Around the home in October

I think October might be one of my favorite times to decorate my home for. I don’t have a ton of decorations yet but I have a few that have lasted me three years or so. I want to end up like my mom someday and have tubs of decorations to put up every year! Anyways for now my decorations will do and I love them! Here are a few snaps from around our apartment: 

Also Clark brought home the pretty purple roses this week you can see them in the photo above!
love, Carlee

Finger Cookies // Halloween

I haven’t done a food / recipe post since February gah so crazy. Not that I haven’t been eating haha. Just nothing worth sharing. Anyways, these cookies are so good and every year back home my mom would make them for Halloween and even when I was in college she would send me some. Well, this year we are having a little Halloween party with our friends on Saturday and I thought they would be perfect and they are always a big hit! The cookies are kind of frightening must mostly just really tasty!

You’ll need:
1 cup butter softened (no substitues)
1 cup powered sugar
1 egg
1-1 /2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
2- 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt

Red decorating gel
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl cream butter, sugar, eggs together then add the vanilla and almond extracts.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add to mixing bowl.
4. Divide dough in half - wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes
5. Work with one piece of dough at a time, roll into 3”-1/2” fingers.
         6. Using the flat tip of a butter knife make an indent on the end of each finger for the nail.
         7. With the same knife make three slits in the middle of each finger for the knuckles.
8. Place fingers two inches apart on greases cookie sheet and back for 18 minutes.
(I set the timer for 15 minutes then checked them. 17-18 is usually perfect)
9. Cool for 3-5 minutes
10. Squeeze a small amount of red gel at the base of the finger nail.
11. Press one slices almond over the gel for make the nail.
12. Makes about 40-50 cookies

These cookies are so good and if you want you can add just a little more almond extract so they are extra tasty, totally do it. I might have ;) Anyways so good. Also my mom said that you can make them and then freeze them for a couple days and let them thaw (takes about 1-2 hours) then decorate with gel and almonds after they have unthawed. Enjoy.
love, Carlee

Snapshots: Halloween things

We had a pretty good weekend, last weekend. We did Trunk or Treat on Friday (see our costumes here), on Saturday we went downtown to the Fayetteville Fall Dogwood Festival which was basically just a bunch of Halloween activities and food trucks which was awesome. We went around 7pm and there was a lot of people there, bands playing, scary monsters walking around and lots of food. We watched the band for a while then got some mini donuts. We ended up meeting some friends there and going through the haunted house! It was pretty cool but the mini donuts there THE BEST. I made sure to get the twitter name for the donut truck, I was like I am going to follow these guys around NC. If your from North Carolina the donut truck was called Dusty Donuts and they had mini cinnamon sugar donuts and they were SO GOOD! We may or may not have gone back for seconds. ;)

Then on Sunday we carved pumpkins! Did you see this really cute photo I posted on instagram? It is 3 years of Knox watching Clark carve pumpkins. It is so darn cute! Anyways, my pumpkin is really small and Clark’s was rather big and I ended up doing a happy cute face while Clark did a scary face! I think they turned out really good! I love all things Halloween and all the activities leading up to it. It’s been a good few days! And I am just as excited about the next few. Hope y’all are having a fun festive autumn!
love, Carlee

Hot Cocoa Season

Hey all! How’s it going? I can’t believe that it’s almost November but I am excited about Halloween coming up. One thing I do enjoy is that the weather is cooler here in the fall but not to cold. Like it gets down to 70-60s and not 50-40s like in eastern WA or up north in other states. We did finally get hot cocoa at the store the other day and the checkout lady was like “it’s hot cocoa season already.” and my husband said “it’s always hot cocoa season” haha which I totally agree with!

Also real question, when is the new season of Parks and Rec going to be on Netflix. I still haven’t watched the whole last season and I have been waiting for it to be on Netflix for like a year! Gahhhh. Anyways, happy Tuesday!

love, Carlee

Cardigan: American Eagle

Jeans: TJ Maxx

Shirt & Sandals: Old Navy

Castaway Halloween costume // DIY

Hey guys so this was our Halloween costume for Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 23rd. And we won MOST UNIQUE! So that was very cool. They did the prizes different this year, it was most unique, most creative, and scariest instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Orginally we were going to be Fred and Wilma Flintstone and just buy costumes but then I was like I would rather make costumes then spend $100+ for two costumes. Also I like including Knox in our costumes and I didn’t really want him to be pebbles. Anyways so I gave Clark a few ideas of what we could be and he was like let’s do Castaway with Wilson. And I was like well Knox can then be a FedEx box. I am sure you have seen this costume on Pinterest but it was fun nonetheless. It was so really fun to decorate our trunk like a deserted island!

