each flat surface on a diamond is a cut.

Illustration of diamond cuts.  Source.

2.  Clarity refers to imperfections in the diamond that happened while the diamond was being formed.  This will range from no imperfections visible under a microscope to imperfections being visible to the naked eye.

3.  Color is pretty self explanatory.  The best rating of color is a D (totally clear) and then ranges down from that.  It goes from clear and then like an ombre to yellow.  J is where the naked eye can usually detect a slight yellowish tinge to the diamond.

4.  Carat is what you hear about the most and talks about the size of the diamond.  Most experts will say that you should choose a diamond lastly because of it's carat weight.

Hopefully I didn't lose you in all those technicalities.  Onto more fun stuff now.

Look around on the internet together before heading out to a store.  Some sales people can get really pushy and you need to have an idea of what you want before facing them.  Pinterest is always a good source for this.  To help decide on your personal ring style, ask yourself these questions:
1.  What is my personal clothing style like?  Classic, preppy, bohemian, etc.?
2.  Do I prefer angular rings with one large center stone and not much on the band or a ring that has more "flow".
3.  What is my favorite shape for a center stone (Round Brilliant, Princess, Marquis, etc.)
4.  What metal do we want to use (be sure to match this to your skin tone. I loved rose gold but the red undertones in my skin couldn't handle the look).
5.  What kind of center stone do I want?  Diamonds aren't all that is out there.  You could be like Princess Di and go for a sapphire (this is what we did), or do something different like an emerald (I love this one).  Doing something other than a diamond can also help cut your costs.  Just keep in mind the strength of the stone.  Precious stones such as sapphires, emeralds and rubies are hard enough to stand up to every day wear without scuffing but other stones (like aquamarine) might not be able - ask your jeweller about this.

Also, don't forget about the wedding band (arguably the most important ring of the two).  Do you want something with diamonds?  Does your work permit you to have something with diamonds?  I had to get a plain band for work because of infection control policy.  Often, engagement rings and wedding bands are sold in sets, but that's not to say you have to buy them together.  My ring came with a diamond band, but we only purchased the engagement ring because we knew I couldn't have a diamond band for nursing.

Now that you have an idea of what you want, it is time to decide whether you are going to go to the store alone or together.  Brett and I went together, but the downside of this is that I knew he had the ring somewhere and I couldn't see it (since he didn't propose until a few weeks after he bought it).

Lastly, remember that service sells.  Brett had bought a lot of my other jewelry from Heinrichs in Saskatoon and had always gotten good service.  Naturally this is where we went for the final purchase of our engagement ring and we were not disappointed.

Now just to wait for the proposal...

Hope that this could help!  Any questions or comments?  Leave me one in the comments section! 

Deep Thoughts for a Friday

Today I am interupting my usual Oh Hey Friday for some deeper thoughts.  It seems that if I ever read the Huffington Post (which I often don't find the time to) I end up with a lot of thoughts and the desire to write.  I should read the Huffington Post more - it would probably do great things for my blog content.

It all started with the article called Hello America, It's Me, Colorado by Jen Caltrider.  The author was trying to educate people on the new bill that is being voted on in November in Colorado called Amendment 67.  This bill has the intention of changing the definition of a "person" to include any unborn fetus/baby.  By doing so, it renders abortion - in any instance - illegal, as well as making the use of some forms of birth control (such as the Pill or IUD's) illegal.  Furthermore, cases of miscarriage would be considered "suspicious deaths" and could require a coroner's inquiry.

I truly have no desire to inspire a heated debate about whether or not abortion is right or wrong.  I have my opinions and I know that you have yours.  We both have the right to those opinions and we can leave it at that.

What concerned me most about reading this article was one of the comments left at the bottom which said "How about you keep the men out of your pants, so you don't murder innocent babies".  I found myself surprised that someone would publicly take such a hard-nosed stance in this day and age.

As it happens with the internet, I somehow found myself reading the article The Night Facebook Suggested I 'Might Know' my Rapist by Sarah Marcus.  Yep, that really escalated quickly.  I think that everyone should read this woman's story, because without seeing life through a rape victim's eyes (and empathizing with her), I don't think there is any way for someone to truly understand the breadth or depth of the consequences of Amendment 67.

Throughout the course of my nursing education, I can look at myself and see a change in my own capacity for empathy.  Going into university as an 18 year old with very limited life experience, I admit that I was often quick to judge others if they made life choices that weren't my own.  It does not make me proud to admit this.  My view on life at this time was narrow, immature.  At the end of my nursing education, my opinions and views have overgone quite a change.

