100 Reasons Why I Am Ready For Fall

I Freakin love Fall. And I am so excited that it is literally just around the corner! Because I am starting to see the light at the end of this god forsaken heat tunnel I decided to make a fun post listing all the reasons I love Autumn. And strange enough, it wasn't hard for me to come up with 100 reasons at all!

1. The weather won't be 95 degrees any more. I am seriously tired of the heat.

2. Back to school. I'm not going back to school but I loved this time of year when I was.

3. All my favorite shows come back on.

4. Apple Cider.

5. I can wear flannels again. I love those.

6. I can also wear Uggs. I love those too.

7. Spiced Cider candles from Walmart. They. Are. Amazing. And super inexpensive.

8. Snuggling becomes much easier in cooler weather.

9. My birthday! Technically My birthday is in the summer but it's when school starts so I associate it with Fall.

10. Pumpkins! I love them.

11. Carving Pumpkins.

12. Pumpkin Pie.

13. The colors of the leaves change. Not in OC but in Seattle and Putnam, Connecticut they do.

14. Fall colors. I look best in Plums, dark greens and chocolate browns.

15. Halloween.

16. Finding a costume.

17. Halloween Candy.

18. The autumn smell in craft stores.

19. Traditional Halloween Movies.

20. My Grandma's Birthday. When I was little we used to do so many fun fall things for her birthday. Now I usually give her a fall themed gift.

21. Using the fireplace.

22. Blankets. Lots and lots of blankets.

23. My energy bills will be significantly lower!

24. Rainy days in.

25. Roxie can finally go on normal walks and park runs.

26. Comfort Foods. Pot roast, pork roast, beef stew. Yum!

27. I can hide my relationship gut with sweaters.

28. I can wear scarves and mittens.

29. Thanksgiving.

30. And the food that comes with it.

31. Being with Family. This year I'll be in Connecticut with Wes!

32. Fall decorations.

33. Dark nail polish.

34. Fall crafts.

35. Crisp air.

36. Turning the heat on in the car.

37. Knotts Scary Farm.

38. Hay rides.

39. Corn mazes.

40. Fresh corn on the cob.

41. Halloween Decorations.

42. Caramel Apples.

43. Caramel wrapper races.

44. Sunflowers.

45. Mums.

46. Squash.

47. Toasted pumpkin seeds.

48. Antique shopping. For whatever reason that reminds me of fall. Maybe because the town I grew up in is the antique capital of the NW.

