spend less & celebrate more

i don't mean to be a debbie downer but to be honest sometimes the holiday season makes me sad. maybe because i miss my family. maybe because i know their are so many out there struggling to make ends meet just so their loved ones can have a merry christmas. maybe because christmas advertisements & decorations flood places every which (a few months early at that) way we turn that it shoves the idea to buy, buy, buy so blatantly in our faces that it causes us to forget what that special day is truly about. sometimes i really hate the power of consumerism. the theory that increasing the consumption of goods is economically beneficial does not necessarily equate self happiness or contentment. in fact it leaves us wanting more. sometimes i hate that the meaning of holidays has become more about materialistic things than it has about the gift of time with loved ones & celebrating the birth of jesus.

brown apple betty

next to an apple crisp, my favorite apple dessert is a brown apple betty. it's a no fuss warm & comforting dessert that tastes such little prep time. its easy to throw together as their is little mixing & even less mess! i absolutely love the crispness of the bread & much prefer it to the crust of an apple pie. topped with whip cream or vanilla ice cream & you're not to far away from a wholesome goodie at your fingertips.

tea time

as a little girl one of my favorite play time activities was tea time with my cousin or stuffed animals. one year i was gifted a pink plastic tea set that once tea was poured, depending in the temperature, the cup would deepen from a pink to a deep red. it had matching butter knives & biscuits that magically turned colors when i would pretend to spread jam on it. id play tea time for hours & hours.

except for trading in my plastic tea set for the real one, not much has changed as now a woman in my late twenties. i still love tea time but instead of non living objects as guests that don't talk back...i can enjoy tea time with the great conversation in the company of great girlfriend.

his love

God's love is...

a source of healing
a ray of hope
a place for comfort
a gift of grace
a powerful reminder of true unconditional love

pyrex hunting

sissy first took a liking to my vintage pyrex's when she came over for dessert. since then ive managed to convince her to come along for the hunt & start her own collection. luckily, her mom had a few in storage including a yellow loaf pan & a few bowls. i was also able to find her two more pieces to add to her collection both of which were excellent condition. i was tempted to keep the ombré bowl for myself as i had never seen anything like it but i parted with it knowing id find luck elsewhere & that she was just building her little pyrex family. happiness tastes much sweeter when shared!

next thing you know, just a few minutes later...karma blessed me with a divided dish in the pattern i had been searching for. score!

belated birthday post

the bff took me out for my birthday at what has come to be one of my favorite places, in napa, to have brunch. everything was superb including my favorite part of any meal..dessert! i love anything infused with lavender. from lotion scents all the way to food! my lavender creme brûlée surely didn't disappoint!

brix also proved to be much better in person than what the website shows as far as a wedding venue is concerned. we walked around after brunch & enjoyed the intimate setting it offered.

bestie & bruschetta

today, i enjoyed a leisurely lunch with the bestie that involved a menu with extensive options for bruschetta. we left with our bellies full & satisfied with our chosen picks. proscuitto with figs & apple with brie were both our top favorites.

thanksgiving

part of thanksgiving day fun is the traditional pre-celebration with the bf that i always look forward to. this year we visited a place both he & i haven't been to since high school. we picked up iced mint mojitos & climbed our way up the rock to enjoy this breath taking view.

after, we got a bit of exercise before heading to have dinner. it was a small celebration with tons of yummy food. I made jalepeno cheddar bacon corn bread & bacon deviled eggs.