Cave Creek, AZ - The Grotto Cafe At Red Truck Trading

 

We found The Grotto through TripAdvisor (as we do with most places we eat on vacations), and loved the food and atmosphere here! We could bring Cabbie, our Chocolate Lab,  onto the patio area, and she has a great time just checking all the people and other dogs out as we enjoyed our lunch. 

The food was out of this world, and the setting was even better. Finding a spot in the shade to eat outside in Arizona is a dream, and this place was one of the loveliest places we ate while in Arizona this past March. 

Find the Grotto Cafe at 6501 E Cave Creek Rd #8, Cave Creek, AZ 85331.

The BBQ Pork sandwich was amazing! 

The Grotto Cafe is very dog friendly. In fact, most of the patrons had pups with them. One woman had THREE :) There were free dog treats on the patio, which were in this cute  mailbox, below.  

My grilled cheese panini was just right. I liked the chips and pickle that came on the side, and that strawberry smoothie cooled me off on a rather warm afternoon - it was really, really good!

The residents of Cave Creek are sometimes called Creekers, and some of them are talented artists. 

Just look at this Cobb Salad! It tasted even better than it looked, and was so filling. 

This little guy, below, was a good sport. His mom said he was a rescue dog and generally very timid. But he put on a big smile for me and my camera. See, dogs love this place! 

Carbondale Community Farmer's Market - Weeks 1 & 2

So we have a new(ish) Farmer's Market in Carbondale. It happens every Wednesday afternoon from 3-6 pm. Tomorrow marks the third week, and I love the whole vibe of this market so much. The Carbondale Community Farmer's Market began operating out of the Carbondale Community High School a few years ago, and also hosted Carbondale's only Winter Farmer's Market. They wanted to provide a summer market to the city that serves this vibrant community, and wanted to help make local, small-batch, and organic produce and products available. The market is really wonderful.

Feel free to check out my two photo Facebook albums: Week 1 ~ Week 2

Radishes From Homer Grown

The market is great for families!

Scratch Beer offers refreshing craft sodas at the market, as well as home made croutons and other bread items and mixes.

All Seasons Farm - All Local, All Organic

All Seasons Farm - All Local, All Organic

Yay! Cascade Hops from Flora Bay Farm

Pie From Longbranch Coffee House 

Herbal Salve from Dayempur Herbals

Week 1 ~ Week 2

Erin Pelicano Jewelry

I absolutely love photographing anything from Erin Pelicano. I was so inspired by the city of Santa Fe, because of the gorgeous architecture, and the history of the buildings and my surroundings. I absolutely LOVE the fact that so many of the doorways, doors, and other parts of the buildings are painted mint or blue. Erin's necklaces always arrive wrapped in light blue tissue paper, so I thought that the mint railing would be the perfect place to photograph her necklaces. I also utilized an adorable courtyard (that I had all to myself!), and was able to work on her photos near a fountain and lots of pretty early Spring flowers. Such a magical place to work! I had so much fun with this project, and I hope you enjoy!! 

And, of course, these necklaces are wonderful gifts for Mother's Day and beyond! I have given these to various women in my family, and they are wearing them every time I visit! Erin Pelicano jewelry is always made from either real silver or gold, which I think sets her work far above the rest! 

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Find Erin Pelican Jewelry On The Web

Learn more about Erin Pelicano Jewelry on her website. 

If you are in need of product photography for your goods, please comment below, or feel free to Contact Me for quotes! I would love to help you capture the beauty of your products.

Chocolate + Cashmere - Santa Fe, NM

I was so impressed by Chocolate + Cashmere in Santa Fe. The store was a breath of fresh air, and I literally never wanted to leave :) The sign itself drew me into this boutique during my final hour of shopping time in Santa Fe, on the last day we were there. They were one of the last shops open this night, so I was very fortunate to be able to stop in, take some photos, and grab a few chocolates. Chocolate + Cashmere is located at: 109 East Palace, Santa Fe, NM 87501. They also have a location in Taos, NM. 

Chocolate + Cashmere proudly offers Golightly Cashmere (learn more here). 