49. Hot Tea.

50. Ginger snaps.

51. Starbucks fall flavors.

52. Thick socks.

53. Sweaters.

54. Warm hats.

56. Mumford and Sons. Their music always reminds me of Fall.

57. So does Fleet Foxes.

58. It's full of family holidays.

59. Pumpkin beer.

60. Red wine seems to be best around autumn.

61. Warm jackets.

62. Pea Coats.

63. Apples.

64. Cinnamon.

65. Football. I don't care much for watching it. But it reminds me of home.

66. Snohomish Highschool Serpentine.

67. Homecoming. Back when I was still in school...

68. Pumpkin milkshakes.

69. Candied Apples

70. Acorns. I think they're cute for decorating.

71. Scarecrows.

72. Taco Soup. Its more like chili, and soo good on a fall day.

73. Using the hot tub instead of the pool.

74. Stormy clouds in the sky.

75. Starting to think about Christmas gifts.

76. Watering my house plants (all 4 of them) less.

78. Cozy Pajamas

79. I can wear my moccasin slippers!

80.  Fat Pine cones.

81. The night sky seems clearer.

82. Puzzles. Fall is the best season to work on them.

83. Yams.

84. Hot chocolate.

85. Christmas decorations starting to pop up in craft stores.

86. The thanksgiving day parade!

87. Christmas tree lightings! Those usually happen the day after thanksgiving.

88. Apple turkeys

89. Our friend Andy and Alana's wedding is happening this October.

90. My Mama's Birthday is just a week after mine.

91. Rain boots

92. Homemade bread.

93. Pumpkin pancakes... I really like pumpkin.

94. Using the crock pot.

95. Book reading weather.

96. Leaves on the ground.

97. I'm thankful every day but around this time of year I am reminded to be more thankful.

98. Harvest happens.

99. Camping season comes to an end. Thank god. Not that I go. 

100. I look forward to this season every year  and that makes it important to me!

UPDATE: Dating in Real Live vs. The Movies

Hi friends! Just a little over a week ago I wrote a post about dating in real life compared to dating in the movies. You can read that post and catch up here! A ton has happened since this last post. So much so that I feel that I have to explain. Me and Wes are official. like FB official. To me, thats a big deal, and the first time I have ever had the little heart appear at the top of my profile. It's nice.

Back to my point. In my post before I wrote about crazy things in movies that never happen in real life.  It's time for me to eat my words. Turns out, some of them do! The italicized are the questions I had asked and below them are my new answers.

1. How in the hell does she look so good for their date?!?
I still try and look my best when I know we're hanging out, and that is still stressful. But he's seen what I look like when I wake up in the morning and still calls so I'm not too concerned.

2. How do they manage to do the above and cook a full meal?
Cooking a full meal. It is in fact possible. I have managed to be primped up and at his house by 7:00 and in 45 min made this, (see pic below.) I found the recipe from Pinterest and it really was delicious.

3. What happens to the dog when they decided to have an impromptu sleep over? 

Rox comes with! I am lucky that Wes is aware I am apart of a "package deal," he doesn't mind that she sleeps in the bed and even takes her to the puppy park. She really likes him and he seems to like her. Score.

THIS ONE IS THE BIG ONE.

4. What time did they get up that morning if they're getting coffee from the corner before the other is awake? That DOESN'T happen.

Actually, it does. I know exactly what time the other gets up to run down the street and get not only coffee, BUT BREAKFAST! That's right ladies, I got to enjoy a smoked salmon bagel sandwich and orange juice before I left for work Saturday morning, and he watched Rox for me. A-mazing!

Note: He told me that he hasn't read my blog since the first two posts that were written about him. I believe him and am glad that he came up with this on his own!

5. Since when do us girls wake up with perfectly tousled bed hair and pristine make-up? In my dreams.

I still don't wake up like that darn it. But he lets me know how sexy I am anyways. I get called cute all the time and I've accepted the fact that I'm a Betty, not a Joan. I don't mind this at all- I like to be cute but I really like being considered sexy.

6. Who is their interior decorator, and how is their house always clean?

This hasn't changed much either. My house is usually pretty clean and I think it's decorated cute. He lives in a perma "man cave" but it's sweet that he really cleans his apartment before I come over. I know fresh vacuum lines when I see them. 

7. How do they have so many cute clothes in their closet? It takes me hours to figure out what I want to wear for a date.

It still takes me a while but not as long!

8. How come it starts raining at the exact moment it needs to?

If a freak romantic rain shower happens then I'm going to call it serendipity.

9. They never have to wait for a table when they go out for dinner. Do they always just make reservations?

The great thing about being older. THE RESTAURANT BAR. Why not drink while you wait for your table? We did.

10. Where do these women get off always wearing cute, uncomfortable under things?

I'm warning you now this might be a little TMI. I've solved this problem by not wearing any at all. Duh.

There you have it. Maybe the Movies aren't all make believe after all!

Good ol' Home Cookin'

Lately I have been in a baking mood. It could be the fact that I am on my period. TMI. sorry. Perhaps it's because I'm in the holiday spirit!... It has been cold and rainy here in Orange County, having comfort food around is, well,  comforting! Or maybe it's because I just really like cookin' and being in the kitchen!

Along with the peppermint bark, oatmeal raisin cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread and Grandma's chocolate peanut butter bars I've also decided to make homemade turkey noodle soup.

After Thanksgiving I knew I wanted to make homemade turkey noodle soup, so I saved the little turkey body and some big hunks of meat and put them in the freezer to save until I had the time (and energy) to make my soup. Yesterday I decided was the day. AND it was Super easy!

