Pumpkin MMMMuffins.

These Pumpkin Muffins are awesome!!

They're super-simple, and are just perfect. Instead of the 2 C of fresh baked pumpkin called for in the recipe, I used an entire, 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin. And I threw in some walnuts because it was right. See, I'm not afraid to improvise in the kitchen. I'm a risk-taker like that.

They were perfectly-dense, very moist, and...awesome. Almost like a pumpkin pound cake muffin. Awesome. And really, kinda healthy, in a way.

After they were done, I even added some homemade cream cheese frosting...which I'm not sure would normally be legal with something called a muffin...but it was right.

They were awesome.

Wise Up, and Call Me Blessed

A lot of people smile at us when we're out and about. A single trip to the grocery store brings many interactions our way. And, it's guaranteed that at least one person, though it's usually more, looks on at our brood and says that golden phrase, "You look busy!"

"Are they all yours?", "Are they twins?", "Do you do daycare?" and, "Finally got that boy, huh?" Round out the Top 5. I shall refrain from offering commentary on what I think when I've been asked any one of these on a given day for the third or fourth time.

Usually, they say I look busy with a smile. There are so many sweet people in the world. Sometimes, you know, just sometimes, they're not so much sweet. Even though, if I do say so, we Kochs have manners. It's not like we're a travelling zoo. Maybe they just don't have fond memories of raising their own children, I don't know.

I always smile and say something like, "Yes I am, and I love it!" And such.

As a mother of 4 young people, here is what I think:

Jim and I are present for the growing and becoming of four (and God-willing, more) fantastic, glorious expressions of the creativity and goodness of God. Our house is vibrant, energetic, and not ever, ever boring. We work our tails off, partnering with Him in the growing of their bodies, minds, and souls. We invest incalculable amounts of time and energy, love and hard work into these priceless, amazing people.

These children are breathtaking. I am so in love with them.

We see God creating and growing them into loving, caring, intelligent people who will one day enter the world on their own, we pray, to be confident, strong and humble, fully in love with Jesus and fully aware of who they are in Him. We work so they will be free to live how God created them to live, to use their gifts and talents, to be free to pour themselves out to the world all around them- free now, today, and free as they grow into adulthood.

And in the process, Jim and I grow, day by day, just as they do.

It's not easy. But it is wonderful.

No doubt, we are hard at work. No doubt, the day is busy.

But busy? That's not very encouraging at all.

Some days, I get tired of being told how busy I look, and I'd love for people to simply call me Blessed.

And you're blessed too.

I'll Thank Me Later.

Sometimes, when you're doing something ordinary, I like to pull out my camera and document it.

Just so I can remember exactly what you looked like

on just this day.

So I wanted to say thank you for letting me take so many pictures, even when you're just trying to make lunch.

I don't know if you'll appreciate it later,

but I will.

Love you,

Mom

Treat.

When you buy Halloween candy, buy all the kinds you, personally, don't like. That way when it's sitting in your house for a week or so before you hand it out, you won't be tempted to eat it.

This is excellent advice. I think of it every year. This is the first year I ever FULLY followed my own self-created Halloween candy axiom.

Except for these. Because they're special and we only eat them once a year. I did put a bag of these out early just for us.

I've exerted a perfect amount of self-control over them, and the kids love them and get one every once in a while after dinner. Jim eats them like a mad man. He hated them growing up, but says these are softer and tastier than the peanut butter taffy of his youth. I think he's making up for lost time.

I digress. Back to my point.

Here's to weighing the same two weeks after Halloween that I weighed two weeks before.

Best in Show

Have you ever been to a Dog Show? We have been to a few. It's fantastic for kids. It's probably going to be very inexpensive to get in, and then your kids can see about 500 kinds of dogs up close, and watch as their owners and trainers buff, puff, primp and prepare them for competition. And then you can watch them compete. It's the cat's meow. (Yes, you're not mistaken. That's a stupid joke I just told you).

Prep your kids before going about not approaching the dogs, and NOT touching them unless they ask and an owner says it's OK.

That said, owners, in our experience are fantastic people. Because they're dog people. And these dogs are their babies. And we came to adore them. And the owners LOVE to let you adore their dogs, and they like to allow their dogs to socialize as much as possible, too. Unless it's almost showtime. Then back off, Buck-O.


