Carmelitas

Every time I make this dessert I have people asking for the recipe, the flavors are amazing and it's always a hit!

If you've never had Carmelitas before then I'll break them down a little bit for you, there's a delicious cookie layer on the bottom, layers of chocolate chips and melted caramel are next, and then it's topped with another layer of the cookie mixture. Do yourself a favor and make them now, you'll be so glad you did :)

As always I got pictures showing the process, and the full recipe (with ingredients and directions listed at the bottom).

Bedroom Built-ins {Part 1}

I am beyond thrilled to be writing this post because it means I am finished with this project!!

Last Fall we finished our basement and moved our older boys down there.

The bedrooms down there are big!

We thought that adding built-ins would help take up a little space while also being functional.

This was the first big project I've tackled by myself, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

I will be breaking up the details and steps into 2 separate blog posts.

This first post will mainly cover the details for the tall bookcase/shelves, the second post will be for the window seat with cupboards, and the floating desk.

I did go back and forth between the different sections because I needed things to dry, or ran out of some supplies but still wanted to get other things done, so it might be a little all over the place, but stay with me here!

Fabric Pumpkin Burlap Banner

I can't believe tomorrow is October!

I absolutely love this time of the year.

September is still warm enough that I don't feel the season change too much, but as soon as October comes we decorate for Halloween, start planning costumes, and the overall feel just completely changes.

The other day I decided to make this pumpkin banner to add to our decorations this year.

I love that it will work for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

I was able to make this whole thing in a little less than an hour.

I've got lots of pictures and instructions for you, but please let me know if you have any questions.

*Also, if you aren't feeling too crafty I have these for sale over at my Etsy shop! Click here to find the listing.

Kitchen Counter Declutter

For the longest time I have been trying to come up with a better solution for storing our fresh produce.

Some fruits and veggies go in our fridge, but for the rest they've always just been put in a kind of pile on our counter.

A few people suggested a fruit bowl or a fruit stand, but I still didn't like the idea of it on the counter. I wanted to free up as much counter space as possible so I turned to the internet and started searching for ideas.

I had seen a couple of hanging baskets but it wasn't quite what I wanted, until I found this shelving kit for only $27 on Amazon! 

(I’ve linked this shelving kit and all of my recommended household finds HERE)

I have a pretty small pantry door, only 18" across, so this 12" wide set was perfect! 

It was on back order for a week, but it finally arrived yesterday and I put it up right away.

Playing Dress-up

Being a mom of three boys means my days  mostly consist of bike riding, baseball, soccer, basketball,  super heroes, dirt...I think you get the picture here. 

I feel like I’m a very hands-on mom so I’m right in there with my kids running around, hiding from the bad guys, and getting dirty.
Deep down I’m girly though I love an excuse to dress up!
That’s why I was so excited when I found Castletown Lane.
Two sisters have come together to create this little boutique and share their love of fashion and class.

Everything they sell is feminine, modest, and vintage-y while still being current and on-trend, like this stunning little number.
This is the ‘Pride and Prejudice dress’

How perfect is that?!
Not only is that one of my favorite movies of all time, but that baby blue color is everything!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

My family absolutely loves this soup.

That’s such a great feeling!

Feeding my family something they love that I know is packed full of yummy, fresh ingredients makes me happy.

Oh, and I should mention how fast it all comes together!

I believe from start to finish this dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes, so that’s a win in my book!

Let’s take a look at how this all comes together, shall we?

Cozying Up

As a busy mom there's nothing better than finding clothes that are comfortable and stylish.

It's seriously the greatest feeling!

Cute and comfy is probably my life motto at the moment...

It's practical but also helps me feel like I'm somewhat put-together.

This whole outfit is the perfect example of that!

The moment I put on this Pin Stripe Double Hooded Sweatshirt and these Black Solid Leggings  from Simple Addiction I was in heaven and wanted to just curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate.

I mean come on!

 A super cute, lightweight top and the softest, most comfortable solid black leggings I've ever seen?!

It's mom heaven. 

 You know my relaxation wasn't going to last long until I needed to jump up and chase after little ones though!

My boys had some energy they needed to burn, so off to the park we went. 

All I had to do was throw on a pair of boots and I was good to go!

Let's take a closer look at some of the details on these pieces.

When I first saw this sweatshirt online I thought it was going to be thicker, which would have been totally fine, but I was pleasantly surprised that it's more lightweight. That makes it so much more versatile for me! 

Pieces that can be worn throughout the year get all the rave reviews in my book.

 If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of a long sleeve shirt with a thumb hole!

And that pin stripe detailing is absolutely perfect.

This is not a working zipper, just an added detail, but I love the look of it.

 I love the double hood style too!

 And these incredibly soft, black solid leggings are the icing on the cake.

I got the S/M size, I'm only 5' 2" and they go just above my belly button.

You can head over to Simple Addiction and use code "michelle10" to get 10% off any order!

Hurry over there to grab some cute stuff for yourself, and so you can be as comfy as me! 

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Reversible Burlap Banner

The other day I was thinking about some of the craft supplies that are sadly sitting in my craft room waiting to be used up.

While I was rocking my baby for his nap that day I decided I wanted to use up some of those supplies and try my hand at making a burlap banner.

I wanted it to last longer than one month or one holiday though so I decided to make it reversible!

Since Valentine's Day is fast approaching I thought that would be perfect to have on the first side. 

I love having pieces that are versatile and can be left up for a while, so I thought bunnies on the other side would be perfect so it can be up for Easter but also all of Spring. 

I've got step-by-step instructions and pictures for you, and I've also got a video at the very end of this post if you want to see it all come together that way.

DIY Valentine's Photo Booth and Props

Last year for our February Relief Society (women’s group in our church) activity we decided to host a Valentine’s dance for all of the adults in our ward.

They had actually done it the year before and had a really good turnout, so we wanted to do it again.

We wanted to add a few new things to the evening though.

One of the things we wanted to add was a photo area with some fun props.

I was able to either make the thugs we needed, or find them for really cheap, so I put together this post for you in case it can help out!

These are the items I made, chalkboard signs, big red lips, and black mustaches.

Didn’t these turn out so cute?!

Thumbprint Cookies

I absolutely love Thumbprint cookies (who doesn't?!)

However I have to be honest, I didn't love making them because they were sooo time consuming.

That is until now!

I have the perfect thumbprint recipe below that will give you the most delicious, perfectly shaped cookies and I figured out a way to cut down the amount of time it takes to make them!
(Insert happy dance now...)

I've got some pictures below so you can see what the dough is supposed to look like and how it all comes together.