Why?  Not because of whether a doctor or scientist believes that a fetus less than 20 weeks matured is not considered viable.  Certainly not because I myself have dealt with a drug problem or an unplanned pregnancy.  Rather, because of something more important nursing school has taught me.  During the past four years, I have worked with patients and peers from all walks of life, with all manner of experiences and diagnoses.  I have learned that there is more to life than just what I have experienced of it.

Who am I to judge what someone else is going through, if I have not gone through it myself?  I guess if I were to give you my true "opinion", it would be that I can only have an opinion for my own situation.

I hope that I didn't rain too much on your Friday parade with my own deep thoughts.  I hope that we can all go into this weekend with a little more love for one another than we had before.

And just as a heads up, there is something special coming on Wednesday to show my love for my wonderful readers - so stay tuned!

Currently

Baking: lots of English Muffins.  It turns out these are really easy to make by hand.  Brett loves having them for breakfast before heading off to the farm so I try to keep them around as much as possible.
Drinking: iced tea (like actual cold tea).  Funny how in August I was drinking lots of hot tea and now that the weather has turned I am craving iced tea... Strange.  I like to make mine out of Earl Grey tea with two teaspoons of sugar and lots of ice.  Delicious!
Reading: I Have Nothing to Wear by Jill Martin and Dana Ravich.  It has been really great so far in helping me to define my personal style and make it easier to put together outfits, as well as knowing what to shop for.
Wanting: this Canon Rebel T5i.  I think it is going to be my graduation present to myself.  Only six and a half more months!

What a beauty.

Looking: at lots of travel websites.  We are hoping to do a trip to Europe next year.  I am obsessed with Scotland.  What a magical looking place!
Playing: with procrastination.  What is it about fourth year that makes me not want to do any school work?
Sewing: baby gifts.  More on this later...

Enjoying: my favorite shows being back on.  Loving Heartland and Grey's Anatomy!
Wearing: lots of layers.  It is taking me a while to adjust to the cooler temperatures.
Waiting: impatiently (something that I need to work on...).
Loving: riding boots season (as you have all heard about at length already).
Anticipating: final practicum starting in January!  I can't wait to get back into the hospital setting.
Smelling: Bath and Body Works Pumpkin Spice Latte pocetbac hand sanitizer.  Cold and flu season is upon us people!  Wash those hands!
Praying: to safely finish harvest this week.
Feeling: thankful for a productive long weekend and excited to finish up this term in a month and a half.

Happy Thanksgiving and some housekeeping items

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!  We are still in the field so this was a pretty low key weekend for us - with some amazing food from my lovely mother and mother-in-law.

I've also been using this time to get some much needed book work done such as papers writing, studying for midterms, organizing business papers for taxes and some minor redesign stuff for the blog.  Whew.  I am going to need a weekend from my long weekend!

A lot of tea was getting drank indeed... And what is that on my computer screen??

The blog officially is linked with social media!!  That is the Live, Love and Be Married blog's facebook page you can see on my computer scree in the picture above.  I have been thinking about doing this for a while now and finally I decided this was the weekend to get things up and running.  I am new to all this (particularly Twitter) so please bear with me as I work to find a balance.  I you look to your right (said in my best flight attendant voice) you will see a "Follow Along" section on the toolbar.  Those links will take you to the various social media sites that Live, Love and Be Married is now on.  I would love for you to follow along!

Oh Hey Friday // Friday Confessional

Hello on this lovely Friday!  As per usual I am linking up with  The Farmer's Wife and September FARM - click on those links to check out more of the Oh Hey Friday link up.  But to switch it up a bit this week I am also linking up with Blonde Ambition's Friday Confessional post. 

So this week my list of five will be five confessions from the week.

1.  I confess I am so happy to be back on the farm for a long weekend (it is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada).  I have been feeling a little frustrated with the city lately - it has nothing to do with the people in it and everything to do with the fact that I just don't like the city living mentality.  I hate having to rush around constantly, trying to do stuff at specific times to avoid rush hour and how the whole place just seems so impersonal.  What can I say, I am just a farm girl at heart - and it makes my heart so very happy to be back in our small town and on the farm.

2.  That being said, I confess that the farm is getting on my nerves just a little bit.  We are STILL not done harvest.  Seriously.  What the heck.  Last year we finished on October 6th and I thought that was late.  Our parents are always talking these days about "back in the day" when they were still harvesting when there was snow on the ground.  Heaven help us if that happens this year, I won't be able to take it.

3.  I confess that I got a somewhat embarassing injury this week, and that my semi-clumsyness led to it.  I was going to give myself a bit of a manicure the other night so I was gathering my things.  I went to grab my manicure scissors and started to drop them, so obviously my first reaction was to try to catch them.  Well... I did, with their point straight into my palm.  It is possible that I could have used a stitch... But in classic nurse fashion, I didn't want to go to the doctor unless I trully felt awful.  So I fashioned a steri strip out of a bandaid, cleaned my hand really well and left it at that.  Hopefully I don't end up with some crazy infection.  Don't try this at home people.

