Tis the Season

Thanksgiving is in 3 days, or 2 depending on how you count. Where did this year go? Sheez! I've cooked many a meals in many different ovens over my 29 years (yes, I'm still in my twenties!) and many a times I have never had enough cooking space. The stove top burners, oven, slow cooker, grill, the space is always so limited. Or at least it is on my budget. 

To the rescue comes this multi-tier oven rack from Sur la table. Problem solved and at such a great price too! I can image this contraption coming to the rescue allowing us to cook more than one dish at a time in that hasty effort to get the food on the table before another dish gets cold or guests get cranky. 

Good luck with the beginning of what I hope will be many holiday dinners and gatherings for this season!

Cheers!

Save the Beverage!

These bottle top savers sure have come in handy this summer! For those sodas that don't require a full can so when you don't feel like drinking all that carbonated goodness. My MIL picked up a 12 pack for the Captain and I from Wally World a while back since we all had such positive experiences from lake usage.

On that note, I saw these beer savers while surfing, the internet of course, this past weekend. We haven't tried them, and I honestly doubt we will but I thought I would pass them along for review. Granted, everything tastes better out of a bottle, however, we/I 95% of the time buy the Captains beer in cans. They are cheaper, chill quicker, can be crushed to take up less space in the trash, and are easier to transport.

Thoughts, concerns, questions, comments?

Grab a pack of the bottle top savers the next time you are at the store and share with friends and family. I don't know why anyone household would need a dozen. Maybe the Duggers but does their religion allow the partaking of carbonated beverages if the females have to wear long skirts? Perhaps that is an ignorant statement but they do have a lot of people in their every growing family and might have a lot of open soda cans. Yes, I say soda.

Cheers!

Hot then Cold

This fabulous cherry red coat belongs in my closet. It has taken great restraint not to have it there, given the fabulous price. And how cute I would look in it.

That and despite the fact it's the first day of fall, it's still 100 degrees here. Ugh.

I need to quit looking at that website. It's killing me.

Cheers!

Design from the sky

With the Captain having a career as he does, I've developed a fondness for guess what....aviation! We have drawings of planes done by a previous colleague of mine framed and on our walls. We have pictures of various planes the Captain has flown framed in our house and in his office. We have a wooden model of the Pilatus PC-12 on our mantel and one of the Wright Brother's first plane flying (with the assistance of some fishing wire) above it. So why not add this awesome looking chair to our home?

This sharp Aviator Chair has such an 'old time romantic era of flying' feel I can only imagine how it would look in a living room setting. Add a similarly colored rug, bookcase with tasteful books, a lamp, oh and me enjoy a double shot while relaxing and it looks picture perfect. Besides, it was recently marking down $200. Mere pennies I say. Shiny and industrial, the leather looks super soft and terribly sexy.



Glancing through the other options offered on the website with the aviator theme resulted in some drawers, trunks and a chest that while all made with the shiny aluminum and industrial feel, they just don't seem as unique. They seem like something that could be picked up elsewhere with a much lower price tag. I expect something more specific to aviation than just sheet metal.

None the less, the idea and theme is totally fetch. Yes, I'm trying to bring that back. It will succeed.

Cheers!

Fall Cooking

It's almost that time of the year for pie-making once again! I'm talking about fruit pies, pumpkin, apple, berry and the like. Not cow pies. Those are made year round. And I don't make them. In fact I don't want anything to do with them.

Williams-Sonoma always has such chic, useful, hip items. Not only limited to the kitchen and more often than not, the items I find there are things I of course do not need but would make 'such and such' fun, in this case making pies. Check out these Lattice and Apple Pie Molds. How fun! Simple? I think so! They seem to be the perfect size for one person and have endless possibilities on filings. I'm thinking broccoli-cheese-chicken for a pie instead of a wrap (my usual creation). Think of the gooey cheese or the juice from tasty berries....hum...I do believe this will be added to my Christmas List.



Side note: My Christmas List is continued year 'round and is available to anyone needing inspiration on lighting up my life for any occasion. It's also used to remind myself of what I want or to remind myself that there was a reason it wasn't purchased immediately.

These shoes however would stay on my list. How chic! I'm not into the short boot style, if that is what you want to call these but I love the leather. I love sole and heal height. I also love the buckles. Seriously LOVE the buckles. These Times Three Booties are from Anthropologie and unfortunately are out of my price range. Doesn't mean I can't drool!










This weekend Callie and I are headed to the 'Ville for some family and friends time and travel is always exhausting. I of course rest my pretty little head on a tempurpedic pillow (I should be a spokesperson I love their stuff sooo much!) but Callie enjoys the carpet. She honestly doesn't seem to mind. At our house she has a dog pillow bed that she snores away on. The floors are all wood laminate and while she enjoys the coolness during the warm months, I have to imagine it's not that comfy for dreaming of lake swimming and bone chewing. I'm sure that's what she dreams of. That or dog treats. Or licking, she loves to lick everything.

