Homemade Donut Holes

Yep, that's right.

Yesterday we made donut holes.

Maybe it was the picture I posted the other day of the hot cocoa with the sweet dainty donut hole (is that an oxymoron??)

Or the fact that something sugary and warm sounded great on this fall day.

I decided, I've never made donuts or donut holes for that matter so why not try it

I used this recipe.

All we had on hand was almond milk which worked great.

I only made half the recipe so we wouldn't over eat on donuts the entire day.

And I don't own a fry thermometer so I eyeballed it and hovered my hand over the oil to see if I could tell the temperature...probably not the safest way...

I also dropped a dollop of dough in and after the 

3rd drop they were frying to perfection.

The were...in one word...delightful.

A few coated in cinnamon and sugar and the others in powdered sugar.

Because they were dipped while they were still hot, the sugars made a nice little coating around them

SO good.

We made an executive decision to make this a Fall tradition...

(or birthday, Spring, Summer, Winter...)

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I apologize....

Last week I mentioned a giveaway...

but apparently giveaways on Facebook are illegal?!? 
or there are quite a few rules and regulations about it...

I had no clue and am still researching it.

So stay tuned!

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I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Blogs I Follow

I think blogs are the next best thing.

Or maybe they already are the next best thing..

for inspiration,

encouragement,

ideas,

recipes...

the list goes on!

Brian laughs when he hears me refer to someone as "a well known blogger." 

But I view them as seperate entities to the business the blogger may already have.

Of course I don't really include my small little blog in this group

but i do hope this blog is a way to see the person behind Lindsay P Designs

..even though most of you all already know me :) 

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So today I figured I would share just a couple blogs I like to visit.

Some I look at for the photos..some for ideas.. some for recipes..

Lets begin! 

I figured I would start with the newest blog I found...

Not Without Salt

It's funny how I found this blog...

Believe it or not..I was googling

 "how to make homemade confetti frosting"

(I have a sweet tooth...I am also currently recovering from eating a WHOLE bag of candy last night...never again.) 

I found this blog and was instantly drawn to the layout and the beautiful food photos.

 She has a book coming out in February that I can't wait for!

Dreamy Whites

I have been following this blog for a while and look at it for the 

beautiful and I mean beautiful photos Maria takes. 

She has transformed her farmhouse home into this whimsical, beautiful, 

mostly white, heavenly place. 

It's stunning...to me anyway. 

I think my mom found this blog a while back and shared it with my sisters and I. 

When I went to the Chateau Sonoma Flea Market last June, 

I had the chance to meet Maria...

I was SO nervous and I am pretty sure I actually told her I felt like I was meeting a celebrity. (Probably a little nerdy...oh well)

Jeanne Oliver Designs

I am always talking about the e-courses Jeanne Oliver puts on 

but her blog is wonderful as well!

Her words are very real..

which I think is always a challenge when writing a blog hundreds of people may read.

Very inspirational and encouraging!

Jones Design Company

My sister actually introduced me to this one. 

Filled with decorating tips along with many other tutorials

Lets just say you can spend a while browsing through her website!

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Stay tuned for a GIVEAWAY next week!
All details will be explained Monday along with what goodies 
will be included in the giveaway :)
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Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween.

Happy Friday and happy November!

All things Fall and "Halloween-ish"

With Halloween being tomorrow, 

I wanted to share a few inspiring photos....

I tend to be drawn to white pumpkins these days.

It's nice because they are great decorations for Fall 

and you don't feel the need to toss them right after Halloween.

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I LOVE candy corn and go crazy with it when it's in front of me...

I thought this was a really cute idea...not to mention it would limit me from just eating all of the candy corn straight from the bag.

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Now this hot chocolate with the donut idea isn't really about Halloween or Fall...

but it's so warm and cozy looking! The perfect treat after coming home from a long night of trick or treating??

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I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week

 and a safe and fun Halloween!!

It's Friday!

I am so thrilled it's the weekend.

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Relaxing with tea, 

a candle, 

a good book or movie

 and a blanket sounds like a wonderful plan to me.

Of course I wish I had this sweet little love seat to curl up on...

These Cashmere candles are some of my favorites.

They seem to last pretty long which is rare for me and they all smell great!

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I wanted to also share 4 more "gifts that give back" ideas...

