When you receive an invite from one of your best friends for a pumpkin beer tasting competition there is no question that yes, I have to attend. Granted, I'll take any excuse to hang out with the bests.
Allison and Mark thought of everything and yes we even had Australian Meat Pies for dinner! You may also ask yourself what a get together is without a backyard bonfire and s'mores. I wouldn't know because they had an outdoor fire too!
I'm devastated to tell you that my beer didn't win but pleased that the beer I intended to purchase (it was sold out at the Teeter) was the winner. So, technically I win by default.
If only I was sitting around the fire sipping cider right now. A girl can dream.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Page Turners
OMG OMG OMG Anne and I had a dream of a book club and it came to life! We, along with new and old friends, met for our first Page Turners meeting last week. It was amazing. We had tons of fun and lots of laughs and we picked our first book. So, those of you who are interested in attending, we have an open door policy and those of you who cannot attend, feel free to read along with us.
Our first book is... are you ready... fire up your Kindle or hit Barnes and Noble... Gone Girl!
Marriage can be a real killer.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
We had to take a few photos to celebrate our first successful meeting. For your viewing pleasure, please enjoy.
Our first book is... are you ready... fire up your Kindle or hit Barnes and Noble... Gone Girl!
Marriage can be a real killer.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
We had to take a few photos to celebrate our first successful meeting. For your viewing pleasure, please enjoy.
Paddles Up
My friend Allison invited me to a United Way charity auction, Handbags for Literacy last week. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect but I love trying new things and charity events so what could go wrong? Our friend Amanda came along too and had me pumped as she explained how auctions work and her previous experiences. Needless to say I was excited. We all had our eye on #34, a beautiful Rachel Zoe bag you can purchase for me from Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus. Clearly, I walked away empty handed since I'm asking you to buy it for me now.
I can be a bit competitive and when a Lily Pulitzer bag was up for auction my paddle went up. It didn't help that I had Allison and Mary behind me chanting "it's for the children". If nothing else, I certainly raised the price of the bids.
I walked away without a Lily or Rachel Zoe bag but I hope their new owners take very good care of them. They really are works of art.
In celebration of our attempts to purchase new handbags (remind you, for a good cause) we spent the remainder of Thursday evening pretending we were out of towners and bar hopping. Finishing the night with our not so best karaoke rendition of Wannabe. Note to self: pick three fabulous karaoke songs and stick to them.
I decided against publishing any photos from after the auction for my own dignity and the dignity of my friends.
I can be a bit competitive and when a Lily Pulitzer bag was up for auction my paddle went up. It didn't help that I had Allison and Mary behind me chanting "it's for the children". If nothing else, I certainly raised the price of the bids.
I walked away without a Lily or Rachel Zoe bag but I hope their new owners take very good care of them. They really are works of art.
In celebration of our attempts to purchase new handbags (remind you, for a good cause) we spent the remainder of Thursday evening pretending we were out of towners and bar hopping. Finishing the night with our not so best karaoke rendition of Wannabe. Note to self: pick three fabulous karaoke songs and stick to them.
I decided against publishing any photos from after the auction for my own dignity and the dignity of my friends.
Boston
I have one word of advice. If you haven't been to Boston, GO! It is such a welcoming, friendly, fun city and so easy to navigate. There were bounds of street acts. We literally walked the same block four times and found new adventures around every corner. Government Center (Govy if you ask the locals) became an instant favorite.
I have an obsession with flash mobs. The idea of tons of people coming together to entertain a crowd is pure amazement to me. Britt and I walked straight into a flash mob and my response was to burst into tears. It was a little something like this reaction...
Oh, and what's a trip blog without a few photos!?!?
I have an obsession with flash mobs. The idea of tons of people coming together to entertain a crowd is pure amazement to me. Britt and I walked straight into a flash mob and my response was to burst into tears. It was a little something like this reaction...
How do you top a flash mob on your first day in Boston? Well, I'm not sure you can but the best way to recover from a night of drinks at Top of the Hub with friends is by going on a Boston Duck Tour.
Sit back, relax, and let (in our case, Ray) your Duck guide show you the way. From land to water and a few quacks in between. If you love playing tourist, I definitely recommend it.
Fully recovered, we headed to dinner at Bella Luna and the Milky Way Club. Unbeknownst to Britt or myself our dinner spot turned into a Latin Dance Club at 11:00pm. Of course we had to stay and take full advantage of the opportunity. After we found a little courage and joined our new friends in the club we bolted once we realized our lack of Latin dance knowledge.
The Beehive was definitely more our scene and we loved it even more when the drink list consisted of FOUR pages of champagne options.
A trip to Boston is not complete without an afternoon at Harvard. Our attempts to look like students was unsuccessful once we realized all the legitimate students were inside studying and the rest of the campus was covered with tourists and visitors, like ourselves. This did not stop us from purchasing real and true Harvard memorabilia, or sneaking into a building to play student when we found an unlocked door.
The rest of the trip was pure amazement. When you visit, because you will, be sure to visit all of these places...
Oh, and what's a trip blog without a few photos!?!?
Expect to see photos from Fenway and the Sam Adams Brewery on my next adventure to Boston!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Boston, Prepare Yourself
I'm excited to bring fresh dance moves to the streets of Boston this weekend. Mass, prepare yourself for a little bit of this...
 and some chair dancing like this... |
and a whole lotta this...
Monday, October 8, 2012
Laundromat
It's amazing what you learn and who you meet at the laundromat. A water pipe busted at the house so I took myself down the road to do laundry. I wouldn't have worried about it but I have put laundry off for close to three weeks now and let's just say I'm out of the necessities.
