Sweater & Vest: TJMaxx | Necklace: Forever 21 | Jeggings: Eco Wear | Boots: Famous Footwear

And that’s it for November, we’re on to December already!  It’s time to bust out the fair isle sweater dresses (well most sweater dresses are more like tops for me right now) and the faux fur vest.  I’m kind of surprised that it’s taking this long for the weather to get cold, but really, I’m not complaining.  The bits and pieces of warm weather this November have been NICE because who is ever ready for cold weather.  And if you ask me, there’s no getting used to it even if you’ve grown up with it.  One good thing about having a baby in the wintertime is that you don’t have to leave your house in the brutal cold icy weather to go to work each weekday.  By the time my maternity leave is over, the weather should be warming up again, YES!  Although, it may kind of be a little depressing being cooped up in the house all day and not really getting much sunshine or fresh air.  :/

Speaking of maternity leave, just wanted to let you know that once Baby a la mode decides to come out, I won’t be leaving you hanging here.  I have an awesome line up of guest posts where the topics range from baby + mommy stuff, fashion, recipes, DIYs, and printables!  You may even see a few before Baby a la mode makes his appearance (as the final days I’m sure will be super uncomfortable for me), especially if he decides to wait until right before the New Year to come out.

Oh yes… and if your name is Stephanie T and this is your blog, then CONGRATS!  You are the winner of the Rice Babies $20 credit giveaway!  Please email me at sandyalamode(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize! 

And don’t forget to enter the $35 credit giveaway to the lovely Seek First rosette accessories shop!

It’s the last day to FACEBOOK LIKE and COMMENT on my looks to help me win the Soon Maternity Blogger’s Style Challenge, won’t you help me out?

What are you looking forward to most this December?

(I’m hoping Baby a la Mode is born this month!)

Entries for this giveaway have been closed, thanks for entering!

{shop} {twitter} {blog}

Remember the teal and red rosette necklace I wore in my “I’m Blank Because” post last week?  Well I’m back to tell you how much I love it and the fact that you can win one for yourself too and we can be necklace twinsies!  Or if you rather not match me you can pick your own color too.    No, but really, Lauren from Seek First is a super sweet gal, a rosette making machine, and kind of a Pinterest addict (who am I kidding, so am I).  Anyhow, I’ll let her introduce herself!

{MEET LAUREN}

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started your shop.
Hi friends! I am so happy to be here and so thankful to Sandy for having me! My name is Lauren Battershell and I blog at Seek First and have a shop by the same name! My shop started as a dream–I wasn’t sure if I could do it. One day, instead of wishing and thinking, I opened it. The Lord has blessed it and grown it beyond what I had ever imagined!

2) What are your favorite color combinations?
I LOVE anything with grey right now. My favorite combo involves mustard yellow and grey!

3) What are you looking forward to most this Winter?
This winter I am looking forward to celebrating my husband and I’s first anniversary! I am also running a marathon in Disney World, and so excited for our trip!

4) What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I love pumpkin pie! I would eat it all year round.

{GIVEAWAY}

Win $35 shop credit to Seek First!

To enter:

1. Visit Seek First and leave a comment with your favorite item!  (mandatory entry)

For additional entries, leave a separate comment for each action.
2. Be a GFC follower of this blog
3. Be a GFC follower of Seek First blog
4. Add Seek First to your favorites on Etsy
5. Follow @sandyalamode and @seek_first on Twitter
6. Blog, facebook, or tweet about this giveaway (make sure to include @sandyalamode and @seek_first in your tweet) and include the link (one entry each)

Feel free to use this tweet:
Looking for some rosette accessories? @seek_first is giving away $35 credit to her handmade shop on @sandyalamode! http://bit.ly/tCQi8Q

This giveaway is open to U.S./Canada readers and closes on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 12PM CST. Good luck!

Don’t want to wait?  Take 25% off your order with code SANDY!

Entries for this giveaway have been closed, thanks for entering!

