Marvelous Monday.

I've just about made it through the Monday; woot! I suppose I should start scheduling these posts for early Monday morning; I could write it Sunday evening and have it come up the next AM. But I love reflecting at the end of this day. It's also nice to read, come Tuesday afternoon, what I enjoyed about the previous day. Oh well ☺. For your my enjoyment, here we go...
1. It's raining! I think that it's a very Well-Known-Fact about me that I looooorve to be warm. I actually love the first few rains, though {yes, it doesn't ever snow here...rain is winter to me}. There are still a fair amount of leaves out and it doesn't get dark as quickly as it does in the next few months and it's a "new" thing.

And it smells WONDERFUL...hence the open door.
2. The cloudy weather inspired me to make a yummy dinner. That and the fact that we've recently been HORRIBLE about giving into the "eat-out" and "order-in" monster and have not been making our own dinners at home. I always feel super ashamed when I make a good dinner {which is ALL of them...HA!!!! Just kidding...} and think about how dang easy it is, not to mention how much more affordable and healthy than eating out.  
When it's late, though, and we're both tired, the siren song of Indian Food Pasta Pomodoro Whole Foods Burritos...gets the best of us. I'd like to challenge that pull this month. Mike, except for next weekend when we're going on a little mini-moon in San Diego {♥} let's eat out less, ok?! OK!
I decided to tackle Pioneer Woman's Cacciatore Chicken.

Super YUM! It's almost ready as I write this.
3. My grandmother makes the most wonderful decoupaged stuff. I realize that may be an oxymoron if I've ever seen one but her things are so much fun. She uses brightly colored napkins and Modge Podge. Since it's Autumn, here are some gourds she has laying around.

So pretty!
4. Our friends Irene and Kwasi are having a baby AND just moved into a new home..such excitement! At their baby shower/house warming party last Saturday we won a raffle...yea!

This wine and some home-made banana bread {that has already disappeared} were our prizes; winning raffles is great! Not as great as new homes and little babes, though; congrats to our pals!
5. These yummies...sooo dangerous!

Good start of the work week to you!
xoxo, natty ♥