First thing you should know: Monday nights are crowded. I was able to get three machines but they are all over the place. I'm not entirely sure where one of my loads is.
Second of all, if a man that you're "talking to" goes with you to the 'mat he likes you. The woman sitting next to me (as we watch "The Browns") is secretly asking her friend this question on the phone while her man friend ran to the car.
Most importantly, only go to a laundromat that offers free wifi. This is especially important when you haven't given in to buying internet service at home (because secretly you think the next door neighbor is going to offer up their guest password).
Ooh. Haha. A man just turned the tv off because his wife is taking too long folding clothes. Gotta go, things are getting good!
First thing you should know: Monday nights are crowded. I was able to get three machines but they are all over the place. I'm not entirely sure where one of my loads is.
Second of all, if a man that you're "talking to" goes with you to the 'mat he likes you. The woman sitting next to me (as we watch "The Browns") is secretly asking her friend this question on the phone while her man friend ran to the car.
Most importantly, only go to a laundromat that offers free wifi. This is especially important when you haven't given in to buying internet service at home (because secretly you think the next door neighbor is going to offer up their guest password).
Ooh. Haha. A man just turned the tv off because his wife is taking too long folding clothes. Gotta go, things are getting good!
Rednecks at the Fair
Weekends are the best. I'm happiest from 5:00pm Friday until bedtime on Sunday, especially when my entire weekend plan is to hang out with friends! Amanda created a weekend of festivities that we just couldn't refuse.
Friday afternoon we rushed out of work. We had to get to the Dixie Classic Fair as soon as possible. We spent hours pushing through crowds to see the pig races and the hypnotist (still unsure how I feel about this), and shuffled through prized chickens, cows, rabbits, goats, and horses. As for those of you who went to the fair I'm sure you were also disappointed to find out the dogs on skates were not in fact real dogs, they were humans dressed as dogs. I'm still upset about this.
But let's not pretend we don't know the real reason to grace the fair every year... the food. We, as a whole, consumed corn dogs, root beer floats, fried oreos, fried macaroni, fried twinkies, fried snickers, steak and cheese subs, Italian sausages, funnel cakes, elephant ears, turkey legs, grilled corn, and kettle corn. Needless to say we rushed into the fair and at closing time waddled out of the fair.
Here's a photo recap...
Saturday afternoon was spent running errands, hitting up the pumpkin patch with Meg, and making delicious apps for our Redneck BBQ. More on the recipes later.
If you wonder how a newly married couple decorates for a redneck BBQ. It's easy. They unwind the hose, throw hoes, rakes, and shovels into the yard, and hang beer cans like a wind chime. They draw pictures, hang Dale Jr. memorabilia on the mantle and buy old ceramic kittens from the Goodwill. They use towels as seat covers and table cloths, and of course provide beer, cheese puffs, cheese whiz and saltines, and pork rinds for their guests. Country music plays in the background while wrestling (wrastling) is on the tube.
So, as you can tell the weekend was full of laughs and well, more laughs. The pups played hard and my Sunday was spent watching Cam Newton throw away a game winning pass. Seahawks, shmehawks.
Friday afternoon we rushed out of work. We had to get to the Dixie Classic Fair as soon as possible. We spent hours pushing through crowds to see the pig races and the hypnotist (still unsure how I feel about this), and shuffled through prized chickens, cows, rabbits, goats, and horses. As for those of you who went to the fair I'm sure you were also disappointed to find out the dogs on skates were not in fact real dogs, they were humans dressed as dogs. I'm still upset about this.
But let's not pretend we don't know the real reason to grace the fair every year... the food. We, as a whole, consumed corn dogs, root beer floats, fried oreos, fried macaroni, fried twinkies, fried snickers, steak and cheese subs, Italian sausages, funnel cakes, elephant ears, turkey legs, grilled corn, and kettle corn. Needless to say we rushed into the fair and at closing time waddled out of the fair.
Here's a photo recap...
Saturday afternoon was spent running errands, hitting up the pumpkin patch with Meg, and making delicious apps for our Redneck BBQ. More on the recipes later.
If you wonder how a newly married couple decorates for a redneck BBQ. It's easy. They unwind the hose, throw hoes, rakes, and shovels into the yard, and hang beer cans like a wind chime. They draw pictures, hang Dale Jr. memorabilia on the mantle and buy old ceramic kittens from the Goodwill. They use towels as seat covers and table cloths, and of course provide beer, cheese puffs, cheese whiz and saltines, and pork rinds for their guests. Country music plays in the background while wrestling (wrastling) is on the tube.
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| our hosts, Destini and Leroy |
Friday, October 5, 2012
Dear Future Husband,
Do not even think about proposing unless it's a flash mob proposal like this...
Love, Me
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Why does it seem as if mosquitoes find me more delectable than other people?
The bloodsuckers are drawn to a tasty dinner by a variety of signals, including heat, carbon dioxide, movement and the smell of skin secretions like lactic acid. One study even found that mosquitoes tend to prefer people who have recently downed a beer. No one knows the precise combination mosquitoes find the most irresistible, but if you seem to be their meal of choice, wear repellent and pass on the brew.
-Thanks to all the medical professionals who conducted this research and found the answer to a question so many of us ask.
-Thanks to all the medical professionals who conducted this research and found the answer to a question so many of us ask.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Wellies
I've been dying for a pair of Wellies. Of course, not just any pair. Hunter makes the best. What I didn't realize were how many options they had. A few of these you'll never catch me dead in. For example...
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These on the other hand will be mine... and soon!
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These on the other hand will be mine... and soon!
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