Born on Christmas Day...

Hey ya'll!
So I know it has been FAR TOO LONG since I have last posted...
I am sorry. I have been pretty busy with applying to grad school and all of the essays, emails, and calls that are associated with that process.. the whole process pretty much burned me out the past couple of weeks. Still have the interview part to do in December, and then I shall just wait to hear what the next steps will be..

Anywhooos, since it is OFFICIALLY holiday time (YAY!), Thanksgiving and Christmas have been on my mind a ton lately. I am not sure how many of you know but I was born on Christmas Day way back about 24 years ago. I was about a week early (I was supposed to be born January 3rd but I guess I just really wanted to officially join my family for Christmas!)

When I was younger, my birthday on Christmas was like the best thing ever. All my friends would ask, "So do you get gipped on your birthday, then since its Christmas too?" and my answer would always be.."No way! My family gets me birthday presents and then Christmas presents separately!" I was never really bragging about that fact, because it just meant that my family made it a point to celebrate the days separately but on the same day... (confusing I know)
We have my birthday cake, every year, after Christmas brunch at Grandpa's house, and my family gives me my "Christmas presents" first with everyone else's, then they give me my birthday presents after the Christmas ones are all done. I have always thought my mom and the rest of my family have done a great job in making me feel special despite the fact that Christmas is a day that everyone should feel special.

I thought this was SUPER funny - I had to share!
asthebunnyhops.com

When I was younger, I LOVED Christmas and all that came with it (I still do), but I had a clear view in my head that it was my birthday first and then I let it sink in that it was Christmas as well. I was always in the Christmas spirit for all of December, and I knew what Christmas was truly about, but the 25th was Dana's birthday to me.. (I honestly think most young children feel that way about their birthday..) Now that I am older, things are a bit different though..I much more consider Christmas Day as Christmas and not as my birthday.

Last year was the first year I felt like a chicken with my head cut off on Christmas day.. I enjoyed every moment of the day, however I felt a bit rushed and apprehensive that I wanted to be here at this time, and then there at that time. This was the first year I was out of my mom's house and the first year that Greg's parents didn't have Christmas dinner at their house...

Christmas/birthday morning I woke up around 8:30ish, got ready and headed over to mama's for Christmas morning present swapping just the 2 of us. Then we headed over to Grandpa's for 11:30 Christmas brunch and Greg met us there. From there, I went back to mom's and said goodbye to her for the rest of the day..then we headed up to Greg's mom and dad's house to exchange with them, and from there we went to his Aunt and Uncle's house to have Christmas dinner and exchange presents. Then, at around 9PM, Greg and I came straight back to my apartment to exchange presents and hang out with Sylver and Nick.
I wasn't home "relaxing" until almost 10:30, but it was Christmas and it was VERY important to me to see my mom, Greg, my family, Greg's family, and friends all on this day. If I didn't see any of those 5 people/groups of people on Christmas/birthday, I would be super sad. It is kind of a double-edged, but totally happy, sword. (Luckily, I have a wonderful boyfriend who always finds ways to celebrate my birthday in the days after Christmas, and it is there where I truly do feel that this is the time to celebrate my birthday.)

Last year I was able to fit all of my "must-have" Christmas visits in..it was just a very LONG day with TONS of driving. This year, I will try to give myself a bit of a break and make sure I am doing what I want while also doing my happy Christmas visits. Once we officially move in together, I am sure Greg and I will figure out ways to split up the family time on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bit better than we did last year, while also leaving some time on Christmas to see my friends for my birthday. As relationships continue to grow and blossom, their family becomes your family even before you get married, and you genuinely do want to see both sides on holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but sometimes it can be a bit too much. Finding ways to compromise with time is a great way to make that transition easier.

SO FUNNY..
someecards.com

I don't think I will ever have a "relaxing" birthday and I am totally OK with it, because I was blessed with having my birthday on the same day that almost everyone is truly super happy and celebrating what true Joy really is. Christmas is, and will always be, my favorite holiday of the year and it isn't because of the presents or because it is my birthday.. It's because it is the one day that I can see everyone that means the world to me be happy and together.. The Birthday hugs that I get are a SUPER AWESOME plus as well. ;)

xo Dana 

***Maxxie Side Note

I swear he is the most photogenic pup! 

The Liebster Award Tag!!

Hey guys!

