Thanksgiving is a time for sharing.

Sharing an awesome pumpkin porter.

Recently Erin and I shared a limited batch pumpkin mix pack.  The beer was a collaboration job by 21st Amendment and Elysian Brewing Companies called "He Said" that included two Belgian-Style Triples brewed with pumpkin and two Baltic Porters with Pumpkin.  

I will preface this by saying that my love of Porters has been vastly growing. I love them, I'm obsessed with this year's batch of Long Ireland Chocolate Porter and now I have a new beer to add to the list. With the good comes the bad and I will admit, I was not crazy about the Belgian Triple Ale.  It was slightly too bitter in the finish, which I like sometimes - but not with pumpkin beers.  I look for a smooth body and slightly sweet finish with a great pumpkin beer and with that the porter took home the bacon!

I now only wish I could buy solo packs of the He Said Baltic Pumpkin Porter and hoard it up to have all winter.  Yes, it was that delicious.    

So, with tomorrow's holiday be sure to share the love and the beer.  I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and gets to spend with people they care most about.

                                                                                       : i want to see the world.

The older I get, the more my perception of "rich" or "value" continues to change.  Of course we'd all love to be served breakfast in bed, own a summer home - how about own a private jet, while we are at it.  Though, only few things make an individual actually rich.

In my opinion, all the money and general wealth in the world can not make your life rich by merely existing.  A rich life is comprised of:   l o v e  - love of oneself, love of another, feeling that love in return, love of one's purpose, love of life ;  e d u c a t i o n  - you have stopped living if you are no longer learning ;  t r a v e l - there is so much to see in this world and with each discovery lies a chance at an enriching adventure ; lastly and positively accompanying is :  p a s s i o n - without passion the hunger that fuels each of these life enriching elements will cease to exist. 

Although, it will be a bit more of a wait till I hop the pond.  I will have to appease myself with Domestic travel, Caribbean trips, and fantastic casual outfits.  Every day is an opportunity to artistically express an emotion and my emotions want to travel Europe. 

As soon as the holidays become close, the freeze begins to creep in.  With that the dry and pasty skin lurks around like the awkward family members that you try to avoid at family parties. I have never been a huge fake tanner, self tanner, tanning bed sort of girl -but I also cannot deny that I feel miserable as soon as my tan has completely faded. 

FakeBake is a great way to fake the healthy, glowing and toned complexion to your skin.  It is a washable faux glow that is easily applied and rubbed in.  It's instant gratification because you can see the product blending and can carefully apply it evenly.  FakeBake is great for you body and face. A great option for an instant bronzed look that washes away easily in the shower, yet will not rub off if it is dried and layered properly.  I will say I layered it really thick to appear extra dark for a halloween costume ( see here ) and I got it on my white sweater scarf -though after washing it, my scarf appeared like new. So, basically I'm telling you it is not only a great way to fake a summer glow, but that it is completely washable! Do it, I won't tell anyone. 

So these are a few of my favorite products, they are all spectacular and do a fantastic job of keeping my skin soft, healthy and have a natural year round glow.  I highly recommend this regimen! 

90's are apparently the new 80's,

and I like the music more. 

I still think I like 80's movies better, but 90's music is the best.  There is something about those grunge bands that started in garages and then found themselves creating their own genres. I love them all: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and I can't forget my little obsession with Gavin Rossdale and his band Bush.

With that being said, the grungy elements of the 90's fashion really look great with modern lines. I love the textures of plaid, leather and silver hardware with the sheer flowy nature of the shirt and the grungy style boots and beanie.  

So this years immersion into the subculture's fashion and into mainstream has made my "stuck in the 90's" mentality even more relevant.  To top off being able to rock 90's gear with fresh albums coming out from some of my favorite 90's people.  A new Bush album is dropping and the new Foo Fighters album just dropped last week, now I'm anxiously awaiting for the release of tour dates. But to hold me over, I'll just bask in the revamping of the 90s in my wardrobe. 

It may take a little bit before a show tops this one, and by a little bit, I mean next show I attend. I just love the feeling of being in the crowd below the stage, feeling the energy and what music is all about. So needless to say, it was to be a great night. Not only did I score very limited general admission front section tickets to the Black Keys and Cage the Elephant - but I got to enjoy it with some of my best friends and my fiancé. I bought these tickets last spring and anticipated this show all summer.

Pretty, Pretty Princess

Opposites always attract, I really love the contrast of opposing style.  In this case I used the tulle style skirt, simply folded from this dress (here) and paired it with a studded chambray top.  Its a simple look with a that I could easily wear with flat boots to dress it down a touch. The really girlie, ultrafem style skirt and grunge style denim is a great balance. I also, love the idea of reinventing a dress into a skirt for extra versatility.  It really worked great with this particular piece and I can't wait to see what else I can do with it in the spring. 

If you like this chambray, you should check out Mavy Savvy and their unique collection.  This top was one of the great items I received!  Enter my contest (here) to receive discounts on their fab pieces.

If you know me,

you know I love food.

I love all kinds of food, I don't discriminate and will give anything a chance.  Although, I will admit to mostly loving super down-homestyle dishes.  I love rich flavors and slightly heavy meals, I should weigh 100 pounds more than I do.  My friends always tease me and say I could put gravy or alfredo sauce on anything and I'm known for sending all my friends into food comas.  

Although, this season brings about one great homestyle favorite in particular: the pureéd soup.  I could eat soup and bread for dinner every winter night. With that being said, I made an attempt at cooking one of my favorites. To my surprise, making butternut squash, apple and onion soup was so much easier than I imagined.  

So I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did and check out my pureéd Potato Leek Soup too (here). 

After Halloween ends, we are reminded immediately that there is another holiday quickly approaching.  But just stop it, don't care about christmas just yet.  My pumpkin is still being lit on my front porch ( see here ).  And I like to embrace the present, and presently it is still fall. 

For the entire month of October, I been watching horror films, begun the new seasons of Walking Dead and American Horror Story, carved pumpkins, drank Octoberfest beer, and felt the need to be festive.  Halloween isn't just for the kids.  

So this year, although I had to work friday and saturday -I still managed to do fun things after work each night and pull together two DIY costumes.