Nestle' Oatmeal Scotchies

I was up until 4 am. Can you believe it? I would love to tell you I was out having ladies night on the town, but that wasn't close to being the case. I went to State College to visit my maids of honor, Jess and Lindsey, and we spent the entire night baking. I don't know when our lives took a turn towards Betty Crocker, but it happened, and I would have to say our fiances and boyfriends couldn't be more pleased. We made over 300 cookies and around a dozen different types.  Scotchies were one of Damon's favorites, so I thought I would provide the recipe. Please enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• (in our case we accidentally threw in a dash of orange extract-but managed to scoop it out in time)
• 3 cups Old-Fashioned Quaker oats
• 1 (11 ounce) packages Nestle Toll House butterscotch-flavored morsels (about 2 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
5. Stir in oats and morsels.
6. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies, 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.

They were so yummy.

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Save the Dates

 Pinterest. If you haven't figured it out by now, it is highly addicting!

Searching for "save the dates" ideas, I was encountering some road bumps. I couldn't find anything out there that represented "us" and "our wedding". SOOO, naturally, I decided that I was going to create and craft all our wedding stationary. I didn't find my save the date idea on Pinterest, but you can count on me uploading it to the site. Pen and note pads ready, please...

 

To start things out, I purchased some tags from Old Factory Antiques and Crafts in Hummelstown (It was cheaper to buy tags from there because all other places only sell in bulk).

I ordered the Save the Date stamp from Paper Source.

I also purchased ink from Michaels.

Then I stamped like a mad woman...

I had the magnets sitting around in one of my drawers, so I cut them into small rectangles and attached them to the back of each tag. I figured I would save you all the leg work from having to make room on your refrigerator and provide the magnet for you. We all know that save the dates (wink, wink), along with kids drawings, are all one of those things that make it to the refrigerator. So, if it isn't already there, go ahead and put our save the dates on the fridge.

I decided that they needed a little bit more girly flare (Damon didn't think this was a necessity) and I added a hydrangea stamp (hydrangea also being the flower we are using in the wedding) and used ink again from Michaels (the shade of ink is hopefully going to be one of our wedding's accent colors).

I then dusted off my hot glue gun, and cut paper doileys to fit on the top, left hand corner, of each tag. I fortunately had the doileys lying around in my craft box. Nonetheless, they aren't expensive and can be purchased at most craft stores.

I attached the doiley to each tag.

I then, patiently waited for our engagement pictures to come in and I rushed off to make my MiniCards.

Here is the message that was on the back of the MiniCards.

Next step was to Stamp the envelopes.

Then hole punch the MiniCards and add the Bakers Twine  

The only thing left to do was to address the envelopes and add postage.

I'm not going to lie, I had already priced out the labels and was a mail merge click away from printing, when I had the discussion with my mom about handwriting the address on the outside of the envelopes. Wedding etiquette says, by no means should you use labels, EVER. But this is 2011, people do whatever they want and I was more than willing to jump on the label band wagon, or so I thought. My mom was very adamant about me hand writing the envelopes. I was tempted to get writing samples from all of my girlfriends and choose the lucky girl who would be writing my invitations but realized that the wedding is supposed to represent us. So, as un-gorgeous as my handwriting is-it's mine and it was seen by all of our future guests.

Total Cost: $63.19 (without postage) 

Made 100

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Happy Holidays!

Christmas 2009

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Memory Mason Jar

I try to make everything, and collect most anything, so why not make a collection of memories. I know I am not the first one to hold onto every ticket stub, and I am certainly not the first one to think of this idea, but why not put your STUBS ON DISPLAY! I think no explanation is needed here.

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Busy Busy Busy

Holy Holidays! I apologize for the hiatus, I have been so bogged down by work, planning this wedding, visiting friends, enjoying family, and completely stressing out about the fact that I am NOT prepared for the holidays. But, that is no excuse for neglecting my loyal followers...I'M BAAACKK!!

Amid all of this holiday stress, I've managed to line up a jammed packed week of blog posts. Stay tuned for...D.I.Y. Yarn Lantern Tutorial, Holiday Treats, Save the Dates, and much, much more. I BET YOU CAN'T WAIT!

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Brooches

Here is a quick glimpse into the brooch collection.
I plan to add a little glitz and glam to all the girls' bouquets.

Only have 4 more to find.

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Lazy Sunday?

This is what I came home to on Sunday. 

Notice how bundled up they are? We keep the heat at 55...need to cut costs somewhere to afford this wedding. They aren't cheap!!

Oh yeah, Congrats Team Kegerise-Myers! ("WE" made it to the playoffs!)

Also, please note this is the Groom (center), with his best man Adam (left) and one of his groomsmen RJ (right)-I have to continue to spin my posts towards the wedding.

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D.I.Y. Yarn Lantern

A yarn lantern tutorial is in the works, but I couldn't help but introduce the newest addition to my "Lantern Family". 

Welcome Ms. Purple Yarn Lantern. 

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LOOKY LOOKY

 Here is what I am still looking for:


Vintage Floral Dishes (dinner plate, salad plate, dessert plate, tea cups, saucers)
Buttons
Milk Vases (only large and small bowls)
Blue Mason Jars  
Pint Size Mason Jars
Platters, Pie Plates, Cake Stands
Fabric
Skeleton Keys
Antique Books (anything wedding/love related in the title)
Pitchers (all glass/all different sizes)
Vintage Brooches for the Bouquets
Mirrors (neat frame)
Suitcases
Vintage Baking Utensils (Sifter, Whisk, Scale, rolling pin, cookie cutters)
Hankies
Scrabble Game 
Shepherd hooks
2 Old Wooden Doors 

Buttons: Gray, Purple, Green (Singer and Damon's Aunt Claire are in the works to get me some of these)

Small Vintage Tins

(I thought this list would be getting smaller, but it seems to have something added each time I repost.)