We had a great time. It's always fun to see so many dogs in one place. They are so varied and unique. So are their owners. And yes, many of them looked like their dogs. And many of them reminded me of Best in Show.

That's right. This one is getting Flat Ironed.
This groomer and smiling (hilarious) dog reminded me of that scene in Steel Magnolias when Truvy is teasing Shelby's hair for her wedding. I was really far away, so the shot is fuzzy, but, that little dog just ate this up.


Our girls wear a decent amount of bling at home, and usually wear a little "real" jewelry, like necklaces, when we're out, but recently, Grace has taken to wearing BLING out, as well. Because she's older. You know, like a sort of, Bling Coming Out, if you will.

Our kids pick out their own clothes. I try to exercise Mom Veto Power only when absolutely necessary, to encourage independence. Patie loves these socks.

I can't tell what Jim is about to say here...but since there's already too many pictures in this post, I thought I'd throw it in.

These dogs were great. They just love to compete. And most LOVE to get their picture taken. This is only a FEW snapshots of goofy, beautiful canines. Most owners and trainers LOVE to have their dogs' photographed. They just like showing off their little prides and joy. Some people practically threw their dogs in front of my lens.

Trainers loved to let their dogs sniff and cuddle our kids. We talked all kinds of dog talk. It's a good time to think of every honest compliment you can say about their dogs- it really blesses them, and just makes them want to talk even more about the little performer. And dogs can tell when you're talking nice about them. And then they get even sweeter. It's a good time to appreciate how varied these dogs are, and what makes their breed special.

This dog's snout was so long, his nose wasn't in focus and it should have been. That cracks me up.

Woof.

MFEO.

Just in case you were wondering... This soup,
And this bread

were Made For Each Other.

A few pointers:
1. Ignore the fact that your kids will hate the rolls because of all the onion.

2. Ignore the fact that your husband will not think soup and bread alone makes a complete meal, and, no, it won't make it better if you add a salad.

Make it for dinner anyway. It will be good for them.

On the soup: To expand on the simple recipe, there are a few things you can do to make it better. Melt the butter in the pot first, then add the onion (and a clove or 2 of minced garlic can't hurt either) and let the onion cook for about 8 minutes, until it starts to brown a little. THEN add your spices right to the onion and stir. THEN add the broth and let it heat through, scraping up the brown bits of onion. THEN add the cream slowly, stirring, allowing it to heat through as well. THEN add everything else. These are time-tested techniques. It will just be better. Still a recipe that requires almost no work, but, much richer in flavor than dumping it all in at once as the recipe suggests.

On the bread: Instead of blue cheese, you can certainly add NO cheese, and these are perfect. Freshly shredded Parmesan would be fantastic too. Also, these rolls are very similar to a ciabatta bread, like the bread used for the Sierra Turkey at Panera. Not exactly the same, but very similar. They are amazing! It would be great to use the leftovers (there will be some, remember, because your kids won't eat them for the onion)- it would be great to use the leftovers for turkey sandwiches. So when you buy the other ingredients, put good deli turkey on your list, too. I of course tried this out for your benefit, and it was awesome. MMMM. Just imagine a little cranberry chutney on there with some mayo and good cheese and quality turkey...can you imagine it?

LLFFW.

Long-Live Food For Women.

Announcing Full Life Photography's...

That's right! Christmas is really, for real, almost here, almost! As I started to think this week about which picture would be The One for my own Christmas cards, I thought of all of you Mamas out there, and Full Life Photography's Christmas Quick Shot was born.

You Pick:

The Location. Choose the best spot for your brood, within Sioux Falls City Limits, including your home.

The Crew. Just your kids? Your kids and your pets? Just you and your spouse? Just the pets? The whole family? (Yes, that's right, you and your spouse could be in the picture at the same time! Hallelujah!) You choose the group you want to shoot.

The Wardrobe. Anything goes, wear what you love!

You Get:

Me, Myself, and I. The session will last about 20 minutes. I'll take time to get to know your kids a bit, then we'll get rolling, we'll have fun, and we'll take some great shots.

Your Finished, Hi-Resolution Photos on CD without copyright. They'll be available for pick up within 48 hours. They can also be mailed straight to your home for an additional $5. You'll receive 7-10 finished, professionally edited photos of the group you've chosen to shoot (the best of the best from your shoot). Removal of blemishes or scars is included, free of charge.

