Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

On this lovely Halloween, I wanted to share a great pumpkin recipe with y'all.

I know I've shared this before - but it's too much fun not to share again!

Me as Pippi Longstocking circa 1997

You will need: 

2 cups flour

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree (not the pie filling) 

1 pkg semisweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 or 8x8 pan.

2. In medium bowl, whisk flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

3. Cream butter and sugar in another bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. 

4. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. 

5. Spread evenly in pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. You will see the edges pull away and a toothpick will come out clean when the bars are fully cooked.

I found that it had the consistency of a spice bread more so than a bar and I also felt as though the chocolate overwhelmed the pumpkin. If I make these again, I would cut the chips down by a third and add a little more pie spice. They tasted great and actually fed us dessert for over two weeks! Serve warm with ice cream or chilled - both are yummy!

Show and Tell Monday: My Man

I am in Denver for the day for the Colorado swearing-in ceremony! By the end of the day, I will officially, legally, actually BE an attorney. How surreal is that? I have literally spent my entire life working for this moment and am thrilled that it has all come together. I'll be sure to give you the recap as soon as I return!

In the meantime, I decided to link-up with From Mrs. To Mama for Show n' Tell Monday rather. Today's theme is "How I met your father" or show n' tell your man!

1. Tell us how you met your husband and what first attracted you to him.
I first met Al about 8 years ago. We worked for the same company, me in the office and him out in the production plant. At the time we were just friends, and I was too young to know what I wanted in a relationship, so it wasn't until 4 years later that I "fell for him." I was most attracted to his sweet nature and sense of humor. 
Read more about our story here.

2. Show us the very first (or an early) photo of you two.
I don't have any photos from that early time because we were only friends for a few months before he left for the Army. This picture is from what I would call our first date:

NYE 2008
And these are from the first few months we were dating (about 4 years ago):

 Attending a wedding, January 2009

Hiking, El Paso, TX, February 2009

3. Tell us some of your favorite memories together.
One of my favorite memories is from very early in our relationship. We had visited a water park and decided to hit the DQ drive-thru on the way back. The drive-thru was poorly marked and didn't have an arrow so we accidentally drove in backwards. Rather than turn around, AL ordered and pulled up to the window backwards - with me facing the  window. It probably isn't that funny to most people, but I was in hysterics. 
I've written about many of our other memories here.

4. Tell us what qualities make him "the one." 
He is not afraid to be himself - beer tats and all:

(yep. that's my man.)
He is kind and loyal. He is smart and incredibly funny. He is genuine and trustworthy.

He sees love and respect as unconditional and simple concepts. He gives so much of himself for his friends and family and always puts others first. 

(See! Total weirdo!)

And, at the end of the day, we balance each other out, push each other towards success, and make each other laugh.  

5. Tell us what your date nights typically look like.

4-wheeling in Minnesota, March 2009

 Drinks at Lavo nightclub in Las Vegas, April 2009

 Outdoor concert, Ft. Bliss, TX, July 2011

We both really enjoy good food so more often than not, we will cook a nice dinner at home or try out a new restaurant. We prefer low-cost dates so most of the time we'll pick up ice cream cones and drive around exploring our city - drive up the mountain to a park or ogle expensive houses in a high-end neighborhood. Really though, after spending so much of our relationship apart, curling up on the couch with popcorn and a movie is good enough for us (so long as once in a while, I can put on a great pair of heels and some red lipstick and head out on the town!)

Influenster: VoxBox #1

Last month, I signed up for Influenster. The program allows me to receive samples of various product categories, test them out, and share them with you. After working through the site to get enough points for my first box - called VoxBox - I received an email that I would receive the Beauty VoxBox within a week. 

It arrived late last week and I quickly ripped it open to find all these amazing goodies inside: 

Contents:

(upper-left, going clockwise)

Vitabath Fragrance Mist in Green Apple & White Lily 

My review: This has a light scent and didn't leave a sticky residue on my skin. Overall, however, this just didn't float my boat. I don't have any particular complaints, it just isn't my style. 

EBOOST Energy Drink Powder in Orange

My review: I have not tried this yet. I don't much care for orange-flavored drinks and have tried a few of these in the past with no success. If I do decide to give it a whirl, I promise to let you know what I think!

B&BW Mini Candle in Mahogany Teakwood (and coupon!)

My review: It was easy for me to instantly test this item since I'm already a BBW candle lover. This particular is light, airy and not season specific. This is great because I can decorate around it no matter what other pieces I put out. And the scent doesn't overwhelm anything like many candles do. 

