House On Prairie Lane | a creative lifestyle blog

Christmas Home Decor

November 7, 2019

November 1st is by far the earliest I have ever decorated for Christmas, but the frigid temps and the beauty of the first snow fall, just put me in the holiday spirit. We of course don’t have our Christmas tree just yet, as we always have a real one, but all of my other holiday home decor is all set up and beautiful as ever.

If you remember two years ago (Gah! HOW has it been two years already?!), I collaborated with West Elm on a Holiday Home Tour (also seen here on Front + Main). I fell in love with all the things, and still get giddy when I set it all up. It was such an honor to be a part of one of my favorite brands. I absolutely love the blush, navy and ivory color scheme, along with the mixed metals of gold and silver. Today, I am so excited to share some pieces I have found to add to the beauty of it all.

Pumpkin Muffins

October 22, 2019

One of the first signs of Fall in our house, is the amazing aroma of Pumpkin Muffins baking in the oven. Caramel apples, pumpkin pie or hot apple cider just don’t seem to it justice when it comes to our favorite Fall treat! These muffins are on repeat in this house, pretty much on a weekly basis. It’s a quick and easy recipe that I have now been able memorize.. which is not something I can usually do when it comes to baking!

We even incorporate one of our favorite ingredients.. coconut oil! If you can remember from my chocolate chip cookie recipe, we love baking with coconut oil. The flavor and health benefits are always a win!

We enjoy these muffins at breakfast, as an after school snack or even dessert. Trust me, you will LOVE them just as much as we do, and your house will smell amazing too!

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (we prefer unbleached)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 (15oz) can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place 12 liners into muffin tin
In large bowl, mix together flour, sugars, salt and pumpkin pie spice
In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, coconut oil and pure vanilla extract
Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together until combined
Using a large scoop, distribute batter evenly into each muffin liner (batter will be close to the top of each)
Bake 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean
Enjoy!

Fall Fairy Garden

October 10, 2019

I am super excited to finally share this little treasure of a Fairy Garden. Pete created this beautiful structure, just outside of Chloe’s bedroom window. If you remember, the inspiration to her bedroom design, is Fairy Garden (see it here). Both Chloe and Capri have had so much fun collecting pieces and tending to their “garden.” They even picked out the mums and pumpkins to feel more fall-like.

Pete built this structure last year, and I love how the wood has aged over time. It feels like an extension of our home and I love how well it blends in with the landscaping surrounding it. Follow along, as I share the progress of construction, and what the Fairy Garden looks like today..

We are the Gardeners

I absolutely love watching my girls play in this space, and use their imaginations to the fullest. It is one of the sweetest things my husband has ever built, and I am so incredibly proud of his creation. I can’t wait to add more pieces and see it transform into something even more beautiful, over the next few years!

Life Lately + Family Beach Photos

October 3, 2019

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written a blog post. Four months, to be exact. While I feel like I’ve repeated myself often, and share that I am back to blogging.. life happens. And summer is gone in the blink of an eye! It’s the season of life that I am in. I have so many ideas and things to share, but then life gets busy. And I just can’t seem to find the time to sit at my computer to write a blog post.

But Fall has arrived, and we are back to a routine/schedule. It’s something that we all thrive on as a family. Chloe is in the 3rd Grade, and Capri started 4K. I miss having my girls home with me. Thankfully, Capri is only gone three days a week for 2.5 hours. I enjoy the few hours I get to myself, but I cannot wait to go pick her up. I miss her so much! The thought of her going to Kindergarten next year just brings me to tears.

A few weeks ago, we took our annual family vacation. We usually go to Disney World, but this year we opted for the beach! ..and have absolutely no regrets! It was exactly what our family needed. Being able to just relax and enjoy being together was pure bliss! We stayed at the Opal Sands Resort at Clearwater Beach, FL and loved it so much! We even had family photos taken (by Jommy Photography) that I just absolutely adore. I will definitely treasure the sweet moments and memories we made together.

I shared the quote on my Instagram “A day at the beach restores the soul,” and it is 100% true! I have some scheduled blog posts that I can’t wait to share. I’m hoping that now this “season of life” we are in is more structured, I can focus back on my blog again. Stay tuned for some fun new content!

Chloe’s First Communion

May 10, 2019

Last weekend, we watched our beautiful Chloe Mae receive her First Eucharist. We are so incredibly proud of her. She has become so devoted and eager to learn what it means to receive the Eucharist of the Lord. It was a beautiful day, filled with family, friends and sunshine!

Here are a few of my very favorite photos, taken by my very best friend, Megan, from Under the Willow Photography.

Easter Basket Ideas for Girls

April 11, 2019

Easter is next weekend, and I’ve been searching for some fun things to add to my girls’ Easter Baskets. I’m not a fan of giving them candy, so I prefer to fill them up with some cute accessories or small toys. I also love the idea of adding a few fun things for summertime, to get us excited for the warm months ahead. Here are some cute finds, in a mixed variety for both age groups.. Chloe (8) and Capri (4).

Chloe’s 8th Birthday Party: Descendants Style

April 5, 2019

Last weekend we celebrated our beautiful girl, Chloe Mae. She turned 8 years old and has been obsessed with everything Disney Descendants. I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled when she wanted this party theme, but together we made it fun.. and not too “wicked.” Here’s a peek at some of the party details..

I really enjoy these themed parties and dread the day that my girls no longer ask for them. My favorite part is planning them together and gathering their ideas too. As they are getting older, I cherish these moments with all my heart.

Entryway Sources

March 8, 2019

Entering our home and having a newly styled entryway is not something I thought we really needed. But when I started adding some simple pieces (some new and some already on hand), the space started to feel so much more welcoming. I recently shared our Entryway Reveal, and today I’m sharing all the sources..

Entryway Reveal

March 6, 2019

I’m so excited to finally share with you our entryway. Stepping through our front door, I never thought the space was top priority, or needed much attention at all. I knew I wanted a console table, but wasn’t sure how it would fit with our floor to ceiling side light windows. But once I added the table, and began styling it, I absolutely loved it! By adding just a few simple pieces, our home feels so much more inviting.

decorative bowl with wooden decorative beads

entryway styled with basket, rugs and console table

My favorite addition to our entryway is the rug. It makes a world of a difference having a rug that fits so perfectly. I’ll share all the sources in the next few days, so check back soon!

Fruit Salsa with Heart Shaped Cinnamon Sugar Chips

February 13, 2019

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your spouse over a romantic dinner? Or together as a family with your kids? We like to make it special with our little loves, and today I’m sharing a super simple recipe that’s so fun to get your kids involved, and “helping” in the kitchen.

Fruit Salsa with Heart Shaped Cinnamon Sugar Chips is the perfect appetizer or sweet treat for your Valentine’s Day dinner. It is so versatile, and can be used with a variety of different fruits. We used strawberries, raspberries and apples (to make it look pretty with pinks and reds). But, you can add pears, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple.. the list goes on!

I had Chloe (my older one) cut the fruit into tiny pieces, and then Capri (the youngest) mixed it all together. We all took turns with the cookie cutter shapes and sprinkling the cinnamon sugar. It was a fun activity and delicious treat that we were all able to create together.