Local Santa Fe chocolates available, in so many amazing flavors. 

I absolutely loved the necklaces. They were a bit out of my price range, at about $300 each, but they were locally handmade, and stunning!

Chocolate + Cashmere displays all of the available colors of cashmere on a wall display (below).

And, the chocolate again! 

Isn't this store just beautiful!

Toad&Co And Our Road Trip Through Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National park was one of the most incredible parks we have ever visited. We have been to  National Parks, and this one takes the cake! We also got incredibly wonderful light the day we drove through, so that was even more perfect than I could have ever imagined. 

The National Parks We Have Visited Include:

Saguaro, Joshua Tree, Redwood, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Hawaii Volcanoes, Yellowstone, Glacier, Badlands, Arches, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Zion, Shenandoah, Mt. Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic, Grand Teton!!! 

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Aah, memories!! I was also super happy that I could bring along some new items from Toad&Co. The Gemma Dress is beyond amazing! Perfect for the warmer weather we experienced while in the southwest in March. It fits like a dream, has a stretchy drawstring waist, perfect pockets, and is made from a stretchy material that I just love. Learn more about the Gemma Dress here. This dress is amazing because the length is perfect. And, this is the only dress that I have worn on a windy day that stays put! Couldn't believe it, but it's completely amazing. 

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I was so happy when I spotted the first Joshua Tree (in the first photo in this post)!!! Definitely the most unique and quite beautiful trees I have ever seen, and I love the look of them so much. Around that time, I also saw some of the first rock formations, which looked very smooth from far away, but were actually very rough, and very grippy - which is probably perfect for climbing. The rock shapes also seemed very conducive for climbing. 

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I also brought along these Jetlite Pants, which were comfortable to wear for hours and hours! They were amazingly comfortable, and a bit of a higher waisted design, which has soft elastic. I could not believe how well these fit! And, if you wear them with a shorter cropped shirt, you can show off your cute silhouette in these whether you're road tripping, hiking, lounging, in the office, or shopping. 

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We entered Joshua Tree from the entrance east of Coachella (by about 20 miles), and at first, all we saw were smaller yucca style plants, which looked like what I would assume Joshua Trees look like when they are young. No rock formations, and not much of anything, just desert. Then, we drove a little more, and the road started to snake around a bit more, and it was surprisingly 45 mph through most of the park. We began to see tons and tons of Jumping Cholla, which are all over Arizona, so that was pretty cool.

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Bobby had backpacked in the park before I even knew him, and he told me about the amazing campgrounds, rock formations, climbers, and these mysteriously strange looking trees...Joshua Trees, but I still hadn't seen either of these things. We could begin to see mountains all around us and I was beginning to get super excited, because mountains make me happy :)

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The Joshua Trees began to get thicker, and they basically took over the landscape, amongst these awesome rock formations, all at a bit of a distance, but very majestic. Like I said, the light was incredible this day, and we were in the park just before sunset. Stunning!!!

Thanks for checking out my road trip, and these awesome clothes from Toad&Co. Perfect for a road trip to just about anywhere! Have you ever been to Joshua Tree? 

The Tame Flat Iron by Vanity Planet - LOVE this!!!

I absolutely love my new Tame Flat Iron by Vanity Planet. If you will remember, I created a post for VP earlier this year, talking all about their Pure Spin Facial Brush, and love it too. Their products are extremely well-made, and I am so lucky that I have been able to upgrade a few of my beauty tools lately, thanks to Vanity Planet!

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VP was kind enough to send me this Tame Flat Iron so I could share it on my blog. As soon as I opened the Tame, I practically did a happy dance! I am so impressed by the wonderful quality of this tool. It heats up in a minute or so, which is about 15 minutes less than my old (and soon to be donated) flat iron. I am so thankful to have a new, reliable tool that treats my hair very gently, it has Titanium plates.  

The Tame Flat Iron heats up from 150 degrees - 450 degrees with a push of the up and down buttons. So easy!

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I also wanted to share my current favorite heat protect product, by Salon Grafix - the Protein Shaping Styling Mist. It's great because I don't really like a lot of scent in my hair products. This one literally has no scent and works really well! 

