blogs for women – Page 4 – katie: normal girl

Autumn. Lovely, lovely Autumn.

It’s mid-November and you’d never know it down here in Florida. The approaching cold snap is expected to lower temperatures down to 60°F …for one night. Many of our trees are still flush with green and the orange and yellows of Fall never quite make it down this way. So when the weather outside doesn’t quite say “Autumn” (in the same way that it does up north), I need a little inspiration. This week’s Pin-Picks are all about my favorite season, Autumn. Join me over on Pinterest, I’d love to see your Fall picks!

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P.S. Poll: Do you refer to the season as Fall, Autumn, or do you use the terms interchangeably, like me? Let me know in the comments!

Candy-Dipped Apple Sundae Bar

This is my favorite new Fall dessert! It’s the perfect communal dessert for parties, with or without kiddos. And, oh the varieties of yummy-ness that you and your guests can create!

I provided chocolate fudge and caramel sauce to dip the apples into, then I provided a variety of sweet and salty topping choices. For a final bit of yummy, I also set provided small containers of sea salt, pumpkin spice, and dried orange peel. If you’d prefer to serve something with less sugar, you can go healthy and provide warm peanut butter or honey for dipping instead of caramel and chocolate and swap the candy for dried fruit and granola. The possibilities are endless!

Here’s a list of what I provided:

Gratitude Notecards: November Acorns

I decided that after a year of using scrap paper bits to fill my gratitude jar, I’d like some special little notecards. I’ve been designing some table place cards for Thanksgiving and thought the acorn picture would be a perfect fit for these little cards. I finished the design by putting my favorite gratitude prompt at the top in a rich chocolate-brown color. Now that I’m looking at them, I bet these could also double as little thank-you cards – bonus!

I printed the cards above on a medium-weight textured card stock. If you’d like to print your own, you can download an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of these notecards from the Download Gallery for free. If you would prefer to order the cards, you can get a set of 31 cards, printed on the textured cardstock shown above, for $6 (includes shipping) in The Normal Girl Shop.

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Freebie Download: November 2013 Calendars

While out on a walk this past weekend, I saw this little, fallen leaf on the sidewalk and snapped a picture. I know that for many of my readers, Autumn is in full swing and fallen leaves are a normal sight by now but this is the first fallen leaf of the season for me. You see, in Florida we get started on the Fall season a bit late around here…most of our trees are still lush with green even though Halloween is just days away and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. So in the spirit of the cold front that has rolled in and lowered our afternoon temperatures to a “chilly” 75°F, here’s a freebie download for November featuring the first fallen leaf of the season. Happy Autumn!

Continue to the Download Gallery.

Halloween Town Collection

October has begun and Halloween fast approaches! I’m raising the spirit of the holiday and putting together my party plans and decor ideas. How about you? Any Halloween plans in the works? If you find a good idea, send it to me on Pinterest, I’d love to see it!

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Burger Swap: Grilled Portabella Sandwiches

This summer switch up the classic burger for a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich. It’s a great alternative to beef that will satisfy the meat-eaters and the veggies at your next backyard cookout. Even grilling newbies can cook one of these little guys!

Pucker Power: 5 Clever Uses For Lemons

Life is always giving me lemons (mostly because I keep buying them) and I couldn’t be happier about it. I love the way lemons look sitting in a bowl on my counter, I love the way they smell and I love the way they taste. From time to time, I’ll end up with a bit of leftover lemon that ends up just beyond its prime, and since I hate to waste food, I’ve got a few great uses for these leftover bits. Give one (or two…or three) of these a try and let me know what you think!

Tag: blogs for women

Autumn. Lovely, lovely Autumn.

Gratitude Notecards: November Acorns

Freebie Download: November 2013 Calendars

Halloween Town Collection

Burger Swap: Grilled Portabella Sandwiches

Gratitude Picture Journal, Entry No. 002

Summertime Treat: Flavored Ice Cubes