30 Days Day 17- My Family

I am pretty lucky that most of my family lives in the same city as I do. One of the perks of growing up in St. Louis, I guess. Here is just a sampling of my family, in pictures.

Myself with my two cats Sam and Jack(who look THRILLED to be wearing those)

My sister Janet, Brother Jim, my Dad and me

My cousins and I( I was 6- I look so much younger)

My favorite picture of my nephew Justin and my Dad, walking exactly the same and wearing
almost the same exact clothes

The four Welsch Boys(whose baby pictures look EXACTLY the same)

My Aunt Cindy, Cousins Amanda, Jennifer(the bride), and Rachel, my Aunt Pat,
and my Aunt Beth

Jimmy, My Mom, Janet, Myself, and my Dad

My Dad and his brother and sisters together last year for the first time last year in years

My Grandma Dottie, who passed away in 2008. She was hilarious, and kinda ditzy.

If you would like to play along in the series of questions, you can find the list of days and topics HERE, and if you tweet your answers, or want to look up people playing along, use the hashtag #30dayshathnovember.


\XOXO

30 Days Day 16- Someone Who Inspires Me

This blog post was one I had to sit and think about for awhile. Every person I thought of seemed trite or predicted. Who truely inspires me? I couldn't think of someone offhand. Then I thought of Tina Fey.

Tina telling it like it is

Yes, Tina Fey. She is hilarious! She is a successful writer, mother, and wife who has no trouble that it isn't easy balancing everything in life, and that it is ok not to. She seems to see the humerous side in everything in life, while understanding that life is serious sometimes.

She was the head writer for Saturday Night Life for years, until she left for 30 Rock. She wrote Mean Girls, and continues to act and write. She isn't perfect, and doesn't claim to be. Women in the entertainment business(or anywhere, really) often claim they have the perfect children, love life, career, hair, skin, bodily functions(ha). Tina tells it like it is, and is not ashamed of it.

What about you? Who inspires you, celebrity or non?

If you would like to play along in the series of questions, you can find the list of days and topics HERE, and if you tweet your answers, or want to look up people playing along, use the hashtag #30dayshathnovember.


XOXO

30 Days Day 15- Three Blogs I Follow

I am relatively new to the blogging world. About two years ago, I happened to google something, and discovered A Beautiful Mess. I spent about two hours reading post after post after post. I loved it so much that I drove from St. Louis to Springfield(Missouri) to visit their shop Red Velvet. A Beautiful Mess linked me to other blogs, and more blogs, and more blogs. And then I discovered bloglovin, and now spend WAY too much time reading blogs daily. But it is something I love to do. I find great inspiration in the inspiration of others, and how people live from all over the country, and the world. For today's post, I am writing about three blogs that I follow. Well, believe me, it is HARD to find just three to talk about. So I will write about the three that I read first as soon as I log in to bloglovin.

1. A Beautiful Mess

For those who do not know about this blog, it is written by two lovely sisters Emma and Elsie, with posts by several other bloggers including Rachel of Smile and Wave, Katie of Skunkboy, and Kinsey of Sincerely, Kinsey. They blog on fashion, crafts, decorating, recipes, photography, and pretty much everything else cool.

2. Delightfully Tacky

I am not sure how or where I found this blog, but I remember instantly wishing I had Elizabeth's, the writer of Delightfully Tacky, hair. Thick, curly, pretty, long hair(which is not a little shorter, but still gorgeous). As I read her blog, though, I realized she is much much more than a pretty head of hair. She has great style, that seems pretty effortless. She is great at designing websites, and shares insightful views on the world today. She seems like somebody that I would like to be friends with if we lived in the same town.

3. Hems For Her

I believe I started to follow this blog when Katie did a guest post on another blog. I immediately loved her personality, and her fashion sense. She is pretty funny. I wish I had her style! She started her blog to show women that curvy can be stylish, and she definitely achieves it!

What are blogs that you love?

If you would like to play along in the series of questions, you can find the list of days and topics HERE, and if you tweet your answers, or want to look up people playing along, use the hashtag #30dayshathnovember.

XOXO

Delicious Pumpkin Pancakes!

I love pumpkin flavored food! Coffee, desserts, breakfast foods-if it has pumpkin in it, chances are I will eat it. This is one of my favorite recipes to make during the holiday season. Actually, during the winter season in general! And they are so good, you don't even need syrup or butter with them to eat. They are almost like pumpkin cake. Almost. They are definitely delicious with butter and syrup, and sometimes I make them with whipped cream.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Everything you will need minus the egg. It didn't want to be photographed. It's shy.