You Pay:

$35, due at the time of the session. For the cost of dining out once with your family, you'll have awesome images you can keep for a lifetime, and they'll be in your hands quick-and-easy, ready for printing and sending out this Christmas.

Attention MOPS Moms! If you're a Member of a local MOPS group (Sioux Falls surrounding area included) you'll receive a special $5 discount, along with a coupon for 10% off a session in 2010. Be sure to mention the name of your group when booking. For every 20 Moms from your group that book a session, I will give your Steering Team a coupon good for one FREE Full Session, to be used as you like. You can raffle it off, donate it, or simply draw names and give it to someone from your group. It's up to you! Let your MOPS Mamas know!

To Book:

Email me at megankoch@yahoo.com and let me know you're interested in a Christmas Quick Shot (and if you're a member of MOPS, let me know!).

Slots are open every Saturday between October 24 and December 5, between 9 AM and 4 PM. This special quick-shot offer will not be available after December 5! Book early to get the date and time that works best for your family! Don't forget to consider nap/meal times for those kiddos when you book!

You can find out more about Full Life by visiting the site at FullLifePhoto.com .

Merry Christmas, a little early, from Full Life.

Fallen

This year, our trees didn't get their chance to slowly take a vibrant turn before gradually falling to the approaching winter. It has been unseasonably rainy and frigid. Most trees in my neighborhood didn't turn at all. It got cold so suddenly, they froze and fell instead. Green and dead on the ground in huge piles, overnight. Some of them have managed to hold onto their leaves- but they're dark green-brown and ugly still the same.

I love Autumn. I anticipate it every year. It's beauty always brings out my introspective, nature-loving side. Seeing such a sudden, brutal interruption to the natural rhythm of the seasons has made me so, well, melancholy, for use of a dramatic-sounding, and perfectly-fitting word.

It was just awful.

To be honest, it has felt very, very, very faintly of what it is like to lose someone early, to lose someone unexpectedly. An abrupt interruption to the way we know it is supposed to be. To see vibrant life stopped short, frozen and dead when there was still so much beauty for it to reveal. It's just overwhelmingly wrong.

And so this Fall has left me thinking and brooding over this fallen world. So often, our lives are stopped short, our expectations are broken, our hopes are shattered. Things here so often do not go smoothly, and beautifully pass just as we believe they should. Beautiful lives are stopped suddenly. Growing, vibrant relationships end abruptly. We can't foresee it, but we can know certainly that very little is certain, though we so very badly want guarantees, though we so very badly want control. But even when life rages an ice storm, there is still unexpected beauty, and hope, and assurance that it will pass.

And as for me, and my fallen Fall, there is still so much beauty, absolutely everywhere, and there are so many treasures to find, that I can't help but be turned hopeful. The loss of Autumn as I wanted it has caused my eyes to sharpen, and see what else there is, besides the glorious warm-cool days and beautiful leaves I was hoping for. It's pushing me to help my children see it, too, as we bundle up ridiculously for October to explore outdoors. And it's made me appreciate my warm, safe home, my sweet cuddly family, and my hot pumpkin soup and warm bread all the more.

So I am hopeful. And I know that even seasons of unexpected pain and loss can be beautiful. And I'm thankful.

Just Let Them Be Who They Be, or, Forced Smiles Never Look Right, or, It's Not Their Fault You Took Them Out for a Photo Shoot at Nap Time

Keli Hoskins wrote an excellent article about getting great shots of children sans tears over at I ♥ Faces . It's well worth the click over and the read- I loved it, and heartily agree. While you're there, read everything else. Because it's all good.

Jinxie

Bella is obsessed with all things bathroom. No doubt, she loves to get cra-zay with the TP. This week, while teetering on the high ledge of the master bath window, she totally broke every bathroom candle in one swoop. Then promptly hid for an hour, pretty sure she did a bad, bad thing.
She has been really into the tub and the master bathroom shower for a while, but then she discovered the sinks this week, like she'd never noticed them before, and now I find her in there all the time. Not to mention, her obsession with the toilet.
Oh, the potty. She is obsessed. I found her teetering on the rim this morning, peering down, contemplating life. Whenever we "go", I can tell, from her great curiosity and interest, she would really like to figure out how to be a big kid too. Then, she just excuses herself to the litter box, because she can't stand to watch us do our thing without doing hers, too.
All this gets me thinking about Mr. Jinx.
So what else is there to do, but YouTube the situation?
Would you believe this?



