R&R Weekend in South Haven

This weekend we escaped to South Haven... finally! The past few months have been... for lack of a better word... shitty. We've just been dealing with all kinds of issues - large and small - and there's been a lot of stress in the Roehm household. We were really excited to get away this weekend and spend some QT together.

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day - so there was lots of time spent outside walking and playing...




Paired with lots of time inside napping, reading, and relaxing...






I even picked up the BEST SLIPPERS EVER! Just $5.00 at Wal-Mart! I'm absolutely in love!


And of course lots of YUMMY food. Ultimate comfort!





It truly was a beautiful weekend on Lake Michigan. The weather was unseasonably warm - and it was a nice end to the fall season...








I feel rejuvenated and refreshed - and ready to tackle the holiday season! I hope that you had a wonderfully therapeutic weekend as well... and if not... why don't you come along and enjoy South Haven WITH us...



PS... Meg - I think you'd enjoy South Haven even more than Mackinac Island -- more to do! You should absolutely plan a trip out next summer so we can (gasp!) meet in person! : )

The Weekend

(from left to right, top row to bottom row -- click to enlarge)

1. Bella in the backyard - it was 72 degrees! 2. Travis raking leaves 3. My cup o' joe at our favorite breakfast spot - I was excited about the design on my mug! 4. Mariah's 12th birthday 5. Travis and I at "Opera Untucked" -- a fundraiser I worked on for Opera Affiliates / Opera Grand Rapids. 6. "Untucked" food 7. "Untucked" centerpieces 8. Apple basket decor at "Untucked" 9. Birthday cupcakes for Mariah

HAPPY MONDAY!

Halloween Fun Part Two

It was so fun that Halloween fell on a Saturday this year!

Since our neighborhood doesn't get a lot of Trick or Treaters, and since I had MADE Mariah and Lily's costumes - we headed to the Hill's for an evening of ghoulish festivities.

Mariah and Lily were incredibly cute as cupcakes! I thought that the costumes turned out pretty well - especially since I'd been sick all the week before and didn't get the chance to make them until the morning of Halloween!




The kids Trick or Treated and we sipped on Sunday Coffee and took lots of pictures. Even Bella came along!







After we'd braved the elements (wind, rain, cold!) for long enough we headed back to the Hill's for pizza, festive snacks (jello hand and heart!), Halloween coloring, and general candy sorting.





And in what now is Halloween tradition - the girls posed in their matching, festive socks!



It was a really fun day - thanks Hill's, for having us!

Halloween Fun Part One

For the past four years we have carved pumpkins with our good friends Dustin and Cindy. Trav and I always look forward to heading over to their house for some snacks, festive beverages, carving fun, and of course lots of photos.

The boys aren't quite as enthusiastic about the actual carving as Cindy and I, but they are good sports all the same.

We had a great evening, thanks Cindy and Dustin! I'm already looking forward to next year - our five year pumpkin carving anniversary! It's going to be EPIC!

Before...

Scary!

Trav is always the first one done...

It takes two to carve a pumpkin?

Relaxing after carving...

Can you guess which is mine and which is Trav's?

All finished!

Enjoying some Witch's Brew...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Kind of defeats the purpose...

... of having clean laundry... but I don't have the heart to move her. Sweet girl!


I'm slowly re-joining the world of the living, and hoping that I continue to get better today so I can have a little Halloween fun over the weekend.

I hope that YOU all are all staying healthy... and that you have a lovely Halloween weekend!

What I Love About Fall...

Labor Day weekend has come to a close, leaves are already starting to turn here in Michigan and the air is just a little crisper. I start my fall semester of classes today, and kids in my neighborhood and all over the country are back in school. Fall is well on its way!

I can never pick a favorite season. We're lucky to be in a true four-season state here in Michigan and each one brings certain beauties (and hassles... Michigan winters anyone?) so it's hard to choose which is the best.

As the years go on though, I'm finding that I really love fall. For so many reasons! Here are just a few...

1) Halloween!


As obvious as this may be - Halloween is such a fun part of fall! I love decorating my home for Halloween, and putting together small Halloween gifts for the little ones in my life. Now that I'm getting the hang of sewing - I may even try my hand at some simple costume making this year! I love seeing the little ones trick or treating around town - and have spent many a Halloween staffing parties, festivals, and game nights in honor of the "holiday." Who doesn't love a little spooky fun?

2) Caramel Apples & Caramel Apple Pops


Oh man, I love me some caramel apples - in any form! The traditional, of course, are delicious. It's fun to make them from scratch - but of course I wind up with a huge sticky mess afterwards. A small sacrifice for a delicious outcome, right? And then I also can't get enough of these...


Seriously! The best Halloween candy EVER! We already have a bag of them in our house!

3) Leaves


This is totally cliche, but it IS awesome to hear the crunch of leaves under your feet while you walk. And not only that, but it's fun to just LOOK for pretty leaves while you are out and about. I always seem to find beautiful looking leaves right after rainfall, I pick them up and rush home with them only to find they've lost their beauty once dry. This year I'll be sure to capture their glistening colors by camera.

4) Mums

These beautiful and hardy plants in lovely pinks, oranges, and yellow are quintessentially fall. I love to see them pop up on people's doorsteps and give them as gifts at this time of year.


5) Soups & Stews

I often have a hard time cooking in the summer (let's face it... I have a hard time cooking most of the year!) because it's so hot. Fall brings a wealth of crock pot soups and stews that are easy to make and utilize great local produce. Sure, I may need to spend some extra time at the gym due to the heavier food (or... ANY time at the gym?!) but it's so worth it!

What do YOU love about Fall?