I have a bit of a different kind of post for you all today...
The Downtime nominated me for The Liebster Award Challenge in one of her blog posts this past Saturday...

This challenge is, most-simply put, an About Me Q&A including 11 questions provided by the blogger that nominates you. I looked into the Liebster Award Challenge online before answering my questions so that I had a bit more of an idea of what I was going to be posting about. It seems that the idea of the post is a way to help fellow new bloggers become discovered by new readers and to do it in a way where readers, and writers alike, can learn more about you. (Not sure where the number 11 came into all of this, but I like it.)
I LOVE this idea! And I am happy to be a part of it! Thanks so much, TheDowntime for nominating me!

Here we go!!

The rules: 

1) Acknowledge the blog who nominated you

2) Answer the 11 questions given to you from the blogger

3) Give 11 random facts about yourself

4) Nominate 11 blogs you think are deserving of the award (les than 200 followers)

5) Let the bloggers know that you have nominated them

6) Give 11 questions for them to answer

7) Display the award photo in your post

My Questions:

1) What was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject was definitely Biology/ Human Anatomy. I was never bored in those classes..they always interested me.

2) What is your favorite book?
This is a hard one...I would say at this point my favorite book is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I love all of the Harry Potter books for different reasons, but this one would have to be my favorite to read and reread!
Link to my ode to the Harry Potter book series: My Harry Potter Story

3) Who is your celebrity crush?
Well, I have quite a few celebrity crushes...BUT my biggest would probably be Ryan Reynolds. There is just SO much to like about him!

4) What was your first car? Or What is your dream car?
I will answer both..my first car was a 1997 Periwinkle Blue Ford Taurus..My dream car would have to be a 2012+ year Black Subaru Impreza. I absolutely LOVE Subarus.

5) What is your favorite perfume?
Currently my favorite perfume is also my everyday perfume: Giorgio Armani - Acuqa di Gioia.. I am really starting to like Marc Jacobs - Daisy Dream as well..

6) What do you order from Starbucks?
I rarely go to Starbucks but when I do, I get a tall Caramel Machiato..YUM!

7) Who is your favorite YouTuber to watch?
I have a few favorites. but I think my all time favorite would be Tati or GlamLifeGuru..She posts makeup/skincare/hair videos every day and each and every of her videos are super enjoyable and informative. She posts tutorials, tips, hauls, reviews, and tons more- check her out!

8) Where was your first kiss?
Although I try to forget it..it was in 7th grade behind my old elementary school at a picnic table..it was less than memorable.

9) Do you have any siblings?
I have 2, much younger, half brothers. Hamude and Omar :)

10) When did you meet your best friend?
We met in 7th grade English class I believe. We became best friends in Freshman year of high school and have been inseparable ever since.

11) What is your favorite candy bar?
Pretty much any chocolate bar that is thrown my way! ;) Preferably Twix Bars or Hershey's Cookies and Creme Bars

My Random Facts!: 

1) I want to be a high school Biology teacher

2) I am 4'11" tall 

3) I am 50% Syrian (Dad is from Syria)

4) I was born on Christmas Day!

5) I hate Ketchup

6) I can crochet (similar to knitting but with only one needle)

7) I saw Josh Duhamel in The Hard Rock Cafe in New York when I was 20 years old. (super tall and super cute!!)

8) Jasmine is my favorite Disney character

9) I play Clash of Clans on my phone way too often

10) I sleep with 4 pillows in my bed (when I'm not sleeping with Greg and Maxxie) 

11) I collect MAC limited edition lipsticks

My Nominations!:

1. pleatherandsparkles.blogspot.com/ 

2. puppiesandpolkadots.com

3. jaclynleee.blogspot.com

4. sprinkledwithpearls.blogspot.com 

5. jembubble.blogspot.com

6. monstermisa.blogspot.com

7. mythoughtsviewsandvalues.blogspot.com
8. sansscrubs.blogspot.com
9. eenymeenyminymorgan.blogspot.com
10. petiteerin.blogspot.com
11. classtocloset.com

My Questions for you!:

1. Why did you start your blog?
2. What is your favorite donut to order at Dunkin' Donuts?
3. What is your favorite Disney movie?
4. When you get a manicure, what color do you usually gravitate towards?
5. What one piece of clothing or shoe can you not live with out?
6. Do you have any pets?
7. If you had to chose one store to shop for makeup would it be Ulta or Sephora?
8. What place do you want to travel to that you have not been before?
9. For take-out dinner..would you rather have Chinese Food or Pizza?
10. What brand of Mascara do you use?
11. What color clothing do you think makes you look and feel the best?