I got asked a lot how long it took me to do the paper mache volleyball for Wilson. And it actually didn’t take very long. At least in my mind. Paper mache is not very hard to do. It took about 7 days an hour each day so about 7 hours I would say. I would get the paper mache and newspaper strips ready and then watch an hour show on Hulu while I did the paper mache and on the last day I did the painting. So it wasn’t so bad.

Cost:
Fabric: $5.50
Beach Ball to make Wilson: $8.75
Red paint: $.50
White paint: free (already had it)
Clark tan shirt: $12
Beard: $12
Newspaper for paper mache: had is already so free. I might be a holder sometimes haha


Trunk:
Cardboard: Free (got it from the recycling bins at our apartment)
Paint: Had it already so free
Bushes and branches: free (cut them down in the foresty area behind out apartment)

Total cost: $38.75

Also pro tip! I had done paper mache before but I still looked it up online right before I started to make sure I was doing the right flour to water ratio and I came across the tip to use white copier paper for your last layer if your going to paint because it makes it easier. And it does 100%!  Especially since we were painting the entire thing white. This step is definitely recommended. 

Progress photos.

It was a lot of fun. Although Clark said the beard was itchy and started to get hot to wear after a while. Knox was a very good sport with the box but after about an hour he was like EFF this. So we took it off him haha but he did very good. I will admit that we are actually going to be something different for Halloween night. We are going to a Halloween party and I don’t want to go dresses as a giant volleyball and Clark didn’t want to wear the bear haha. This will be my first time in 23 years that I will have worn 2 costumes for Halloween so there is a first time for everything. I will probably share my other costume too. I LOVE HALLOWEEN!
love, Carlee

Natural waves

Posting on a Saturday? yep. My goal was to post every week day this week but I didn’t post yesterday cause we had a lot going on and I didn’t have a post ready so here I am. I figure as long as I post 5 days this week it will basically be the same thing. Also, I sometimes love when bloggers post on the weekends because it gives me something to read when I am bored so this weekend I will be that person I guess haha.

Anyways, I keep wanting to wear oranges, yellows, and reds because you know autumn. And I see all these other photos of people up north with gorgeous fall foliage and I get a little jealous. But then I remember that this is how it has been the last two years here in North Carolina and the fall foliage doesn’t really come until early November. So I have just been embracing the greenery still and knowing that I will be able to were all the clothes that match the foliage soon haha. Priorities. 

Also, in these photos I have my natural texture of hair with the bangs and I really love it still. I was totally realistic when going into the bangs. I was like I know myself and I am NOT going to straighten my hair everyday so I wanted to make sure it looked good with my natural waves too or up in a ponytail / bun and I think does so thats really great. 

I hope everyone has a good Saturday. We are going to go check out the zombie walk tonight in downtown Fayetteville, make some french toast this morning, and set our fantasy football lineups for tomorrow!

Dress (worn as skirt): Target

Boots & Shirt: Old Navy

Things to do in North Carolina before we move

I thought I would publish this list so I am more accountable! I have had it as a draft for about 3 months and it will continue to be a running list of things I want to do and have done! If all goes as planned we will be moving from North Carolina in about 4 months and I want to make sure I do all the things I can while here! Photos below are all mine from places in NC we have been over the last 2 1/2 years! 

1. Go to the beach again.
2. Go to a Bull Durham game
3. Get Duck Donuts
4. Get ice cream at Kilwin’s in Wilmington
5. Eat at Lindy’s
6. Go to the Mountains
7. See all the NC lighthouses
8. Go to the zoo again
9. Will’s Grill in Fayetteville
10. Carowinds in Charlotte
11. Pollen Park - Raliegh
12. Carolina Panthers Football
13. Wild horses
14. NC state fair
15. NC BBQ
16. Kalawi Farms Ice Cream
17. Baldy Island Lighthouse
18. Corolla Lighthouse
19. Eat at Texas Roadhouse
20. Eat at Jersey Mikes
21. Antique Festival
22. Cape Fear River
23. Gross Farms
24. Fairview Dairy Bar
25. Devils Tromping Ground
26. Arlie Gardens Wilmington
27. Sliding Rock
28. Fort Fisher
29. Aquarium
30. Southport NC
31. Henderson NC Drive in Movie
32. Daniel Boone Roanoke Rapids
33. Giant Head Charlotte
34. Chimney Rock
35. Civil War reenactment
36. Jockey Ridge State Park
37. Hubbs Corn Maze
38. Carolina Tiger Rescue
39. Explore Pittsboro
40. IKEA in Charlotte
41....

Some things are definitely repeats that I just want to do again!

Last updated March, 16 2016

Happening 10.21.15

I haven’t done a happening post since July. I like doing these post. Being able to share a little bit about my daily life / regular life every now and then is kind of nice.