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Random Finds

I scored these three crates on the second floor of the barn at my parents' house.

Price: $ F R E E 

I bought this cork-board map of the U.S. at the end of summer and never got around to posting it. I have high hopes to spruce it up a little bit. I just need to pry myself away from the wedding planning to do so.

Price: $2.00

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Boutonnieres

Like I have said before, my mom has taken over all projects "succulent" (favors/boutonnieres). She is definitely the one with the green thumb. I kill anything and everything green that crosses the threshold of my front door, so we have managed to keep all the succulents at her house-growing/living/breathing, not dying/wilting/shriveling. I was eagerly awoken by my mom, like a kid on Christmas morning, calling to tell me she made a simple, but awesome boutonniere, and she was dying to show me. She is going to be a succulent guru come July and has now mastered the art of making a succulent boutonniere. She thinks the daunting task will take all of two hours come wedding time. Our neighbor is growing the lavender (she doesn't know yet that she will be donating to the cause). My mom is also negotiating with her new eBay friend from California, seeing if she can get enough of these succulents (see below) sent this spring. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

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Throwback Pictures

It's really neat, the history Damon and I share. Yeah, we were friends growing up, but even more, we were BEST friends. Over the weekend, my mom and I sat down and went through all of the old pictures I had of Damon and me. After she was finished looking at all of them, she asked the SAME question everyone has been asking for years; "So, you mean to tell me the two of you were JUST friends?" Crazy enough to say, we were. Damon and I have so many memories it would probably make some people sick. We even had made a deal, I think WAY back in our early high school days, that if we ended up still single at the age of thirty (that seemed so old then) we would marry each other. We agreed we would NEVER have to kiss (I am sure I was the one to suggest that), but we would get married (probably for the financial benefits) and grow old together. At that time the idea seemed sooo unlikely-I was chasing other boys, he was chasing other girls..but fast forward to 2012, it's happening-BY CHOICE EVEN. 

I also found Damon's seventh grade yearbook picture...not much has changed...His handwriting still stinks, and he STILL thinks he has game with the ladies.

MEIKO-"Stuck on you" 

More music to enjoy while you read.

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It's Like Christmas Came Early!

Another awesome thing about planning this wedding is the fact that I am ALWAYS getting stuff in the mail. It may be as simple as a stack of envelopes, and as extravagant as these little cards, but regardless, it all seems like Christmas has come early. Damon knows where to find me most nights now, glued to the computer, perusing the web, and punching in my credit card digits aimlessly.

This week's surprise was my Moo MiniCards! 

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Table Numbers

The table numbers are done!

This was EASY. 

Use quart size mason jars (make sure to buy them with the zinc lids). 

Tie some bakers twine around the lid and the mouth of the jar.

Put a sticker on the lid (got my stickers at Michaels-$4.99, with a 50% coupon it was $2.50).

Then added some buttons in the bottom.

The only thing left to do-the day of the wedding-is to add a candle!

Thanks for the first set of stickers, Aunt Lorraine!

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Plate Dress Up

I am watching my plate collection start to dwindle. My mom has taken on the job of hand-washing every single plate and packaging them nicely in plastic tubs. She has spent the last few weeks taking a few stacks at a time to her house. The good news...I ONLY have about 250 dessert, salad, and dinner plates left, waiting to get their turn in the bubble bath. No big deal, right Mom? 

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Scrabble Pieces Framed

Hey Charlie.

My $2 Scrabble game has been put to crafting use.

Add an IKEA frame to the mix and you are set.

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xoxo

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

© 2011 Simple Life Portraits

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Button Swap Meet

So, I have buttons out the wazoo, but, unfortunately, I don't have the right colored buttons.  : (

Buttons?-you ask. You'll just have to wait and see.

I need different shades of purple, gray, and green. If anyone digs out their bag of random buttons and wants to do a button swap meet, please message me!

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Honeymoon

WE BOOKED OUR HONEYMOON!

We may not have a caterer, an officiant, or a lot of the other details figured out for our wedding, but we do have our honeymoon flights booked. I mean that's pretty important, right? After hours and hours on Orbitz, we finally decided on a destination and travel dates. Ok, let's be honest, "we" didn't decide on anything. I may or may not have told Damon where we were traveling to. We aren't doing the typical: get married and run off to an exotic location immediately after the wedding and reception. We are actually waiting an entire month after the wedding to venture across the Atlantic. We are headed to Venice, Italy (September 1), and have 14 days to travel and do whatever our little hearts desire. I already have an overly ambitious itinerary, but hopefully Damon will force me to take a little time for R & R.

Our itinerary will hopefully include:

Venice-day trip to Verona, 

Slovenia

Salzburg, 

Vienna, 

Prague, 

Nuremberg
(Realistically-I doubt we will get to Prague and Nuremberg)

or

 Part of me wants to explore areas of Italy where I have never been...
like the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre...

I guess this is all a good problem to have.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

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R + D

My new stamp arrived. :)

Etsy: Doodlebug Design

Charlie

She ALWAYS sits at the top of the steps waiting for Day to come home from work.

I am well aware who her favorite is!

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Succulents

My mom has taken the succulent project to an entirely new level.
Here are a few of my mom's newest additions.

I am wondering if she will really be able to give them up come time for the wedding???

And will they survive the winter...??

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Jack and Jill Baby Shower

Who will baby Horn look like?

Every time I see Alyssa, I can't get over how big her belly is getting. The thought of her having a baby inside that tummy still blows my mind. Alyssa looks fantastic and we can't wait to meet the little man! 

10 more weeks to go!!!!

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