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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Fall Decorating

Here are a few pictures of some fall decorating I have done. I have a few more things I am working on. It only helps that our kitchen is orange and floors are brown...such fall colors!



Entryway



Close up of entryway, these are candle holders for tea lights..looks neat at night

My fall wreath, waiting to get pumpkins and finish a few other crafts to reveal the entire front porch

My sister sent me these FABULOUS vine pumpkins from Crate and Barrel...Now I just need to figure where to put them to show off their beauty


Got to love the Halloween Bailey..I really need to find her a pirate hat because this looks just like her


Breakfast Nook with fallish placemats and Jack O' Lantern

Here is what my dining room currently looks like...Can you tell we are still arguing about paint colors? Now yellow has been added in the mix and of course not this yellow, but another.

Had to add this, this is our door mat we got for a wedding present from Matt and Lauren..I love it and every time I notice it I smile because I love being a Franklin!



Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Taco Soup

I have been wanting to try this soup for a while now. I love tacos and since I'm throwing myself into fall I figured now would be a great time with the pretty cooler days. The soup was yummy and made enough leftovers for a couple lunches. I got the recip from For the Love of Cooking but remembered to take some pictures with I-phone!

Mix ground beef, onions, garlic and taco seasoning in stock pot, cook for 5-7 minutes

yumminess!

Add corn, black beans, pinto peans(I only had chili beans), can of tomatoes with chilis, one can of diced tomatoes and ranch packet.

Let Simmer for 2-3 hours. I added some water to make it a little more soupy. I adjusted the original recipe and added more corn then it called for.It turned out a little more like chili, not a brothy soup, but still good. Other recipes I looked at added V8 jucie and said it was really good. Maybe next time!



Top with Sour Cream and cheese and I made corn bread to serve with it. MMMM! Love me some taco soup and love me some  Fall!!!!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Seven Layer Bars

I made these this week as a special treat. They are easy, yummy and quick. Recipe and picture from Brown Eyed Baker



Seven-Layer Bars



Yield: 18 bars

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk


1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it – coconut can go from slightly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.) Set aside.

3. Melt the butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Toss with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

4. In order, sprinkle the walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

5.  Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

6. Remove the bars fromthe pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Ohhh What a Man What a Man What a Man What a Mighty Goooood Man

Remember that song? I do and I started singing it when I got home from work on Sunday night. My plans for my 2 days off were to paint the downstairs bathroom (I have been putting this off) and when I got home Mark goes " Hey can you go grab me a tissue" and so I did and when I walked in the bathroom TA DAAAAA...the bathroom was painted. Not only painted, cleaned up and everything returned to it's original position like nothing had ever happened. Minus a few touch up today it looks awesome! Husband of the week award! It looks awesome! It is a tad more yellow/gold then I imagined but I LOVE it. It is bright and rich and perfect for the small space. Thanks babe!






Ok so these are pictures taken on my IPhone (thanks Brooke)...the first shows a good contrast of the color..isn't it pretty? The second piece of art doesn't show the color very well, but it looks great with what we had in there. Tough shot to get the entire bathroom! But it is done so I can cross it off my list!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Things I am LOVING right NOW

So I am Internet obsessed, wondering what I ever did before it was invented and now with my new IPHONE it is only feeding my obsession. Here are a few things I have come across that I LOVE right now and want right now...so check em out! Also, pay close attention to my new playlist...this artist I just discovered Amos Lee...I am IN LOVE with...I could listen to his music all day...relaxing, chill, has substance...AHHH! Enjoy!

This purple sweater from Anthropologie screams FALL!

I have a slight obsession with coats and already on the look out and this one looks super hot!

CAN NOT get enough of fall, I am making these glitter pumpkins from Martha Stewart Tutorial

This fall party mix looks festive and yummy here is the LINK

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fall Cleaning

You know how sometimes you look around your house and you say " This place is disgusting!" or "This place needs a good scrub down?"  This is where I'm at! I am dreading this...so I decided since I love everything about Fall, that I will put Fall in front of it and maybe that will make it more fun! I do have a  small confession...We do have a cleaning lady....BUT she only comes once a month or when we have people coming over...it just makes my life easier and it is one less time that I have to do it...I am so spoiled loved by my husband. It is a tiny luxury that doesn't cost us too much! So here is my list of what needs to get done...

