Punkin Ale

Did you know I like beer?

Back in my this post, I explained how JD and I always go out to dinner on Friday nights. Last night we decided to go to Dogfish Head, a great brewery that makes its own beer. I'm not sure why we're on a brewery kick because last Friday we went to Gordon Biersch, another great brewery.

I must say, I have thoroughly enjoyed tasting all the seasonal, fall-related beers. So far I had..

• Sam Adams Octoberfest
• Gordon Biersch Octoberfest
• Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head

All three delicious, but my favorite by far was last night's Punkin Ale. Not pumpkin, but punkin ale.
Mom don't hate me for drinking beer. She always thinks it's unlady like, but I think shes getting used to the fact that I prefer a beer over a cosmo.
We frequently gets nachos too.

What's your favorite aspect of fall? Halloween? Hot apple cider? Carving pumpkins? Seasonal beers? Do share.

A fall fashion show of bargains

I am definitely not a model or a fashionista.

But I do love a good bargain. I couldn't wait to share a few things I picked up (on the cheap) for the fall season. I had a fabulous time with Katie as we snapped photos in the park across the street from her house.

My goal when looking for clothes is: looks nice but doesn't cost a lot. I love J.Crew but hate to fork over the big bucks for the majority of their clothes. I have learned to look for the same style at less expensive stores. Target, H&M, and the J.Crew outlet are a few of my favorites.

Up first: J. Crew toothpick jeans
A girl always needs a great pair of jeans. These jeans are so comfortable and I love the skinny leg and dark denim look. Quick backstory to these jeans: Katie, also a deal hunter, called me one day while shopping at the J. Crew outlet and asked if I wanted a pair. They were $65.00. I told I'd think about it. The next day she called back and said they were now 40% off. J. Crew jeans for under $40.00? Who could resist? She picked me up a pair and sent them my way. To my surprise, when I received them there was a sweet note stapled to the receipt explaining that I do not need to pay them back and to accept them as a token of appreciation. So I got them totally FREE! What an awesome brother and sister-in-law I have!
Flannel Shirt:
Comfortable and warm. Bought from Target on sale for $10.00. They have a slew of colors.

Sweater Vest
Also bought from Target for $22.99. Very soft and cozy.
Vintage Bag:
Bought from Target on sale for $24.48, originally $34.99. Last one on the rack.
Gray Jacket:
Bought from H&M for $22.00. I love the polka dot lining.
So there are 5 items I picked up for the fall season.
Grand Total: $79.47
Not too shabby.

Happy shopping and saving everyone!

Video: DIY Inspiration

If you read my last post about my trip to Oklahoma, then you will recognize my friend Alyssa in this video. She is a DIYer like me and actually taught me to sew last year.

She is a natural in front of the camera, and I wouldn't be surprised if someday she became a newscaster or the next Erin Andrews for ESPN.

We have wild dreams of someday opening a small boutique together filled with all kinds of neat things. Until then, I'll keep teaching my kiddos and she'll keep everything running smoothly in HR at Target.

Cute projects right?

and wasn't Alyssa quite the host?

and I could just snuggle with that baby all day.

Reunited and it feels so good

Last weekend, I took a short but oh so sweet trip to Oklahoma to visit my 2 great friends. Alyssa and Lesley are their names and we met the summer of 2006 in Long Beach, California. We all attended a summer missions trip with Campus Crusade and our everlasting friendship began.

Despite the many miles between us, (Alyssa lives in Colorado and Lesley in Oklahoma) our friendship continues to grow and we love and support each other through every milestone in life.

First came the screaming phone calls, "I'm engaged!" as we each prepared for marriage.
Second came the actually weddings as we all celebrated with each other.
Now we are so excited for Lesley as she bought a home and welcomed a special little girl to her family.

We have seen each other every year since we met:

• Fall of 2006-Alyssa and Lesley ventured to the east coast and went to NYC for the first time.
• Summer of 2007-Alyssa and I went to Oklahoma for Lesley's wedding.
• May of 2008- Lesley and I went to Nebraska for Alyssa's wedding.
• August of 2008- Alyssa and Lesley came back to PA for my wedding.
• April 2009-I went to visit Alyssa in Utah
  
• October 2010- Alyssa and I went to Oklahoma to meet baby Patterson

Here are some photos of our most recent reunion.
Isn't baby Patterson just precious? This sunset pretty much sums up Oklahoma. Peaceful and calm. It was nice to escape city living for a weekend and enjoy the company of my two best friends. They truly mean the world to me.

Stay tuned for some video action of our weekend.

Video: Behind the Wheel

This blog started out capturing our daily savings and deals but has ventured into our personal lives and whatever else I feel inclined to share. I try to share our lives honestly and openly. We aren't perfect but do love each other and having a good time. We continue to grow and learn everyday.

So here is a glimpse into our life behind the wheel...of the Jetta. We travel a lot and get bored easily so enjoy.

Until later. Peace.

Saturday Morning

Sometimes it's nice to take pleasure in the simple things in life. This morning I was very content enjoying my coffee and brownie for breakfast while listening to Sara Bareilles. I have recently fell in love with her music. Especially this song.

JD was also super sweet and surprised me with her CD this week (after I whined and complained that he was using all his Bestbuy points/coupons/giftcards to purchase a new video game). I guess we both won in the end. I'm lucky to have such a great guy.

Enjoy your weekend and take notice all the simple joys God has blessed us with.

ps. we saw The Town last night and it was AMAZING. I loved it. I highly recommend it. Filled with action and romance.

Midweek Laugh

We stumbled on this video a few months ago and died laughing. One night we spent an hour or so watching his youtube videos. This dude lives in Philly and actually dresses up as many characters. Check him out as Mumbles and Skippy too.




Laugh on!

Weekend Randomness

Hi friends. Just four random things to share. I'm excited for October and this weekend was a great reminder of why. The cool fall weather was perfect and I'm so ready for sweaters and hoodies.

1. I want to say a huge, bigger-than-Jay Z's-bank-account THANK YOU to my mom. Unfortunately, on Saturday, I was stuck inside with another dreadful migraine. We were suppose to go out for lunch and enjoy the day together. Since I could barely sit-up, we had to order in. She ended up staying all day. She bought us lunch, helped do 3 loads of laundry, cleaned, and then ordered us Chinese food for dinner. It was so great to have her here. Thank you mom!
2. At 3:34 am Sunday morning we heard a loud "pop" and immediately smelled something burning. I jumped out of bed and quickly realized the motor on our fan blew up. It is a small floor fan we turn on at night for noise. It kills JD to sleep in silence, so our trusty black fan runs every night. He's had the fan since 2004 so it lasted a good 6 years. So today went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought a replacement. We used a 20% coupon and saved $8.00.

3. While searching for the fan, I walked by a huge clearance section and quickly browsed the isles and found the perfect little pillow. While shopping for fall decor, I was hoping to find a pillow for our sofa but had no such luck. Then bingo, today I found the perfect one. Check out the price.
I think it goes nicely with the fall colors in the room and adds a pop of color to the sofa.
4. I made these veggie pitas this week and they were very good, healthy, and refreshing. They seemed like more of a summer meal, but I paired them with a steaming bowl of tomato soup and it was the perfect combo for a rainy day.
Check out the recipe here from the Nest. I added red peppers and instead of using the pepper jack cheese, I used swiss because it's what I had on hand. So yummy!

That's all for now. Back to the 5th graders tomorrow. Have a great week everyone.