I have a monkey on my back.

And it's this blog.

See, I know I've been slacking on the posting of late. And what I have posted, well, it's garbage. In the past four days, all I've managed to share with you is the tale of a rotten pumpkin. You deserve better. And more.

Do I have an excuse? Eh, not really any good ones. Work is stressing me out, not because it's busy but because it's slow. While this may be welcomed in other professions, as a lawyer if I'm not billing, I'm not "working". And I need to be working. Shoes don't pay for themselves! Here's hoping the slow down is temporary. I've also been running around like a crazy person every night after work trying to put together our Halloween costumes. It's ironic because we chose these costumes because they'd be easy. Easy my left foot. I've been to two different Targets, a Sports Authority, Old Navy and Marshalls, looking for a men's t-shirt and a women's athletic shirt in the same color. Sounds simple right? Notsomuch. I finally threw in the towel and we're wearing gray (boring) shirts we already own. (I'll post pictures after Halloween.) I'm sure I could come up with more excuses for my lack of interesting posts, but I'll spare you.

The longer I go without posting the more stress I feel. I have to rebound with something good. And I'm pretty sure my endorsement of a $2.44 body scrub doesn't count. (Target's "up & up" brand Exfoliating Body Wash with Pomegranate Seeds - AMAZING. Smells like vacation in a bottle. As good as any Philosophy body wash I've shelled out $20 for - and there have been many.)

My sister suggested I review the last book I read. Anyone interested in a review of Kathy Griffin's "Official Book Club Selection"? Yeah, I didn't think so. I could tell you about the last thing I cooked, but a microwave baked potato does not make for an exciting post. And unless you want my pumpkin bread recipe again, my latest baking project isn't going to cut it either.

Tonight after work I'm opening a bottle of wine, baking some Halloween funfetti cupcakes and watching 30 Rock. Hopefully that will get the creative juices flowing and give me the inspiration I'm lacking to write an interesting post. If not, I guess I'll have to tell you about how my husband confronted an intruder in our living room at 2am last night...

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Remember my pumpkin? My perfect pumpkin?

Remember how happy my pumpkin and I were together?

Well, Monday morning I woke up to this:

Imagine my surprise to see two spots on the front of my perfect pumpkin! Well, if I was surprised on Monday, I was horrified on Wednesday to see that the yuckiness had spread.


I thought maybe we could figure out a a way to carve around the rotten spots. Well....doesn't look like that's going to work. Here's how my "perfect" pumkin looked last night.

We're way past blemished and appear to have approached active rotting. Poor pumpkin! Creative carving is not going to save this mess. I know it's a lost cause but I can't bear to throw it away. Here's hoping it doesn't begin to stink or liquify...

And, for those of you worried about my unhealthy obsession with a pumpkin - I hear ya. I realize that photographing the slow rot of a pumpkin and then chronicling the process in writing is a wee bit nutty. I intend to seek therapy immediately. Gourd Addicts Anonymous, perhaps?*

*I'm taking bets on how many followers I'll lose after writing about a rotten pumpkin. The over/under is 4.

Beer & Barbeque - A perfect combination.

We had the best Saturday! We spent the afternoon at the "Beer Festival of the South," which was part of a huge beer industry trade show going on in town this week.

More than 30 breweries were at the festival and offered over one hundred beers for tasting.

We went from booth to booth sampling the goods. It was so much fun! We hadn't tried, or even heard of, many of the beers at the show. Some were local brews, but there were many from across the United States.

Many of the booths were staffed by the brewers themselves. Those were the best booths. The brew masters were really knowledgeable and passionate about their beers and spent a lot of time talking to us about the different brews.

Merchant du Vin is a specialty beer importer that had a booth at the Festival. I tried two "beers" at this booth and they were both delicious! I put beer in quotes because I don't think either of the drinks that I tried were made with hops and they didn't taste much like beer, but boy were they tasty!

The first was Samuel Smith's Organic Cider. It was a bit sweet and being a cider, it of course tasted a bit like apples. The second was Lindemans "Pomme" Lambic. It was both sweeter and more tart than the Cider, had a strong apple taste and it was also more bubbly. They were both SO delicious. Because they did have a sweeter, apple-y (yeah, i know it's not a word) taste I don't think I'd reach for one of these if I was in the mood for a traditional beer, but when if you're in the mood for a sweet, light drink these are perfect. Plus, it's fall - what's more delicious than a grown up apple cider?

