The Breakers in Newport

Happy Tuesday Readers! I hope your week is going well so far and you did not have too horrible a case of "the Mondays" yesterday. 

The rest of our vacation was very nice and very relaxing.  We spent some time in Cape Cod playing putt putt golf with my dad, we relaxed and were lazy for an entire day, then we made our way out to Newport, Rhode Island to visit the mansions out there.

I had never heard about the Newport Mansions until my dad mentioned them right before we came out for our visit and when I asked around, everyone was excited that we were thinking about making a trip out there to visit them.  If you are like me and had never heard of them, check out this website: http://www.newportmansions.org/.  

All together, there are 10 places that you can visit out in Newport.  Because we were limited on time, we were only able to visit on place but I honestly think it was the best place to pay a visit to.

^This is The Breakers.  The Breakers was previously owned by the Vanderbilt family before it was turned into a museum for the public to visit.  The house is 163,000 sq ft, has 70 rooms and 20 bathrooms.  

During the tour, you are not allowed to take any pictures of the inside of the house, so I can only share pictures of the outside of the house and the grounds with you.  The structure really is impressive though.

After our tour of the mansion, we made our way into the town and grabbed lunch at a local pub - I had the burger while the guys had clam chowder and sandwiches.

Overall, the weather was perfect and it was so nice to be right near the ocean hearing the waves and smelling the salty air.

How many of you are Downton Abbey fans like I am? Well, the Vanderbilts had servants much like Mr. Carson and the gang.  During our tour, I was really hoping to get to see the servants quarters to see how accurate Downton Abbey is, but The Breakers tour does not include the servants quarters. *sigh* But, after some inquisition, I was able to find out that another one of the mansions, The Elms, does a servants quarters tour.  Had we had enough time, I would have really liked to make my way there to do that particular tour.  Oh well, maybe next time! 

Question of the Day: What is your favorite historical building?

Hello from Massachusetts

Hello Readers! Happy Tuesday.  I trust you have had a nice week so far!

Justin and I made our way to Massachusetts on Saturday making our way through Canada.  We left {somewhat} early on Saturday morning and ventured on then long 12+ hour drive to Massachusetts.  

Since we arrived later on Saturday evening, we basically crashed for the night as soon we arrived at Justin's cousins house. 

 Sunday morning we got up and enjoyed some time with our godson before heading out for breakfast at a Iocal diner.  His cousin loves diners so I was not surprised when we arrived at this diner.  For breakfast I got the Elvis pancakes (bananas, chocolate chips and peanut butter) and it was very delicious.

After breakfast, we made our way to the Roger Williams Zoo to see the animals.

Isn't the kangaroo hilarious!? It's like it is posing for the camera in a lingerie magazine.  I have to say I laughed when I saw it laying there.

The best of the evening was spent relaxing and spending time with Justin's family.  

Question of the Day: What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo?

#jackabeedaily2014 Week 38

Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope you are having a great week and have something fun planned for the weekend! 

Day 254: Danielle and I made our very own infinity scarves at JoAnn Fabrics! So much fun! 

Day 255: After a long day of doctor visits and feeling like crap, it's nice to have this sweet face cuddle up to me

Day 256: So excited Justin picked up this game! I played the beta and have been anxiously awaiting it's arrival ever since! 

Day 257: Does anyone know what I'm working on? Be looking for a tutorial shortly! 

Day 258: Saw this man's car stuck in freshly poured cement... Someone really misread those big orange cones!

Day 259: Had the first session of Fall 2014 Bible Study! I'm so excited to do this study with a group of amazing girls

Day 260: stole this from @starbucks because it really does represent how I feel right now. I love cooler weather with scarves and boots

What exciting things have happened for you in the past week! I'd love to hear from you all! 

You can keep up with me every day in 2014 on Instagram @runwithjackabee or find me here too...

Find me on Twitter here.

Find me on Facebook here.

Find me on Pinterest here
Find me on Instagram here.

Previous Weeks:

• Week 36-37
• Week 25
• Week 24
• Week 23
• Week 22
• Weeks 19-21
• Week 18 
• Week 17
• Week 16
• Week 15
• Week 14
• Week 13
• Week 12
• Week 11
• Weeks 9 & 10 

Blog Topic Series IX

Happy Tuesday Readers! I am going to try and pick this series back up because it seems to generate a  bunch of interest from you all.  Did you enjoy the Fall Decorations ideas? Has anyone tried the tutorials for themselves? I'd love to see what yours look like!

Let's get started with Part Nine of the Blog Topics Series!

+ Do a Collaborative Post with a Fellow Blogger.  Found at A BLOG ABOUT LOVE.  The idea is to take something that you and a fellow blogger are passionate about and talk about it.  Sometimes these also take the feeling of an interview post.  Either way works nicely.

+ Share a "Things I Wish I did Differently Post".  Found at Go Overseas.  The idea is to share with readers things you wish you would have changed.  The good thing about this post is that you can cover almost any topic.  For example: Things I wish I did differently in college, things I wish I did differently when planning my wedding, or things I wish I did differently at my last position.

