Crazy for Cinnamon...Cinnamon Cookies, Cinnamon Drinks, Cinnamon Beauty........

Hey there,

Nothing says Fall like Cinnamon.......and Apples.......and Pumpkins!

But for today it's all about Cinnamon.

Let's get to it........

Cinnamon Bun Pops!!!

Nothing too difficult here...just cook mini cinnamon rolls on a stick

 and have the frosting or glaze available to dip the pops in.

Delicious AND Cute!

 Don't feel like cooking?

How about a yummy Cinnamon......or "Cinnabon" Room Spray?

I don't know.......this would make me realllllly hungry:)

Okay, How about a Cinnamon Vanilla Shake?

Oh, I had a recipe to share but it was so complicated.......

all you need to do is mix milk, vanilla ice cream and cinnamon

 in a blender and VOILA!)

(Add Pumpkin for a Pumpkin Shake!

Hmmmmmm.........what next.

Well, Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn, that's what!

CINNAMON ROLL CARAMEL CORN

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

8 cups popcorn

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and salt. Without stirring, bring to a boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda.

In a large bowl, combine popcorn and brown sugar mixture until evenly coated.

Spread popcorn onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Place into oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring in 15 minute intervals. 

Let cool completely before serving.

Next up.......Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Click here for the link: Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie

More Yum.......Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars!

Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

Bars

1 (15.25 oz) box Vanilla Cake Mix

1 (4 serving) box Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp cinnamon

Frosting

1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

5 cups powdered sugar

Cinnamon Sugar to garnish

3 Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°

Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In large bowl combine all ingredients for the bars. Stir until there are no lumps.

Spread into prepared baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes until edges are golden.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

In mixing bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Spread on cooled bars.

If desired sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top for garnish

Cut into squares when ready to serve.

Well, if you like to eat it, why not wear it? lol

And here is a great link for some Vanilla Pumpkin Cinnamon Scrub:

http://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/vanilla-pumpkin-sugar-scrub/2

These Cinnamon Roll Candles are truly IRRESISTIBLE. 

And you can find them at : The Irresistible Cookie Jar Candle Co.

And last but not least,

Cinnabon Candy Canes, just in time for the Holidays!!!

Well, there you have it!

Enough Cinnamon for you?

Hope y'all enjoyed this!

XOXOXO

Suzanne

Fall, Mom Caves and...I'm Back. ALREADY!!!

Okay, before i get started,

let me say i think i'm back on this here 'ol blog for good.

I tried switching to wordpress and it's just too much for this fried brain

to figure out.  Who has time for that?

This will be just fine.  I'm tired of the address but.......I'll survive.

The main reason I tried the move was because I was starting to hear

of friend's blogs going missing.  THAT would be a bummer.

I realize I probably have 3 readers and that's cool.

But it's MY blog and it shouldn't go missing.

Having said that, I guess I'll have to take my chances:)
But I'm still changing the name to CRAZYBlessed.......cause I am.

Movin on.......

I've spent a lot of time indoors this steamy summer.

Tired, so not getting much done.

But I did manage to make myself a 

MOM CAVE!

It's done in whites and creams, with touches of burlap, glitz, and RUSTIC.

I love rustic chic these days!

Totally me.

I finally found MY style:)

Here are a few individual pics to show you a few more details.

My daybed, complete with twinkle lights:)  

A few sale items here...

the star pillow was from Pottery Barn.....$14.99.

Not bad!

I made the cowprint pillow.  (I know, it looks like it:)

The burlap bulletin board......my inspiration board.....was $10.00.

Yep!  Ten whole dollars from the White Elephant here in Naples.  

Regular $199 from Ballard designs.  (Tags still on:)

I have my little writing corner......to do what, I don't know.

But it's there if I need it!

Check out my COOL deer head.

Another SCORE!

Hard to see detail but it's a faded burlap quilted look, by Cynthia Rowley.

HomeGoods strikes again! lol

Been making a lot of embellished mason jars.

They make great holders in bathrooms, kitchens, on desks.......you name it.

There's something about an old fashioned jar wrapped

in burlap, lace or twine and adorned with jewels or even seashells.

And look at this vintage sewing chest.  

Apparently it was used to hold thread and other supplies.

My daughter found it at a thrift store and since she never has much money

on her, it was CHEAP!

(She's stocking up for those Southern Rustic Weddings she'll be doing someday;)

A closer look at some of the different jars and bottles.....

And don't miss the gold pumpkin and gold tipped feathers........

cause what home is complete without gold tipped feathers?

hehehe

 and last but not least,
we can't leave out a touch of the beach.