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To Use...

Hold the power button for 3-5 seconds, and you will see the temp appear. Use the up arrow button to turn the tool up as high as you might normally set it. I have natural hair that is only lightly color treated. I found that 300-320 degrees worked best for my hair while in California with humidity, and here in Arizona (with NO humidity) I used about 280-300 degrees, and it worked like a dream! So glad to have this amazing Flat Iron, check it out for yourself here. This flat iron was absolutely perfect to bring on our road trip!

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"Tame has an Additional Negative Ions Generator that keeps your hair healthy as you style. Designed for all hair types...To enhance your experience, the Tame includes a 360° Swivel Cord for tangle-free styling as well as a Handle Lock Mechanism for easy storage. It also comes with an auto shut-off mechanism that kicks in after 60 minutes of use. Every aspect of this iron’s design was constructed with convenience in mind. The soft touch coating prevents slippage and makes the iron comfortable to hold. Whether you want a sleek, straight look, or bouncy curls, the Tame consistently provides professional-caliber results that will make you want to show off every new hairdo."

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Overall impressions are really wonderful for this Tame Flat Iron! Thanks to Vanity Planet for the wonderful tool! 

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Honeywell Lyric Thermostat

This thermostat ROCKS! Check back later today for easy DIY instructions on how to install the Lyric Thermostat! 

Lemon Sorbet Recipe And Video

So, we are here in Arizona for March, and the lemon tree at my parent's house was just calling my name! I decided to make my first YouTube video about a wonderful lemon sorbet recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (About 12 Lemons)

- 2 Cups Water

- 1 - 1.5 Cups Sugar (White Sugar or Cane Sugar). I used 2 cups and it was too sweet. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Juice lemons, and make sure there are no seeds. Set aside.

Heat water and sugar in a medium saucepan, until sugar has dissolved.

Add lemon juice to sugar water, and stir until combined.

Pour lemon juice mixture into a Pyres or container with a lid, and put into freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 

When frozen, scrape the sorbet with a fork, and then serve! This sorbet will stay good in the freezer for about 2 weeks. 

Enjoy! 

Tune Up Cafe - Santa Fe, New Mexico

We headed further west after we left the Denver area, and stayed at a hotel about an hour from Santa Fe. We decided to grab lunch on the way through town, and so I Trip Advisored the highest rated restaurants in Santa Fe.

There were SO many to choose from, and I thought the Tune Up Cafe looked good. Well, it was!

Their portions were huge, though, so we had leftovers for days following :) I would even recommend that two people split a dish here. I'd also love to try their breakfast foods, which I always regret not getting. 

And, even though it was pretty warm outside, I still got myself a hot chocolate. It was wonderful, probably the best thing I had that day. 

And, although the front part of the restaurant was packed and bustling, the back part was completely open. Looked like they had some pretty good beers on tap. 

Bobby got his current go-to menu item, the Cuban Sandwich. Their fries were also pretty darn good. Just look at all of those layers of goodness! Ham, Swiss, BBQ Pork, Mustard, Onions, and Pickles...odd but incredible combo! 

ACROSS THE STREET...

I love the architecture of the homes in the southwest. The tan adobes and the washed out and faded colors that have been blasted by the sun for years. It's ALWAYS bright here, so bring your best sunglasses! 

 

ALSO IN NEW MEXICO

- Hangar Bottle Shop in Albuquerque. This was a pretty small place, and had only been open 10 months, but they had a great selection for the size of the store. I wish we could have spent more time downtown, because it was really cute. Seems like there are a few great places to catch a concert, have dinner, or grab a drink in this college town.   

Cool Stuff To Do In Denver - Mostly Beer + Food

We recently stopped in the Denver / Lakewood, CO area for a few days on our way out to Arizona, and had a blast! Check out all of our stops below, and comment if you have been to any of these :)

Crooked Stave Brewery / The Source (Website)

This place was absolutely incredible! This building used to be an old steel factory, and it appears that they gutted it down to the bare bones. This building contains several different businesses with a communal and very open area in the middle. The ceilings are super tall, and there is natural light pouring in from everywhere. This sits in a rather industrial area, which is surrounded by lots of new apartment buildings and other breweries and restaurants, and of course a bit of construction. I would assume that this area of Denver will be finished in no time! 

