Easy pumpkin bread recipe (SO good!)

Well other than a few days this week we have been in full fall mode here. It got up to around 80 yesterday but after today I think we're finally home free! Back to beautiful weather in the 60's and 70's -- my favorite. :)

Because I'm fully in the fall spirit, I was on the search for a good pumpkin bread recipe a few weeks ago. I found this super easy one online and of course had to share it with you. You know if I'm sharing a recipe it's SUPER yummy and REALLY easy. 

I made some slight adjustments -- I added apple pie spice and I didn't include walnuts. I think this would be SO good with raisins though, so I added those as an option.

Here's the recipe (grouped by how you mix them): 

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c olive oil (canola or vegetable also works)

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

Optional: 

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/2 c walnuts

1/2 c raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. You will need two bowls for this recipe. Sift the first four ingredients together in one bowl. 

3. In separate bowl combine the pumpkin, olive oil, eggs, water, spices and walnuts or raisins if desired. Do not mix too much. Mine ends up not quite as thick as oatmeal: 

4. Pour into sprayed 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes. Or make muffins -- the mix makes 12 and they are perfect out of the oven at 25 minutes. You'll know they are done when you put a toothpick in to the bread/muffin and it comes out clean. 

I found this muffin tin a few weeks ago and it's perfect for this pumpkin bread!: 

I also found it online here -- it bakes them perfectly! 

I use an ice cream scoop to fill my tin so the batter doesn't get everywhere: 

Don't fill them all the way to the top and give the pan a few taps on the counter to get air bubbles out -- I forgot to do that this time! 

I'm telling you what...these come out SO good. They are moist and fluffy and just scrumptious: 

They take no time at all, especially if you're making the muffin version -- I've already whipped up two batches in the past week. If you like pumpkin even a little bit you will love this recipe. It's not an overwhelming pumpkin taste...just enough. And your house will smell like fall all day when you bake them. :) 

Here's an image you can pin for later if you'd like to make these as well!: 

Any fall baking recipes you love? Do share!

You can also see my easy crock pot applesauce here: 

And my popular banana bread recipe (so yummy!): 

More of my favorite recipes can be found here! Have a wonderful weekend my friends! 

Affiliate link included for your convenience! 

My favorite fall finds so far this year

So...I've been shopping a little bit lately. ;) I was so good this summer but all the sudden I want all the things. The new fall clothes, shoes and decor aren't helping. I wanted to share some of my favorites with you today because they are great deals and I've been impressed with the quality of everything so far.  

First up, you know those velvet pumpkins that are everywhere? Well I love them. I started collecting a few last year (found at HomeGoods) but hadn't found any this year…until I walked into Joann's a couple weeks ago: 

They have the prettiest colors -- white, gray and orange. Perfect for this time of year! Oh, and black! They are really lovely and the price was awesome. They were all half off when I got them so they ranged from about $3 to $5 each. I should have grabbed more (and may still.) They are pretty just about anywhere, go grab some before they're gone! 

When I was there I found all kinds of cute stuff, but another one I wanted to show you was the pretty plaid blankets they had in stock: 

They were $40 (I thought that was a lot) but on sale 60 percent off. That sounds better. :) They had a few different colorways and I loved this gray and orange version. 

I also grabbed a couple blanket scarfs from Jane.com a month or so ago, and when it gets colder they will be so comfy. But for now I'm using them as actual blankets: 

They are really lightweight so if you don't get a really cold fall/winter, these would be a good option for a sofa or chair. They're just a few inches shy of a regular throw blanket (hence the name) so they work great! I wish I had seen them here first though -- they are only $13 each. 

This next item isn't necessarily just for fall, but it screams cozy to me so I'm including it. :) I found some LED "fairy" lights in the Target dollar section weeks ago and grabbed them. I loved the look but wanted them on a timer, so I found these instead: 

You get three in an order and they are $6 each -- that's a great deal for a timer and the 10 foot length. 

The version from Target was much shorter but were a pretty copper color. These are labeled as copper but are not -- it's a minor thing because you don't really notice it too much. I put them in some lanterns and they are so pretty, day or night: 

You could put these anywhere! Aren't they so dainty and beautiful? I just love them and I'm searching around the house for other places to put them. 