I also tried a raspberry wheat beer called Purple Haze from a brewery called Abita. It was light with a subtle raspberry flavor. I love beer and typically not the fruity kind (I'm usually a Bud Light or Heineken Light kind of girl), so I was surprised to enjoy so many of the "fruity" beers. It was pretty much a guarantee that if I liked a beer, The Mister didn't and vice versa. He really prefers the extra "hoppy" IPA's, which just don't do it for me. But, we did find one favorite we could both agree on, which was Chang, a Thai beer. The woman at the booth told us the beer was brewed to compliment the flavors of Thai food, so we can't wait to try Chang next time we eat at our favorite Thai restaurant. (Napasorn, for any Orlando locals.)

You should be able to find all of these at your local grocery or liquor store. Hope you like them if you give them a try!

Also....I got the green light from The Mister to share his picture on the blog! (Maybe not the most exciting news in the world but it's exciting to me because now I can stop cropping pictures! yay!) I finally convinced him that he was being a paranoid dork and that nothing bad would happen if I showed his adorable little face to the small little community of people who are reading. So, here's my love and I at the Beer Festival:

I know it's really far away, but the lady taking was apparently trying to get the entire sign in.

After the Beer Festival we went to eat some yummy barbeque at our favorite barbeque place, Bubbalous Bodacious Bar-B-Que. Isn't the name just hilarious?

Doesn't my rib basket look delicious? It was! Half of it came home in a box but it was just as good a few hours later.

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch and watching football. Both UCF and the Gators won, so it was a great ending to a perfect day. Hope Sunday is just as much fun!

Gotta run...The Mister is still asleep so I am going to try to make breakfast to surprise him with before he wakes up. Happy Sunday everyone!

Boots & An Award

Look! New Boots! These little beauties were waiting for me on the porch when I got home Wednesday evening. My sweet momma sent them to me. Thanks Mom - I love them!

Don't you just love the buckles on the back? I'm wearing these on the very next day the weather dips below 70 degrees. I hope I can wait that long!

Moving on... Thanks to Rebecca of Thyme for Wine for giving me an award. If you haven't checked out Thyme for Wine yet, you are missing out! Rebecca has the most delicious recipes - I read her posts and am instantly hungry. Her Gorgonzola Wafers are on my "must make" list. Go check her out & tell her I sent you!

Here is how to play: You can only use ONE WORD to respond. Pass this along to your favorite bloggers and let them know that you have done so. Have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Your hair? Highlighted
3. Your mother? Love
4. Your father? Love
5. Your favorite food? Mexican
6. Your dream last night? work
7. Your favorite drink? DietCoke
8. Your dream/goal? Family
9. What room are you in? Great
10. Your hobby? Baking
11. Your fear? Everything
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Alive
13. Where were you last night? Couch
14. Something that you aren't? Inspired
15. Muffins? Fattening
16. Wish list item? Le Creuset
17. Where did you grow up? California
18. Last thing you did? Dinner
19. What are you wearing? Jammies
20. Your TV? Community
21. Your pets? None
22. Friends? Irreplaceable
23. Your life? Wonderful
24. Your mood? Grateful
25. Missing someone? Family
26. Vehicle? Red
27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
28. Your favorite store? Target
29. Your favorite color? Black
30. When was the last time you laughed? Dinner
31. Last time you cried? Fortnight
32. Your best friend? Sister
33. One place that I could go over and over? Home
34. One person who emails you regularly? Sister
35. Favorite place to eat? many

I'll pass the award on to anyone who wants to play!

What to tell Trebek?

I was watching Jeopardy tonight and I had a thought: What am I going to talk to Alex about when I'm on the show? You know the part of the show after the first commercial break when Alex goes and talks to the contestants and they share an interesting story or tidbit about their lives? Like "I once was chased up a tree by a lion while serving in the Peace Core in Namibia..." or "I pulled over to help a stranded motorist change a tire and it was James Earl Jones."

Perhaps I should back track a bit and explain. I love Jeopardy. I watch it every night and even record it on my DVR so I never have to miss an episode. One of my life goals is to be a contestant on Jeopardy. Seriously, it will happen. Because it has to. Also, because I'm a smart cookie. (And a smart ass, but that probably won't help me with the Jeopardy audition.)