Look. I'm sure I just offended someone, but I, personally, laughed so hard alone at my desk that I nearly had to run to the potty myself. I mean, I was laughing out loud. Go YouTube "cat toilet Mr. Jinx" yourself- there are hundreds of absolutely hilarious accounts out there- Cats CAN do it...

Would you believe, one Google search later, that you can actually buy stuff for training them???

The Litter Kwitter. Honestly. I'm thinking about it. No. wait. I'm not. She could totally figure this out alone.

If she decides to "Go Jinxie", I'll let you know.

Gilbert never, EVER lets the fever lick him.

We did this last year. It was awesome. And right then I knew the tradition I'd dreamed of for me and my girls, and my son, so help him, of watching the Anne movies once a year was a reality. We've rented and loved the Avonlea episodes I so very much adored as a child, and now we all love them together. Even Jim. He loves PEI. He's tough enough to love Price Edward Island with the rest of us.

We've read the books. Last year we rented the movies from the library. This year, I purchased them secretly. My idea last year was to begin this tradition: The first morning we wake up to snow, our first real, honest-to-goodness snow-all-day, snowy day (we have one every year, usually in late October or a little later), we will drop everything we had planned, stay in our pajamas, cuddle up in the living room and watch the first Anne movie. We'll make pizza and cookies, while watching of course, and I'm really looking forward to it. Every year.

Then, during the Advent season, we have this sweet calendar that's always filled with candy, notes, surprises, etc. Inside one of the days, the kids will find a note saying we'll watch the second Anne movie that day, repeating all the other steps above. You should never watch the third movie. It's horrible.

Jim, if you want some manlier traditions for Hudson, you'll have to take care of that yourself.

This year, our first snow day came early, on Monday. As unwelcome our below-normal temperatures and freakishly early snowfall was this year, I was very excited nonetheless. In perfect form, the snow fell during the night, but only giving us a couple of inches- and still fell for a while through the morning, giving the 4 little Kochs the complete experience. It was pretty- early, annoying, but pretty.

Here's how it went down...
We woke up to this...


We had steamers for breakfast, which is pretty common in the colder months. Milk is better warm and frothy.

This picture kills me. Just hilarious. I mean seriously. I didn't realize I caught such an off-moment when I took this. It just cracks me up. Don't get too excited or anything kids.
I always do a little art project with the chocolate syrup...usually a letter, or a heart. It takes so little to impress my children. Heck, chocolate drizzle still impresses me. On just about anything.
The girls were totally excited. I got all excited too. Hudson split his time between watching and playing alone downstairs with no one to bug him.
Isn't it funny, how serious kids' faces look when they're watching TV?
Oh, how sad. Poor Anne, getting left at the orphanage like that.
Bella loves to watch TV.
See? I clicked the shot, and then she was all, "Woman, wat-choo think you doin', taking my picture when I am clearly watchin' this???!" (Yes, most of the time, my cat's imaginary voice I give her in my head sounds like Wanda Sykes.)
Oh, this just slayed my heart. I was in the kitchen switching the cookies in the oven during the scene when Matthew dies. I got teary, and wondered how the kids were doing with it, and there was Grace, sitting on the couch, tears down her face, usin' her sleeve to wipe them off every so often, sniffing and getting in a good cry. My heart just broke. So I of course secretly took her picture first, then I went in and sat with her till the movie moved on. Oh, precious little lady.

We ate cookies and fruit for lunch. They were whole grain, so it's like it's OK. Then, we were so into it, we totally just went ahead and watched the second movie too. It finished just before Daddy got home. Grace and Patie were right there with me, till the end. And I kid you not, when Anne said she didn't want marble halls or sunbursts, "I just want you", Grace- this totally happened- Grace sighed a big sigh and left a little smile on her face. Oh, child. You're my little girl.

I can't wait until they're a little older, and we're totally adding the 5 hour Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice to the yearly list. Mr. Darcy, I ardently love you.

Pumpkin in a Pinch.

If you love pumpkin pie, but are freaked out about the whole crust situation (it's OK to be scared. But just so you know, you CAN make amazing crust yourself. You can do it!) but so back to if you're freaked out by crust, or if you just want some PIE without really spending time on it at all- keep a few cans of canned pumpkin pie mix (next to the plain pumpkin puree- it's the same but with spices already in there). Read the label at the store- you'll need some evaporated milk and an egg.

