HI.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

I can’t get over this glitter pumpkin! It’s from Z Gallerie… I did not make this. You know I can’t craft to save my life. We don’t have much fall décor aside from some pumpkins outside, but this glitter pumpkin makes up for all that, obviously. And a generous amount of autumn candles. Is there a gene that makes you a basic candle lover? How does that work?

I most definitely have it.

Anyhoo, this is what I’ve been doing with my little life lately.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

I had an awesome signing for Seriously Delish in Richmond at Southern Season. OMG… if only I could live in that store. Absolutely incredible. The chocolate and candy and wine and cheese and bakery and wine and syrups and sodas and wine. That place is stacked with the goods.

And since it’s been a few weeks, let me just say again THANK YOU for showing up for me!! It means the world and this has been super fun.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

My dad came with me to Richmond since apparently my family doesn’t think an 8-month pregnant person should be driving a few hours by themselves. Okay, I get it. After the signing we quickly ate at Kitchen on Cary before I fell into bed but it was super fantastic. Not that I can sleep… sleep is for the birds. But just throwing myself into piles of pillows feels good.

Wait. Can we talk about this adorable canvas painting that Adrienne made for me? I die.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

So many hearts.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

On the way home, we stopped in Bedford where I had the most perfect grilled cheese known to man. It had bacon. With the most perfect tomato soup too. Usually I couldn’t care less about tomato soup. It’s just so… meh. Spoiler alert: this may have inspired a (very boring and plain but not at all and somewhat of a copout) recipe that is soon to come. Just can’t stop with the grilled cheeseseseseses.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

Remember when I talked about my horrific pantry TWICE last week? Well.

I spent eight hours organizing it only for it to look exactly the same – yeah I already said that. It’s just SO deep. We can barely hammer a nail so cutting shelves right now isn’t a priority since so much else needs done… like, uh, nursery stuff.

I attempted the whole mason jar storage thing. I actually think it’s working out for us, but obviously my pantry is not just a normal pantry. I have basically EVERYTHING on hand half the time for quick recipe development, so to say I had to fill a lot of jars… is an understatement. I’m currently debating getting those plastic screw on lids for the jars. Right now I just have the regulars. So far… so good. For some off reason, the mason jar thing kind of scares me. I have about 87,432 types of pasta and don’t remember how long to cook them all. Not that I ever follow them, but I need some directions in my face. Oh well… not my dream pantry by any means but apparently – welcome to nesting!

This is what it is, right?

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

I’ve become a total freak with organization blogs and have been reading them every night on my phone before bed. I should probably do more DOING instead of READING. And more sleeping instead of reading.

For what it’s worth (probably not much), I’m really into this blog right now.

Speaking of reading, my reading game has majorly gone downhill the last two months. Yesterday I did buy Amy Poehler’s new book which I am SO excited about. I’m expecting and hoping to laugh out loud until I cry. And a few weeks ago, I read Lena Dunham’s. Ugh. I’m still trying to collect my thoughts on that one. I’ve been waiting to write a review on goodreads because… I just don’t know how I feel about it? I wanted to love it. I think my expectations were high. It just wasn’t what I was expecting and I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I would. But I’m having a difficult time articulating exactly why that is. Some of it felt kind of repetitive (yes, I realize this is the pot calling the kettle black since I write about the same crap ALL the time) and some of it felt somewhat…

I don’t know. Did you read it? Thoughts? TELL ME.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

Hmmm what else. Last week I taught a class solely on Seriously Delish recipes! It included lots of sprinkles (homemade funfetti cupcakes!) and butternut squash lasagna. I’ve been craving the lasagna for WEEKS so it was perfect. FYI: I scaled down the recipe in the book and made it in a LOAF PAN for a one or two person lasagna. It rocked.

I have a class next week which is unfortunately (fortunately?) sold out, but in January I’m doing a BRUNCH CLASS! AH! Complete with cocktails. You should totally come. Especially if you’d like to see me babble like an idiot about things that do not matter.

And I’m doing a tex-mex class too. Can hardly wait.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

During class I also take blurry photos of unseasonal recipes. And my phone dies. My phone will only stay charged for like 15 minutes these days and jumps from 85% charged to 0. Is this Apple’s subliminal messaging to me, forcing an iPhone 6 into my hands?

I had my first big freak out this week about having a baby and having nothing done (like literally – nothing) for the baby’s room and being completely unprepared. I am convinced I will give birth in like a week since I have no furniture, no nursery, no stroller, no baby monitor, etc. I realize this sounds ridiculous because those things aren’t necessary, but last night my mom and I managed to cross some shopping necessities off the list. This past weekend, my family gave us the best baby shower ever and I’ll talk about that more in a pregnancy update in case you are sooooo sick of hearing me talk about being knocked up. I’ve been trying not to ramble on and on about it daily but since I mostly talk about my boring life… and this gigantic thing jutting out of my stomach right now is a large part of my life… you know.

on life lately I howsweeteats.com

How sick are you of pictures of TREES?! They are just so gorgeous at the moment, I’m trying to eat it up.

That is all for this stream of consciousness. Right now, I’m eating Oh’s straight out of the box.

If you’re in Pittsburgh, tonight I have a book signing at my alma mater, Duquesne, at 4PM. I’m going armed with tons of chocolate peanut butter brownies and let’s just say it will be a miracle if they even make it there. I’m finally starving.