Or in this case,a HUGE metal sign!
We found it at the flea market.
I'm thinking I will poke holes and add lights to make it
 a marquee sign.
I'm kind of hung up on fringe in every way so I need to add a touch of
that when I find it.
There is also a cool vanity with a vanity stool covered in.......
you guessed it!
Cow print.
I need a ranch.  In Texas.
But for now, I'll settle for my Mom Cave.
Thanks for visiting.
YEEHAW!
xoxoxo
Suzanne

Things I know For Sure.......

remember when Oprah used to do a segment

on "Things i know for sure"?

well, here are a few things i know for sure.

i know that i have found, and saved a whole lotta 

PUMPKIN recipes.

but i really don't need them.

because i realized that the best tasting, moistest pumpkin dessert is

Paul's Pumpkin Bars.

we've been looking for an excuse to bake something, 

and with new neighbors,

we found our excuse.

GOOD THING we gave some away because 

what i know for sure is that i could EASILY

eat a WHOLE pan of these yummy pumpkin bars.

no, i am not exaggeratting.

they are THAT good!

so i know for sure that i could (and almost have)

eat the whole pan!
pssst.....if you've never tried them, do it now:)
here's the recipe...from me to you!

something else i know for sure is that my girls love me.
totally, unconditionally, completely.....
they love me.
even after a frustrating, stressful day,
even after a sleepless night.
even with me being a total. unreasonable monster......
they still love me.
they try to understand.
and are quick to forgive me.
because, as they say,
they love me so much.......
and want me to be happy and not stressed about anything.
i thought that was my job,
 but sometimes our kids teach us something once in awhile.
i know this.
and i love THEM for that!

i know that i am way more dependent
on my phone than i thought.
for some crazy reason, it crashed.
and i lost everything.
little by little, i'm getting some things back but there's still
a ton of work to do and it won't all come back.
(which explains my stressful day, trying to figure this mess out
on the computer)
pictures are the worst thing to lose.
and personal, special messages.
i have an iphone but am not married to it like others are.
i think there is a lot of room to improve.
i'm wondering if anyone out there has a
Samsung Galaxy 3 phone and if you like it?

i also know for sure that
i will never find someone to cut my hair even similar to this........

i know this because i have tried numerous times
over the past few years, with various hairdressers.
they all say i have the perfect body/texture for this look,
similar to the beautiful lady in the picture.
but it is never even close.
the closest i have come is when i chop at it myself.
it still isn't right but at least i can live with it.......
and save money at the same time.
but still.......i live in hope that
someone, somewhere, someday.......will get it right:)

finally, finally, finally.........
i know that i love fall.

what's not to love.
i know some of y'all are getting cold.
but just think of us down here.......
we still go to football games, eat apples, drink warm lattes.....
DREAM of wearing sweaters,
but we sweat our tail off doing it:)
and on that note,
Happy Fall Y'all!
xoxoxo
Suzanne

talking about Fall, Turkeys, Mummys,Pinecones and Chocolate:)

just wanted to say hi and share a few sweet, silly, pretty things.

first, i apologize if you received posts from me today

that were blank or "test" posts.

i don't know if you've noticed, but i have been having

MAJOR problems with my comment link.  

it still isn't quite right but it's there.....if you look close at the end of the post.

for a long time i've had issues but lately,

i lost comments altogether.

not fun, trying to figure out blogger sometimes:)

but it's there now, thank goodness!

like i said, a few sweet things to share.

Fall is here (well, not where i live......it's still miserably hot)

but hopefully you have a beautiful Fall even if i don't!

and these are so cute!

Mummy Twinkies....can't get cuter and simpler than that!

 but if you're watching it these days,

how about this 100 cal treat.......

coffee and a caramel rice cake with 2 lg. marshmallows melted on top.

where there's a will, there's a way:)

 for Thanksgiving, here's a sweet pinecone turkey.......

 and a lollipop turkey too!

but the sweetest thing of all is this halloween costume

one daddy made for his little boy who is in a wheelchair.

now he can trick or treat AND wear his costume in his wheelchair.

precious!

a little fall decor for you........

pinecones, bulbs, ribbon and twinkle lights in a galvanized pail.

PRETTY!

 oh my gosh,

what i wouldn't give to be walking my dig down this 

beautiful little lane in the country!

and lastly, i leave you with something to think about.......