I really enjoyed doing this..It is fun to think about random things about yourself sometimes..stuff you don't normally think about.
Have fun with it! I look forward to seeing your answers :) :)
Have a great week everyone!

xo Dane

**Side note

We were able to briefly dress Maxxie up as a basketball player for Halloween 

before he tried to chew himself out of it.. hehehe :))

Look of the Day // Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween my dears!!

a teeney pumpkin!

Well it is officially Halloween-and may I say, having it on a Friday is the coolest thing ever!! (We don't have any exciting plans tonight, BUT the thought that we have the option to stay out and party late into the night on actual Halloween night is SUPER cool!)

Since we can't dress up in a costume for work, I knew I wanted my look to AT LEAST be Halloween-themed themed!

I wanted to share with you the look I created for today!


Here it is : 

Products Used:

Eyes:

In the crease: 

Naturally Pretty Palate shadows: Soft Light, Mocha, Sunset, and Noir // It Cosmetics

On the lid: 

Eye shadow Pigment: Vegas Lights // Makeup Geek

On the brow bone: 

Single eye shadow: Nylon // MAC

On lower lash line and water line: 

Soft Kohl eye pencil: Jet Black // Rimmell London

Lashes: 

Mascara: Perversion // Urban Decay

Cheeks:

Blush: Terra Cotta // NYX

Blush: Luminoso // Milani 

Lips: 

Lip liner pencil: Expresso // NYX

Fergie Lipstick: Ferguson Crest Cabernet // Wet n' Wild

Wore a fun, orange scarf from Mandee over a black 3/4 sleeved flowy top
(and yes I take a lot of my selfies at work when I'm not terribly busy) 

Hope you guys liked this one :) And I PROMISE I will have my MAC lipstick collection up by Sunday. Sorry, I lied in my last post about having it up by today... :(
(There are a lot of photos to take!)

I also will try to take a couple photos of whatever we decide to dress Maxxie in for tonight.
(He HATES having anything on him but his fur and collar..so we will see how it goes)

Whatever your plans are tonight and this weekend, be safe and have fun!!!

xo Dane

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

**Side Note:

How flipping cute is this photo Greg managed to catch of Mr. Max guarding the yard?!

He is SO super cuteeeee!! and kudos to Greg for this amazing picture!

Halloween Weekend- Who, What, Where!

Hey guys! Hope you all had a fun, safe, Halloween weekend!
Sorry it took me so darn long to get this post up. Been super busy with work stuff for the past 2 days.
Here we go with my Halloween themed Weekend-Who, What, Where!!

So, Halloween is this Friday, but I figure a lot of people had their Halloween parties this past weekend as opposed to this coming.. (I mean aside from actual Halloween Friday Night.)
It has always seemed weird to me to dress up for Halloween after October 31st..like once November 1st hits, its time to prepare for Thanksgiving for me! (Thanksgiving is one of my favorite Holidays of them all.)

So, this year, as you might know from my previous post...I dressed up as a Minion from Despicable Me. I wanted to show you guys how it all turned out in this "Weekend" post.. I really love how it turned out..it was super comfortable, I felt super cute, and it was a hit at the party (and on Facebook where I posted about 5 photos-lol)

MY COSTUME

MY MAKEUP

Products Used:

Eyes:

Single Eyeshadow in "STFU" // NYX

Infallible Eye Shadow in "Timeless Blue Spark" // L'Oreal

Eye Studio Gel Liner in "Blackest Black" // Maybelline

i-ENVY lashes in "Au Naturale" // Kiss  (got these in my most recent Ipsy bag.. Thanks Ipsy!!)

Lips:

Macaron Lippie in "Citron"  // NYX 

GREG'S COSTUME

Wayne's World! Wayne's World! Party Time! Excellent!!
(Party on Garth. Party on Wayne!)

(He made a GREAT Garth!)

An interesting pair to say the least!

MY GIRLS

Daisy Dukes, Rosie the Riveter, and a Minion!

