November is my favorite month of the year. For all of the cliche reasons but also because the time change forces you to speed up and slow down at the same time. It gets darker earlier (which I don't love) but I make the best use of my daylight and tend to start going in to relax time sooner. And November holds Thanksgiving....

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Obviously the food plays a big role in that, yes, but it really is about the time I get to spend at home...there are no gift expectations, no set times to do things, and naps usually follow the feast. I don't set enough time aside for naps in life...so I will take advantage of this window of acceptable nap time - the turkey's fault.

Seriously the food though - my family has a long list of Thanksgiving staples : whipping cream mashed potatoes, Sissy's dressing, Horseradish Carrots, and so on....but the best best thing on the menu : Pumpkin Bars. Easy, delicious, and I'm sharing with you below! They really are more cake like but pumpkin bars sounds good too.

PSA - I am NOT a food blogger, so these are not fancy or beautiful photos - just to the point and make you want to make and eat it. Enjoy!

Ingredients :

For the "Bars"--

4 eggs

2 cups of sugar

2 cups cooked pumpkin (Libby's works just fine)

1 cup oil

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

For the Icing--

3 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 Tbsp. cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 to 3/4 box of Confectioners Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Then add sugar and beat well.

Add the pumpkin and the oil. Once blended together, add in the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

Pour into an ungreased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sit back and enjoy those smells.

Once the "bars" are removed, you can make the icing, but make sure you let the bars cool before icing it.

Cream together the cream cheese and the butter. Once combined, add the cream and vanilla. Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Frost when cool. I sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top for good measure. And I like to store them in the fridge because they'll keep longer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Retail shop sharing is not a new idea, but one that has been picking up steam again recently. Sharing a space can mean more than just a way to economize on rent. It helps small business owners pool their resources and support each other for shared success. .

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.
”

— James Cash Penney

Mutualism is key. Choose a business that shares your retail space with care. Determine that the other business won't offer items that compete with the products you're selling to customers. Like a clothing store and a chocolate shop!

If sharing a retail space is something you’re considering then you definitely want to talk to others that have went through the process.

Our real world example, basic. and Honeycreeper Chocolate work side by side under the same roof. We went and talked to them on Morris avenue about their journey into shop sharing and the obstacles (if any) they had to overcome. We can’t thank Courtney and Lacey enough for taking time out of their day to chat and enlighten us.

Check out Honeycreeper Chocolate!

Check out Basic.

Beginning in October we started sharing our space with TRXi Vintage! We couldn’t be more excited to have Casey in the shop with us. You may recognize the name TRXi Vintage from pop-ups we’ve had with her in the past. Her eye for style and vintage is magnificent. She’s easy to work independently alongside as well as collaboratively together on projects. Casey is like minded and shares values and vision that are alined with our own. This played a big role in why it was such an easy fit. We look forward to growing together. Retail helps retail, we always say.