Not Your Mother's "Kinky Moves" Curl Defining Hair Cream

My review: I don't have curly hair, so it is difficult for me to try this product. I don't think it's intended for straight hair to encourage curls. I probably will not get a chance to try this, but I will try to find a curly-haired friend to try it out for me!

Goody Spin Pins

My review: This was another easy review for me since I already own a set of the spin pins. I used them quite a bit during one of my "growing out" phases (you know, when the flyaways and odd layers are a total pain.) I had not really used them since my hair has been longer, as it is now. Because of my hair thickness, I found that the pins were not enough in themselves to hold a bun in. I had to secure it with an additional handful of bobby pins (about 6.) I am still a total believer in the product and plan to try a few more styles, so stay tuned for a more specific hair post using these pins!

Kiss Fake Eyelash Starter Kit

My review: I had to laugh when I first opened these. I have never been a fan of fake eyelashes and don't intend on really trying these out. What I might do is send them to my sister (a huge faux-lash advocate) and report back on her opinion.

NYC IndividualEyes Custom Compact

My review: I was super-stoked to try this item out. It has great neutral palette and blended well. It did give me a shadow crease pretty early in the day, but I expect that with inexpensive shadows. It's still worth it to purchase less expensive shadows and simply use a shadow primer or other base rather than shell out the big-bucks for other shadows. Especially since this one covers well and comes in a variety of colors!

Fashion Friday: Outfit Post

I have been obsessed with colored jeans for months (basically since they've been trending) but knew that bright blue or hot pink were probably not my style. So, when I finally got around to looking seriously, I settled on a wine-colored pair. They are still "on trend" but classic enough to last quite a few seasons. Last weekend, we went out with another couple for dinner and wine. This is the outfit I wore that evening. 

Trench - Mossimo via Target

Blouse - Apt. 9 via Kohls / Cardigan - Wet Seal

Pants - D jeans via Ross

Bag - c/o Mimi Boutique / Pumps - Shoedazzle

Lipstick - Ulta "Good year for wine" / Polish - Ulta

My Fall Swap Package!

For many seasons now, I have participated in Nicole's swap. This time, I was paired with Jennifer over at Busy Being Jennifer! 

This is what came in my package: 

Contents:

Coffee Cozy & Zipper Pouch 
(Made by Jennifer!! So excited to bring my Starbucks into work with the cozy!)

Give Thanks Plaque & Scarecrow Angel
(The angel will probably go on my front porch in my planter next to my fall pumpkins!)
Candles - Cinnamon Spice & Vanilla Cake
A bag of Reisen & Snickers PB
(If I'm feeling generous, I'll give the Snickers to my husband since he's leaving for a month!)
Starbucks Instant Coffee
(For the days I don't have time to stop at the cafe.)
Christmas Cookie Cutters
(Which I almost bought the other day so I can start planning my Xmas cookies)
Essie "Eternal Optimist" Polish
(Love, love, love this color!!)

There is a good possibility that Jennifer knows how to read minds. She did just a good job picking out things I totally love! 

If you're nosy and you want to see some of the other swap packages go here!  Oh, and if you're jealous of my coffee cozy (which I know you are) then head over to Jennifer's shop and get one for yourself (and a friend!)

Mel's Big List of Things I Will Never Do

They say 'never say never' but I think sometimes it's OK to set boundaries for yourself and to decide when something just isn't your cup of tea.

1. Use Twitter. It's not that I have anything personal against the popular social media platform, I just decided that with the blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and many others, that I had enough of it in my life. I have to draw the line somewhere and hashtags sounded like a good place to do that! Plus, I'm not good at brevity.

2. Run a Marathon. I'm not a runner. Not even a little bit. I exercise for my physical health and for my emotional well-being, but I tend to stick to yoga, boxing, kick-boxing, and weight-lifting. Running bores me (and makes me want to vomit) so doing an entire 26-plus miles is just outside my realm of comprehension. Kudos to those of you who do, really, but I'll hand out water and cheer you to the finish line.

Source: someecards.com via Mel on Pinterest

3. Have kids too far apart. I am 5 years older than my closest sibling and while we are very close now, it wasn't always that easy. We fought like crazy as kids - drawing blood, hair-pulling, physical fighting - and that took a long time to get through. I am 13, 16, and 23 years older than the rest of my siblings, so those relationships are much more complicated. As a result, I think there is a huge benefit to having kids close together. they learn from each other, protect each other, play together, etc...
{I'm aware that this is up to God and nature more than planning, but I'm still going to try!}

4. Leave home without chapstick. I've spoken before about my chapstick addiction. It is my makeup lifeline and I can't leave home without it.