Ashley, Me, and Sylver 

FOOTBALL GAMES


Greg and I took a bus trip to Metlife Stadium on Sunday to see the New York Jets play the Buffalo Bills. Now as you might know, I am a Giant's fan, not a Jets' fan, BUT both teams share the same home field. (They are sometimes even referred to as "brothers" since they share the same "home") So I had no problem taking full advantage of the discounted game tickets that included breakfast, transportation, and tailgate food.

Unfortunately, the Jets' lost TERRIBLY to the Bills, but it was still so fun to be there. Greg had never been to the stadium before, and I had only been there once but not with him, so it was super fun to experience it all together. He LOVED it!
(It sure woulda been a bit more enjoyable if the stadium was decorated in Giants' Blue, instead of the Jets' Green, but we will get to a Giants' game sometime soon :) )

Halloween themed Metlife Sign! 

Rocked my Giants' Sweater at the game!

Greg LOVED the stadium!

Our seats were SUPER high up, but we still were able to see a
great deal of the happenings on the field

I am planning on getting my MAC lipstick collection post up on Thursday or Friday of this week..Keep an eye out for it! 

Hope you guys enjoyed the post, and I hope you have a wonderful Halloween week!!

xo Dane 

My Halloween Costume Idea // A Minion!!

I am usually the kind of person that figures out what they want to be about a week before Halloween, but this year was the first one in a while that I had my idea almost a month in advance. (Go me!)

I, my friends, am going to be a Minion! :) Yes, one of the little, cute, yellow, alien-ish thingies from Despicable Me!

I knew that I wanted to veer more toward the "cute" region of costumes this year, as opposed to the "hot/sexy" costumes. I am not overly thrilled with my body at the moment, so I was not about to go and be my dream costume of Jasmine from Aladdin. (maybe next year I will be belly-shirt ready-we shall see)

That being said, I am not upset with my choice to be a Minion AT ALL. I am super excited to be something comfortable, warm, and cute on a night that usually consists of me being freezing wearing a too-tight outfit and too-high heels.. I'm just not about that life this year.

I might also add, that I really have never been anything too sexy, if you will, for Halloween. (I just have never wanted to wear lingerie in front of many people on a fairly cold October night.) Here are 2 Halloween costumes that I have chosen in recent years. None of which are too over-the-top-sexy in my opinion. (But we sure do make em look good, if I do say so myself!)

Halloween 2012 - Sylver and I
Dressed as Tom Cruise from Risky Business
and an Army Cadet!

Halloween 2013 - Sylver and I
Dressed as a Vampire and Catwoman!

I think a girl's Halloween costume should make her feel beautiful, empowered, and unique. Halloween is one of the only nights a year that people can truly be whatever and whoever they want to be. So be whatever the heck you wanna be! You can make even the cutest costume look hot if you work it like you know that it is YOU that makes the costume hot - even if you chose to be a minion. ;)




I feel much more creative in general than past recent years.
This year, I found my new-found passion for makeup and makeup application, I have been increasingly crafty, I just came back from a wonderful and amazing trip to Disney World, and I am trying to watch my money spending. I compiled all of those things, and landed on the idea of dressing as A MINION! Who doesn't love these crazy little cuties from Despicable Me? They are SO fun, SO cute, and absolutely hilarious.


First item I needed to purchase for the costume were short denim overalls. I looked EVERYWHERE in the mall for a pair of these, and I finally found them at Hollister on one of their clearance tables. They were $24.99. (Not too bad for Hollister, and I can wear them again next summer if I figure out a cute enough outfit- WIN) I did need to alter the overalls a bit, as the straps just WOULD NOT match up no matter what I tried. I ended up sewing some minion-inspired, black buttons onto the front of them, and cut little button holes into the straps. Easy peasy and they were done!



These are the overalls before I altered them - Hollister

I found a bright yellow long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of bright yellow leggings on Amazon.
(Shirt- $7.95 Leggings- $5.99)

And I found my Minion Hat (goggles already sewn in and everything!) ($7.99) at Target in the Boy's Department with the Winter gloves and hats. The last thing I needed was the "Gru" "G" ($5.00), and for shoes, I plan to wear my old-reliable, Steve Madden, black, lace-up combat boots.