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, vanilla and brown sugar. I added the brown sugar to the wet ingrediants instead of the dry because it tends to clump up and not dissolve properly when added to the wet mixture.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine. Don't overmix or else the pancakes won't be as fluffy.

The batter will be super thick, almost like mousse.

The batter will be super thick, almost like mousse. Resist the thought of adding extra milk! The batter is supposed to be thick.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Use the back of the spoon to slightly spread the batter out.

 Brown on both sides and serve hot with syrup, butter, or whipped cream. They are so good you can eat them without anything! Resist the urge to eat the whole stack. These freeze really well. Just stack on top of each other with wax paper inbetween, and heat up in the microwave for thirty seconds.

Any favorite fall recipes?



XOXO

 

30 Days Day 14- My Style Inspiration for the Season

Fall is my favorite season! My birthday is in the fall, it is back to school time(whether or not I am in school I love love love buying school supplies!), and the holiday season is about to start. Part of that is dressing in coats and scarves and tights. I can wear a jacket in 80 degree weather, so I definitely do not mind the warmer clothes. Here are a few of my favorite items that I have been eyeing this season so far:

This dress looks like it will be the perfect dress for holiday parties

ASOS Skater Dress, found HERE

This sweater looks warm and cozy, and is just the right amount of cute

ASOS Sweater found HERE

Lastly, this tube scarf is just what I needed this past weekend waiting for the train

H&M Scarf found HERE

What are you crushing on this fall/winter? I really really want to go shopping! I need to focus it all on Christmas shopping!

If you would like to play along in the series of questions, you can find the list of days and topics HERE, and if you tweet your answers, or want to look up people playing along, use the hashtag #30dayshathnovember.

XOXO

30 Days Day 13- Something I Am Proud Of

Today's topic is something that I am proud of. There are several things I am proud of(not to sound full of myself), but the most recent thing I am proud of most is losing 60 lbs. I started in march of 2011, and reached my goal almost exactly a year later in march of 2012. I have always been overweight, and was fine with that most of my life. But in march of 2011, I saw a recent picture of myself and didn't like the way I looked.I was uncomfortable in my own skin. And noticing that my work pants were too tight, I realized I would either have to buy new pants for work, or lose weight. Not wanting to see that higher number, thru the urging my of best friend, I joined Weight Watchers. I may have done the work to lose weight, but I owe getting me to the meetings to her. Have I mentioned how much I love her yet?;) I hadn't realized quite how much I had put on until I had to take it off.



L-R My Dad and I downtown at the Arch, and my Dad and I on my porch the night before I hit my goal weight.

I am happy to say that eight months later I am still below my goal weight. I have completed a half marathong(which I never personally could have done before losing the weight), and feel much healthier and comfortable with myself.

 What about you? What is something that you are proud of?


If you would like to play along in the series of questions, you can find the list of days and topics HERE, and if you tweet your answers, or want to look up people playing along, use the hashtag #30dayshathnovember.

XOXO

Music Monday

In honor of Paul McCartney performing in my hometown last night (St. Louis), today is all about the Beatles and him.









And because I just like this video, here is George Harrison's song I've Got My Mind Set On You just because the video is both hilarious and creepy.



      


Have a Good Monday!

XOXO

Guess who is seeing Sir Paul McCartney tonight?!

Guess who is going to see this man tonight? ME!

Paul McCartney!

30 Days Day 11-Three Years Ago Today

Today's topic is about where I was three years ago today. I was living in University City off of the Delmar Loop . I was working at the doctor's office I work at now, plus at Baileys Chocolate Bar as a hostess.  I had red hair, and was getting ready for my best friends wedding in the spring.



Dawn and I-Photo Credit goes to Samantha Harmon.



Meeting my true love from high school, Jakob Dylan

Meeting Jakob is something that I had been trying to do the last three concerts I had been to of The Wallflowers and failed at. When I met him finally I acted like a 14 year old teenager. I seriously was about to cry. I'm sure he thought I was nuts. He looks a little like Adam Corolla in this picture, though. Still cute to me!

I also weighed a bit more than I do now. I love myself then, and I do now! I didn't have my cats three years ago, and I didn't know what I was missing! Now I can't imagine them not here. What about you? Where were you three years ago? Are you for better or for worse?



If you would like to play along in the series of questions, you can find the list of days and topics HERE, and if you tweet your answers, or want to look up people playing along, use the hashtag #30dayshathnovember.