5. Be a SAHM. I have immense respect for SAHMs. My Oma was her entire life, my step-mom is, and my mother was for my baby years. There is no doubt they work hard, sacrifice of themselves, and get s**t done! BUT, that is not the life for me. I want to be a mother, but I want a career too. I want a career that requires me to work out of the house, or at least partially. I want (need) non-kid interactions, intellectually stimulating work, and something just for me. Having that will make me a happier person, a loving wife, and a better mother.

6. DIY Cleaning Supplies. I see recipes on Pinterest all the time for DIY Windex and other cleaning products. I'm sure they're effective. I'm sure they're financially savvy. But, ultimately: 

7. Read Twilight (or watch the movies). Be as shocked as you want to be, but I just don't see the allure. I will eventually read the Harry Potter series, and I'm sure I'll end up reading The Hunger Games some day. Twilight, on the other hand, doesn't have enough literary value to offset the silliness. The movies seem even worse to me and even I can't embrace the "fantasy" enough to see past the bad acting and weird premise.

8. Forget to Vote. It should be familiar to all of you that I am a huge voting advocate. It is an easy way to express your opinion, initiate change in your government, and do something about the stuff that pisses you off. So easy, in fact, that I will always make sure I'm there when poll-time comes around.

9. Cheat on my husband. For two reasons: 1) my husband and I have a very trusting and opne relationship. If I was unhappy, I would talk to him about it. Cheating accomplishes nothing and often hurts way too many people in the process. 2) I don't handle guilt well. In college, I kissed a guy at a party while I was in a relationship with another man. I felt so awful that I was sick to my stomach for two days, until I told my boyfriend. He forgave me and I was mad that he did. I felt as though I didn't deserve forgiveness for the horrible thing I had done - and it was just a kiss! I can only imagine how much worse I would feel cheating on my husband. 

10. Eat black licorice. It's gross. It tastes like rubber feet and smells like plastic. Same for those black jelly beans. Ew!

Holy crap, I passed the bar!!

On Thursday, around 10AM, the Colorado Supreme Court released the list of those who passed the bar exam. I frantically searched through the names until my eyes fell on my own name. That's right, I passed the bar exam! 

I can't even explain my excitement when I saw my name on that list.

More than excitement, though, was relief.

When it comes to standardized tests, I have never been at the top of my game.

There are two key things (other than knowing the information itself) when it comes to these exams: time management and efficiently ruling-out the right answers. For me, time management was never the issue. In fact, I'm a fast test-taker. So fast that I don't carefully read questions and make a mistake that would easily be avoided if I simply read the question! 

All this in mind, there was a part of me that really, truly, thought I was going to fail.

I know that sounds silly. I am confident in myself, but I am also realistic when it comes to my strengths and weaknesses. 

I am smart. I will make a damn good lawyer. But I am not a good test-taker. So the reality was that I could, quite legitimately, fail the bar exam. 

Instead, I passed. I passed the bar.

Three years of law school. Three months of exam studying. It all paid off.

In a few weeks, I get sworn in and can officially practice law in the state of Colorado.

Just call me Mrs. JD!

Fashion Friday: The Greatness of Grey

Today, I put together some of my favorite picks, with on thing in common: they are grey! Grey is my favorite neutral and can really be paired with absolutely anything. I tried to keep these pieces in a reasonable price range, but there are a few pricier pieces. Those pricier items are great investment pieces for working professionals or for a special occasion and therefore worth the extra cash!

Leopard Pullover Sweater - Charlotte Russe

Skinny belt - Lulu's

Boucle Jacket - H&M

Platform Pumps - H&M

Striped Sweater Jacket - Loft

Tweed & Leather Dress - Lands End

DIY: New Recipe Organizer

I am attending my first major work event tonight: our annual financial seminar. I am very excited for the speakers and to work on my networking. I am also looking forward to the wine tasting and delicious appetizers. Plus, this event gave me an opportunity to invite people as my guests, which lets me develop those friendships and working relationships further. 

In the midst of prep for the event, I am stopping in to show you a brief tutorial:

my new recipe box.

This is my previous recipe box. The categories simply weren't working any-more and I wanted to give the whole thing a facelift.

 Plus, I had all these overflow recipes that had not made it into the box yet, so I needed to transfer them to cards (or simply cut them down) and organize them better. 

I gathered my supplies: 

-4 x 6 notecards

-colored markers

-clear card dividers

-scrapbook glue

-small labels

Luckily, I had all the supplies on hand and did not need to spend a dime on this re-do project. And I had a Pinterest pin for inspiration:

Source: simpleorganizedliving.com via Mel on Pinterest

The box itself was in good shape, so I didn't worry about replacing it. Eventually - when I am a better cook and collect more recipes - I will upgrade the box as well, but for now that's unnecessary. 