I played around with my makeup the other day to find my initial idea that I wanted to follow for eye makeup for my costume and I landed on this little look! (This is just my eye makeup.. I will also have a fun, full face of makeup and a perfect lipstick to pair it all with for the part. :) )

L'Oreal Infallible Shadow in Midnight Blue with
NYX STFU in and above the crease
(Sorry it's blurry)

Now, I do realize that I could have bought a Minion costume on Amazon or something for about the same amount that I spent on everything, but that would have made me feel A LOT less creative than all this made me feel. I had fun getting it all together, and I am ready for our first Halloween party this Saturday!

I will be sure to post some official photos of my costume in it's entirety after the party on Saturday.. :)

 Links to Costume Pieces

 Overalls // Hollister

Combat Boots // Nordstrom

Yellow Shirt // Amazon

Yellow Leggings // Amazon

Minion Hat // Amazon (not available at Target anymore)

Gru "G" // Amazon



Thanks, guys!

Hope you enjoyed!

And if you are planning on doing anything Halloweeny this weekend, have fun and be safe!!!

xo Dane

**Side Note // this is the cutest, most funny thing..

enjoy the small child being the best minion ever!!  ("I'm okayyyy!)





Weekend - Who, What, Where

Hi dears! Hope everyone had a great weekend :)
Today it was 35 degrees when I woke up in Meriden! Too cold for me! Don't go skipping Fall on me now!!
I slacked a bit with blogging last week, my apologies. I really do want to stick to this! I am really enjoying it :)


Here is another segment of my Weekend - Who, What, Where!

MAC LIPSTICKS

Mac's "Captive"

On Friday, I left work a couple of hours early for a doctor's appointment. On my way home, I remembered that I had a $25.00 gift card for Macy's waiting patiently in my wallet to be used. (Whenever I have enough credit car rewards points, I almost always use them toward a Macy's gift card.) Why Macy's you might ask? Well, my dears, it is because Macy's is the only official MAC Cosmetics distributor near me.  I have been craving  a new work-appropriate lipstick for the past couple of weeks, so it seemed like the perfect idea. 

I approached the MAC counters with clean hands just waiting to be swatched upon! After swatching for at least 10 minutes,  I ended up deciding on a Satin finish, berry/mauve shade called

"Captive". This color is PERFECT for the kind of lip look I go for on a normal, everyday basis. I asked one of the lovely MAC makeup artists to help me pair it with an appropriate lip liner that would suit my new addition and a few of my other normal colors that I use. We both agreed, that "Soar" was a perfect match.  There is just something about MAC lipsticks that makes me super excited. 

As of last week, my collection consists of 19 lipsticks, half of which are limited edition lipsticks which I actively seek out to collect, and half of which are shades that are always available in stores and online.

(I plan to make a blog post primarily dedicated to my MAC lipstick collection very soon. This may only intrigue some of my few readers, but I am genuinely excited to get the post/photos/swatches up for people/myself to see)

BABYSITTING

Yes, that's right, babysitting. I am in my mid-twenties and I still actively babysit a couple of nights a month for close family-friends. I have been babysitting these girls since I was about 13, and I have seen them grow up and change; honestly it is more than just babysitting to me now.

Around the time that I turned 19 or 20, I began to realize how much I enjoyed watching and hanging out with the girls. Some nights were more difficult than others, but for the most part, we always had a fun time.  The transition of becoming a teenage-babysitter to an adult-babysitter was quite easy for me. I truly enjoy spending time with the girls (and two pups) and I have even grown to consider their parents to be friends. 

I can honestly say, that whenever I do stop babysitting them (which will probably be soon, because the oldest is approaching her teenage years) I will want to stay actively in touch with them, and continue to hang out with them as they continue to grow up. I want them to be a part of my life and my future children's lives.

BARKBOX

Not sure if anyone has ever heard of Barkbox...but if you are a dog lover and a subscription box conessur, this is the box for you! I tried out Barkbox at the beginning of this year, when I saw a link for a discounted price on facebook. They have an option to try out one month, 3 months, 6 months, and a year- I wanted to try out a trial box before taking the leap and purchasing a few months worth.

I remember seeing videos of pups digging into their Barkboxes when they came in the mail, so when Max's first box arrived, we got the tape off of the sides, opened up the flap, and set it on the floor. "Max, look! A barkbox!" From then on we were HOOKED!

