lumberjacks ( the daddy + the wee one)

 The weather has cooled down dramatically. We didn't have to start our stove until last week. A major wood blessing. We should have a enough this year, but it's still a guessing game sometimes. Liam is a big stacker with his toys, so that's a good sign. That boy will stack some firewood when he's older, that is certain. We are trying to be outside when the weather is nice, relishing the crisp days before they get bitter. Oh and did I mention, Liam is walking! It's a fun season in our lives. I stair at him as he todders around,wondering who this big boy is?!

16th Birthday "Driving Theme"

Here's another driving themed cake I did this past weekend! It was a blast to make!

Embrace the mess

The past few days have been damp and dreary. So we are inside all the time. At least there is no shortage of color amongst Liam's toys, even if they are covering what feels like every inch of the floor. 

Happy Friday!

taking stock

( Just sitting here taking a little break to think about the present and what exactly that looks like right now)

Making : cupcakes
Cooking : pesto chicken stuffed shells
Drinking : spiced apple cider
Reading: magazines, recipes and blogs only, these days
Wanting: some cozy slippers
Looking: forward to a vacation this Christmas
Playing: dutch blitz with my family this weekend ( a favorite game)
Wasting: time doing this
Sewing: hemming pants for my Dad
Listening: to sea wolf (a fall must)
Wishing: that that Jason and I could go on a date, soon
Enjoying: my favorite season
Waiting: for Liam to walk
Liking: my over sized sweater from salvation army
Wondering: why everything always falls onto the same day
Loving: the men in my life
Hoping: to be the best momma I can be
Marveling: at how many things Liam is learning and saying these days
Needing: new work shoes
Smelling: cinnamon
Wearing: new sweatpants almost all day these days
Following: Liam
Noticing: how quickly the leaves are changing this year
Knowing: it's only a matter of days or weeks before Liam is walking
Thinking: it's time to think about starting our yearly photo book
Feeling: very tired
Bookmarking: recipes for gingerbread
Opening: up the packaging for new cake boxes
Giggling: at "new girl" always good for some laughs
Feeling: like I wish we had more mornings together as a family ( one day a week if we are lucky)

Soaking up the last of the "summer sun"

This little man, loves being outside! It's really been his happy place from day 1... well maybe day 3 or 4, but regardless, he will sit outside with a few toys and play happily for quite some time. So when I saw this super simple tent tutorial , I thought this would be perfect for my outdoor boy and a cute little way to protect his fair skin from the sun. Unfortunately most of the summer passed me by before I got around to doing this. So when it got warm again this first week in October, I decided to take advantage of fleeting warmth and give Liam a fun spot to play and watch Daddy stack firewood. You know because it is actually going to be cold real soon and we are a little later than normal on the whole firewood scene. 

Speaking of firewood, Jason built a great new rustic firewood storage structure and this past weekend we happily filled it full of wood! A good feeling! Not every project got done this summer, that was on our list, but we sure did get some big ones accomplished like clearing 4 trees, building the mentioned firewood structure, sorting the basement out, and many other little odds and ends. I'm especially ready for the cooler months when  we hope to make some big indoor improvements. Goodbye summer, it's been a good one.

Zelda Shield Cake

Here's another cake I did recently for a 17 year old boy obsessed with Zelda and video games in general. Jason also happens to be obsessed with Zelda, so it was fun to consult with him on this project!

the beginning of my favorite season with my favorite little man.

 Hey there autumn, you wasted no time in gracing us this year, with some early cool days, to enjoy warm beverages, flannel shirts and cozy slippers. This makes for one very happy girl. My favorite season is at hand!

 Liam is 14 months now and on the cusp of so many new adventures. He is almost walking, almost feeding himself with a spoon and almost saying or repeating new sounds and some words daily. It's a good season. Liam is growing, Snacky French is growing and I'm learning how to best manage time with Liam, Jason and my business. Some weeks are a crazy baking flurry, coordinating schedules, errands galore and some weeks I get to organize, pick pumpkins, knit and play at the park. Liam is reaping the benefits of my knitting. He got a new cowl! He even keeps it on. Major win. That's a bit of what's been going on around here, right now!

Fall Baked Treats

 Pumpkin Cupcake with Cinnamon Buttercream

 Caramel Apple Cupcake

Pumpkin Scone with Maple Glaze

Here's a little food photo shoot I did recently for some new fall items at Main St.Java. If your in the mood for something sweet to go with your pumpkin spice latte, then go get some! 

Happy Autumn!

xoxo Snacky French

Picking peaches in the orchard!

 I had a fun little date with these two, one morning last week! We went to a local orchard to pick peaches! Liam just thought they were balls and threw them to the ground every chance he got (which wasn't too many, I promise) We picked white and yellow peaches and as it was coming to the close of peach season, we had to search a little harder through the orchard, but it was worth it. We came out with baskets full of "gold" as far as I'm concerned. I love peaches, crave them all year when they aren't in season. So I'm really happy to be able to preserve them, so we can enjoy peaches  a little longer. I used this method to freeze them. I hope that it's successful!

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Cinnamon, Banana, Pineapple, Coconut, Pecans? 

I don't know whose idea this delicious combination of ingredients was, but it's definitely a winner. You can read more about it's origin here! Here's my version with coconut added and a cinnamon buttercream to compliment the cinnamon in this moist little fruity cupcake! They are at Main St. Java this week!