Let's Catch Up

Hello there.

I know it seems like I forgot about you all.  I'm behind on my blog posting (and reading the other blogs I follow), which is funny because life actually slowed down a little bit around here.  It's been good taking a little time to actually relax.

But let's recap what's went on around here in the past week or so:

The past two weekends I have finally given in to the Yard Sale signs that are always lurking on Saturday mornings.  Best thing ever!  I should have been yard sale hopping all summer long!  Yard sales usually mean junk sales, and while you do have to weed through a bit of junk, most of the sales I've been to have been full of pretty nice stuff.  Between the two weekends we've picked up the following for super cheap:  a magazine rack, a metal floor/standing fan, a basket for the kitchen counter, K-cups (at a weird estate sale I happened upon), cute metal Christmas tree candle holders, and a purse.  Plus, it's fun to browse around people stuff and chat with them - you can learn a lot about a person in such a short time that way.

I made a batch of pumpkin muffins.  One of my favorite things about fall is pumpkin.  Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin Poptarts (yes, this is real), pumpkin bagels (I've only heard rumor of these, but I've got to try them).  I've had my can of pumpkin in the pantry since last fall, but you can't just whip out of a can of pumpkin anytime of year.  It's just not right.

I introduced a few of my friends to Steel City Pops last week.  Just spreadin' the goodness.  I'm so glad they enjoyed it- so much so that where planning to go back before we left!  It might just become the new stress relief place after long days of studying.

Now this, my friends, is BREAKING NEWS!  I have been begging kindly asking my dearest husband to build a mantel shelf to go over our fireplace for months a while.  And this weekend my dreams came true! (Well...they are on their way of coming true.)  We got up Saturday morning and headed straight to Home Depot to get the supplies.  Due to my impatience of not wanting to wait until the next time we go home to Luverne to use dad's saw that can make all the nice cuts for us, we were going to buy a miter box and had prepped ourselves with youtube tutorials on how to make this work the hard way.  But, every time we go to Home Depot, we always run into the same employee to ask for help, and he is one of the most helpful and most giving people I've ever met.  He was going to let us (who he doesn't really know) borrow his big (read: expensive) saw to make our mantel, but then he remembered that the store has one.  Now, I don't know if he should have been using it to help us or not, but he did.  Which allowed us to leave the store with perfectly cut pieces, ready to be assembled! It's not complete yet - a little priming and painting to go - you will know when it's ready, believe me!  I have so many ideas of how I want to decorate it (thank you, Pinterest).
Side note that is worth mentioning:  It's so nice when people go above and beyond to help others.  Unfortunately, that's rare in today's world, which is a shame.  We are so busy and fast paced that we don't take the time to notice people and their needs, or are too afraid to inconvenience people or be inconvenienced.  Some people are just made with a spirit of giving, but if we all tried to be a little more like our Home Depot friend here, the world would be a much better place.

Tonight we were invited for a little impromptu pumpkin carving party.  We chose to carve an owl this year, which turned out pretty good!  Equally as impressive was the eek! pumpkin, the pumpkin within a pumpkin, and the family of candles pumpkin.  And it was complete with apple crisp.  I almost let studying stand in the way of having a great time with friends (and pumpkins), but I'm so glad I didn't. :)

What are you doing to enjoy this fall season?