Crooked Stave brews/creates mostly sour beers, which I am a big fan of these days. Their beers are definitely pricey, but worth a try! 

Great Divide Brewery (Website)

We had passed by Great Divide on the way to Crooked Stave. In fact, it was almost right across the street. The thing that really caught our eye at this place was the massive amount of barrels on display (and in use) here. They have a really amazingly decorated barrel bar, which they decorated with lots of pieces of wood from past barrels. We had a good time sampling lots of different beers, and it was fun comparing all the different styles and flavors. 

The beers are decent here, and the prices are incredible. Their samples of regular beers are $1 for 3 oz, and $3 for their barrel aged and more rare stuff. 4 of us got out of there for under $20!

Sample Beers at Great Divide. 

Our friends at Great Divide!

Some of the beers available at Great Divide.

- Mockery Brewing (Website)

I'm sure this happens a lot, but as we were sitting in Great Divide, I saw yet another brewery in the back of the parking lot called Mockery Brewing. Another impeccably designed brewery, with a smaller yet very open feel, as well as copper and cool signage behind the bar. Their beers were only $5 each and very strong! 

The Wheat Around The Bush Boysenberry Wheat Wine 

- Wynkoop Brewery (Website)

This place was pretty nice. We sat on the upper level, which had about 15+ pool tables, and lots of nice open area. This place was a bit more expensive than we would usually go for, but it was a nice place to meet friends in downtown Denver. The exposed brick (which was a theme for literally every place we went in Denver), was just beautiful. I loved the photos they displayed in this building, by photographer Patrick Andrade. He uses tin type to capture modern brewers and their process. Learn more.

- Denver Biscuit Co (Website)

My, oh my! What a great way to start the day! Everything on the menu pretty much revolves around these luscious biscuits, and they're amazing. I got biscuits and gravy, and I think everyone else got a biscuit sandwich of some sort. Each plate looked better than the last and I definitely hope to visit again soon! 

While in Denver, we also checked out Teller's and Rock Fire Pizza. Both really great! 

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And, we didn't stop there! Colorado has the absolute best beer selection of literally anywhere we have ever visited, so we found a few other places to find things to take home. Some of the places we would definitely recommend include: Mondo Vino, Grapevine Wine & Liquor - (make sure to check out the Beer Cave!!), and Applejacks near Lakewood. 

Coaltrain (Colorado Springs) (Visit Their Site)

Keep up with our travels on Instagram {here}! We have lots more of this adventure to go...

Create + Cultivate Dallas!

Wow! Just got back a few days ago from Dallas, and I have all sorts of things to share with you. The main theme that the presenters, speakers, and mentors kept saying was to STAY AUTHENTIC. I love this because I have been completely under the impression that it is best to stick to one topic when blogging if you want to be successful. And, while this business model does work well for some, it is not the only way that you have to do things. 

The other super important take-away for me, was that I have GOT to develop a BUSINESS PLAN if I want my blog to be my full time business! (Which I do). So I already have a journal dedicated to this very purpose, and I cannot wait to share a bit of that with my readers along the way, throughout 2016. 

THE CONFERENCE...

Let me begin by saying that this was the most inspiring event I have aver attended. There were loads of fashion bloggers, creative women, adorable food and drinks, and great people watching! I didn't really realize the event was going to be mostly fashion influencers/bloggers, but it was great to see who is out there, and basically "who I am blogging beside".

They really did a lovely job decorating the Lofty Spaces, and every single inch of the place was like a perfect Instagram moment! 

It was amazing seeing so many talented and motivated millennials who all want to run an online business or blog. There were people with quite a wide range of talents, as well as people who were at just about every stage of the game, from people who were just still conceptualizing their brand, blog, and business, to those who had been blogging for ten years, and were basically "social celebrities". 

Moxie McCoy was one of my mentors. 

SOME KEY NOTES...