Now to the clothes I've found lately. You know I rarely share beauty/fashion stuff, so when I do you know it's good. :) 

I took a chance on this military vest (I rarely order clothing online) and I was SO pleasantly surprised with it: 

It's a really flattering fit and I love the details on it. This color is hot this year. I can't wait to wear it with jeans and cute boots! (They have a few versions available -- mine was the one without the hood.)

I found this next one through a friend -- I loved her purse and was a little surprised she found it on Amazon: 

It is a gorgeous bag and really roomy. There's plenty of room to use it as a laptop bag -- two big compartments and a zippered on in the middle. I LOVE that the straps are long enough to throw it over my shoulder easily. My girlfriend's is older and has worn beautifully. 

And finally, my most recent find -- some cute booties from Rack Room Shoes: 

I tried on a ton and these were by far the most comfortable. They have a little open detail at the front that allows your ankle some room to move. I've noticed others can be a little constrictive when you walk. They were noticeably more comfortable than any of the others I tried (or that I own already). Love them! 

There you go -- a mix of my fall favorites so far. This is the best time of the year, right? I just adore it, especially now that we are out of the 90's and 85 percent humidity and into 60's and 70's. Bliss. Have you found any fall items you are loving so far this year? 

Some affiliate links included for your convenience!

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Ten pretty free fall printables

It's that time of year again folks! There are some ideas I share again and again and free printables are one of them. First, because the options are endless! Each season new art is created by incredibly talented bloggers. Also, they are FREE, or at least super cheap. You use your printer or send them off to be printed for a few bucks. AND they are an easy way add some seasonal touches to you home without a lot of effort.

I'm sharing some of my recent favorites today -- I've already printed out three of them and added them around our home. Please visit each respective blogger to find the full res download. (Link is below each photo.) I share links to past round ups at the bottom of this post as well.

I'm always drawn to art with wreaths. They get me every time!: 

The 36th Avenue/Thankful

I've already printed this one out -- I love the subtle colors:

Jones Design Company/Happy Fall

This is another one I've printed -- I just have to figure out where I want to put it in the kitchen:

Paint Me Pink/U-Pick Apples

Of COURSE we can't leave out the pumpkin spice lovers:

Yellow Bliss Road/Pumpkin Spice

The colors in this one are so beautiful! I love it:

Lolly Jane/Be Thankful

For more neutral decor lovers these feathers are perfect. She shares two versions:

Hymns and Verses/Feather art

This one is simple and sweet. I'm always drawn to watercolor art:

Glued to My Crafts/Hello Fall

This is one of four beautiful options with the autumn wreath:

Place of My Taste/Harvest

Kellie never disappoints with her pretty printables every season:

Nest of Posies/Autumn printable

The chalkboard printables are always a favorite too. Those colors are so beautiful against the dark backdrop:

I Should Be Mopping the Floor/Welcome Autumn

Remember these are all for personal use only! Please pin these from their respective sites. :) 

Aren't these folks so lovely for sharing their talents? I've shared my favorite fall printables for the past two years -- check out last year's here and the year before here. I hope you found one you love and will use in your home. :) Have a wonderful weekend my friends! 

P.S. I know my comment box has been wonky lately -- working on getting that fixed for you!

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Cute and easy fall signs with dollar items!

Hey hey! I've been putting the new craft room to use and I LURVE it! I'm so excited about this new workspace, it is truly a dream come true. 

Of course I had to break it in with some fall crafts and I found most of what I needed at the Target dollar spot. You know, that place where you grab a few things and $30 later you have a cart of cute, cheap stuff? Yeah: 

I found the wood stickers and stencils (the two stencils came together) there a couple weeks ago. These projects were so easy (and cheap!). Even with drying time they took less than an hour. 

I grabbed some scrap wood and stained one piece in an ebony stain and painted one white. Then I used the leaf stencil and spray painted that in this gold spray paint:  

When that dried I placed the other stencil on top: 

Here's a tip -- spray the back of your stencil with a light coating of spray adhesive and then place it on the surface. It will help it stay put and avoid bleeding. (This spray adhesive is my favorite because the nozzle doesn't get clogged up. Most I've tried are useless after half way through because nothing will come out of the nozzle.)