I haven't applied yet because there are certain categories I need some work in. Any loyal Jeopardy watcher will tell you that there are cetain topics which are favorites with the Jeopardy clue writers and appear frequently on the show. American History, the Bible, Word Origins and Shakespeare are among the favorites and I'm proficient in these areas. However - Opera, British History & Monarchies, Popes, Poetry and Mythology - these appear often and give me a bit of trouble. I don't know jack shit about opera. If the answer isn't "What is The Phantom of the Opera?" I'm screwed. And naming popes? I may as well set down the buzzer. Poetry? HA! My knowledge of poetry stops right after "There once was a man from Nantucket..." Point is, I have recognized my areas of weakness and intend to brush up before I apply.

But tonight I realized there is yet another obstacle in my path to Jeopardy. I've got nothing to tell Trebek. I've been watching Jeopardy for years and this is the first time this occurred to me. (Maybe because I usually fast forward throught that part of the show.)

My life - not exciting. No grand adventures, no clever quips or stories to make Trebek chuckle. I've never trekked up Annapurna, I haven't sold a screen play and I didn't meet my husband during a bank robbery. When I was 12 I hopped on a rope swing into a lake and caught my bathing suit on a branch on the way down, ripping it and baring my arse to all the other kids waiting for their turn on the swing. I'm sure that story would get a few chuckles, but I don't think its exactly what the Jeopardy folks are looking for. So, I've got bupkis.

Guess I better add "Good Story for Trebek" to my list of Jeopardy topics to work on. If you were a Jeopardy contestant, what would you tell Trebek?*

*Insert "Suck it Trebek" joke here

Weekend Update

Do you ever feel like you need a weekend to recover from your weekend? Well, I definitely felt that way today. This weekend was so much fun but absolutely exhausting.

My undergraduate alma mater, University of Central Florida, had a big game against Miami this weekend & lots of people came in town for the occasion. With so many friends in town, we decided to go out for drinks Friday night. As usual, we ended up at our favorite watering hole and settled in to "booth 2" to catch up with good friends.

My girls. Aren't they beautiful?

Lindsay & Doug

Blake & his two best girls: Lindsey & Jill

So happy together!

After a very long night out on Friday, we woke up Saturday morning and prepared ourselves to tailgate. We packed the coolers, threw the tent and chairs in the car and set off for campus in our sundresses and flip flops.

Too bad we forgot fall had decided to make an appearance.

This is what happens when the weather dips below 70 degrees in Florida:

Is this ridiculous or what? Note the sweatshirt & flip-flop combo. Fashionable, yes? I blame the Friday night cocktails. Perhaps if we had called it a night a few drinks earlier we would have been better prepared for the chilly weather.

When we arrived on campus it was about 65 degrees. Y'all - that is COLD to us. And it only got chillier from there. Once we set up the tents and moved into the shade we were downright chilly! We quickly abandoned the tents and spent the rest of day standing 20 feet away in the sunshine.

By game time, the temperature had dipped down to around 55 degrees. We were COLD. I'm talking goosebumps, teeth-chattering, the whole nine yards. Considering the game was played between a team from Orlando and a team from Miami, I'm surprised the players weren't wearing sleeves and earmuffs.

By halftime we were too cold to enjoy ourselves. The fact that we were down by 10 points didn't help much either! So we left. Instead of going home, we decided it would be a good idea to go out for some drinks. But, it seems I'm not as young as I used to be. I took two steps in to the bar and decided there was no way I was staying out. I called a cab and went home to warm up on the couch with my Tivo. (Calling a cab was complicated somewhat when I realized I had lost my Blackberry back at the game, but that's another story.)

The rest of the girls were troopers and made it another hour or two before calling it a night. The Mister, who had stayed to see the end of the game with friends, was an even bigger trooper. (Or, depending on how you look at it, a bigger idiot.) He finally made it home at 3am, bag of McDonald's in hand, after a night spent at our old college bar. Ahh, weekends.

On Sunday, The Mister and I met up with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for a yummy lunch. After lunch, The Mister and I went to the pumpkin patch. By the time we made it home Sunday evening we were pooped!

It was a wonderful weekend, but I hope we don't have that much fun again for quite some time. I think I'm getting too old to have that much fun!

The Great Pumpkin Search is Over!

This is the face of a happy, happy girl.

I finally got the pumpkin patch experience I had been dreaming of since last fall! Today was a fairly chilly day for Florida (in the 60s) so I asked The Mister if we could go to the pumpkin patch & he happily obliged. We found a GREAT little pumpkin patch set up at a church down the street from our house. The cool air really made it feel like fall and when I got out of the car and saw this sea of pumpkins, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Pumpkin shortage? What pumpkin shortage?