We sold Knox’s kennel on one of those yard sale Facebook sites, that is local. We had a wire one and need a plastic one that is air travel appropriate so every once in a while I look at the Facebook page and search for people that are looking for a dog kennel because it’s easier to do it that way. I think at least. We paid $100 for it 2 years ago and I wanted to get at least $50 and we did! We dropped it off to the person the other day and it was a smooth transaction. I was glad because I would have hated to just throw it away. I know we still have a ways to go until we are going to air travel with Knox but I want to have less things to worry about when it gets closer to that time so this is one thing we don’t have to worry about.

Clark and I went and saw The Intern on two Saturdays ago. It was so good, I thought. Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro did a great job and I thought Robert De Niro was so stinkin' cute in the movie. It also has good feminist points. I thought the movie was really heartfelt. So go see it, that’s what I am trying to get at here.

I took Knox to the vet to be weighed. If you read this post, you know that Knox needs to lose 8 lbs in order for him to be able to go to Italy with us in July. (There is a 70lb weight limit with the military housing and he was 78.2lbs) Well guess what I took him in October 15, one month after his first weight, and he now weighs 76.4lbs! He lose 1.8lbs in a month. The vet said to have a goal of one pound a month and I am very excited and also very proud of myself because the vet said to walk Knox at least 30 minutes a day and I have walked him every single day for the last 35 days!! Our next goal is 75 in November and 74lbs by December but we are on the right track so I am hopeful and happy!
Happy hump day!
love, Carlee

Iris

Have you guys watched the documentary Iris? About Iris Apfel (it’s on Netflix). I watched it last week while I was designing some new cards. Anyways, I thought it was really good and interesting. I am not huge into fashion so I didn’t really know about her. But once watching the documentary I was so inspired by her, not necessary her fashion but let’s be real she is WAY COOLER then I will ever be with fashion and accesoriazing. But I did find her life exciting, she did so many cool things. Traveled everywhere, designed rooms in the White House, married FOREVER, started her own businesses, etc. I also was inspired when she was talking about not having children. She says something like “you can’t have it all. I wanted a career and to travel and sometimes somethings got to give and that something has got to be you.” I think it was so cool she said that. Everyone says “You can have it all.” but you can’t. Not really. And you just have to choose whats most important to you! And thats totally okay and the way it should be. 

Other good quotes from her:
“Jewelry takes people’s minds of your wrinkles.”
“If your hair is done properly and you’re wearing good shoes. You can get away with anything.”
“It’s better to be happy then be well-dressed, that’s what I always say.”
“I don’t care about going to the party. I like getting dressed for the party.”
“Most of the world isn’t with me, but I don’t care.”

I hope y’all have a great Tuesday!

Boots: TJ Maxx

Dress & Jacket: Target

North Carolina State Fair

We finally made it to the NC State Fair this year! We have been here in North Carolina for 3 years now and each year I say I want to go to the state fair but each year we were busy on the weekends that it happened. Well this year I knew that I wanted to make sure we went because this will be our last autumn in NC because we move this coming summer. Anyways, we went to the state fair on Saturday and we had a lot of fun. There were lots of people there, I always wish I could go to things like this during the week because I know there will be less people but we can’t do that because work. I am thankful that we had the opportunity to go period this year so yes, it was a good one. PS: get ready for photo overload! haha

I actually have never been to a state fair before. The one in Washington is in Puyallup and it is about 4 hours from my hometown and about an hour from Seattle. So I was never very close. I think the NC state fair is different then the WA one anyway though. Lots of fun food choices that we wouldn’t find in Washington, like gator-on-a-stick, hushpuppies (and they give you free samples (I got in line 3 times)), fried EVERYTHING, krispy kreme donut hamburgers, giant turkey legs, warhead caramel apples, check out the food page online. We ended up being pretty chill with the food. I got mini cinnamon sugar donuts and Clark not a giant cherry soda mug.

We rode rides before we got food because I didn’t want to be those people sick or throwing up haha. We didn’t ride many rides only a few. We did the one where you are in the mental chairs and it raises you up and you spin around. You might have seen on my instagram (@carleewengel) Then we did the ride were you are taken to the top of the tower then dropped after what seems like a minute haha. It was pretty funny, I took a snapchat video of it, it will be gone now but you can follow me over there my username is carleejarrell  . We walked about the animal and produce barns and we ended up seeing the world’s heaviest watermelon of this year and the cutest baby piglets. SO STINKIN CUTE. I am so glad I got a photo. They must have different laws here in NC because you can’t got close to any of the animals and there are lots of signs saying not to touch. In WA you can get right up there the pins and pet them and even feed them hay. I am thinking it must be different agriculture regulations. Still fun to see all the animals though. We also played a few games hoping to win but we didn’t :( oh well haha. It was still a really fun time. Happy Monday!
love, Carlee

Jeans: Forever 21

Sandals: toms.com

Tank: TJ Maxx

Shirt & Bag: Target