Happy almost-December, everyone.

While the Christmas season certainly means more to me than gratuitous consumerism, I must admit I got swept up in the Black Friday holiday hoopla this year.
Armed with a day off and hellbent intent to give our living room a facelift, Matty and I set out on an adventure that involved a UHaul (to pick up free hand-me-down couches from my friend Courtney) and a few hours (yep, hours) at Best Buy.

After never giving in to the flat-TV need for years, I was finally ready to toss our old tube television out on the sidewalk and get rid of the old brown couches we'd been working with since we moved in--one of which Ozzie had nearly destroyed by gnawing at a small hole in the cushion daily until it became a nearly two-foot rip. Thanks, dawg.

But anyway.
We emerged victorious with a 50" flat screen, two microfiber red couches, and a new gray shag rug. But, upon returning home, it became increasingly clear that mounting the TV over the fireplace mantle as I'd envisioned would be an issue. The guys searched for studs, but came up blank. After some drilling, it became clear that the dry wall over the mantle was just covering the brick chimney behind it. We toyed with keeping a TV stand or choosing a different wall, but Matt knew just how badly I wanted the room laid out. He went down to the wood shop in the basement and got to work.

...we cuddled. In a strictly platonic fashion, of course.


...and today, they are gone and I am left with the one with the creepy mustache.
God help us all.

...considering I have been working in the mobile industry for almost six years (!) now, and have been slowly but surely becoming a Mac enthusiast during that time...but previously, my carrier did not have the iPhone, and I still had to wait two ungodly years for an upgrade.

So.

Now.

Finally.

Here we are.




Instagram photos will finally be getting a piece of the blog action, as my previous device left so much to be desired in the camera department.

Get ready for a lot more on-the-go action, friends.

It's about damn time.

That right there, ladies and gentlemen, is the love of my life.

While I must admit I miss the messy beard that earned him the contact title "Fuzzface" in my orange LG EnV flip phone back in the day, this here stache serves quite the purpose, of course.

You see, Matty, along with my roommate Kurt, and many of my friends are participating in Movember to raise money and awareness for mens health issues like prostate and testicular cancer.

You can see the evolution of Kurt's stache after the jump, and you can still donate to their Movember team here. They've raised a lot of money and are among the top teams in Boston!

Proud of my (creepy looking) dudes.

Hello hello.
Back with more libations and smiles. Tis the season, is it not?

First, a Public Service Announcement:
If you're living in a major metropolitan area, especially my fair city of Boston, I highly recommend that you subscribe to emails from Thrillist and Urban Daddy for upcoming events, restaurant openings, and otherwise entertaining shit that does not involve the dive bar on your corner.

It was all thanks to an email from Thrillist back in August that I became privy to the fact that there was a full-fledged, craft distillery right down the road from my own front door. GrandTen has been open for a while now, and when they put the finishing touches on their tasting room in August, I knew we had to check it out. I reached out to the GrandTen guys directly regarding a tour, and received a super-nice, personal email back from Spencer, one of the co-founders of GrandTen, telling us to "come on by" any Tuesday evening or Saturday.

Of course, a while went by since the summer, with Matty and I traveling and generally forgetting about the liquor pilgrimage I had inquired about. And then, I saw GrandTen's flagship gin at our local liquor store, and I knew I had to reach out to Spencer again and go see this place for myself.

Notice: This is not so much a tutorial as it will be a "look what I made" and some insight into my hackneyed skills. You have been warned.




I've been trying to get craftier in my day-to-day life. I really have.
I have purchased some tools and gizmos, in fits of inspiration off Amazon.
I have sanded a coffee table and applied an initial coat of crazy-bright lime green paint (love it).
And I have Pinned a bunch of things. Obviously.

But as goes the sunlight in the late afternoon these days, time and ambition are hard to come by when you're working full time and pursuing other interests (eating all the things and taking photos of all the edible and non-edible things).
But. I'm trying.
And by adding a nav bar item and tag for DIY and crafts, I hope to expand my posts to include art with more traditional mediums and simple solutions for daily decor and life. While graphic design and Photoshop are a pillar of my creativity, I am trying to step away from the glow of the Mac screen from time to time.
Being unplugged feels nice sometimes.
And creating something tangible feels even better.

Corn bread is one of those things.
It can go from breakfast to a snack to a side with the swap of a pan, a drizzle of honey, or a spoonful of chili. It is so approachable, so versatile and so (so, so, so) very comforting.

I was super excited when I found this recipe online for a gluten-free corn bread that didn't involve exorbitant amounts of various flour alternatives (potato or tapioca starch, anyone?) and then baked in my trusty (pre-heated) cast iron skillet. The hot pan makes for a nice crust on the outside of a light and fluffy cornbread.

After making once and loving the original, I knew it was time to fiddle with it a bit.

And to me, "fiddling" means adding bacon and jalapeños. Obviously.

So, without further ado.
Please make this so when I post about corn bread stuffing that I hope know will be delicious, you already have one component ready.
And because it's perfect, all on its own.

Continuing on the mission of sharing photos from the long-departed summer season, I bring some of my favorite photos from early September, when I found myself at Porsche Sport Driving School in Birmingham, Alabama.

...For work.

Life's tough sometimes.

Along with the perks of driving beautiful cars, the scenery at Barber Motorsports Park really cannot be beat. Rolling green hills prove to be an excellent backdrop for racing cars. And when three days of aggressive driving was up, we got to enjoy a stroll through their ridiculous vintage car and motorcycle museum on premises.

And though I know seriously next to nothing about anything and everything motorspots, I am just as enticed by a shiny new Porsche or fancy old Impala as the next guy girl.

I couldn't help but capture. Enjoy.

I had almost forgotten about this magical evening over Labor Day Weekend.

A simple, early-Sunday-morning text message, comprised of; "boat cruise?" brought ten or so of us together for a few drinks on dry land (at one of our favorites, LTK), followed by a meandering walk over to the wharf behind Remy's, where we strolled down a plank onto a small, two story boat.

Barely anyone followed.

We proceeded on our almost-private cruise, the bar rife with a most limited selection of beverages, and had one of the best nights in recent memory. And a perfect finale for what wound up being the sweetest, seemingly shortest summer of my life.

I have written about these little quinoa patties in the past.

When I first started to cook, a lot, I had recently discovered quinoa and came across this recipe from Seven Spoons.

When it became clear that Matty would no longer be eating wheat products, I began constantly thinking of tasty, easy breakfasts that didn't involve toast or an English muffin.

On Monday, during the infamous Frankenstorm, I worked from home and made these early in the morning, with fried bacon and poached eggs. Today, I wanted to do something different, as I knew how delicious they were all on their own. With a slather of avocado and a dash of hot sauce, these were the perfect afternoon snack before Matt and I ventured down the street to check out a distillery in our neighborhood (yes. Seriously. More on that to come, I promise). These are just the right balance of crunchiness and chewiness, and could lend itself to endless possibilities. The perfect afternoon bite on a fall weekend.

...That about sums it up.

No.
Okay.
For real.

I understand why people are asking when Matt and I intend to get married.
It's been months since we got engaged. I get it.
The people have a right to know.
But since I have this dear soap box, I figured why not use it?
And explain why I answer "I have no idea!" so enthusiastically when you inquire when the big day shall be.

It's a multitude of reasons, really.
And I'll cover them as honestly and efficiently as I can.
But, I feel the real reason we are taking our time is evident throughout this entire rambling monologue.
It's quite simple, really.

Because we can.