See?

(Biscuits courtesy of Pillsbury in a can. Classy and delicious!)

Here is what you need:

Broth:

• 1 turkey carcass, all meat removed
• 9 cups water
• 1 onion, halved
• 8 baby carrots or 1 carrot cut in half
• 1 whole stalk celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. of chicken or turkey "Better Than Bouillon" or 2 chicken bouillon cubes

For the soup:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and minced or equal amount baby carrots
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1 (16 oz) pkg, "Grandma’s Fresh Frozen Homemade Style wide egg noodles" or 8 oz. of uncooked pasta
• 2 cups shredded or cubed turkey
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh parsley, optional

1.  To make the  broth: Place all ingredients in a large stock pot except for bouillon.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove turkey carcass from pot and discard.  Strain both with a colander into another stock pot.  Discard remains in colander.  Mix in bouillon into broth until dissolved.

2.  Make the Soup: In stock pot the broth cooked in, melt butter.  Add minced onion, carrot, and celery.  Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent.

Add onion mixture to stock pot and bring to a boil.  Thaw noodles according to pkg directions.  Add pasta and boil for time required on package. Add turkey and simmer for a couple minutes just to warm turkey.  Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a little fresh parsley if desired.

Voila! Delicious homemade soup for 

Little hopes and tiny dreams

My old ASB Teacher used to tell us: "Shoot for the moon and you will land on a star." Totally lame. I used to do the teenage eye roll every time he said it. But now that I'm older, I kind of like this cheesy little line, it's actually kind of cute.

This post is going to be about the things that I wish or would really like to be able to do. Am I going to shoot for the moon with all of these? Probably not, but hopefully I'll land on a couple stars anyways.

1. I would LOVE to be able to sing. Or even just play an instrument. One day hopefully I will learn. Its bands like the Civil Wars that make it seem so cool and easy. I wish I could be that cool. Um, plus the male singer is smoking hot! Johnny Depp's twin for sure.

2. I would really like to be a guest at a soiree like one Gatsby would have thrown at his large estate in the Hamptons. Beaded flapper dress, Champagne and the Charleston? Yes Please!

And how fabulous is this already put together ensemble I plan on wearing from Miss Baloo? 

3. It would be so romantic to have a love epiphany and figure out the one I was supposed to be with,  then run to him like in the movies with this song playing. Of course he would love me as well and we would make-out furiously as the song was ending.... 

 

4. I would like to have sex with Don Draper. This needs no explanation.

5. I think it would be nice to sleep in, pretend that it's the weekend, snuggle, and of course make banana pancakes. This could happen on any given day, but it never or rarely does.

6. I would like to produce this: .... By this I mean a sweet little girl. - not anytime soon though!

7. I would like to be recognized for my work in a magazine like Better Homes and Gardens. OR Coastal Living. Definitely Coastal Living.

8. Another movie scene. I wish I could drive in the rain and feel a sense of calm and contentness and have this beautiful song come on. Songs never come on when they're supposed to. Doesn't it sound like a rainy day song?

9. I would like to know how to dance. Well. Not hip hop. Real dancing (sorry), like Swing dancing and 'Western' and Salsa and Waltz. Man that would be fun!

10. I would die to have mermaid hair that looked like this:

11. I wish I had a gay best friend or relative (I'm not picky) like Cam from Modern Family. He is totally  my favorite character on the show. 

12. I wouldn't mind driving around in one of these little cuties.

13. And lastly, I obviously need a place to park my new car... What better place than an adorable little cottage, maybe one that looks like this. With a little yard for Rox.

So there you have it. Just a few strange little hopes and dreams that I wish will happen in the nearish future of my lifetime!

Shoulda Stayed in Bed.