Follow the directions for mixing and baking, but instead of a crust, put it in individual ramekins, or another oven-safe dish instead. You'll have to watch it closely, because the bake time depends on your container(s), but for sure it will take less than the bake time for pie- and they should bake beautifully.

Take them out when they are not yet all cracked on the tops- but are smooth, and giggle just slightly in the center when you gently shake the dish, or pan the ramekins are sitting on.

Bam, Pow, and Cool Whip later, you have a VERY simple, under 30 minute pumpkin pie substitute for any day of the week.

It's not just for Thanksgiving anymore.

29.

I love you Daddy! Happy birthday. I hope you have fun. Love, Grace

Happy birthday Daddy. I’m glad that you’re gonna get to be older. I hope you have a fun birthday. Love, Patience

Happy birthday. That’s all that I want to say. Love, Lily

(And Hudson, he just loves you.)

And I love you. Happy Birthday, Best Friend. Love, Me

Beside Myself.

Look. I don't know what to do with myself. Two of the most fantastic, amazing fictional people I know are getting married tonight!!!

I am beside myself. Beside myself. Beside myself, I tell you.

Out Of Nothing

leaves from the park

Today was a great day. Quintessential Autumn- beautiful, a little cold, a little warm, a just-right breeze. Breakfast at Panera, an extraordinarily fun trip to the thrift store, Story Time at the library (new books are a Wednesday staple), a quick trip to Target to get Grace a coat and some snacks for lunch, which we took to the park. And we ate slowly. Four courses of snacks. And then we played. And we savored it all. Because today was just right.

As we tackled the monkey bars and caught bugs and greedily soaked up the sun (because we know it's going to be nasty cold tomorrow) my kids left a new impression on me. I've thought it before, but it's never hit me like today. Minutes after we started playing, Grace found a quiet spot under a slide, with a bar just right for sitting and studying her newest lady bug perched on her finger. "Mommy, look! It's a chair!" And it was. Ten minutes later, Lily discovered it. "Hudson come here! An ice cream store!" And, with it's window shape, it was. She spent several minutes making us tasty treats with wood chips from the ground. Some had chocolate syrup, some were strawberry, all were good- and friendly to the waistline.

They each moved on. Played with other things. And I was left just newly amazed at their ability to smoothly, naturally, enthusiastically make something out of nothing.

Rustic

I saw this tasty, beautiful-looking rustic free-form tart on Martha Stewart (did you know you can watch it online? I love catching up on the good stuff, and blowing past the segments that I don't care about, or that annoy me, like when Martha's "Marthaness" you know, gets to be too much.)

I immediately thought of baking apples instead of plums, and then the Everyday Food amazing-ista said she made an apple version over the weekend, which sealed the deal for me. I used a mix of types of apples, tart and sweet, and they were perfect right out of oven. Later that night, they were still good, though not as good at room temp and not warm, and the next morning, I had the last piece for breakfast, and then the apples were super rubbery- but the crust was still perfect- but straight out of oven, the apples were just warm, aromatic, sweet, baked apple goodness.

I'm absolutely making this with lots of variations of blueberries, cherries, raspberries, etc. at some point. I want to try every version of this tasty, fresh, quick and easy yet beautiful little tart. My family loved it, by the way. (And I love them.)

The almond base is fantastic- great subtle nuttiness. You will detect the nuttiness. And it did it's job perfectly- soaking up the juice from the fruit, so the bottom crust remained tender, flaky and perfect.

And the crust was amazing- a great, really perfect, flaky, buttery crust. And it baked just like it should.

Thanks, Everyday Food!
Plum Galette
Everyday Food

Serves 8
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced inch thick (keep slices together)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions
In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't over mix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

Tolerant.

McDonalds, Panera, Bistro

Did you know Bacon has one eye? I just wanted to post a picture. Now I'll go on talking about other things.

I got lots of emails and some comments after this post, asking where I get my pictures printed, when I once in a blue moon actually print a photo. I take several hundred pictures a month just of my own family, and they stay nicely archived on my hard drive, and also organized neatly in my Flickr account, safe out there on the Internets for good.