The categories: 

-Apps & Snacks

-Beef

-Breakfast

-Chicken & Poultry

-Desserts

-Dips & Dressings

-Drinks

-Fish & Seafood

-Lunches

-Pasta & Rice

-Pork & Lamb

-Salads & Veggies

-Soups & Stews (Crockpot)

And the final product:

 I think the whole project took about 45 minutes, but only because I had so many recipes that were not in the proper form, so I had to cut them down, glue them to notecards, and even write-up my own extra notes on some of the recipes. 

Extra tips:

-When you print recipes from online, select the 4x6 option for printing.

-If you are printing from a site that does not allow that option, you can select the option through Word (email me for those specific steps!)

-Layout all your recipes and set up your categories before you start

There you have it, my new recipe box! 

A Reveal: Our Kitchen Makeover

 After a few grueling weeks of remodeling the kitchen, we finally have the end results (almost, sort of.) Here are the BEFORE shots to refresh your memory (pulled from the Zillow online listing.)

Blue linoleum floors. Blue laminate countertops. Old, dingy appliances. Drab, dirty walls. Outdated fixtures. It all needed to go!

Of course, we wanted to do the project on a budget and by doing the work ourselves.

The plan:

New tile flooring

Paint walls & ceiling

Paint trim and accents

Paint & refinish cabinets

Re-do countertops

Update light fixtures

Install new appliances

 STEP ONE: Demolition

 STEP TWO: New floors are in! Walls are painted.

 STEP THREE: Counters and cabinets refinished.

 STEP FOUR: Appliances start going in...

 And the final results...

The whole project took two weeks and $2000 - so even though there are things I would still like to change (like real counters instead of just covered counters) I am extremely happy with the results. I have an amazing husband who is handy enough to do these projects and I am grateful for that!

I will take a photo of the other side of the room, where the table is set up, but right now it is storage for all the things from the dining room while we paint those walls. I also plan on doing a post of the pantry and pantry organization, so stay tuned for that.

The Big Surprise

Last week, I mentioned a big surprise Al had been teasing me with for weeks. Well, on Friday morning, it all came together when my sister and best friend showed up on my doorstep. 

Yes, I am crying.

They showed up on Friday, with another friend from school who recently moved to a Denver suburb. We all went to 3 Margaritas for lunch and got to catch up - everything from work, to Colorado life, to Caroline's wedding was discussed! I finally got to see her gorgeous engagement ring in person. 

On Saturday, we walked around the city of Boulder, had lunch at this adorable cafe, and then headed back to the Springs for a housewarming party. We had a crew of Al's coworkers over, including their spouses, and we had an absolute BLAST! The highlight of the evening was getting to introduce Megan and Caroline to my Colorado-bestie. They melded together flawlessly. It is so great to know that my favorite people from back home can hang with my favorite people here in Colorado. Not that I expect anything less since I only surround myself with awesome people! 

I am still in shock that they pulled the whole thing off. Al is awful with surprises, although I think it helped that it was someone else's surprise versus his own. I even talked to Caroline a couple of times the week or two prior and had no clue. Oh, and my mother totally lied to me. She lied! (She's awesome with surprises and acted as though she had no idea when I called to pick her brain!)

They left on Sunday evening and even though the weekend was much too-short, I was so grateful to have them here. I didn't even realize just how much I needed the dose of home - how much I needed that healing. The weekend left me feeling loved and extremely happy!
So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. 

Coffee Addict a.k.a. All You Ever Needed to Know About Coffee

I am a huge coffee lover. It's basically my life-blood.

(source)

Often you hear that coffee is not very good for you. It could be concerns over the caffeine level or the fact that it stains your teeth. It could be all the sugary flavorings we add to our coffees. Like this one - which I will definitely buy on my trip to Safeway this weekend.

Apparently though there are health benefits to drinking coffee as well. Like anti-aging minerals. Or agents that help prevent disease. And let's face it, coffee is a huge factor in the workplace...

at social gatherings...

for business meetings...

and even in pop culture (love FRIENDS and Gilmore Girls!)
Heck, there are even competitions around the world for coffee brewing, flavoring, and many more!

I plan to build a coffee bar in our kitchen, using an old bakers rack from my mother. The rack is currently in storage in Minnesota, so it will be a while before I can put it all together. In the meantime, I have drawn inspiration from a few sources:

Source: thecreamtomycoffee.com via Mel on Pinterest

Source: thevintagewren.blogspot.ca via Mel on Pinterest

So, to quote a fellow coffee addict: 

"If I stop drinking coffee, then I stop doing the walking and breathing and words-putting-together-doing." Lorelai on Gilmore Girls