Category Archives: Fall

Fall / Favorite Things / Personal / Resolutions

My Fall Bucket List

October 13, 2014

It’s officially been fall for a few weeks now, so I’ve started thinking about what I’d like to knock off of my fall bucket list this year:

Have the first fire of the season in the fireplace (y’know, once it’s not a million degrees outside)
Spend a rainy day inside watching movies under a blanket (with lots of popcorn)
Figure out how to make a scent on the stove that makes the whole house smell like the holidays
Paint the ceiling downstairs and finally finish off that freaking laundry/family room (uggghhhh)
Post about our little basement redo (complete with floor install!)
Make applesauce from scratch
Make some sort of fall muffin (plum streusel? apple bran? pumpkin cream cheese? So many options!)
Indulge KC and try his special fall-cocktail (Fireball + hard apple cider. But seriously, ew.)
Take a walk outside with Penny once the air is nice and crisp (and step on every single crunchy leaf I see)
Host Thanksgiving for the second year in a row (like a boss!)

What’s on your list this year? Fall knits + sweater snuggles with a special someone? Pumpkin-based everything all the time? I’d love to hear all about it!

Dinner / Fall / Holidays

Our First Thanksgiving — The Verdict

December 4, 2013

Despite my nervousness of hosting 11 people for dinner, and possibly poisoning them due to having never cooked a turkey before (a 20+ lb one, at that), our first Thanksgiving was a smashing success (if I do say so myself). Of course, the turkey, which was supposed to take 5-6 hours to cook, was done in a mere 3 1/2 hours — at 2:30 in the afternoon, no less. But, my mom assured me that I hadn’t ruined Thanksgiving, and we let the bird sit, wrapped in foil, until we were ready to eat. I completely spaced and forgot to put out the cranberry sauce my mom had made — and, of course, I didn’t realize it was absent until dinner was already over. Ah, holidays.

We ate, we drank, and we ended the night by sending everyone home with some leftovers (not nearly as many as I feared we might have). My sister, her husband, and her husband’s brother stayed late, and we all sat by the fire and listened to Christmas songs (much to the boys dismay), as we attempted to finish the huge bottle of prosecco that was opened earlier in the evening. (We didn’t even come close.) On a whim, we decided to go to a (late!) 10pm showing of Catching Fire. It’s been ages since KC and I have seen a movie that late, and it felt like our college days. (Although the 1am hangover that followed, quickly assured us that we were no longer 22.)

Even though it was a bit of work to cook and host, and maybe just the tiniest bit stressful, I think our first Thanksgiving was quite a success. My family has a lot of traditions, and so does KC’s, but it’s nice to start some of our own, since KC and I are our own family now. I’m sure that there will be a lot of traditions that we’ll keep from both sides of our families, but I think this new Thanksgiving setup might just turn into a tradition of our own. And hey, cooking a giant turkey the second time around can’t be nearly as hard as the first, right?* Well, that’s what I’m telling myself for next year, anyway.

*And really, the hardest part was just lifting the dang thing, and that was all KC’s job. 😉

Dinner / Fall / Holidays / Savory / Sweet

Our First Thanksgiving — the menu

November 27, 2013

As you probably already know, KC and I are hosting Thanksgiving this year for the very first time. We’re breaking out our wedding china, every serving dish in the joint, and opening all bottles of wine we come into contact with. It’s my first time making a turkey, and my first time hosting this many people for dinner (there’s only 11 of us, but it still seems like a lot to me!) I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.

With that, here’s the menu for the day, linked up to the recipes I’m planning to use:

Pre-Dinner

Appetizers: I bought big wedges of cheese (1, 2, 3, and some kind of herbed, soft brie-type cheese I can’t remember the name of) at Costco, which I plan to serve with cured meats, crackers, and other accoutrements.
Drinks: champagne, sparkling rosé, and prosecco.