Each month there are at least 4 different types of treats and 2 different toys for your pup. Per the Barkbox website: "When you sign up for BarkBox, every month you will receive a box in the mail with four or more carefully selected products and presents for your dog – anything from toys, bones and all-natural treats to hygiene products and innovative new gadgets"

This month, Max's Barkbox was Halloween themed! The box came wrapped with special Barkbox, Halloween paper, 2 Halloween themed toys, and 4 different treats! The website asks you to pick a size of pup when you sign up, so since Max is 50 pounds, I selected the largest option. Some toys that Max has received have been a bit too soft for him, so he destroys them within the day, but there is always at least one perfectly suited toy to him.

One of Maxxie's Halloween-themed Barkbox toys

Right now I am on the 6 month subscription plan, and it was $80.00. Greg and I really think that Barkbox is worth the money because we will never need to buy him new toys or special treats when we have an active subscription! One good, sturdy dog toy can run you $10-$15 sometimes, so if you think about it that way, the subscription pays for itself within the second or third month. And believe me, with how excited Max gets when he hears "Max has a Barkbox!", that definitely worth more than the $80.00 I spent. It is priceless :)

   

VINEYARDS/WINERIES 

This Saturday, Greg and I went to a vineyard/winery in Clinton, CT with a few friends. I have only been to 3 vineyards so far since turning 21 a couple of years ago, and they have oddly enough all been during this year. I am not sure what exactly took me so long after I turned 21 to get to one of them, as I have always loved wine since forever, but I am truly glad that I finally made it to one. 

The vineyard we went to this weekend is called Chamard Vineyard, and I must say that it was the nicest one I have been to so far. The views of the vineyard, the building grounds, and the building

itself were absolutely gorgeous! Not to mention, their wine was pretty darn great too. I ordered a bottle of their Stone Cold Red Wine and Greg ordered a bottle of their Stone Cold White Wine.

I ended up drinking the entire bottle over the 3 1/2 hours we were there on a pretty empty stomach, and paid for it on the way home... Due to my empty-stomach-wine-drinking stupidity, I am, as a result, down one Jessica Simpson purse, while Greg and 2 of our friends are up a few too many visions of me paying for my stupidity....more details on that, I am sure, are not needed. 

Aside from the not-so-great ending to my Saturday, I enjoyed the day very much. Clearly I enjoyed the wine a little too much, but what can I say..we have all been there, right?

  

SLOW COOKER

I woke up pretty darn early on Sunday morning after my early/not so fun night after the wine incident. After I realized that I somehow did not have a hangover, I got some toast and water into me, took a well-needed shower, and went to Big Y to shop for our dinner for the night:

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff. (Beef Strog for short) Greg and I had made this wonderful dish once before in the slow cooker, and we adored it! It was definitely a good day for an easy, wholesome, and tasty home-cooked meal, so we decided to try the beef strog again.

I LOVE using the Crock Pot. It is so easy to prepare a meal, the clean-up is pretty simple after we eat, and there is ALWAYS left overs. It is a wonderful day for Dana if all that needs to be done is put the meat in the pot, add condensed mushroom soup of some sort, add onions and garlic, turn the thing on, and allow the aroma of the food being cooked waft through the house for the few hours before it is ready. Who ever invented the slow cooker..I salute you. Thank you for your wonderful and perfect donation to society. 

Thanks for reading guys!

You are the best :)

xo Dana

Weekend - Who, What, Where

This weekend was wonderful! I don't know about you, but I spent this weekend going completely at my own pace. Greg and I had nothing we HAD to do, nowhere we HAD to be, and just got to be and do whatever we wanted. We slept in, we cleaned, we watched Netflix, and we managed to do fun Fall things all at the same time!
Here is my Weekend - who, what, where.. A compilation of some of my favorite things from this weekend :) Enjoy!

BOYFRIEND/PUP 

There is seriously not much better than coming home to Greg after a hard week's work. Nothing better than being greeted at the door by Maxxie :) I love weekends where I can come to Greg's right after work on a Friday. However, there is one horribly annoying, completely unavoidable part that I could do with out. That would be: Friday-at-five traffic... THE WORST. Takes me an hour to get to Greg's instead of the normal half hour. (I do tend to make the best of the longer drives with my favorite tunes though)

Now, clearly that is a horse behind us and not Maxxie,
but it is a pretty cool pic!