On the upside, it actually looks like it is healing pretty well.  Woohoo! #nursingstudentskillz

4.  I confess that I have a midterm in less than a week that I have not yet started to study for.  They say that fourth year is the easiest year of university.  I would agree, on the stipulation that it isn't actually easier; you are just better are organizing your time, and care a lot less about little assignments.  I have become much more of a big picture person on my journey through nursing school.  I care about learning the most important information - the stuff that will make a real difference in my patient care and success in the workplace - but the individual assignments/tests themselves... Not as much.  Obviously I will study for this test, but will I kill myself just trying to get a 90% for the sake of it?  Most definitely not.

5.  I confess that I have never had a pumpkin spice latte, muffin, or actually anything labeled pumpkin spice.  Gasp!!  All I see and hear lately are things about pumpkin spice, so I guess I am avoiding just to be stubborn (also lactose intolerance seriously gets in the way of trying cool drinks; plain tea for me).  Exhibit A:

source

Hope you all have a lovely weekend (and Thanksgiving if you are a fellow Canadian)!

Cable Knit Beret Pattern

I feel a little like Blair Waldorf when I wear my beret... It makes my heart happy.

Does it feel like forever since I last posted a tutorial or pattern?  It does to me.  Fall has gotten me into the knitting mood again and I finally, after much trial and error, finished the beret I have been working on.  Woohoo!  About four years ago I got a really nice beret from Mexx, and after many years of love the poor thing is starting to look a little ratty.  So I decided it was time to try and knit one myself.  As it happens, it turned out really well and knitted up really fast once I finally figured out how to get the right size.  I figured I had to share the pattern with you!

I found the yarn at Micheals on sale in store (online here).  It is Lion Brand's Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Cabernet metallic (you can see a few of the sparkles in the photo above).  I used circular needles and a cable knit stitch to do this.  Both are really easy to get the hang of, but if you haven't done either, here are a few links to check out before starting this pattern:
       ~Joining and knitting in the round.
       ~How to cable knit (this tutorial is on straight needles, but the process is the exact same in the                                              round)

I made this hat to fit my approximately 23" head.  To measure my head I started at the top of my head right behind my bangs, then went around (over my ears) to the bottom at the nape of my neck and back around to the top.  For every knit-purl there is about an inch and a half when it is stretched out.

Top view.

Supplies:
2 balls of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick
US13 (9mm) circular needle in the 16" length
Large eye sewing needle or crochet hook

Abbreviations:
C/O = cast on
Inc = increase
Dec = decrease
K = knit
P = purl

The pattern:
1. C/O 57 stitches (casting on in the round works the exact same as casting on on a straight needle)
2. K1, P1 around to make a 1.5" band (this needs to be at least 1.5" for it to not fall off your head)
3. *K1, Inc1, P1; repeat from * around once
4. *Cable stitch at the K2 space (either to the left or right, just stick with the same thing for the whole hat), P1; repeat from * around once
5. *K2, P1; repeat around 4 times
6. Repeat steps 4-5 to make 7"
7. Dec the K2 down to K1
8. *K1, P1; repeat from start to make 2"
9. Decrease stitches down as much as possible in the next round - I wasn't able to do a whole lot on the round (I am still learning to knit in the round and don't have all the tricks worked out)
10. Cut off your yarn (while the hat is still on the needles), leaving a 20" tail
11. Thread the yarn tail through the loops on the circular needle as you pull the stitches off the needles (wow that was confusing... check out this link to see someone do it.  I used a crochet hook to pull my tail through though, because I didn't have a needle with a big enough eye for the thick and quick yarn).
12.  Pull the tail tight to seal up the top of the hat and pull the left over tail through the hat.

You're done!!  Hope you enjoyed!  If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email!  I would love to hear from you!

Coconut oil everything!!!

I am not the type to jump on fad band wagons.  I am usually the person complaining about all the silly fads and how I am sick of hearing about this or that (ie: kale).  However, I was asking a nursing school friend what she uses on her skin because it was always so glowy and moisturized looking.  She said she uses coconut oil every night.  I had been hearing lots about coconut oil, but hadn't wanted to try it, mostly because I just didn't want to jump on the band wagon (some have called me stubborn).

In any case, I went out to Superstore and bought some coconut oil and started using it (just straight cold pressed coconut oil that you'd use for cooking).  Well, I have to admit defeat on this fad.  Coconut oil is straight up amazing.  I had some eczema patches that I couldn't get rid of with corticosteriod creams that coconut oil has basically cured.  I cannot say enough good things about it.  I would get hives sometimes after my showers (I still have no idea why), but that hasn't happened since I started using coconut oil.