 TRUTH!:)

bye for now,

Suzanne

what are you wearing this Fall?

okay, living in south florida as Fall approaches is

TOUGH.

for those who don't know, we are still technically in

hurricane season and this time of the year is the HOTTEST and the

STEAMIEST time of the whole year.

i know, you thought it was summer.

and while that's hot, there's just something especially miserable about fall.

(not to complain or anything. haha:)

maybe it's because we know that up north,

you're getting cooler temps, pretty fall days and maybe even

a glimpse of color change in the leaves.

go ahead, i give you permission to gloat:)

so when i talk about Fall style,

please know i am still in tank tops, shorts and sandals.

but i can't wait to pull on jeans, boots and MAYBE a sweater

the minute our humidity drops.

i am going to show you what i WOULD be wearing

 if i had a normal fall to wear it in.

but first, what are the experts saying will be IN this fall?

i tried and tried to look up fall fashions but basically,

there are some UGLY trends out there right now.

and because i'm getting old.....and know what i like.....

i decided, who cares what they say to wear anyway, right?

so instead of specific items,

i'm giving you a few colors that are supposed to be everywhere.

this way, if you care about trends, 

you might grab a single piece in a fall color, 

you know?

the best i could tell, two colors that are big this fall are 

burgundy/wine 

and 

hunter green.

honorable mention goes to

  navy:) 

let's take a closer look.......

 notice the pea coat in burgundy, turtleneck and colored jeans.

key items, they say:)

in this photo, see the colored jeans again, and also the army green trench

(military touches are popular)

and the plaid.

so you see,

simply adding a pair of burgundy gloves might just make you look

as if you stepped off the runway.

or maybe not:)

it would take a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT

 more than gloves for me,

that's for sure:)

 i will enjoy a burgundy sweater and i love the burgundy leather backpack.

i have never worn a lot of green so that would have to be trial and error,

if i wear any at all:) 

but my mom's friend Betty is going to be rockin that green, for sure!!!:)

and now for my personal preferences,

cause i know you are wantin to know.....not:)  

hahaha

basically, i don't much care what they say.........

for FALL,

i LOVE blue jeans, natural tones (cream, sand) sweaters, 

warm, worn, medium brown leather accessories 

or

colored leather accessories

gold/jewel tone jewelry, 

football jerseys/sweatshirts/fleeces,

turquoise anything,
boots and that about does it.
nothing new for me, right?:)

my favorite thing here is the purse.
also love the burgundy boots.
and now that i see burgundy and hunter green with my natural tones,
i like the look.
maybe i will add some trendy colors after all:)

XOXO
Suzanne

Pumpkins, Leaves, Sweaters and Blessings...Fall Bucket List

Happy Fall Y'All!

i know it's early to some but i just LOVE saying that:)

and you know, they say Fall begins in October.....

but once school starts.....it's Fall Y'all!

so i made my Fall bucket list this morning.

no surprises.....

it's truly that time of year when you want the same ol' thing.

the smell of pumpkin spices and apple pie.

college football on saturday.

crisp fall air.

(actually, I can only DREAM about that one......and i do!:)

see what i mean.......no surprises with my list:)

time to start making some sweater vases like last year.
they were really easy and kinda cute,
if i say so myself:)

do you decorate for Fall?
the easiest thing to do is plaster the house with pretty pumpkins:)

inside AND out.......

if i had a pumpkin patch, i would SOOOO do this.....

and since i like TREATS.......
here are a few of my favorite.

candy corn pretzels!
just dip pretzel sticks in white chocolate
 that you colored and you have these cute little treats!

oh my gosh.......
i LOVE caramel apples.
there are so many cool ways to make them these days that
I'll have to do a blog post sometime.
but here's one that is so stinkin clever i can't stand it:)

pretty self-explanatory, so go for it!
if you're a tiny bit more ambitious, try this.......

Hollow out apples and bake with cinnamon and sugar inside. 

After it's done baking, fill with ice cream and caramel. 

MMMMMMM........

and if you're lucky enough to get those cool, crisp days.......

try making some pumpkin pie white hot cocoa!

there is a recipe out there somewhere but it has a few more ingredients than this LAZY

girl likes......or can remember.

so to keep it simple, use white chocolate instead of chocolate chunks 

to make the cocoa and add pumpkin pie spices.

totally DELICIOUS!

have a LOVELY day!!!

XOXOXOXO

Suzanne

Fall Beauty To-Do List......

hello ladies!

if you're like me, you don't have the time, money

or even in some cases, the desire to go for 

a bunch of spa treatments every so often.

but after the hot summer, sometimes we NEED some

beauty TLC, right?