DRIVING TUNES

My current favorite driving songs:

Bang Bang - Jessie J feat. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj

Bailando - Enrique Iglesias feat. Sean Paul

Best Night Ever - Gloriana

Shake it Off - Taylor Swift

And a nice little throwback for you!:

All For You - Sister Hazel

THE FOLLOWING

Kevin Bacon and crazy, murder mystery all rolled up into one entertaining (and at times disturbing) television show. Greg and I were looking for a new show to start together on Netflix, and we decided on The Following. Brief synopsis of the show via imdb.com:

"A brilliant and charismatic, yet psychotic serial killer communicates with other active serial killers and activates a cult of believers following his every command, while an ex-FBI agent (Kevin Bacon) works to catch him." 

It is super entertaining and really has a way of pulling the viewer into the story right from the get-go. It can be pretty disturbing and kind of gross at times, but what shows aren't nowadays. I don't think this one goes too over the top. The show is going on it's third season. Check it out if you are looking for a new, creepy show to watch for this Halloween season!

Watch The Following on Netflix and on FOX!

BEER

And at the moment, that favorite beer is Yuengling...Well, technically, it's a lager.

Now, around here in Connecticut, this is Yuengling's first rodeo. CT just began being able to sell Yuengling at the beginning of the season and it has been quite a hit. Not sure if it is just the initial hype, or what, but I have been seeing EVERYONE with this beer. I tried it for the first time last weekend and it was the only thing I drank this weekend. Now, mind you, I am not a big drinker, but when Greg and I go out with friends, I usually chose the beer route. I find that it is easiest to work with whilst being out and about. Normally I gravitate toward Budlights and Coronas, but Yuengling is now definitely in running of my new beer of choice. (Sorry, lager) If you haven't already, give it a try next time you are in the bar.

Yuengling Lager - New to CT this season

FARMS/ORCHARDS

Greg and I went apple/pumpkin picking this weekend! One of my favorite fall traditions. Such a simple yet enjoyable experience each year. My family and I have been visiting Hickory Hill Farm in Cheshire, CT since I can remember. It isn't an overwhelmingly large farm, but it gives you everything you want and would expect from a cute, country farm. The farm building itself is all made of wood and is decorated with every fall decoration you could ever think of. Best part is, every decoration you see is real and/or homemade! The top floor of their farm house is entirely dedicated to Christmas too! I love checking out the Christmas decorations no matter how early in the season it is. They have a large array of apples to pick in their orchard and a perfect collection of pumpkins to chose from in their farm yard. They even have at least 2 horses grazing in the pasture that lies in the middle of their orchard. Then top it off with some amazing apple cider donuts, and I am pretty much the happiest girl in the land.  (Shout out to Bishop Farm in Cheshire, CT as well- they have my FAVORITE apple cider donuts - YUM)



All purple everything - very festive! 

Never too early for Christmas decorations!

PUMPKIN CARVING

We each picked our pumpkins at Hickory Hill and brought em home to get to carving! Pumpkin carving is no joke..I get really into it and want it to come out pretty much exactly like the picture I copied from the book. This is sometimes not a realistic way of going about carving, as there is major room for error with a pumpkin.. that room mainly consists of my lack of carving skills. Needless to say, it is still fun and is one of my favorite Fall traditions to take part in. This was actually my second time carving this season already! (Maybe if I keep practicing, I'll be really, really ready for next year!)

Our Pumpkins!

FOOTBALL

I don't know if you guys remember, but I am a NY Giants' fan. I like to think I am a loyal fan to my team, and I can genuinely say, that I have not missed a game in about 3 years. Well, Sunday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles was the first game I found myself wishing that  I missed...

The Eagles ran huge, fast, and well-organized circles around the Giants almost the entire game. It was pretty tough to watch. I wasn't even angry at them or anything, I just felt sad for them. You hate to see your team not perform well. And then, to make all matters worse, Victor Cruz gets a season-ending knee injury. SO SAD...I literally shed a tear when I saw Cruz's reaction to the realization of the impact his injury was going to have on him and his season - it was heart wrenching. 

I have not lost faith in my team, though. It was just a bad game with a lot of room for improvement. I look forward to this week's game against Dallas. It should be a tough one, but hopefully not anywhere as near as tough as last night's. (pretty please!!) 

#80 - Victor Cruz

Hope you all had a great weekend too!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you like this concept for a weekly or biweekly post :)

Have a blessed week and a good night, dears!

xo Dana