1. Clean out pantry and discard/donate the stuff we won't eat or is expired
2. Wash windows
3. Baseboards ( I might be asking the cleaning lady to do this)
4. Empty about 5 kitchen cabinets with our entertaining stuff and reorganize ( I'm really bad at putting things back where they belong)
5. Empty Hallway closet/donate old coats and get rid of mismatched gloves, hats and scarves
6. Clean out linen closet/ wash towels and sheets and reorganize
7. Go through my closet, donate clothes to goodwill
8. Clean out and wash refrigerator (maybe defrost freezer- this sounds like a lot of work)

I think this is a good starter list!  My sister in law Heather is going to be coming over and giving me some tips on organizing my closets (I lack in this) and she is starting a portfolio to maybe start doing this for some extra cash. I will post some pictures when she comes next week.

Any other FALL cleaning things to add to my list??

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Decompressing

I have been finding it difficult lately to decompress when I come home from work. The environment I work  in feels like one constant stress ball to me lately. Maybe it is because I am trying to figure out which direction I want to take my career in and the thought of ever having to leave "my babies" is a really hard to even think about let alone actually doing it. I adore my babies I take care and I adore most families I am involved with. They say the longer you work as a nurse the more jaded you become and the longer you are a nurse the less that  certain situations bother you. Honestly, I feel the exact opposite. I feel the longer I have worked in the NICU the more sensitive I am becoming, the harder it is for me to deal with sad or unfortunate situations. I think in part it has to do with the fact that you are so busy during your shift, especially if your kid is sick that you don't have time to experience the emotions that come along with taking care of sick, innocent, vulnerable babies. There is no time to feel those feelings, let alone process them and that is what has been hard to do when I get home. I can't cry at work, I cant show my fears, my stressors, show my vulnerability and let people know that I feel so helpless for these kids sometimes. I was talking with a trusted friend today about this "decompressing" and she reminded me that it is okay that I feel this sadness and pain for these babies, that this makes me human. That most people who would see the kind of suffering these babies go through would feel something as well. It does not make me weak, or a bad nurse or an emotional wreck, or someone who can't leave their work at their job...it makes me human. Sometimes it is hard to accept this emotional side of myself...to let myself feel and process and not judge myself. It is ok to cry after a long days work, when I have felt helpless most of the day. It is ok to think about, pray for, and talk about and to  "my babies".  I love my babies, I love families that let me apart of their babies lives, I love being able to provide some comfort to a suffering baby and I am learning to love that I feel so much. So I am working  on allowing myself to feel the pain, grieve for these babies and then find every possible way to ease their suffering.  How blessed that God has chosen me for this profession, I only pray that He continues to guide me and give me the wisdom and compassion to care for them, as He would.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

A Late Birthday Post to my Husband

This was Mark's Birthday, it was my intention to write this lovely post about him for his birthday and it just didn't happen...I guess the honeymoon is over right? Well as you all know life sometimes comes in and knocks you off balance a bit. I have been busy, my mind has been occupied with work and personal stuff so it didn't get done...better late then never! We had some friends over that night, ordered lots of pizza, had a fire out back in a fire pit, made smores, and ate birthday cake! Mark is blessed with some great friends and in turn I am blessed as well.
We always have a great time together, We always have fun
I love this picture because I can see in his eyes, he already loves Lila and I can't wait to see him with our kids
He is so handsome!

As long as he has a beer, he will hold my purse and anyone elses!    He made encouraged me to buy our house and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.




He is funny, and goofy, and did I mention cute?

He asked me to marry him and I feel so lucky. I don't feel so lucky that he bought us matching colts fleece's and wanted me to wear it!

He loves Bailey more then me and he is so good to her. He is so giving and loving

I still remember the first birthday I ever spent with Mark in 2007. He invited me to dinner with his friends and I was so nervous. It's amazing to see where 4 birthdays have gotten us, how much more I love him. How much more I appreciate him. He is such a good man, I wish everyone could know him the way I know him. I keep trying to compare him to someone I know and the only person I can think of is my dad. He has so many of his qualities and you all know how I feel about my dad! My sister put it best in her toast to us at our wedding " To Mark, I can only imagine that is pretty amazing to know that you are the one that makes Becca happy, makes her laugh, the one that calms her, the one that knows her the most- more then anyone gathered here today. And I hope you always take care of her like you do now, give her hugs and listen- and keep doing the little things that make all the difference."

I think that is just perfect! Happy 28th Birthday Mark!

Monday, September 13, 2010

A weekend of camping

We went camping this past weekend with some of the girls I work with in the NICU. We went to a campground in Brookville, IN (in between Indy and Cincy) and it was BEAUTIFUL! We couldn't have asked for more beautiful fall weather. Despite the little bit of rain we got Saturday morning, it smelled and felt like fall...what a great way to kick it off. I didn't have a camera, but my friend Erin did so check out the pictures on her blog and all the interesting things that happened... Here is her post . Everyone got to bring their dog, but we couldn't bring Bailey because she doesn't know how to swim and we went on a canoe trip. Poor doggy, but it was nice to be free of the worry of her! Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Remember...