SO.......when i saw an article from Total Beauty

 about this very subject,

i thought i would put it in a nutshell and share it with you.

some of it is just good ol' common sense......

and i don't know about you 

but my common sense needs waking up once in awhile

so without further ado, let's talk.......

skin;

summer can leave little gifts on your skin,

like flakiness, peeling, blemishes, dullness.

number 1 tip.......HYDRATION!

but here's the twist.

don't just think of glasses of water.

while you should drink lots of it, 

think about getting hydration from fruits and vegetables.

lettuce is full of water.  cucumbers are good.

mangoes, apricots.....all boost vitamin A which is important

for skin cells.

even better.......green drinks:)

apple, parsley, romaine, apple, lemon, cucumber, ginger......

great for your green beauty drink!

here's another.......

To boost weight loss (and it's just yummy) - 2L water, 1 medium cucumber, 

1 lemon, 10-12 mint leaves. steep overnight in fridge and drink every day.

 Also great for general detox--including clear skin.

tip number 2........SIMPLIFY!

yep....simplify your skin routine.

the article says that all you need to do in the a.m is

use a gentle cleanse, a moisturizer and sunscreen.

that's it!

no brighteners, fillers, deep wrinkle, eye wrinkle.....

at least according to their experts.

sounds good to me.

in the p.m, simply repeat but replace the sunscreen with a retinoid.

retinoids are the most effective wrinkle eraser, 

they unclog pores, boost collagen for fine lines,

and speed cell turnover to even out skin color.

all in one!

just remember that skin can dry out in the cooler months,

if this is you, use a mild soap and gentle moisturizer.

and maybe your foundation can be changed to a more moisturizing formula.

you know what you need.....trust your instinct:)

hair;

anyone have OILY hair?

here's what the experts said to do for this problem.......

STOP WASHING YOUR HAIR SO MUCH:)

seriously, that is the tip.

and i've read it many other places too.  

apparently shampooing strips natural oils from hair

and scalp, possibly over producing oil.

also think about getting dead ends snipped off and

using a weekly deep conditioning treatment.

hair color;

celebrity stylists say Fall is the time to feel free to add

richness to your hair.

maybe some lowlights added to sunbleached blonde hair (hmmmmm:)

rich golds are an easy way to warm up blonde hair.

for brunettes, if you got a little brassy,

deepen the brown a bit, maybe add auburn highlights, 

and a "caramel glaze" over faded ends looks awesome, they say:)

hands and feet;

your new best friend is EPSOM SALTS!

twice weekly, fill a small tub with warm, soapy water

 and a half cup epsom salts;

soak for five minutes then dip a pumice stone

 in the water to smooth heels and balls of the feet.

this is great for easing aches and pains, swelling, blisters and calluses.

hands need help too, especially dry cuticles (guilty)

and guess what......

you probably have the secret treatment in your kitchen right now.

HONEY is a natural healer and is filled with antioxidants.

just warm honey in the microwave a few seconds

and rub it into hands and cuticles.

(warming it makes it easier to maneuver)

for nail polish, the experts here said go with

natural nude/cream or dark trendy colors...either or.

but choose one with a high-gloss finish.

okay...easy enough:)

makeup;

okay, their suggestion is a bit painful.

pull out old photos, check out your pics on facebook.......

see any recurring themes?

shiny skin? maybe you need powder.

small eyes?  work on your shadow technique.

dark eyes?

 maybe tone down the liner.

also, they all agree us girls need to use a primer.

i LOVE the feel and look of my maeup with a primer!

if lining lips is tricky for you,

add a bit of gloss BEFORE so the pencil goes on smoothly.

adjust makeup colors for fall.

your skin color may be different and that pinky/coral

 blush may need to go:)

maybe a richer mascara, eye color.....

how about a bronze eyeliner?

here are some good tips for eye shadow.....

treats just for YOU;

if possible, try to work some of these into your week.

YOU deserve it:)

~start the day with a brisk walk to get your blood pumping.

~take a steaming hot shower, adding lemon oil to a washcloth

and breathing in the calming scents.

(i know you laugh but this is what they do at the spa:)

~once a week use an exfoliating mask.

~give your smile a boost with white strips

~turn the cellphone and TV off once in awhile and 

drink a nice glass of water with lemon.

~then play with the kiddies, read a book or do absolutely nothing:)

~give yourself a mani/pedi.

all simple things but remember....it's all about the simple things.

~lastly.......LAUGH.

it's good for you:)

XOXOXOXOXO

Suzanne