There were so many pumpkins! I dragged The Mister back and forth across that pumpkin patch so many times searching for the perfect pumpkin. It was so hard to choose with so many beautiful options! Well, that and we (okay, I) kept getting distracted looking at all the sweet babies being propped up by their mamas against pumpkins for the perfect fall photo. They were all so precious I wasn't sure if I wanted to take home a baby or a pumpkin! We had such a good time watching the little ones searching for their favorite pumpkin...and even more entertaining was the little guy who decided he'd rather kick his pumpkin around the patch like a soccer ball!

While we were looking at the pumpkins, The Mister and I discussed how many we needed to get. I said two, one for each of us. But he said just one. It turns out that in his house growing up they got one pumpkin and everyone helped carve it. But, in my house, each of us kids had our own pumpkin and our parents helped us all carve them. Isn't funny how with holiday traditions people always want to do what their family did growing up? Like, how people who grew up with fake Christmas trees will usually grow up to buy a fake tree for their own homes. (I myself am firmly planted in the real Christmas tree camp. But we can get into this controversial topic in December.) I guess doing things the way you grew up doing them brings back good memories. As for The Mister and I & our pumpkin debate - we compromised and got two pumpkins, like I wanted. :)

Don't I look so proud?

Here are our pumpkins at home, patiently waiting to be carved. I love these little guys so much! I'm sort of sad to know we're going to have to hack into them soon. But I guess they need to fulfill their Halloween destiny and transform from pumpkins to jack-o-lanterns.

They also had bins full of little pumpkins in varying sizes and colors. I thought they were just adorable, so I grabbed a handful for our kitchen counter. They called the larger one in the back a "pie pumpkin".

I wish I had asked why. Now I'm wondering whether this is the size of the pumpkins which are used to make canned pumpkin puree. I've always assumed they used large pumpkins, like the ones you carve. The lady at the pumpkin patch told me they're getting more pumpkins in next week and I only half jokingly said I'd be back next weekend. If I do, I'll try to get to the bottom of this pie pumpkin mystery. :) I know you're all on the edge of your seats. (I'm pretty sure this is the most thought anyone has ever devoted to the process of canned pumpkin puree.)

Hope you all have as great a time finding your perfect pumpkin as I did!

Gleeful

Does anyone else find theirself eagerly awaiting the new episdoe of Glee each week? Anyone else completely baffled as to why they love this cheesy, over the top show so very much?

The singing, the acting - it's all too much. But I can't stop watching. I love it.

What's your guilty pleasure show?

Fall Basics on a Budget*

*also known as Cute Shit. Cheap, Vol. II

A friend has requested that I write a post about fall fashions at an affordable price. A somewhat unexpected request from the one friend I can count on to talk me in to buying the CL's or the LV bag, but who am I to turn down requests? So I agreed. But then I remembered a few things:

1. I'm not really the best person to ask about what's fashionable. I like nice clothes but I'm no slave to fashion. I'd rather be shot than wear the currently fashionable booties, I think leggings are horrid, and I've already explained my confusion with the lumberjack-Kurt Cobain plaid shirt trend. I'm more into classics and basics, but do occasionally stumble into something trendy.
   
2. Aside from a sprint through an outlet mall last weekend, I haven't been shopping in an actual store in ages. Football season has really hijacked my weekends and my shopping time has seriously suffered. Thank goodness for online shopping or I wouldn't have a thing to wear.
   
3. I haven't had an interesting thing to say all week. In case you hadn't noticed, posting has been sparse this week and for good reason. I am boring. I've tried to write a post every night this week and have ended up deleting every boring word I've written.

But, excuses aside, this post is going to happen. It has to. Because last I heard my dear, sweet friend who requested this post was stuck in South Dakota praying for her flight to take off. And that just stinks! So, Linds, if you're still stuck in SD, I hope this post entertains you for just a tiny second. And if you're in the air and on your way here, well I hope you enjoy the post when you land. Can't wait to see you and I hope it's sooner rather than later! xoxo

Without further ado, plucked from the interwebs, I present to you my frugal fall fashionista finds:

Old Navy's Cowl Neck Sweater Dress - $36.50

I am loving sweater dresses for fall. They're so easy to throw on and can easily be dressed up for the office with tights and heels or dressed down for the weekend with boots. This is just one of the many affordable and adorable sweater dresses I've seen. Target and Ann Taylor Loft had some great options also.