In remembrance of September 11th   .....

Friday, September 10, 2010

A whole lotta randomness...

I had an interesting conversation last night with a fellow nurse in the 30 minutes it take to give report...how we got from report on a feeder grower to religion, being an atheist, having faith, living your dreams I have no clue. I have a lot of respect for this night shifter nurse who is wise and oh so knowledgeable. We talked a lot in this brief 20 minute convo that had my mind swirling last night. I thought I would try and get some of these thoughts out so here goes nothing. What I took away from our conversation was one of the most important things in life is to have faith in something. Whether it be in God, religion, science, people whatever...we need to have faith in something. It is also important to have faith in ourselves. I got to thinking about how much faith  I have in myself. I have great faith in the people around me, Mark, my family, good people...but what about me? Do I have faith in myself? I have been struggling with this. As long as I can remember, my life has been full of purpose. I always had dreams, things I wanted to do, what I wanted to accomplish, who I wanted to be. I worked hard, very hard to accomplish these dreams, these goals of what I wanted to be, how I wanted to live. the great thing about is that I have pretty much reached every goal that I ever set for myself. Don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of failures along the way and I used the adversity to help keep motivating me along. I never planned on what I would do after I did everything I said I was...enter present moment...I feel sorta stuck, what do i want for my life now? What do I want to be? How to do I want to direct my life? What do I want for the life that Mark and I are creating. A lot of deep questions and a lot of answers to those questions. unfortunately I want it all!!!! I want to do 500 things, but in reality I know I can't do then all at once. I probably won't be able to do all 500, but oh how the possibility excites me! I'm at a time in my life where I am rediscovering who I am and what will truly make me happy. I get caught up in making sure everyone around me is happy and taken care of, but I forget myself a lot ( as I'm sure many women do, esp with kids) But when it comes down to it, it is about having faith in yourself. Having faith that you are a good person, faith in that you are strong enough to do what you want, make yourself happy, learn who you are, have faith to fulfill your purpose. I'm going to be posting about some these dreams soon, but it is going to start this weekend, when We are headed camping, I'm turning my cell phone off, no computer and I am just going to live in the present moment with my dear husband and friends. Thanks for listening

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

I think I am in love...

So we went looking for paint last night, trying to finally get started and tackle some of these projects hanging over my head....I fell in love with this paint color, so we got a sample and I fell even more in love with it when we tested it on the wall...only to look over at Mark someone with a huge smile on my face and all he had to say was " it is sooo boring!!!" I wanted to cry! Wait, it gets better...I come home from work tonight, look at the paint in the daylight and I am officially obsessed with this paint color, Mark tells me lets try a green color.( Did I mention our kitchen is a bright, burnt orange!) ..I wanted to vomit be open to his suggestions, but I love this color! I guess worse comes to worse, we can always paint the office this color, it will look good in our Ball State room...sooo we are stuck...going back to look for more colors, when all I really want to do is scream, shout, and pout until I get what I want...back to the drawing board I guess, but seriously what male really cares that much! MINE!!!

I know it is just a paint color, but I love it on my walls! AHH!!




On a brighter note we picked a yellow/gold color for the bathroom, I will be taping and painting next week... bring on the home improvements!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Fall Inspiration

I can't help myself, since I have not been feeling well I have been browsing for some fall ideas....Came across these great ideas.  Some from Better Homes and Garden others from the Fall link parties Im including...ENJOY!




Wednesday, September 1, 2010

September Already...

I am pretty sure that I said this at the beginning of August as well...man has the summer flown by! But it's September now and the start of my favorite season...Fall and Football!  YEA!!!

Side note: My bridal shower went extremely well. Everything went super smooth, I had enough food and drink for everyone and my decorations turned out great. Sadly, I have no pictures to show... My camera is MIA (a new one will be on my Christmas list) But it was agreat time and super cute!

We have a busy September planned as well. We will making a camping trip with some of my friends from work, a visit to King's Island, My friend Dana's wedding, and somewhere in between will be football games, tailgates, and work. I am looking forward to this month and the fun this that we have planned. Hopefully, I will start posting some recipes,  (that mean I actually have to cook and/or try something new!) and I have a few things on my fall list, I am hoping to share. I will try to be a better blogger, but it is hard without a camera and nothing super interested going on, but I will make an effort, sorry if I bored you! Happy September!