New Plush Spa Robe Colors!

I'm very pleased to announce that my shop, The Lodge Spa, is now offering our Plush Spa Robes in 15 colors!

This robe is perfect for family movie nights, curling up with your favorite book, or snuggling by the fire with that special someone.

I will only be making a limited number during the holiday season. Order yours before November 15th to receive free worldwide shipping! Use the code RobeBlogShip in the message to seller section at checkout.

Weekly Featured Etsy Mini - TheNikiProject

There are a lot of jewelry artists on Etsy. So what does it take to get your work noticed? It has to be well made, well photographed, well priced, and simply stunning. Sound like a daunting task? I'm sure it is! Luckily for Niki from The Niki Project, she has mastered all four.

I love this beautiful necklace, it's feminine yet simple, and at $16.00 it's everyday affordable. That's my kind of Etsy shop!

Check out The Niki Project and receive free shipping if you mention my blog in the message to sellers section!

Some people just have a knack for graphic arts. I, unfortunately, am not one of those people. Every graphic I have made has taken hours of painstaking work just to turn out decent. Kendi of DizzyDaffodil is one of the graphically blessed.

Check out these darling recipe cards! Not like the boring versions from our grandmother's cookbook albums. Kendi also makes fabulous baby announcements, save the date cards, birthday invitations, and more.

Shop DizzyDaffodil this week and receive free shipping on her Printing Services (a $10 value!) when you mention my blog in the message to seller section at checkout.

Autumn Pork Roast with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

It's officially the time of year to bring out the roasts! Though just as delicious in summer, there is something wonderful about enjoying a hearty meal on a cold evening. This recipe is very easy, and quite tasty too!

Roast Ingredients:

1 pork loin roast (2.5 - 3 lbs)

1 packet dry onion soup

1 cup water

1 large oven safe cooking bag

Apples 'n Sweet Potato Bake

4 Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced)

3 large sweet potatoes (peeled and sliced)

1/4 cranberry juice

2 tbsp butter or margarine

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Roast:

•Place roast in cooking bag. Add onion soup mix and water.

•Cook until thermometer reaches at least 160 degrees ( 1 - 2 hours).

•Before you carve your roast, let it sit for about 15 minutes after you remove if from the oven. This will allow the juices to redistribute and make the meat more moist.

*You can also cook your roast in your slow cooker if desired.

Apples 'n Sweet Potatoes:

•Arrange apples and sweet potatoes in a large baking dish.

•In a small microwavable bowl add cranberry juice, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Heat in microwave until the butter is melted, mix well.

•Pour cranberry mixture over the apples and sweet potatoes, toss to coat.

•Cover baking dish with oven safe lid or aluminum foil. Cook alongside the pork roast until the sweet potatoes are tender. Stir often.

Enjoy!

Weekly Featured Etsy Mini - C.D. Childs

The art of stained glass has always fascinated me. It's one medium that I have never dabbled in - and am too intimidated to try. So naturally when I discovered the beautiful Etsy shop, CDChilds, I was in awe.

I came across quite the dilemma while browsing. Should I feature the coasters or the purse mirrors? Both make such beautiful gifts for the upcoming holidays that I decided to show you both.

Denise creates so many unique and lovely items that you are sure to find a gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your Christmas list. Browse CDChilds for fun cheese trays, jewelry, sun catchers, and so much more.

Pumpkin Envy

Every fall hundreds of watermelons everywhere suffer from a little known condition known as 'pumpkin envy'. This rare condition actually causes genetic color mutation in affected fruits, turning their red flesh orange. So many questions have been asked in the botanical community. What caused the mutation? Can we prevent it? Can it be reversed? Sadly we still know very little. What does seem to be apparent, however, is the cause. When the weather turns cold and picnics and barbeques are forgotten, so too is vulnerable fruit.

So obviously this orange fleshed watermelon isn't actually an unloved fruit reaching out for attention. However, I still can't explain my shock when I sliced into it. An orange watermelon? I truly had no idea there was such a thing. After a little searching online I found it to be a fun novelty breed. And let me assure you, it was quite tasty. So if you have a chance to try one, don't hesitate. The watermelon community will thank you.

Though our fall colors may not be as spectacular as back east, our Western Colorado mountains can put on quite a show. We live just twenty minutes from some of the most spectacular scenery in Colorado, and though our family enjoys camping, hiking, and sight seeing year round, autumn is my favorite season in the mountains.

Welcome to the Grand Mesa, the largest flat top mountain in the world. The lake pictured is Jumbo Reservoir, which is actually quite small, and is just one of over three hundred lakes and reservoirs on the Mesa.

Our fall colors are primarily made up of golds from the Aspen trees and russet reds from the Oakbrush. Just down the road from the next picture is Powderhorn, our local ski resort.

The air is crisp this time of year, and the sunshine delightfully warm. Soon the first snow flurries of the year will be flying, and the mountains will be covered in thick blankets of snow, but for now the mountain is alive with colors and the only flurries are golden leaves dancing in the wind.

Thank you for letting me take you on a little tour of the beautiful mountain that is the inspiration for The Lodge Spa. Next time you browse my shop I hope you think of the Grand Mesa that I call home.

Weekly Featured Etsy Mini - Ljlhdesigns

Nothing says fall to me like a great sweater, an awesome pair of boots, and some really fantastic earrings - fantastic earrings just like these. Ljlhdesigns has a great selection of jewelry for the fall, and her prices are amazing. The earrings pictures are just $9.00, and the matching bracelet is just $18.00.

Need another reason to buy? This week only Libby is offering free shipping in both of her shops! Check out Ljlhdesigns for her great jewelry and Ljlhpaper for fun and unique handmade boxes.