Side note: Flickr is an incredible resource, by the way. If you don't have an upgraded Flickr account, and you take a LOT of pictures, I'd highly recommend it. You have unlimited storage, and Flickr's uploader is very, very quick and convenient. You organize your photos into as many files as you'd like right there in the uploader, before you even begin to upload. There's no work later- you can place one picture of your sweet cherubs into three different folders online quickly, right there before uploading. And folders get placed in collections if you'd like...and you can choose which photos will be public or private from your Flickr account...and you can link to easy slideshows when you want to post and share a LOT of photos to your blog at once...It makes my organizing-loving, photography-loving heart sing. I can reference past images in so many ways...it's fantastic.

But there is something fantastic about printing them and being surrounded by great moments in your home. Really, it just depends on you, your pictures, and what you're looking for. Picking up prints quick at Target or Walgreens can be great for quick, affordable, in-hand snapshots, or when you need something fast.

I'd now like to compare photography in terms we can all understand: Food. You can eat at McDonalds (quick, cheap, not great but it gets the job done), or you can hop over to Panera (still pretty quick, exceptionally better, not so cheap, but not bad, great experience), or you can head to that cute brick-walled Bistro downtown (you wait longer, but it's the total package- ambiance, exceptional service, incredible options, amazing food...higher price tag- but it's not fast food. It's an art.)

How a photo is taken, and how you print it really goes hand in hand. We all eat at all those places at different times. If you've got a McDonald's picture, print it at McDonalds. (Just some slam-bam straight out of camera with your point and shoot, no editing done but you need them printed.) If you've got some Panera on that memory card, respect the Panera and step up a little (still a basic photo, but you've done some cropping, perhaps some slight editing like red-eye or adding black and white etc. on whatever software you use on your computer or online).

If you've labored to gain skills and quality beyond the everyday snapshot, respect the art, and show that print some Bistro love. Go all out. And get linen texture to boot. You will not regret it.

If you're looking for a step up or two (and if your specific print needs call for it and your budget allows, I'd encourage you to try), there are a few places to give a shot, to find what's best for you.

You're probably aware and already use one of the widely-known online printing and storing places, like Snapfish, or Shutterfly or the like. And I'm sure you know where your local drugstore/discount store is located. These are perfect for most people.

Flickr - if you take a lot of Panera pictures, I'd recommend Flickr. Just don't use too many of their editing tricks (they are a great beginner's alternative to Photoshop) if you want to print a larger size, or the resolution will just be lacking. Online it will be fine, but they're going to warn you if the res is too low for a certain size when you order- no worries. And you can have them sent to your home, or sent to Target for pickup. Which gives you an excuse to go to Target.

If you really want to step up to Bistro dining, do some online searching...here are a couple of great ones...but there are more- an internet search, followed by careful reading of pricing, quality, and service policies will help you out. Then, take advantage of free test prints before you commit, if possible, to see the real deal.
Color Inc.
Mpix
And I'm adding White House Custom Colour too, though I haven't used them, and didn't know anyone personally that did, until Mrs. Staff Sergeant confirmed that they're awesome too.

These are really great companies- you just have to try them out. And I'm sure maybe a few people will leave helpful comments of other companies they've tried and love.

It's all about what you think- so try them out. See how the colors and quality look, if things are looking sharp, and right. It's really just something you need to see and hold in your hand, rather than hearing exactly what I do. See how they work to gain your trust, to serve you as their customer. To help you out when something isn't right, especially if it's their fault. There's a lot of great companies out there.

What I will say is, there is a difference. And if you're printing something that will be prominent in your home, something that you love, something that is so very your family, it's absolutely worth it to spend a little more for the quality.

And now I just want to eat some Panera. Shoot.

The Great Gourd

It's fall. It's definitely fall around here, I mean, I don't know about the rest of you.


The pumpkin is precious to this house. We grow them with love, the purchase of the year's pumpkin pie candle is greatly anticipated and it's warm spicy scent fills our house through November. We admire them in our decorating and in our culinary pursuits.


I love pumpkin. It's second in line after chocolate. I do not lie.


Last year, I took a little tour through all kinds of things you can do to celebrate the Great Gourd. Here are some links.


How about making some Velvety Pumpkin Soup?



Or what about a Pumpkin Vase for your table?



Make a Pumpkin Spice Pot for you, and a friend.



Or what about Pumpkin Spice Fudge, or Pumpkin Pancakes??



Whatever you do, don't forget to show some love the the fabulous orange orb.