Sunday, October 25, 2015

Anniversary Weekend Fun

Josh and I celebrated our (lucky) seventh anniversary on October 4, and we enjoyed a fun weekend complete with a college football game and a trip to the State Fair of Texas…two of our favorite fall activities.

Despite the early start time, we made it in time for a little tailgating.


Forget flowers or jewelry, Josh knows the way to my heart is TCU football. 


While it was not the most exciting of games, our total destruction of the Longhorns was quite fun to watch.


Sister frogs :).


Big thanks to Grammie and Papa for watching the kids while we were at the game. They had a blast playing at the park and cheering on their cousins' soccer team…The Glitter Unicorns. 






Sunday morning, we all headed to the State Fair for our fill of fried food, rides, games, and fun.



Funnel Cake Ale and Fletcher's…breakfast of champions.



Rylan got his first taste of a corny dog. 


And was very upset when I wouldn't let him have one all to himself.


The struggle is real.


We hit up the petting zoo, which was insanely crowded but a kid-pleaser as always.




Then it was time to make our way down the Midway for games and rides.









We rounded out our day with some more fried goodness. 


The Cuban Roll was a hit again this year.


Ava's favorite was the Funnel Cake Fries.



And this year's winner, a fried carrot cake roll, was amazing.



With that, we were all sufficiently stuffed and exhausted.



Until next year, Big Tex.



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Web Crush Wednesday | Pumpkin {Part Two}

In case you weren't completely overwhelmed by all the pumpkin goodness in part one of this post, I'm back with more. And we even have the fall weather in Dallas now to support diving completely in to the pumpkin-themed deep end. So, without further ado...

Pumpkin Creme Brûlée Doughnuts. As evidenced by the fact that I have featured a couple of their creations in this post, the folks over at Spoon Fork Bacon never fail to deliver on scroll-stopping recipes. Now if only someone would make these beauties for me. 


Pumpkin Carving Set. This sure beats the heck out of those little plastic carving knives, and it is also such a beautiful set...albeit slightly Dexter-ish in presentation. 


Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. Because it may still reach 90 degrees in October. (I'm looking at you, Texas.)


Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Six Ways. I have very fond memories of my Mom roasting pumpkin seeds after we carved our pumpkins each fall. While we tended to stick with the classic salted variety, I can only imagine that these would be fantastic.


Chalkboard Pumpkins. Genius.


Oatmeal Pumpkin Cream Pies. Oatmeal cream pies were one of my biggest weaknesses while pregnant (seriously...Costco-sized boxes in the pantry). I have steered clear while trying to lose all my "baby" weight; however, these are calling my name.


Pumpkin Chili. A (pumpkin) bowl full of hearty, fall deliciousness. 


Fishnet Pumpkins. I love the black and orange effect that the fishnet tights give the pumpkins. And who says pumpkins can't be sexy?


Pumpkin Cornbread. Would it be too much to serve this with the pumpkin chili? I didn't think so. A good dose of butter and honey would also be advisable. 


Pumpkin Chess Pie with Praline Pecan Sauce. This may come as a shock, but I am not a huge pumpkin pie fan. Chess pie, on the other hand, is my jam. So the chess pie element, plus the praline pecan sauce, may make me a believer. 


Mini Pumpkin Purse. I know a certain little lady who would absolutely love to carry around her "yip-stick" and other favorite worldly possessions in this adorable purse.



Boozy Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate. Yes, please. And don't skimp on the boozy part.


Disney Pumpkin Carving Ideas. Whether you want to go cute…or Maleficent.


Crockpot Pumpkin Butter. So simple and so delicious. The free printable label is adorable as well.


Pumpkin Cheesecake Monkey Bread. I know monkey bread is meant for sharing, but...


Little Pumpkin Baby Shower. Such a cute gender-neutral theme for a fall baby shower.



Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler. Thank goodness for delicious fall desserts like this that are best served a la mode, because we certainly missed our Blue Bell this summer.


Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola, and Sage. Josh dislikes blue cheese and quiche, but I'd be happy to take one for the team. It would also make an excellent breakfast-for-dinner meal.


Decoupage Photo Pumpkin. I love me some Mod Podge…and photos. Bonus points for being able to reuse a fake pumpkin. It would be cute to use photos of all the family members in their Halloween costumes from years past.


Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts. Ahh-dorable. And something leads me to believe these would taste way better than the kind that come out of a box.


Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Pancetta and Seared Radicchio. Making homemade gnocchi seems like a very daunting task, but this incredibly beautiful dish and her words of gnocchi encouragement have inspired me to at least make an attempt.


Glittered Pumpkin Place Cards. My inner glitter-phobe might make an exception for these lovely pumpkin place cards. But they would be just as beautiful with just gold or bright-colored paint. 


Brûléed Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake. I promised Josh that there will be a cheesecake on the dessert table at Thanksgiving this year, and this might be the winner. The brûléed top truly dials it up a few notches.


Roasted Pumpkin Hummus. Prettiest hummus I've ever laid my eyes on. 


Pumpkin Grow Kit. So you can get started for next fall.

About Me

My name is Catherine, but most of my friends call me Cat. I was born and raised in Austin, went to TCU, and ended up in Dallas for law school (where Josh and I met). I decided that being an attorney was not my cup of tea and pursued a career in legal marketing. I am now a mother of two attempting to balance family with a full-time job, which is always an adventure. I love: my sweet babies, handsome husband, very large family, and fabulous friends; trying new restaurants; wine; TCU football; holidays; cooking; The Bar Method; pajamas; Topo Chico; reading; coffee; Central Market; carbs; the beach; mani/pedis; Anthropologie; binge-worthy TV shows and podcasts; trivia; French 75s; Pinterest; cheese boards; The Ticket; dancing; Sprinkles cupcakes; The Texas Rangers; fresh flowers; thunderstorms; naps; Tex-Mex; the Texas Hill Country; porch-sitting; ranch dressing; throwing parties; and my job. I hate: working-mom guilt; snakes; heights; waking up early; ignorant people; stomach bugs; paper cuts; green fruit; snoring; bad hair days; the sound of people eating (Misophonia); scary movies; bad drivers; pulpy OJ; trimming baby fingernails; and Miracle Whip. That pretty much sums it up.

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