Tampa Homecoming!

The USCGC Tampa came home on December 7th, 2012 after a two month patrol. They confiscated more than five thousand pounds of cocaine. Keeping our streets clean of drugs.  I am so proud of my husband and the crew of the Cutter Tampa. And so happy to have my husband back home for the holidays!

A few of the wives and I waiting for our husband's boat to finally pull in so we can find them!

(left to right)- Mrs. Crist, Mrs. Saxman, Mrs. Walton(me), Mrs. Haksteen.

It wasn't that cold, as I'm sure we were all to excited to feel the wind anyway.

After, being there from 3:00 to finally seeing him at 4:30 and getting him at 5, the time went surprisingly quick! I was so happy, I never wanted to let him go! Everyone else was waiting in the boat, my husband & I and a few other wives with their husband were on the pier, hoping to not have to let go of our husbands again! Until next patrol, we will be un-seperate-able (except for duty days and work!) Glad to have them home.

DIY: COOKIES

Peppermint Chocolate Chip

Cookies

Recipe:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
7 ounces milk chocolate chips

7 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth, about 2 minutes, add in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the chocolate and peppermint chips.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. 

Let me just tell you, these cookies are super easy and quick to make, and as it is getting closer and closer to the Christmas season these are perfect! They are really like heaven in your mouth. They are perfect if matched with hot chocolate (peppermint of course!) or coffee with peppermint! I'm just in love with peppermint! YUM!

 

DIY: CARD HOLDER

Christmas Card Holder

 

What You Need: 

1. Two Gift Boxes (any sizes)-$1 at dollar store
2. A roll of gift wrap any style- $1 at dollar store 
3. A roll of at least 2 yards of ribbon (two rolls if your hanging them)- $1 at dollar store
4. Tape
5. A glue gun 
6. Scissors 

Steps:

1. Tape boxes inside to stay open, then place lid on bottom box.
2. Measure out wrapping paper to fix boxes as if your wrapping a present.
3. Tape box neatly
4. Glue ribbon diagonally or straight (your preference) x2
5. Let dry and glue ribbon (if hanging)
6. Repeat for box number two and let dry before hanging. 

I think I'm going to get clothes pins and paint them green or red and use them to hold the pictures better. First DIY craft for christmas! MORE TO COME! :)

Total cost: $3

My Obsession

 

  

TAYLOR SWIFT<3

Okay, so I kinda love Taylor Swift. And I own all of her cd's. My husband (boyfriend back then) got my the perfume for our one year anniversary. Waiting for it to be empty to buy her new perfume. For christmas last year I got Taylor's Speak Now blanket from my brother. And TODAY, I got her most recent album RED. And I am obsessed! I've been listening since I drove ALL THE WAY to Target just to get the deluxe edition! This year if/when Taylor has a tour I want to finally go to a concert, every time I try I never can. So this yea will be the year :)

 The drive down home is going to be fun, since I have SIX HOURS to learn the words <3

Christmas Card Photo's

 Christmas Photo's! 

So today we are going to get all of our christmas pictures! Here are a few of ours! I am so in love with these. I can't believe how christmas-y these look. It actually looks like it had snowed. Can't wait for the rest of them, and to choose which one(s) are going on our christmas card!

Thank so much to our Photographer! Sarah Street, if you ever need a photographer and are in the area use her! She is amazing and she's still new to photography! Amazing!

Carving Pumpkins!

A week ago another couple and us carved pumpkins since we don't have long with our boys! And let me just tell you carving pumpkins in October in Virginia, is A BAD IDEA!!! Since it is not quite that cold yet, they rot really quick. The other couples pumpkins are growing mold on them and our were filled with nats and my husbands was collapsed. It was disgusting picking up the pumpkins and trying not to get the bugs to swarm you. But anyway, we each carved our pumpkins differently. APPARENTLY people on the west coast...Colorado... like to carve the bottom of the pumpkin out instead of the top. Us eastern people carved ours out the top. My pumpkin is the EEK! one, Conner's is the middle's its supposed to be a zombie and Kortney's is the christmas tree one, Jeremy's her husband was just a normal smile face. It was fun to get into the fall feeling! I miss the leaves falling and colder weather back at home! Its still like 75 degrees here!!

Pumpkins are in the air.... pumpkin spice fraps, pumpkin pie poptarts, pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and my new pumpkin mud mask! Which works amazing! love it!!