"You think there will be more. You think you have forever, but you don't. Plus my conditioner decided to stop working and I think I have brittle bones. I just - I just need something to happen. I need a sign that things are going to change. I need a reason to go on. I need some hope! And in the absence of hope, I need to stay in bed and feel like I might die today. " -Meredith Grey, 'It's the End of the World', 2006


Meredith Grey said it best... Okay so I'm probably being a little dramatic, but I totally had one of those Grey's Anatomy, End of the World kind of days today. I woke up in a funk. Things just didn't seem/go right today.


Not like I'm going to die but it was raining pouring here this morning and I just didn't want to get out of bed. I would have been perfectly happy hiding under my covers with my wiener dog ignoring the world. But alas my alarm went off, or rather, buzzed loudly in my ears and I had to get up and face my day. My whole day sucked, however, it was not worthy of me writing about. What is worthy is that this evening after my crappy shitty (thats right, I said it) day, I legitimately, totally, almost set my house ON FIRE!


Not even kidding. The carpet was ablaze. So how did this happen your probably wondering. Well my friends, let me tell you. 


It was a regular night after a lame day and all I wanted to do was get into my snuggly jammies, turn on my fireplace and melt my troubles away into reality TV bliss. I have a gas fireplace, so for those of you who don't know, to light it I have to turn a metal nozzle off to the side and then light the fire. A normal person would use a "grill lighter" (a lighter with a long nose) but I don't have one of those because it's one of those things you never think about buying until you need it. Nope. Instead I've been using a twisted up piece of newspaper. That was a lie. What I meant to say was thick tissue paper. Obviously stupid. At this point I would like to mention my dad is a fireman. So I lit the fire and everything was fine, except the flame on the paper usually fizzles out when the fire is lit. When it didn't I tried to "tap" it out. That didn't work either, so instead of throwing it in the fire like I should have, I decided to salvage the burning paper and run it to the kitchen sink. Halfway there the burning paper really started burning! So much so, it got to my hand burning three of my fingers. (I now have blisters). Of course the shock and pain caused me to drop what was left of the paper on the floor. And thats how the carpet went in flames. 


Just so you know (Thank the Lord) unlike the movies, when flames hit carpet they don't automatically catch to curtains and head through the ceiling. This could also be because my cheap apartment carpet is made of synthetic fibers not natural ones (Thank you Textiles Class) so rather than spreading, it just kind of simmered, melting my beautiful new white carpet. Luckily, my quick thinking and cat-like reflexes kicked in and in no time (not wanting to lose sight of the fire) I had my 'Love Pink' hoodie off and was stomping the fire out in my bra. I didn't even set off my fire alarm!


It took 15 minutes to regroup and get my heart beat back on track, and another 10 to try and coax Rox out from under my dining table before I could even think about how to fix the burn marks in my carpet. After diligently trimming and cutting, I am proud to say that unless I told you I had set the carpet on fire, I bet you wouldn't be able to tell.... Or find it for that matter!


So what is the lesson for todays post? Aside from staying in bed when you think that you should. DO NOT USE TISSUE PAPER TO LIGHT A FIRE. Ever!


Hope all you Diary Readers had a better day than me!










PS. It was brought to my attention, and I have to say that I agree, I am falsely advertising my blog by saying it's about food, sex and design when really I mostly post about design. I plan on fixing this ASAP. Stay tuned for a mini revamp.

Lazy Wednesday and Furry Friends

Today has been one of those filler days. Ya know what I mean. I had plans to do things but just didn't feel like it. I wanted to be creative but just didn't have it in me today, and the weather is grey and a little chilly, so it's perfect for doing nothing! I'm also recovering from a cold and this is my first day off from work in six so it felt nice to spend the better half of my morning and early afternoon in bed applying for big girl jobs before grabbing In n' Out for lunch. When I sat down to blog, I couldn't even decide what I wanted to write about, until I skimmed through my blog folder and came across these little gems. I am a sucker (as I'm sure all you are as well) for little aminals. When photo hunting through blogs, I'll sometimes find an animal picture that I cannot pass up but never use it. So as a treat for you and a lazy day for me, this Wednesday I am loving sweet little animals!

Happy Hump Day!