I've been looking for a deep conditioner for my hair to combat winter dryness and when I saw the organix coconut instant repair treatment, I figured I should try it.

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For some reason I could only find this online at Walgreens, but I think I got mine at Target on sale.  I'm thinking you could get it pretty much anywhere.

First off, the smell of this is worth the $7 alone; even if it did nothing other than smell great I'd probably still use it.  I have found it has made my hair so soft, but it doesn't leave any residue at all.  I seriously recommend this stuff.

Do you have any new and awesome products?  I would love to hear!

Oh Hey Friday // Oh Hey Fall!

Hello again to the Oh Hey Friday link up.  I am sad to admit that this post just did not happen for me last week.  Sigh.  Unfortunately that darn nursing school gets in the way of things I would rather be doing (like making random lists of things that I like) and we just got through our first round of assignments and papers.  So now that that is done, we are hopefully going to be back to the usual blogging schedule of Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  As usual I am linking up with The Farmer's Wife and September FARM - click on those links to check out more of the Oh Hey Friday link up.

I have a confession to make.  I am guilty of having pinterest home envy.  It still blows my mind that there a people who live in the homes that you see in the home decor section of pinterest.  Seriously, who has the time and money to not only put the look together, but to keep it looking that good??  Not myself, that is for sure, much as I try.

I would, however, like to change a few things around in my decor to have a bit of a fall theme.  This is mostly a coping mechanism to keep me from being the person trying to put up Christmas decor in October.  Micheals needs to help a girl out and keep their Christmas crafts/decor/ornaments awesomeness to themselves at least until November (I swear they've had Christmas stuff out for three weeks already).

So my list of five this week consists of my fall decor lusts/goals.  I want to choose some items that I can transition into more wintery pieces as well (since according to my hardworking farmer, we don't have endless amounts of cash lying around for me to spend on home decor... Men, sheesh).

1.  Fall pillow covers like this:
     I am hoping to make something sort of similar and post a tutorial on it, so stay posted.  I like this harvest one since we are farmers, very fitting.

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2.  A tartan blanket like this:
     This would be for my sofa though, not my porch (especially since I don't even have a front porch).  I don't know if it is because Brett and I are looking into a trip to Scotland next year or what, but I have been tartan obsessed lately (like the tartan blanket I used as a scarf in my outfit of the day post).  It is also a great transitional print from fall to winter.

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3.  Ceramic pumpkins (oh Pottery Barn, you get me every time):
      I am not the biggest fan of decorating with real pumpkins.  Don't get me wrong, carving them is fun (I have wonderful memories of pumpkin carving with my mom and dad) but I hate that they rot and get stinky.  Ceramic ones like these will stay beautiful for years to come.

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4.  Bronzey log holders:
     I must admit that our fireplace room gets forgotten about on the decorating side of things.  Basically we painted it and put a picture above the fireplace.  Other than that it is a bit ugly.  But I have decided that I want to make it my project to fix it up before Christmas (perhaps a before and after post will be in order).  To attempt to corral our chopped wood and paper, I would like to use something pretty like these bronze buckets from Target.

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5.  A trunk coffee table:

     Technically we don't have to buy this because our coffee table is actually an old trunk.  It was an antique one left from Brett's grandma.  The poor thing is not in the best shape anymore (funny how that happens to decades old things...) and just needs a little TLC for it to fulfil its full potential.  And perhaps some Pottery Barn ceramic pumpkins to dress it up a little.

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What are you lusting for this fall?

Outfit of the Day

Top: Target similar // Scarf: HomeSense // Belt: Diesel similar // Jeans: Le Chateau buy // Boots: Arnold Churgin buy (currently only shipping to Canada, sorry!!)

It has been a while since I have had an outfit that I love and feel really comfortable in that I also feel fits my personal style (or what I want my personal style to be).  This one definitely fits the bill.  I have been searching for a tartan "blanket scarf" - yes that is an actual thing, I didn't just make it up - for my fall/winter wardrobe, but was having a hard time finding one that I could wear with both black and navy clothes.  The ones I was finding were either black or navy, and since I have pieces of both I wanted something that would be really versatile.  So I ended up at HomeSense the other day and happened upon this "scarf" (which is actually a blanket) in the blanket/pillow section.  Because it is a small blanket, it happens to work as a scarf, and is also super warm.  It was only about 13 degrees out today and I was totally comfy with just this scarf and no jacket.  Unfortunately, I cannot find a link for this scarf/blanket anywhere (this is the problem with shopping at Winners/HomeSense/Marshalls).

What is your go to outfit that you are comfortable in and absolutely love?  How would you describe your personal style?  I would love to hear in the comments!