Some of the important notes I took include:

- To be inspiring, you need to also be inspired! 

- Create a business that fulfills a need that people have. 

- Take intelligent risks.

- your business pan needs to allot for revenue gain and need to be sustainable.

- Stay authentic

- You need to have a MISSION DRIVEN BUSINESS.

- Keep your original mission in mind the whole time you run your business.

- To be an entrepreneur, you need two things - WORK ETHIS & PASSION. 

- Trust your voice

- You need a specific vision and voice.

- Curate, Collaborate, and Create

- Stay ahead of the trends

- Offline Interactions are even more important than those you are having online! 

- Speaking engagements can bring in more money than blogging alone. 

- Engage in platforms that facilitate communities.

NYLO DALLAS + PECAN LODGE BBQ

Wow, the NYLO Dallas was incredible! Really lovely rooms with tall ceilings and large bathrooms. 

Pecan Lodge BBQ. YUM!!!!

I'm Heading To Create + Cultivate!

Create + Cultivate is less than a week away and I am so excited! This will be my second conference, and I have been following their social accounts religiously. I am always so concerned with what to wear to events like this, so I got myself a couple of new dresses and cannot wait to get packed for Dallas! 

Shirt Dress - Found Here

Short Sleeve Stretchy Patterned Dress - Found Here

These are the two dresses I got, one for the Friday night happy hour, and one for the event on Saturday. I love that these dresses won't wrinkle in my suitcase, too. I will be looking for some cute heeled booties to go with both of them! I also need to find myself an adorable new notebook, spiral preferably, and a new purse! Since I work from home, I do not traditionally wear office attire on a daily basis, so I always have to get something new when I am attending anything dressy. Totally fine with that, though :) 

Shop These Boots

Shop These Boots

I also got myself some new business cards from moo.com! They are triple thick, with a neon pink layer in the middle. They are so great! Last time I got a simple black layer inside, but the pink is even more eye catching in s fun and unique way. Click To Get 10% Off Your First Purchase! 

My New Business Cards! Find Me On Instagram Here. 

Can't wait to share some pictures of the event soon! 

2015 Year In Review

I had an incredible year, last year, and I think it will be great to share all of the fun things with you. Sometimes, I think I am never doing enough, completing enough, scratching a line through enough items on my endless to-do list. Do you ever feel that way? I think this post will also be an amazing way to look back at all of the wonderful places we went, and things I accomplished throughout 2015. It is so important to share the things you are thankful for, and I am thankful for health, happiness, and all of the fun opportunities I had last year. Here's to another circle around the sun!!! 

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JANUARY

In late January of 2015, I decided it was a good idea for me to move over to a .com from my long-standing blogspot blog. I am still very happy that I chose to go to a .com! My previous blog was - http://lily-the-wandering-gypsy.blogspot.com/. Throughout the whole year of 2015, I had over 150,000 Page Views on lily-the-wandering-gypsy.com, and I am so happy about that!!! I also started my super popular Group Pinterest Board, called Inspire Me. 

I also created some pretty awesome things, like my Mixed Berry and Banana Smoothie Recipe, and this Beautiful Fleece Cowl Scarf. 

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FEBRUARY

I had the experience of a lifetime in February when I went to Laguna Niguel, CA to speak at The Re/Code Media conference at THE RITZ (!!!) on a panel of "New Influencers". This was a monumental trip that you can read all about here. 

This month, I also ramped up my holiday-inspired posts by making a few Valentine's Day Posts. I had lots of traffic from my post about Beautiful Bacon Roses and still love them so much! Another super popular post was my Candy Heart Tutorial. I photographed some beautiful goodies from Brightly Twisted, too! I also started a blog called Bisque This! (which I later turned into Bisque-This.com). This definitely marked a point where I began creating some really nice recipes and posting them. 

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MARCH

Some of the posts I made in March were these Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Rings, and the Tater Tot Horseshoe. We also created some gorgeous styled photos for Alice & Marie! We got out of the cold Illinois weather this month and headed out to Arizona!!! For some reason, I was silly and didn't post much about it on my blog...probably because of the complete lack of good internet while we were galavanting around in the desert? Who knows, but we had such an incredibly time, we are going back in March of 2016! I promise I will post more along the way this time around...PROMISE! 