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1. Fotostrap- looking for the perfect gift for someone who loves taking pictures and always has their camera with them? 10% of all sales goes toward their sister company Fotolanthropy. Go to their website and read there mission. It will give you chills and probably make you teary eyed in a good way. So so inspiring!

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2. Potterybarn- who doesn't love walking into Potterybarn especially during the holiday season. Decorations out...Christmas music playing....everyone in cheerful moods! Well this year they have some beautiful candles benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 50% of the purchase price goes directly to the Research Hospital. The perfect hostess gift or gift to anyone for that matter.

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3. Glassybaby- I know I have talked about glassybaby in past posts but I just cannot get enough of them. Perfect for any time of year and so unique and beautiful. Many, many colors to chose from with 10% going towards different organziations (depending on the color.)

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4. Roma Boots- Looking for cute rain boots for those rainy days? With every pair of boots sold, they donate a pair of rain boots for street children and orphans. In addition to that, they also donate 10% towards the Roma for All Foundation, providing aid and education to these children. 

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I hope you all have a relaxing weekend!

Making Cinnamon Rolls

The other night I was looking at Instagram 

and Pioneer Woman had posted a picture of ooey gooey cinnamon rolls

Mouth watering of course.

So I decided I needed to make cinnamon rolls...and soon!

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Cinnamon rolls bring back memories

I remember on special days before school, my mom would pop the 

Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls in the oven.

I could eat that whole little container of orange frosting if I was allowed to.

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In college-freshman year, my roommate, and still one of my best friends, and I would go into the tiny tiny- I'm talking really tiny kitchen in the dorm and make Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and just sit there waiting to devour them.

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I've made homemade cinnamon rolls one other time and it was for the day after Thanksgiving a few years ago.

They didn't turn out great.

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I'm convinced I can't cook with yeast.

I don't know exactly what they mean by "until it's dissolved after one minute" or "when it starts to foam"

 I re-read the directions probably 25 times before I make any attempt.

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I decided to make homemade Sweet Orange Rolls and used this recipe...

Last night I made the dough and ended up using all 3 yeast packets.

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The first I thought I stirred too much and was too lumpy.. 

Probably didn't give it enough time to dissolve on its own.

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The second I ripped it open too fast (frustrated that I didn't get it right the first time)

 and it burst all over the counter.

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 The 3rd I knew I needed to make work or we wouldn't be having cinnamon rolls this morning. 

I'm still not convinced that it worked. ( when I woke up this morning to look at the rolls which I let rise for the second time in the refrigerator- they didn't look super risen...) they're still in the oven

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Now they're out and they turned out pretty good! 

I think they could have still risen a little more but still tasty and edible!

There wasn't any special occasion today... I just thought it would be fun to so something different and have a cinnamon roll for breakfast. Don't wait for special occasions or for a "reason" to do something different... 

Whether it's starting a new project.. 

Or making cinnamon rolls!

 There's never as good of time as now!

Have a great week!

Small Spaces

I think it is important to make the best of where you are at TODAY.

Easier said than done--I know! 

Trust me, I am completely guilty of doing the complete opposite of this.

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Nonetheless, I do believe (and try to live out) that what you are doing...or where you are at in life... shouldn't be taken for granted and should be enjoyed each and every day.

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There are times when it seems like my projects and work are exploding over our whole living space..

That nothing matches and our "stuff" looks cluttered.

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I look at magazines or other peoples homes on blogs and dream of the day when I can decorate multiple rooms and little nooks.

That everything will flow together cohesively... and will be warm and inviting

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But then I look around....

and though our space is small...it is home

home to me, home to Brian and home to Brandi

its cozy and simple.

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I suppose you don't have to have a huge house for it to be beautiful

And I know that years from now I will miss these days of simplicity

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I thought I would share some pictures of my work space :) I submitted a couple of these photos to Where Women Create {Inspiring Work Spaces} last Spring...

I hope you all enjoy where you are at today and make the most of it!

Happy Monday!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

I hope you all have had a wonderful week.

This is the first weekend in a long time where we will just be home

with absolutely no plans

{Sweet Brandi relaxing like she does best}
though the past weekends we've been gone for all super fun reasons,

its sometimes feels nice to just stay put and to regroup.

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I am so excited to get all caught up on the Creatively Made Home {Home for the Holidays}!

Of course it is already making me want to decorate for Christmas...too early?

I guess so.

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Here is a sneak peek at one of the Christmas cards that will be available soon!!

Have a wonderful weekend!