Lavender Kay

I thought I would give a quick update on my first couple days of school.  I loved them!  I feel so lucky to be going to school for something I love.  In my first quarter I will be focusing on Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign and Drawing!  Wahoo!  All wonderful things.

Being back at school makes it feel like fall even more than ever.  Fall always feels like a new beginning but this one is particularly special to me.  I am so excited for this new chapter in my life and all that is to come.

This year has been a year of so many new beginnings but I am thankful for each and every one.  And I know there are many more of them to come, many still to come this year, but I think they are very important to my journey.  And for that I am grateful.  Heres to new beginnings!

How do you feel about change?  Do you discourage or welcome it?

Photo source here

Oh my goodness, I have the most fabulous recipe for you today!  I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cookies with Carmel Frosting on Pinterest the other day and it is amazing!  And quite perfect for fall.  It is originally from letsdishrecipes.com and I made a couple changes to it which I have included below.  I picked this recipe because my husband doesn’t like cheese in any form, especially cream cheese, so I thought the carmel frosting would be a great supplement for the traditional cream cheese frosting that is often put on pumpkin treats.  The recipe is a little time consuming but SO worth it.  This might be my new favorite fall recipe!  I hope you like it too!

Pumpkin Cookies with Carmel Frosting Recipe adapted from Letsdishrecipes.com

Ingredients
Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened (this recipe originally calls for 1 cup but I didn’t wantt to use that much butter and honestly after making them, you could probably use even less)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 and 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. In a medium bowl, sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. To get the perfect shape of cookie, try to flatten them a bit before you put them in the oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

To make frosting: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, and brown sugar over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to boil; remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool then stir in confectioner’s sugar.  Spread frosting over cooled cookies.

Hi friends!  Today is my first day of school!  Crazy!   I decided to do a back-to-school color palette for you today in honor of my first day.  I just love this outfit and I think it is perfect for school.  And fall!  I like the contrast between the deep red and muted yellow/cream colors.  I also think the light pink lipstick is a perfect touch!

Photo Source: J. Crew

I was going through old photographs last night and found this beautiful picture of my mother in 1981.  Sometimes I still miss her terribly.  And although this picture made me miss her, it also made me really happy.  My mom had the most amazing laugh and when I look at the picture I can almost hear it.  I love you Mom!  Ps. Aren’t those party hats fabulous!

Happy Friday!

Jonathan and I are starting to settle back into Corvallis and it feels a little weird.  I have spent the last month (practically the last summer) visiting friends all around country and it has been wonderful.  But, now I am back in our home in Corvallis and it reminds me that we don’t know a single person in this town.  It is such a weird feeling knowing I can’t call anyone up to meet me for coffee or go for a walk.

Today I miss all of my friends and family.  I miss seeing people in the grocery store and I miss spending time with our friends.  I know we are right where we are supposed to be, and where we are supposed to be is pretty great, but for some reason today I am missing our other home.  I just think today is one of those days where the move is finally catching up with me. I mean, we REALLY moved to Corvallis.  Can you believe it?!

On a lighter note, the above picture is of my friend Sally and I.  I went up to Seattle last weekend to visit some of my oldest and dearest friends and it was really good.  We spent most of our time in Madison Park area and it was fabulous.  We laughed really hard and talked deep into the night.  I am thankful for those moments.

Even though I don’t know anyone right now, I have confidence that I will meet people and make friends.  It is a little harder while we are in Corvallis because our time here is so short but I know however it all pans out, it will be good.  And, not knowing anyone where I live makes me that much more thankful for all my friends and family we have scattered all over the country.

Happy Thursday friends!

Jonathan and I took off to the Oregon Coast yesterday morning and had a fabulous time!  We ordered coffee t0-go and then drove 53 miles to Newport, OR where we went into town for some yummy breakfast.  After breakfast we spent some time walking and talking along the beach and then headed off to the Aquarium.  I saw the cutest Sea Otter ever!  We also got to explore the tallest lighthouse in Oregon and then finished the day with some tasty seafood on the bay.

I thought I would do a quick post on Oregon Coast attire.  This may sound silly but I never know what to where to the beach in Oregon.  The weather is always pretty cold and overcast but you never know.  And if it is just a day trip, you need an outfit for both a sandy beach and walking in town.

Below was the outfit I chose and it seemed to be pretty versatile.  It wasn’t the cutest outfit of all time but it was definitely comfortable and fun.

You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is my very favorite movie.  I literally watch it every other week and it seems impossible for me to get tired of it.

The reason I bring up this move is because I have had this quote from Tom Hanks in my head all week.  It is fall!  Can you believe it?!  Even though I am always really excited for fall, it seems to creep up on me an then just happen over night!  But don’t worry, I’m not complaining, I love fall.

Another reason this quote has been in my head is because I have been literally gathering my school supplies and ‘newly sharpened pencils.’ This year I decided to go back to school for Graphic Design (you can read my other post on this subject here) and I am so excited about it!  I am a little nervous too.  I haven’t been in school for awhile so I think it will be an adjustment for me.  And even more than that, I am taking a drawing class – so intimidating!  It is scary but I know it is good for me too.  Everyone needs a good challenge here and there – right?

As I have been gathering my school supplies and thinking about school, it has reminded me of my childhood.  I used to love back to school shopping.  Did you?  It was so fun to receive your supply list from your teacher and pick out new treasures like a beautiful box of crayons or a pencil pouch. (Do kids still call it that and do they even get them anymore?)  Tom Hank’s reference to school supplies seems to mean more to me now than all the millions of other times I have heard it in the past.  Thank you Tom!

Well, here is to fall and change and school supplies!  Cheers!

Hi friends!  I am getting a late start today.  I have been out of town for a week and then Jonathan and I drove back into town late last night.  But the good news is Jonathan is back from Portland!  I am so happy to go back to a semi-normal life.  Anyways, here is the color palette for today.  It feels like fall out so I choose this color palette in celebration of fall.  Fall makes me want to curl up in a cozy place and drink a cup of hot chocolate.  Happy Monday everyone!

Photo Source here

Hello dear friends and Happy Friday to you!  What are your weekend plans?  I am heading to Seattle for the weekend and I am so excited!  Two of my best friends will be in Seattle at the same time and I am really looking forward to seeing them.

The above picture is a picture of a street in the historic Mississippi District in Portland.  I have been splitting my weeks between Corvallis and Portland since Jonathan is working in Portland for the month.  The program rents a cute apartment in the Mississippi neighborhood for the residents to live in while they are working in Portland.

I had never been to the Mississippi District before but I highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in Portland.  It is a charming neighborhood on the other side of the river from downtown and it is loaded with fun restaurants and bars (and a really yummy ice cream shop!).

The other night Jonathan and I went on a fun date to this restaurant called Equinox in the Mississippi neighborhood.  We walked to it from the apartment and the sun was setting just as we were getting to the restaurant.  It was a beautiful sight.  And, the restaurant was fabulous too!  We sat in their charming garden patio where there were pretty white lights and red umbrellas.  (You can see part of it in the picture)

I hope you have a fabulous Friday and weekend!