While this luxury dog bed may have a sugar cookie theme and be soft, I can imagine the comments, facial expressions, and grunts that would occur should my Callie be able to voice her opinion after being told to go to bed in this. It's kind of excessive. I've read that dogs are a mirror of their owners and this isn't my cup of tea. I think we'll stick with her pillow.

As you can probably not see, she blends in well. All curled up. I just wanna love that dog. Her birthday is tomorrow you know.

 

Dogs being a mirror of their owners is whole other post, if I remember. Remind me sometime.

 

Cheers!

There's still a lot of cool s*** I want

Even though I'm in the unemployed club there are of course so many cool things out there I want. And I have neglected sharing them with you lately.

To satisfy your inner shopping goddess....

Spanz Swimsuits!!!  You betcha! I'm sorry I love them. And I need to find where to buy them. Or rather try them on before I buy. Shopping directly over the internet never works for me.
A swim dress that flattens that tummy lump I can't seem to get rid of as well as that not so smooth area around the bottoms--sign me up! Ok, so it kinda looks like a nighty but aren't bikinis more revealing than nearly any nightwear you own? And yet, everyone wears them out in public! Even your 13 yr old neice, and people wonder why we have issues with pre-marital sex, STDs, teenage pregnancy..anyhoo, it covers up my problem spots and looks cute. I would go for black though. My skin is not much of a 'flamingo' fan.

I also love the colors on this one. It reminds me of the dress Kate Winslet wore when she won her Oscar. I would like to win an Oscar and wear a pretty dress. But I don't want to break up with the Captain so I'll continue practicing my speech for my Pulitzer Prize into my hairbrush.

I really like this one though. It's such a cut cut with the gathers that add more dimension and cover up. Swimsuits are a tough find for me but maybe these will break the mold.

I also want cute tops to wear out for some Beale Street fun like this one! Free-flowing and loose, it's not all casual but would look way cute with tight jeans and heels and lots of bangles. I love the flower detail and the open neck/arms. Perfect for an evening out!



At a local free concert or the 4th of July Fireworks...where this would come in very handy! I'm not much of a beer drinker. I can pretend to like it but my face gives away my true feelings.

So instead I'll buy a box of wine and look much classier with my astronaut bag stored in this cleaver device!

Bring on the summer-I think I'm ready!




Cheers!

A Little Spring on the Counter

For the latest installment of "Things I want" I would like to introduce you to this delightful set of measuring petals. I'm pretty gosh darn sure these would look adorable sitting on anyone's counter adding not only a conversation topic but a bit of color and charm, not to mention spring during this February. The stem and leaves keep all the petals together lessening the chance of losing one of these charming measuring devices.
I have a feeling that not only would these make any cooking experience that much brighter but the chance that I might break out in song and dance would drastically increase.

Cheers!

Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off

Even though Phil wouldn't have seen his shadow at my house today, I have a feeling that winter isn't quite over yet, hence my desire to share this gem with you. 

A delightfully chic hot chocolate maker by Bialetti. 

Hot chocolate just makes the world better with it's creamy, rich goodness. And this maker comes with a well-established history that doesn't make me question whether it's going to not operate correctly for many years to come. But don't limit it's skills to only one beverage for it can apparently make coffee, cappuccino, lattes, and a host of cold teas and cocktails. Sounds like every kitchen should have one of these sparkling on the counter!

I can't not think of things that I want!

Modern Family is a hilarious new show on ABC that causes my sides to hurt after every episode. It's a fresh, funny outtake on the, of course, modern family. Anyhoo...a couple of weeks ago the episode consisted of celebrating the anniversary of Phil and Claire. Phil got Claire a gorgeous diamond bracelet, had flowers sent, etc. Claire on the other hand, pulled the 'You are so hard to shop for, I don't know what to get you' card. She ended up getting him 5 coupons for free hugs. Phil's response? Oh great, geez honey, thanks, as if hugs weren't already free, now it's official. His monologue then went on to state how he can't not think of things he wants consisting from a yogurt machine to speakers shaped like rocks, night vision goggles, etc. High-larious.

Point of the blog already! My birthday is 12 days after Christmas and I get dealt that same card ALL THE TIME! So I'm starting a list of things I want. They will be tagged: things I want. I shouldn't be dealt that card again, right?

The most gorgeous of shoes.
It's fun, it's flirty, it's pink, it's something my purdy little size 7 feet would look yummy in.

So I don't have many places suitable for such awesomeness. So they cost more than my monthly bills. They are adorable and definitely deserve to be on the list of things I want.


Who's having the party? Wherever it is, I will be dawning this eye catching party frock! In the 'do-able' price range, this dress makes me want to twirl around singing about how pretty I am. A delicious color that reminds me of cotton candy or bubble gum, this dress seems to hit all the right points. After a winter of hiding the skin, it's time to show off the tone arms, shoulders, and legs! The bow emphasizes the waistline while the ruffles add a little assistance where we all can usually use some.  Perfect for a cocktail gathering or a company party. Make a splash! You only live once.