Dinner

Roast Turkey: Because, obviously, right? I got a 20lb organic, free-range bird, and I’m keeping things simple (no frying, smoking, what-have-you — just good ol’ roast turkey).
Gravy: I’ve actually made this recipe before on a couple occasions, and it’s turned out perfectly delicious every time. So, why mess with a good thing, right? Right.
Mashed Potatoes: I don’t have a standard recipe for these (I mean, do you need a recipe to make mashed potatoes? I’m going with no.), but I bought a huge bag of russets at Costco + the 4lb pack of butter, so I think I’m good.
Stuffing: My sister is doing the stuffing (and, technically, I guess it’s dressing because I’m pretty sure we’re not actually stuffing the bird…)
Green Bean Casserole: My brother is making this, so I’m sure it will be made the traditional way (complete with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup and French’s French Fried Onions. Although, we do draw the line at canned green beans.)
Salad: My sister is making this (Yes, I asked for a lot of help since it’s my first year! Not to mention that I have some very talented cooks in my family.)
Cranberry Sauce: My mom is making this (from scratch!) No cans here 🙂
Bread: I’m not even gonna act like we’re above these. Because we’re not. And they’re delicious.
Drinks: white wine & red wine & beer

Post-Dinner

Pumpkin Pie: I’ve made this pie a few times now, and it always gets rave reviews. I’m not actually a fan of pumpkin pie, but KC is, so I like to make this as a special treat for him.
Chocolate Pie: My mom is making this. She makes it every year, and despite the easy recipe, it always gets gobbled up in about 3 minutes flat.
Holiday Spice Cake: My sister is making the last dessert, and I think is planning on some kind of holiday cake (though I don’t know exactly what recipe she’s using because I don’t think she’s decided on one yet).
Drinks: coffee (gotta combat all the tryptophan!)

*Oh, and in case you’re thinking that KC is getting off scot-free, he’s in charge of getting ice, entertaining the guests before dinner, making sure people know where to get drinks, and keeping everybody out of the kitchen! 😉

I hope you have the happiest of Thanksgivings, and a great long weekend!

Fall / Favorite Things

Giving Thanks

November 26, 2013

I’m so thankful for:

that bright red and gold tree that’s right outside our front window
date nights (we’ve been on a roll lately — hitting up the star and penrose in the same week!)
a cozy house when it’s freezing cold outside
coffee dates with good friends
friday happy hours
a big, loud, smother-y family
the abundance of delicious food and drinks
the little troublemakers in our house (Penny + Seuss)
modern science’s ability to correct my terrible eyesight
stepping outside of my comfort zone
the amount of tiny-kid clothes I get to buy this holiday season
programmable thermostats
and the cutest husband around

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Current Crushes / Fall / Favorite Things / Personal

Current Crushes

November 13, 2013

I can’t get enough of the MAC retro matte lipsticks. Seriously, they are making my life right now. I have Flat Out Fabulous (fuschia), Dangerous (orange-red), All Fired Up (pink — on the left of the picture above), and Ruby Woo (red — on the right).

Also, (much to KC’s chagrin, I’m sure) I’m totally into the whole “messy hair” trend. Mostly I love it because it means I don’t have to do my hair. (I call it “homeless hair.” So chic, right?) Ah, marriage.

I’m currently living in my new boots — I have the BP Trolley boot in chocolate and the Steve Madden Troopa boot in stone leather. Yes, I shop in the teen shoe section at Nordstrom on occasion. Sometimes I just can’t deal with the attitudes on the first floor, y’know?

I’m obsessed with Gap’s super-thin, loose shirts right now. I may or may not have this one in like 4 colors…

Speaking of which, given that I love to layer, I also have this slouchy cardigan in multiple colors (it’s super soft!)

When it’s cold enough (and really, even when it’s not), I love a knit circle scarf. I have the blue combo, plus an almost-neon yellow/gray combo that isn’t on the website.

I finally tracked down the coat I’ve been crushing on in my size. I love that it’s a pop of color for cold weather.

And my current wish list: I love the idea of a sweater coat, but don’t know that I can pull it off at my height (will I look like I’m just wearing a blanket? I’m kind of ok with that). I’m obsessing over this scarf in cream (I saw it at the BR in Hawaii, but given that it was 1000° outside, I couldn’t really justify buying it in the moment). I’m on the hunt for an opaque, charcoal grey nail polish (but, ideally one that isn’t $19, Marc Jacobs) and some dark green jeans (not cords, Gap!), but I’ll likely lose interest before I ever find a good pair. Y’know, life.

What are you living in these days?