The places we visited in March on our Southwest Road Trip include: Truth or Consequences, NM, Saguaro National Park, Cave Creek, AZ. Read about Utah Below...

AND ANOTHER THING...

Bobby and I also got to work on an amazing project for L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyles while we were in Arizona. I could not think of a more gorgeous place/backdrop for photos! View my portfolio here. I also created a Dedicated Pinterest Board, called Style It - Change It - Own It, which I had a lot of fun with! 

OFF TO UTAH

We had an amazing time doing each and every National Park in Utah - so glad we had a National Parks Pass. Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Escalante, Canyonlands, Kodachrome Basin, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Moab, UT. What an unforgettable time!

Escalante National Park

Escalante National Park

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Bryce Canyon National Park - Click To See Larger

Our Trusty Prius At Kodachrome! 

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APRIL

In April, the weather finally started to warm up here in Illinois, and I was creating even more content. I also started (another) blog for fashion-only, called She's So Chic (which I need to revisit pretty badly...). 

Bobby and I also created some more content and a Dedicated Pinterest Board for L'Oreal Infalliable Makeup. Another incredible and honorable projects that I was so happy to create.

I also created this DIY Daily Planner post, which remains my most popular post to date! I also created this Festival Ready Flower Crown, in honor of Coachella and Bonnaroo. 

I visited the Nashville Country Living fair with my mom and sister, and had a great time! 

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MAY

Another fun month! I collaborated with Sony Pictures to help promote their movie, Aloha! We have been to Hawaii three times, so I thought this was a really fun and inspiring project. Check out the Dedicated Pinterest Board and Blog Post talking more about the project. I was also named in the Top 100 Pinners of 2015 by Daily Tekk. I also created this Tassel Earrings Tutorial, and photographed Emblem Eyewear Sunnies.

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JUNE

In June, I created a great post for HelloSociety about my Top 5 Pinterest Tips! It was shared quite a few times!!! I also created another boho tutorial, showing how to embellish the cutest boots ever! I also created some adorable onesies, and took some photos at our amazing Farmer's Market, one of which was featured on the VSCO blog! 

Speaking of Farmer's Markets, Carbondale gained a new Farmer's Market this past summer, and they had a great selection of local veggies. And, check out my favorite Bloody Mary Recipe ever! 

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JULY

This month, I worked with Nordstrom Rack to help promote their clothing on Pinterest! I created a new Tumblr site, called Wandering Gypsy Fashion Blog, to focus one site on fashion-only. I also photographed this organic lotion line from Ayushi Woods. We also gave a $100 Gift Certificate To one lucky winner! I also created this fun Raspberry Mint Spritzer Recipe. 

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AUGUST - OUR BIG ROAD TRIP + MORE

Things heated up this month with an amazing collaboration with Ulta Beauty Hair & Cosmetics. I also created an amazingly delicious No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe, perfect as individual servings! 

 The second week of August, we took the biggest road trip we have EVER taken!!! Again, I did not really post much about this on my blog, but I promise to blog more on upcoming road trips, promise! 

OUR ROAD TRIP...

We spent about 6 weeks on the road throughout August and September. We visited places in Colorado like Glenwood Springs, Crested Butte, Silverton, Ouray, and Silverton. I got a few photos, but this was when Lily was having a really hard time, so it's very hard to even go back and look at photos from this time...We lost one of our very best friends on the trip, though, and I have still never felt the same without her. Lily the AmStaff will always be loved and I am happy she had such an adventurous life. 

OFF TO CALIFORNIA

Lake Tahoe

San Francisco

Westport

OREGON

Waldport

Cannon Beach + Portland

WASHINGTON

Olympic Peninsula - Kalaloch Lodge 

Whidbey Island

MONTANA + IDAHO

On the way back home, we drove through Ketchum, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana. 

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SEPTEMBER

Some of the photos from August actually took place in September, but this month, I wanted to feature the projects we completed in August and September. We worked with Bacardi (!!!), Missouri Department of Tourism, Emma Stine, and the FYI Network for their show Style: Unzipped. 