+ Share a "How Not To" Post".  Idea found at Bold and Determined.  Again, the idea is to share ideas on how NOT to be something.  It is pretty straightforward.  However, it has endless possibilities of topics you can cover 

+ Top 10 Guilty Pleasures.  Idea found on Driftwood-Gardens.  Share you top 10 guilty pleasures with your readers.  Again, this topic can be covered in several different areas.  You can do a broader top 10 guilty pleasures or you can hone it in to specific areas like: TV, games, makeup, blogs, etc.

+ My Day Job vs My Passion.  Idea found at Dixie Brown.  The idea here is to share with your readers about your day job and how that compares to your passion - do they overlap or are they polar opposites? Something to think about.

So what do you think? Do any of these pique your interest? I sure hope so! If you decide to try any of these ideas, please be sure to share with me! 

Previous Posts:

• Part VIII
• Part VII
• Part VI
• Part V
• Part IV
• Part III
• Part II
• Part I

Fall Recycled Wreath Tutorial

Happy Monday Everyone! I trust you had a lovely weekend and were able to do something fun and exciting!

My weekend was very low-key because I have been sick since Thursday night.  Darn this stupid infection - hopefully I'll be on the mend quickly because I still feeling terrible today.

For today's post, I'd like to share another fun Fall Tutorial with you that I tried from my Fall Decor DIY  list.  The best part of this tutorial is you recycle paper bags to make this adorable wreath!

Original tutorial found here.

What You Need:

• 12" Foam Round
• 3-4 Brown Paper Bags
• Hot Glue Gun
• Scissors (or rotary cutter and mat)
• Fall Decorations 

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Step One: Cut the handles of your bag off.  Then cut down the sides of the bag to open the bag up.  Once the bag is opened up - remove the bottom of the bag.

Step Two: Cut your bags into 1"-1.5" pieces.  I went with about 1.25" because it was taking a very long time to get the pieces cut out

Step Three: I got so excited about this next part that I forgot to take pictures of the process.  However, I can explain them without a picture demonstration.  

Once your strips have all been cut out, begin twisting the pieces to create a more crumpled look and begin gluing them to the wreath.  Repeat this process until the entire wreath is covered in the paper strips.  

**Note: If your bag has an writing on it, the printing will show up when you twist the paper.  If you look closely at mine, you can see where the paper is blue or green from the store's logo.

Step Four: Add fall decorations to your wreath.  I used some daisies and leave to add a pop of fall and I used this banner from FleeceFun.  It matches the bigger banner that I put on my mantel for decor.  Once I get all of my decor finished, I will make sure to share a picture of everything.

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So what did you think? It was a pretty simple wreath to make - it just took a while to glue all of the pieces onto the wreath so it was a little time consuming.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite wreath to hang throughout the year? 

Five Things Friday: Pumpkin Recipe Edition

Happy Friday Everybody! I hope your week went well and you are gearing up for an exciting weekend! Justin and I have a fun Cider Mill date planned for this evening {provided the weather holds up - as you know lady Michigan can be very fickle}.  

Today I am going to restart {what I hope} will be a good weekly post for you all.  With Fall right around the corner and the lovely Fall things I have been sharing with you, it only seemed appropriate to share five pumpkin recipes that I have tried or would like to try.

Five Things Friday: Five Pumpkin Recipes

Tried and LOVED.

These cookies are so simple to make and so super delicious! When I tried them last year, I was in heaven and could not wait to make more of them.  Plus they have always been a big hit with everyone around me.  If you are not a big fan of frosting, then these cookies are a good idea for you! They are delicious even without the frosting.  

I've made these cookies several times and plan to make them several more times this fall and winter.

Who doesn't love cupcakes? Seriously.  When I came across this recipe the other day, I was so excited because it incorporates two of my favorite things: caramel and pumpkin! I cannot wait to try this recipe.

These almost seem as though they are a form of "poke cake" cupcakes where you poke the cake and then add whatever ingredient you deem as necessary.  I would be tempted to add a cream cheese filler in these cupcakes as well because, you know, pumpkin and cream cheese go excellent together!

Find this recipe at Love From the Oven

If I had to choose only one "bad" dessert to eat for the rest of my life, I think I would either choose Swiss Cake Rolls or Nabisco Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies so you can imagine my excitement when I came across this recipe:

Doesn't this look SO delicious?! I am hoping to make these before we go on vacation in a few weeks and take it with us on the road.  I'm not sure how well it would keep, but I am sure I will find a way to make it happen.

Find this recipe at Inside BruCrew Life

Pumpkin. Spice. Brownie. Bites.  These look like the most delicious and dangerous dessert you can have in the fall.  When I get around to making these I am going to have to pass them out to family and friends so I do not eat all of them myself.

These look, to me, like they would be a little more complicated to make but the time you would take to make them would be absolutely, 100% worth your time.  What do you think?

Find the recipe at Inside BruCrew Life

How can anything this delicious looking be skinny? 

Let's hope when I try out this recipe, it is as delicious as it really looks! At quick glance, it looks like the substituted all of the "bad" things (egg yolks, white flour, etc) with other more wholesome options that you would see in any other healthy recipe.