Christmas in September

CHRISTMAS CARD PICTURES!

Today, we meet up with one of the coastie wives and she look our christmas card photo's. Since Conner will be leaving soon, I needed to get pictures before he left since I will be sending out photos for christmas before he returns. But anyway, we went to this arboretum (which we will never ever go back because they are so rude!) and we took pictures with fake snow, a mistletoe, a christmas sign and even christmas lights! This is a sneak peek/ a preview for us and we won't be getting the rest for a few weeks. I hope its before Conner goes out at sea so he can look at them! I totally got our inspiration of photos from this couple, I just adore these photos! CAN'T WAIT TO SEND OUT CHRISTMAS CARDS AS OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS OF BEING MR.&MRS. WALTON!!!

DIY: COOKIES

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So, today my friend came over and we decided after a long time and a trip to the grocery store that we want to make these pumpkin cookies. One, we don't like raisin or nuts so we didn't add them instead we added chocolate chips! These are amazing cookies! And they don't take that long to make! It is a perfect cookie for a fall day even if it is still 85 degrees outside!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Needed: 

2 c flour       1 1/2 c oats        2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking soda          1/2 tsp salt          1 c (2sticks) butter-softened

1 c brown sugar            1 c granulated sugar             1 c 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 large egg           1 tsp vanilla extract           1/2-1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Lightly Grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, oats, pie spice, baking soda, & salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, & granulated sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Then add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour mixture & mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and then drop rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 14-16 minutes depending on size of cookie and color or cookie pans. 

Later, I added powder sugar which just made them even more delicious. Can't wait to make them for Thanksgiving! :)

And speaking of pumpkins, one of my favorite blogs is doing a giveaway of a pumpkin mask! i want to win! http://eastonwife.blogspot.com go follow her! 

Hubby's Birthday Weekend!

This weekend we went back home to celebrate Conner's birthday with our families. First we went to my parents house, who live in PA. My mom made Conner a cookie "cake" and I invited my best friend Jess and her boyfriend along with my parents and brothers to celebrate. I really miss being home, it's so different being so far away from your family. It was nice going back and celebrating Conner's birthday with my family. And also seeing my cat Sherly! (pictures above from Friday @ my parents house.)

 Next, we went to Conner's parents house and on Saturday morning we went to a pumpkin patch! It was so weird wearing boots and a sweater and being freezing cold! So used to the warm weather! But through the weather and all the pumpkin patch was really fun, we took pictures in the face cut outs, on the big chair and even went through the puny little haunted house that Conner's little brother did not want to go in! Then we took a hay ride up to the pumpkin patch and got to pick out our pumpkins for our apartment, which we still need to decorate! Conner's mom also bought us the best cinnamon apple donuts, AMAZING! And apple cider and my blueberry jam, which is also amazing. 

 Later we went back to Conner's grandma's house and had Thanksgiving dinner, since Conner and I won't be celebrating it with them. We ate turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce! It was nice having a Thanksgiving dinner with Walton's and the Mitchell's while we were home. Then after dinner we sang happy birthday for the second time and let the night settle down by seeing a few of Conner's friends and waiting til midnight to say Happy Birthday<3

After that, we ventured our way back home. Stopping at my parents house for a few hours and visiting one last time till November. It was a great weekend and wish we could do it again soon. But most likely won't with Conner going away. Til next time! :)

Fall Decor!

 Today I decorated our house, yes its about a month in advance but I already had fall decor on the inside of the house! But I still have more to do! I put spider webs on our bushes and caution tape and ghost in our window. I also have orange light around the door and the small pumpkin has a "W" on it. I also have a welcome sign that wont stay up that's a pumpkin. We're getting pumpkins this weekend when we go home so were going to decorate them! 

This is me getting ready for the lights and the caution tape!

And this is the little decor I have on the inside of our house! a Pumpkin candle that I picked up from Michael's and the set of three pumpkins from Kirkland's, the two dish towels (and now I have a pot holder that's fall) from Wal*Mart, and then in the shelf the pumpkins around the sailboat lights are from my friend Jill and the little pumpkin is from Garden Ridge!

Trying to get into the spirit before my hubby goes underway. That way he can experience the "fall" with me and then come back and experience the rest/beginning of Christmas Time with me! <3