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OCTOBER

Another pretty incredible month. While working on Halloween projects, I got an email from HelloSociety and Skype, asking me if I wanted to visit New York City (in a few days...), and help with a Skype Halloween Party for The Lower East Side Girls' Club! They flew me out, and then put me up in a (hotel). i had an amazing time and learned so many new things. Check out my tips for a great Halloween Party With Skype, and my trip to New York City! (Thanks, Skype!!!!)

I also created some amazing photos for Sony Pictures' movie, Burnt. This was one of the hardest projects I have ever done and loved learning so much from it. 

I also created a few photos for Toad&Co. 

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NOVEMBER

Going back to loving to cook, I created a great Stuffed Squash Recipe, a 7 Can Soup Recipe, took photos of Fall Ice Cream Treats at Cold Stone Creamery, and also shot some gorgeous photos for Erin Pelicano Jewelry. Her work is beautiful! I also created this gift guide, and also shot a few photos inspired by e.l.f. cosmetics for their #PlayBeautifully project. 

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DECEMBER

Wow, I did quite a bit this month! Christmas and the holidays were such a great inspiration for me, and I actually worked with Harley-Davidson! I think we got some great photos and I also made them a Dedicated Board. I also styled up a beautiful watch by JORD Wood Watches, made in St. Louis, just 2 hours from here. 

I also created some awesome DIY Gift Bags, an Ugly Christmas Sweater Dog Bandana, Pumpkin Oat Dog Treats, Holiday Decor with Nature Hills Nursery, Red Cocktail Recipes, Frozen Hot Chocolate Pie (YUM!!), Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies From Scratch, styled up some more e.l.f. makeup, and also styled a cute New Year's Eve Party, which was featured here on Kara's Party Ideas.

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Whew! So, that's my last year in a big gigantic nutshell! I hope this inspires you, I know it will help me keep motivated to continue to create new things and travel to new places! 

This post was inspired by This Post from Inspired By Charm! 

Create + Cultivate Conference

I am super excited to be attending the Create + Cultivate Conference in Dallas, at the end of this month. I know time will fly, so I am trying my best to get prepared for it. The tickets have already sold out, so they are announcing the next location pretty soon. Looks like such a fun time, I cannot wait!

Create & Cultivate Chicago 2015 from create cultivate on Vimeo.

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This conference also looked like a contender for next year - Thrive Blogger Conference. It is January 31, 2016. It costs about $150 for a ticket, which I am sure would be well worth it. It's held at The Embassy Suites in The Woodlands area of Texas.  

Check Out My DIY Page!

I just created a new page that helps you find all of my DIY projects in one place. I had so much fun going back through all of the fun projects I had created in 2015, and thinking about all of the great things I want to make, design, and share in 2016. If you have any requests, or ideas for me, just comment below! Happy Crafting!!

Amazing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

These cookies tasted beyond good, and made the house smell like a cookie candle :) I wanted to share some of my favorite ingredients, so you can make your Oatmeal Raisin cookies the very best ever!

INGREDIENTS (WET):

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

INGREDIENTS (DRY):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon
• 3 cups oats (not instant)
• 1 1⁄2 cups raisins (I used 2 small boxes)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in heat safe container. 
3. Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
4. Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low.
5. To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.
6. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
7. (Over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie.) Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
8. Use a silicone Tablespoon measuring spoon, and scoop out dough
9. Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
10. Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.
11. Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies! YUM! - The melted butter and the sugar, eggs, and both sugars.

Here is the cookie dough before the dry ingredients are added.

I hope you have enjoyed my process of creating some incredible Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! If you make some, I'd love to see them! Put your link below in the comments! 

Toad&Co Gets Comfy!

I have been a long-time lover of all things Toad&Co for a while now. I wanted to share some pretty amazing clothes with you today! You may want to add for a few of these items to your Wish List too! There's still time. 

Below, you will see this gorgeous, Intermezzo Jacket in Zuni Turquoise.  This is THE most comfortable Zip-Up I own, I just love it. The fit is beyond perfect. 