You can use spray paint for this part too (just be sure to cover the rest of the wood!) but I prefer to "pounce" it with a foam brush:

I also wanted it to have a slightly worn look so this technique lends itself to that look more. After it dried I sanded it down a little bit as well.

The wood pieces for the other sign have a sticky back so I cut them out to play around with placement:

They stuck great on the wood sign. On the stained piece I had to hot glue them on. 

I loved this one as it was: 

But I ended up spending a little more on some fabric flowers and added those with a hot glue gun:  

SO cute!! Love it!

I just used the wood cut outs on the other sign: 

The large leaf was left over from a leaf garland I picked up, but the rest were from Target. I still have a few left to make something else! :) Hot glue felt to the back if you hang wood on a door -- if it bangs around it won't damage your door or trim. Not sure this one will stay here but it's cute for now! 

I'm slowly but surely adding some fall touches around the house and I adore both of these signs:

I spent less than $10 on both of them (most of that was for the flowers I added to the stained one) -- not bad at all! The white one was two bucks and I didn't use nearly all of the cut outs. :) 

I love making personalized pieces for our house, especially for the different seasons. Get yourself to the dollar spot my friends! :) Have you made anything fun with dollar store items? I'd love to see! 

Affiliate links included for your convenience! 

Best of Fall: Decorating Ideas

Hello there my friends! I'm joining in with a few incredibly talented blog friends today to share some fall inspiration with you. I KNOW…it's still August. So if you are still enjoying a summer you may want to look away. But we've been back to school for a couple weeks here, our temps have dropped considerably and I AM READY. ;) 

I cannot wait for even cooler nights, apple picking, sweaters and boots, pumpkin patches and all the yummy fall scents and food. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and I love looking at inspiration to get me ready. 

I'm sharing some of my favorite decor and fun projects here today! At the end of this post you'll find the links to the rest of the bloggers on the tour (you will not want to miss them!). 

Last year was my favorite for our back patio: 

Aren't those mums gorgeous? They were so large and fluffy -- I'll have my eyes out for those again this year. 

The patio will be even better with the beautiful outdoor lights we added this year! I can just smell the fire and taste the s'mores right now!:

Our front porch is super tiny but I love decoration it for the season -- I never go without the corn stalks! I usually make a fall wreath and this DIY pumpkin wreath is one of my favorites: 

It reminds me so much of a similar Pottery Barn version but when you grab everything on sale the price is considerably cheaper. (And when I say considerably I mean like $70 cheaper!) It's seriously as easy as sticking each part into the wreath form. 

Moving inside, a couple years ago I shared a pretty and easy fall tablescape: 

And then last year I painted the table and went simpler with the decorations: 

I LOVE fall printables and try to incorporate them into our decor every year. (You can see my picks from the past couple of years here and here.) I made one of my own a few years ago and you can download it for your home: 

Other than Christmas fall is my favorite time to craft. I love figuring out ways to add warm and whimsical touches by making my own pieces. My candy corn bunting is still a favorite of mine years later:

You can see more of that fall mantel here, although that room looks completely different now. I love decorating our newer large mantel for the seasons! 

If you've been around these parts for awhile you know my absolute FAVORITE way to add seasonal touches is with pillows. You can see how I do that on the cheap with my table linen pillows: 

I just adore these! I was so in love with the Pottery Barn pillows I found in the catalog but didn't want to spend that much. Instead I made my own for a fraction of the price: 

I do this often and they always turn out so well! I can't wait to put these out again in the next couple of weeks. :) 

Those are just a few of my favorite fall-inspired projects and spaces. :) I cannot wait to see what the other ladies have in store for us! Next up on the tour is Annie's beautiful home from Zevy Joy:  

And here is the complete list so you can click through: 

Cottage and Vine

Driven by Decor

Eclectically Vintage

Emily A. Clark

Kelley Nan

On Sutton Place

Zevy Joy

Enjoy! I'll be back with an update on the loft makeover later this week!
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