Weekend in the little apple.

Last week was K-State's homecoming, so this is always the best weekend to head to Manhattan to join the rest of the Bill Snyder Family for the game.

 Good company.

 Good weather.

Good win. 

Cats beat West Virginia 35 - 12! Overall, a great weekend in the Little Apple! 

What I wore: mustard.

I found this fall staple at Target for only $19 yesterday! I'd been looking for a new mustard-colored cardi and Target never seems to let me down. They always have tons of colors and sweater styles to choose from for reasonable prices.

Tony and I enjoyed a night out at Haus of Brews with some of my co-workers, and a friend's costume/housewarming party. It was perfect weather!

Mustard boyfriend cardi: Target

Navy dolman top: GroopDealz.com

Boyfriend skinnies: Old Navy

Cognac boots: JustFab.com

Ivory triangle necklace: GroopDealz.com

Happy Sunday! 

Must keep going.

This past year, I've pushed myself to spend more time running. I've never found running to be enjoyable. I get bored easily and lose focus after the first few minutes. I always thought people who ran marathons were crazy. I never understood the manpower and the will to run that far.

 
I actually participated in a couple of 5K runs this year. Granted, they were fun runs, but I started and I finished. This has completely changed my thoughts and opinions on running. Even though I feel like my legs are going to give out, and I could pass out, I feel that much better when I cross the finish line. I don't care about beating a record time. I'll never be the fastest but I can say I finished. It's an overwhelming feeling when you accomplish a goal that seems so hard to reach. 

If you put your mind to it, you will conquer. I promise, I've been in your shoes. Here are some shots from my runs! 

Color Me Rad 5K - before & after the color bombs.

Rosstoberfest Run - finished with celebratory beers.

A&T's Chicken and Noodles

Everyone has their go-to chicken & noodle recipe which I think Tony and I have been perfecting ours since last winter. Chicken & noodles is our all-time favorite comfort food for this time of the year. 

Our recipe probably isn't any different than yours, but I wanted to share it with you since it tastes so delicious! This makes a pot full, so if you're not planning to have it for dinner for 2 or 3 nights, I'd recommend cutting the recipe in half.

Ingredients
* 3/4 lb. grilled chicken strips, diced
* 16 oz. bag Reames egg noodles
* 8 oz. carrots, chopped
* 4 stalks of celery, chopped
* 1/2 white onion, diced
* 3 chicken bouillon cubes 
* 4 cups water
* 12 oz. chicken broth
* 1 tbs. butter
* 1 c. milk
* 1/4 c. flour
* 1/2 tsp. bay leaves
* 1 tsp. parsley
* 1/4 tsp. thyme
* 1 tsp. pepper
* Salt to taste

Serving size: 6 - 8 (depending on the size of your bowl!)

Directions
1. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth, water and bay leaves to a boil. 
2. Add in the bouillon cubes and dissolve.
3. Add the Reames noodles and simmer for 20 minutes. 
4. Once the noodles are cooked, add the diced chicken, vegetables and seasonings; stir.
5. Let the vegetables cook for an additional 10 minutes; stir in the butter, milk and flour.  
6. Turn to low heat for a few minutes to thicken.

For a little extra comfort (or should I say, carb overload), Tony and I prefer our chicken & noodles with potatoes (skin on all the way)! We add in a heaping spoonful of butter, a cup of milk, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve the chicken & noodles over mashed potatoes, and ENJOY!! If you try our recipe, be sure to let me know how much you like it - I'd love to hear your comments! 

DIY corner: burlap wreath.

I gave in and made my first burlap wreath. I'm not sure if this look was exactly what I was going for, but after all the hot glue and burlap covering the floor, I put aside my OCD and went with it.

I purchased my supplies at Hobby Lobby for only $19!! Here's what you need:
Wreath form - I bought the 12" size ($3)
Roll of burlap - Hobby Lobby sells a 30 foot roll for $9.99, which was 50% off at the time ($5)
Yard of white muslin ($3)
Yard of burlap (I had extra laying around the house)
Twine ($3)
Assorted buttons ($2.50)
Over-the-door hanger - I bought one in the Christmas section which was 40% off ($1.50)
Scissors
Hot glue gun and sticks

This was pretty easy to make after I figured out how to get the burlap through the rings of the wreath form. After moments of frustration, I turned to Pinterest for some help and found this tutorial, which has a great description. I just started looping the burlap and in and out of the rings. Be sure to pull enough burlap out depending on the size you want the loops. I used about 24 feet of burlap for the entire form. 

I'd never made fabric flowers before, so I followed this blog for a guideline. This blogger uses good instructions and images. They flowers are very easy to make, just requires a lot of hot glue. I used a mix of burlap and muslin fabric to create my flowers, and different sizes. Instead of pearl cushion pins, I liked the look with a mix of cute buttons to complete the look. 

Use hot glue to attach the flowers to the burlap loops on the wreath.

I used the twine to hang the wreath on the over-the-door hanger. I wrapped it around the top of the wreath several times to make it thick. I created a 2-inch loop to hang on the hanger.

 

Tada! Our front door is complete for fall! Eventually I'll add a few more embellishments but other than that, I'm happy with how it turned out! 

What I wore: this week's fall looks.

The weather is starting to feel more like fall - finally. This week, I put this ensemble together for a layered look, pulled together with a tan, braided belt. I like simple and comfortable outfits especially for the office.

Black sweater dress: Dillard's 

Turquoise cardigan: JCP

Belt: Target

Leopard flats: Target

Gold bangles: Gordman's

I love bargains and one place where I can find hit and miss deals is GroopDealz.com. I found this red dolman top ($12.99) and leopard print scarf ($8.99) on the site. I was so excited to pair these two pieces together for a business casual look tied off with a low pony. 

Red dolman top: GroopDealz.com

Black ankle pants: JCP

Leopard scarf: GroopDealz.com

I purchased my first pair of boots for this fall season. I absolutely love them! I found them online at JustFab.com. I'm always iffy about buying boots online because of the calf width but they fit perfectly. I received these earlier in the week and finally put them on yesterday to try them out. For the price, I'm very happy! I have the option to wear with tights and a cute dress, or a more casual look with jeans and a sweater. 

Black button-up sweater: Dillard's

Skinny jeans: Target

Boots: JustFab.com