Lace Top: Ruche | Skirt: Thrifted | Belt: Forever 21 | Tights: TJ Maxx | Shoes: Shi | Necklace: The Shine Project

We’re in the home stretch of “In Style” posts with my bump.  Pretty much, baby can come any day now.  It’s crazy to think that some of my friends have had their babies at the point in weeks I am right now.  But don’t worry, I think our Baby a la mode is pretty dang comfortable inside his little man cave.  I mean really, he gets to eat whatever sweets I eat, it’s nice and warm inside, and he can move around as he pleases.  Although once in awhile I can see him fighting with the food for room, like after our big Thanksgiving meal.

Bump update: 36.5 weeks

- Currently craving green grapes

- Had the Group B Strep test done (waiting to find out if it’s pos/neg)

- Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions

- Hospital bag packed

- Marv is currently nesting, frantically crossing off house projects

- Baby is head down

- Getting my second and last prenatal massage tomorrow night

- Will be FULL TERM this Friday!

For all those mama’s out there, at what week was your baby (or babies) born?

This was our first Thanksgiving that didn’t consist of a pigging out with a ton of family or traveling.  We stayed right here in town, in the comfort of our own home, and enjoyed the nice 60 degree weather.  It was a lot quieter than we are used to, but we know that this is the “calm before the storm”.  We are soaking up every bit of time that we can spend just the two of us.

On Thanksgiving day, we spent the whole day cooking and eating.  Pumpkin pancakes + waffles, hash browns, bacon, and turkey sausage for brunch.  Rosemary basil chicken + cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, corn casserole, green beans and fried onions, mini pumpkin pies and sparking juice for dinner.  Followed by grapes and pears as a late night snack to prepare us for the madness of Walmart Black Friday (errr rather Thursday).  Prego ladies and kids need stay away.  But the day wouldn’t have been complete without talking to Marv’s family on speakerphone and my family on Skype.

Black Friday consisted of waking up early and scoring some deals.  Followed by dinner with friends at a Chinese restaurant.  And then Saturday, we watched “THE GAME” – Michigan vs. Ohio.  The whole time that Marv and I have been together OSU has won this rivalry game.  The back and forth of scoring put me in so much stress that it could have been labor inducing, but we FINALLY beat them and baby is still happily inside my belly.  He might be a little conflicted on which team to root for and what to wear once he’s born though… my vote is for BLUE. 

OH yea and I how could I forgot!  I need to announce the winner of the Jean Jean Vintage $50 credit giveaway!  Well, if your name is Meg and you blog over at Henning Love, then CONGRATS!  Please send me an email at sandyalamode(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll hook you up with Jean Jean Vintage!

How was your Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend?

So I have a confession to make.  Sometimes when I’m in a blog post preparing frenzy, baking lots of stuff, taking lots of outfit pictures, etc. I get so backed up in content that I don’t have enough time to post then.  Case in point, this post here.  It’s a “The Dish” one if you couldn’t tell from the title, but I actually made these ONE YEAR AGO.  But then somehow November and December got away from me and then I figured it was too late to post about a pumpkin recipe, although I do not have a problem with pumpkin desserts being made year round, mind you.  SO anyways, I figured it was about time I post this… since recipes never really go bad, thank goodness!

Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

For the Cookies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

3. Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Prepare filling: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whip until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

5. Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Place 5-6 chocolate chips on top of filling. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.

And there you have it!  A little time consuming, but so worth it.  These little mini bites are perfect for a Fall Holiday party or potluck!  Don’t worry, all the whoopie pies you see in this post had already been consumed (last year), it was only a matter of minutes at the office. 

Well, I just wanted to say once again how THANKFUL I am of this blog, my readers (you), and my sponsors.  I am so happy to always share with you all the daily happenings in my life and honored that so many of you care enough to read and leave comments about it!  Hope you all have a safe, wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with a ton of good food!  Our menu will consist of a young chicken (it’s just the 2.5 of us so we didn’t want to go all out w/ a turkey), cranberry dressing, creamy corn casserole, green beans, mashed sweet potatoes, and mini pumpkin pies! 

P.S. If you have a little one in your life… a daughter, son, niece, nephew, or have friend’s with kids, then don’t forget to enter The Rice Babies $20 credit giveaway!

P.P.S. Have you voted for me in the Soon Maternity Blogger’s Style Challenge yet? 

What’s on your Thanksgiving menu?