Find this recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

For more recipes and other fun things, check out my Pinterest! I'm always posting fun and exciting things over there.

So what did you think? Is this a series you think I should continue doing on Friday's? I was thinking that some of them would be a random slew of Favorites where others would be more specific like this one.  As always, I am open to feed back!

Question of the Day: What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?

#JackabeeDaily2014 Week 36 & 37

Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope your week has been exciting so far and you have some exciting things planned for this upcoming weekend! I have been very bad about taking pictures for #jackabeedaily2014 so I am trying to catch up.  These pictures start on September 1st then make their way to today.  

Day 245: we had a lovely trip to the U.P. for Labor Day 

Day 246: I love wrapping gifts for my friends! Look at this cute gift bag from Target! 

Day 247: My husband spoils me rotten with thoughtful gifts.  I can't wait to use my new Vera Bradley mug with a lid! 

Day 248: 2nd Annual Totally Awesome Fort Sleepover with my friends! So much fun and such an awesome tradition! Shout out to my hubby that built us a frame for the fort

Day 249: Picked up some Bath and Body Works Fall scented candles today and our house smells just like an apple orchard.  Hello Fall! 

Day 250: Crafting day with girlie! Getting the fall decorations made and pretty :)

Day 251: I am so excited about my Toms shoes I got off of Zulily for $35! They are going to be perfect for this winter with their adorable snowflakes! 

Day 252: I am a happy camper today because I was able to get a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and a blueberry scone.  The perfect fall combination if you ask me! 

Day 253: Michigan has been seeing a TON of rain lately and yesterday was no joke.  Thankfully we did not have any flooding but it was for sure another dreary day in Michigan.

What exciting things have happened for you in the past week! I'd love to hear from you all! 

You can keep up with me every day in 2014 on Instagram @runwithjackabee or find me here too...

Find me on Twitter here.

Find me on Facebook here.

Find me on Pinterest here
Find me on Instagram here.

Previous Weeks:

• Week 25
• Week 24
• Week 23
• Week 22
• Weeks 19-21
• Week 18 
• Week 17
• Week 16
• Week 15
• Week 14
• Week 13
• Week 12
• Week 11
• Weeks 9 & 10 

DIY Pumpkin Polka Dot Wall Art

Happy Wednesday Friends! Today I am going to share with you a tutorial on how to make one of the projects from my Fun Fall Decor Ideas. 

You can find the original concept here.

What You Need:

• Canvas - This one is 8" x 10" but you could go larger or smaller
• Acrylic Paint: Orange, Brown, Green, Light Green
• Foam Paint Brushes in different sizes
• Ribbon of your choice - I went with an orange with white polka dots
• Pencil for sketching
• Hot glue gun to glue the ribbons on

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Step One: Draw your pumpkins on the canvas

Step Two: Paint the green in around the pumpkins.  If you paint the whole canvas green first, the pumpkins will turn out a little green rather than the orange you are hoping for.

Step Three: Paint the pumpkins orange and the stems brown.  I tried to texture my paint so it flowed with the shape of the pumpkin.  Once your green paint dries, take one of your bottles of acrylic paint and use the bottom of the bottle to make the circles on the light green paint.

Step Four: Paint your circle in with the dark green paint

Step Five: Cut your ribbons and make bows.  I cut my ribbon to about 5" in length then tied them in a knot.  Use your hot glue gun to clue the bows at the base of the pumpkin stems

And voila! You have a cute pumpkin painting for the Fall/Halloween.

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Question of the Day: What fun Fall tutorials have you tried this year? 

Totally Awesome Fort Sleepover 2.0

Happy Tuesday Friends! How has your day been so far? Traffic into the city was not all that exciting today and I am definitely going to need my coffee this morning.

Do you remember last year when my girlfriends and I made a fort and had a sleepover in it? Well we did it again this year and let me tell you, it was bigger AND better this year thanks to Justin.

Last year when we did the Fort Sleepover, we were at home Macgyver's and used push pins and ribbons to hang sheets from the walls and even from the vaulted ceiling.  I think Justin realized how big of a struggle this was because he decided to build us a fort "frame" to build the fort with.

He used a bunch of different length 2 x 4's and put them together to make a basic frame then we took it from there! 

After the fort was put together and the twinkly lights were hung, we made sure to get your traditional sleepover foods ready for consumption! There was chips and cheese, popcorn, chocolate glazed donuts, candy, hummus, carrots, celery, and shirley temples with a twist.

Once the snacks were ready, we started watching some movies from our childhood - these included, Passport to Paris, John Tucker Must Die, and Princess Diaries.  We also made sure to paint our nails and spend some time laying around in comfy clothes.

Caroline was the first one to fall asleep, so of course we had to do something silly and take a picture of her.  We ended up putting a tiara on her head and taking a few pictures of her sleeping with the tiara.  

Overall, the fort was a huge success and fairly simple to build and take down the next day.

Here's to many more years of Fort Sleepovers with my girls!

Question of the Day: What traditions do you have with your friends?