Steve Madden Tyller Boot at Nordstrom - $78.95

Wouldn't these be cute with the Old Navy sweater dress? I bought these in black last winter on a trip to Chicago. I brought them back to sunny Florida and never had a chance to wear them, so I'm looking forward to pulling them out of the back of the closet this winter (also known as three cold days in January).

Gap Cowlneck Sweater - $49.50

I guess I'm also into cowlnecks this season. About every third item I added to my "shopping cart" was a cowl neck. I should be careful not to overdo it or people will start to think I'm hiding hickies. But this sweater just looks so cozy. Makes me wish for a cold day and a hot cup of coccoa.

Target's Ruffle Wrap Sweater Dress - $29.99

Sweet Simplicity posted about this cute dress today and I just loved it as soon as I saw it. It would be perfect for the office with black tights and heels or boots. And at $29.99 it is a steal!

Gap Tweed Military Jacket - $98.00

Love this! It's fitted, so you won't look like a linebacker and I love the collar and detail at the shoulders.

If you tend towards solids and classic pieces like I do, accessories can keep things interesting. Here are a few fun extras:

J. Crew Skinny Cheetah Belt - $55.00

Ann Taylor Loft Paisley Scarf - $34.50

Banana Republic Tassel Necklace - $32.00

This next one is not really budget friendly but I just loved them so much I couldn't help myself.

Anthropologie Elsa Gloves - $78.00

Aren't they pretty??? Can someone please help me justify a $78 pair of knit gloves? Remember, I live in Florida so try to come up with something that isn't related to how warm they'd keep my fingers, okay? Thanks!

Hope you liked my budget friendly fall fashions. What are your favorite looks this season?

NBC and Me: A relationship on the rocks.

Dear NBC,

How could you? I mean really? How could you do this to me? Last season, you brought Southland into my living room. One episode in, I was hooked. It was gritty, dark, and real. Unlike anything else on network television, it dared to be authentic. Cops swear, kids die and the sometimes the bad guy gets away with it. And you put that on television. I was impressed. I was surprised. I was entertained.

And then you cancelled it.

This time, I'm not surprised. Quality programming loses out to profitability every time. But Southland didn't even have a chance to become profitable. You axed it after just six episodes. Epic fail NBC. I hope a cable network picks up the series and makes a fortune off it. Rumor has it TNT is interested. I hope it runs for 10 seasons and makes every member of the ensemble cast a star. I hope you really regret this one. I'll never forgive you for this. NBC, you and I are through.

Wait, what's that you say? The fourth season of 30 Rock premieres on Thursday night? Liz Lemon, Jack, Tracy Jordan and the rest of the TGS gang are coming back? Okay, well, I guess I can forgive you just this once. Truce?

You know you love me,

xoxo Gossip Girl

Cookies: When Drinking is Not an Option*

People have different reactions to stress. Some people cry, some people eat, some people pull out their eyelashes - different strokes for different folks. Me, I like to bake. Okay, really, I like to drink. But not on work nights. That's only going to make things worse. So, I bake. It calms me. The soft murmur of the Kitchen Aid mixer soothes my soul. Somewhere between preheating the oven and creaming butter and sugar, the troubles of the day melt away.

Last week, I had a few rough days in a row. Work was insane, an emergency plumber was called to fix a broken pipe broke in the front yard - I could go on but no one wants to hear me complain. (Especially about problems that are no longer problems.) I took to the couch with a stack of magazines and the remote control. Unfortunately, two episodes of Jeopardy, one episode of Rachel Zoe and an episode of Glee later, I was still in a funk. There was nothing left to do but bake.

{that may have been the longest, most mind numbingly boring intro to a recipe in the history of the blogosphere}

I had the basics in the cupboard so I decided to make chocolate chip cookies. I don't know about you, but I'm not a huge fan of the standard back-of-the-bag chocolate chip cookie recipe. They're okay, but never as chewy as I'd like. So, I googled "chewy chocolate chip cookies." Original, right?

What did I find? The most delicious, chewy chocolate chip cookie ever. They were the exact opposite of every other cookie that has previously come from my oven - and in the best way possible. Whereas "back of the bag" cookies spread out and become flat and crispy, these stayed thick and chewy. I could continue to wax poetic about the virtues of this cookie but I think it's best that I just give you the recipe so that you can run to your kitchen and bake up a batch of these tasty treats.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe from Baking Blonde

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used a mix of milk chocolate & semisweet)

Heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I used a Silpat.)

Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside. With electric mixer or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.

Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. (If you can figure out what the hell that means or why it might be important - congratulations, you're smarter than I. I just used a 1/4 c. measuring cup to scoop up the batter and put it on the sheet w/o rolling into balls.)

Bake until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy. (This took about 12-13 minutes in my oven but start at 10 minutes and check from there. Do NOT overbake!) Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.

*after four days, you deserve a better post than this. but this was the best i could do. hopefully i'll be back with something better tomorrow.

A life of substance.

I think I'm currently experiencing somewhat of a life-FAIL. A sampling of my recent taste for the "finer things" in life:

Currently reading: Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin and InStyle, Entertainment and Food Network magazines

Obsessed with watching: Big Bang Theory, Top Chef, Modern Family, Will & Grace repeats on Lifetime, Jeopardy and Season 3 of 30 Rock on DVD

Can't stop eating: pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread, and did I mention pumpkin bread? And last night it was Cheez-Its dipped in cream cheese. Allow me to clarify, reduced fat Cheez-Its dipped in reduced fat cream chese. rigghhhttt.

Oh, the shame.

Sometimes I'm so damn classy I can hardly stand it.

Halloween Home Tour

On Sunday, I brought the Halloween decorations in from the garage. I'm actually surprised I love decorating for the holidays so much. I HATE clutter and the bright orange decorations don't exactly compliment the chocolate & pale blue color scheme we've got going on throughout our house. But, most of my decorations are pieces my mom has given me throughout the years and I just love them. Each one has a special memory and I look forward to opening that box of decorations every fall. This year was no exception and I had the best time unwrapping each peice and finding the perfect place for it in our home. Here are a few of my favorite Halloween decorations, old and new:

Aren't the little ghost and bat shaped marbles cute? I picked them up this year at Pier One.

The glittery pumpkins are another new favorite from Pier One.

Old favorites.

Mom sent these adorably gross bleeding candles and dancing skeletons this year. I love them!

Now all we need are some real pumpkins! I saw pumpkins at Super Target this weekend, but I haven't seen any pumpkin patches near us yet. I really have my heart set on going to the pumpkin patch to pick out some pumpkins this year, so hopefully they'll start to show up in our neighborhood soon.

Happy fall!

A post about a blanket. Seriously.

I have a blanket. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. But I'm still not sure how it happened.

I was never the kid who was super attached to inanimate objects. I didn't have a special blankie or binkie or stuffed animal. I wasn't the kid in preschool who screamed because they couldn't take their nasty, ratty scrap of blanket into class and I didn't secretly bring my most special childhood teddy bear to college. Aside from pictures and letters, I don't really get attached to objects of any kind. I'm the anti-packrat. I'll donate or throw away anything. I'm more likely to get rid of something and regret it later than to save something for sentimental value. Want proof? I'm putting my wedding dress in a box this week and shipping it off to another bride. And I couldn't be happier about it.

So - how'd I end up with a blanket at the age of 27? I guess you could blame Restoration Hardware for making the most amazing blanket ever. Seriously. I brought this blanket on my honeymoon. I. Am. Not. Kidding.

I present to you Restoration Hardware's Luxury Plush Throw.

You will not believe how incredibly soft this blanket is. It's like snuggling up with a bunny rabit - without the gross bunny rabbit part. It's the perfect size for one person and it's pretty enough to fold up and leave on the end of the couch. Unless you're me and you drag it with you Linus-style throughout the house. When it got chilly last fall The Mister tried to share the blanket with me on the couch. That whole "what's mine is yours" thing? Notsomuch when it comes to this blanket. He got a blanket of his very own that Christmas. And I do believe our marriage is better for it.

I'm 90% sure Michael Jackson named his kid "Blanket" as an homage to this very blanket.

Moral of the story - get one for yourself. You'll thank me. In fact, unless you live alone, get two. You won't want to share. Have someone on your holiday gift list that's impossible to shop for? They will love this blanket. I'd scoot over to Restoration Hardware soon - they're on sale and I just might buy the lot!

Hint, hint, B. A certain wife of yours would really appreciate a back-up blankey. God forbid something ever happen to mine. You know it's only a matter of time before I dump a Diet Coke all over it. You wouldn't want me to steal yours would you? (I'd like the brown one this time - thanks!) xoxo