You can check out the other blog post I created with my Toad&Co clothing here. 

The Intermezzo Jacket in Zuni Turquoise

I also wanted to show you this adorable tunic top, The Tamaya Long Sleeve Tunic, in Falcon Brown Nordic Print, is my other favorite top right now. It's the perfect length to wear with leggings and boots. 

The Tamaya Long Sleeve Tunic, in Falcon Brown Nordic Print

The Toad&Co clothing is all so comfy and wonderful! I definitely recommend checking out their clothing, you will be happy you did! 

CHECK OUT TOAD&CO

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#UNselfie with Old Navy for #GivingTuesday

I am hoping to spread the message of giving back this holiday season! It is extremely important to think of those who are less fortunate this holiday season. My favorite charity in Carbondale, IL is The Women's Center. They are incredibly wonderful and help women and children in our community. So, this month, I will be helping spread the message of giving.

DECEMBER 1-7, 2015: Snap an #Unselfie and share how you plan to give back this holiday season, written on a sign of some sort. Get creative! Tag @OldNavy and Old Navy will donate $1 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, up to $25,000. Add #GivingTuesday and #UNselfie to your post to share! 

And, since we are on the topic of Old Navy, I thought this Black and White Sweater was appropriate for the photos as well! I got this one last year, around the holidays, but I wanted to share some other open front cardigans with you. 

If you wind up participating, please post a link below to let me see what you came up with! I cannot wait to see how you guys are giving back this year. Remember, post your #UNselfie by Dec. 7, 2015. 

Sugar and Spice - Yummy Creations By Cold Stone Creamery

Don't think Fall is the time to eat ice cream? Well, it is! I recently visited Cold Stone Creamery, in order to help showcase some of the most amazing ice cream I have ever eaten! There was just a small hint of spice that was very well balanced in these treats. And, if you love frozen coffee drinks, there is even a Sugar and Spice creation for you! Make sure to stop by the Springfield, IL location, the general manager was incredibly helpful throughout this project. 

I think one of my favorites in this collection is the Salted Caramel Frappe! It has just a hint of coffee flavor, just enough for me, and it's topped with a generous amount of whipped topping and a caramel drizzle. This would be perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. 

Next, I think this adorable Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie would really impress your guests at Thanksgiving! It contains pumpkin ice cream, and is adorned with vanilla bean whipped topping and chocolate leaves! This would make such an elegant dessert option for the holidays. 

This Twisted Salted Caramel Ice Cream was also pretty great. It starts with Salted Caramel Ice Cream, and they mix in chocolate chips and pretzels. They will even top it with caramel if you ask with a smile. 

So, the Pumpkin Pie In The Sky Ice Cream was my second favorite treat. It contains Pumpkin Ice Cream, and they mix in Graham Cracker Pie Crust, Whipped Topping, and drizzle it with Caramel! At first bite, I knew this one was a winner :) 

Happy November! Let's Eat Squash!

We finally got all of the ingredients together to make this hearty meal last night, and it was pretty good! I even made a Flipagram for you to watch and see how pretty these turn out!

I was so happy to find Organic Acorn Squash at Kroger! 

They're really quite pretty when you cut them open! Scoop out all of the seeds and inside bits!

View on Flipagram

Scoop out the insides, cover with oil and salt, and bake at 4000 Degrees for 40 mins. Then, prepare to make the filling!

Below, we covered the acorn squash with olive oil and salt, and baked them for 40 minutes at 400 Degrees.

For the filling, we used about 1/2 Lb/ ground pork (but could have easily used ground beed or turkey), 1/2 a red onion, 3 stalks of celery, salt and seasonings, 1/2 C. breadcrumbs, and 1/2 C. Parmesan cheese. 

Now, cook the onions, celery, and ground beef in a little bit of olive oil, and season for extra flavor. Below, you will see the filling after the meat has browned. Photo on the left is after we added the breadcrumbs and the parmesan! Yum!

Now, put that filling into the squash you just took out of the oven! Bake for 20 more minutes...

And you're ready to eat!!! YUM!!!