Tuesday ~ Starbucks Tuesday

Well, it's another Starbucks Tuesday here in the world of my office! Today has been a great day because....da-da-da-dum! It was the first foggy day of fall! The sun has already come out and burned it off, sadly, but it was lovely while it lasted. I, as you perhaps have guessed, absolutely LOVE fog, the thicker the better. Which is good, since we get it quite often during the fall & winter months of my portion of earthly paradise.

Today I tried something new on the recommendation of a friend who actually works at Starbucks. Namely the:

White Hot Chocolate

After getting to my office, I pulled of the lid to take my usual picture and I thought for a second perhaps there had been a mistake, because residing in my cup was what looked like, well, just a cup of milk. And I'll admit that it tasted very similar to a very sweetened cup of warm milk.

  Until I got to the bottom inch, where suddenly it because very thick and tasted very strongly of pure white chocolate. Lesson to be learned here? Keep that drink moving! Don't let the chocolate settle on the bottom of the cup. I did enjoy the flavor and I think I'd at some point enjoy it again sometime, but with the reminder to keep it stirred.

I have decided that there will be a Starbucks Tuesday link-up on the FIRST Tuesday of the month! So, keep your camera phones handy when you drink your next specialty beverage and plan on linking up with me for a coffee date...

NEXT week, November 6th!

Monday ~ October Civil War Reenactment

Without fanfare and to-do, here are some pictures from this past weekend! It was a lovely weekend doin' that thing we do, seeing friends we haven't seen in awhile, hearing familiar battle sounds, etc. And of course, that special swish-swish of wearing long skirts and lace-up boots. Many thanks to mom's mad photo skills on these pics!

The four single ladies of the 43rd Virginia Cavalry! (Katheryn, neighbor/church friend/honorary family member K, me, Karis - we just happen to all have names starting with "k," haha)

Not my best hair day, but hey, whatevah...

 I love pictures taken from the back, because I love the sight of our dress hems skimming the ground so prettily!

My boys in Confederate gray! At least some of them are my boys.

Stuart, my youngest brother

 

Soldiers relaxing between battles

Joseph, neighbor/church friend/honorary family member

Battle aftermath. That's my brother Scott (that's Corporal to you) being helped off the field. 
(And I love having palm trees on our battle field. *grin*)

She's a lovely young lady.

My mother.

Stuart was unit/brigade flag bearer. So proud of him! So proud of all my boys!

 Eating frozen lemonades and yogurt to cool off.

My hands down favorite battle is the Twilight battle. It's so real, because the dense fog from the cannons and guns can literally be seen creeping across the field, obscuring the soldiers except for hazy silhouettes. As you see flashes of light from the rifles and cannons and hear the groans from the wounded, it's easy to grasp onto the sobering reality of battle.

Evening around the camp fire. My favorite time of day!

Yes, it's this pretty. Don't you wish you could do this?? :)

Contact your nearest Civil War reenactors guild and join the fun yourself! Really, it's a blast!

Friday ~ My Other Life

Some of you may know that my family does Civil War reenacting. I was very not into it when they first began doing it about 7 years ago; I thought it was a "homeschool" thing to do...which I can say, because I was a homeschooler. ;) But after a few years, I got hooked by the fashion of the Civil War period of history and all it's delights. It's been a few years that I've done it and although I'm not a die hard, there is something exciting about living in a soldier's camp, eating over the fire, sleeping in a wall tent, and the swish-swish of your dress as you walk down the road.

 This weekend is the grand finale of the reenacting season, and incidentally, the first one I'll have actually done this year. And so in honor of the weekend:

Ten Things I Like About Civil War Reenacting:

1) Being in the cheerleading squad as I watch my dad and brothers march away to battle

2) getting away from normal life and interacting with people living and dressing like it’s the 1860’s

3) wearing big dresses and petticoats  (although I swore off the corset after one afternoon; it’s NOT romantic like it looks in the movies!)

4) Lying in bed inside of the wall tent at night listening to the sounds of camp life around me

5) waking up to revile

6) talking to spectators and other reenactors about women’s fashion of the 1860’s

7) the smell of gunpowder and rifle smoke and how the haze from the cannons floats across the ground

8) sitting around the campfire with family and friends

9) honoring that time in our country’s history and giving respect to the thousands upon thousands who died. (I know that sounds cheesy, but I really mean it.)

10) And usually be the end of the weekend…packing up and going back to the “real world” with a whole new appreciation for running water, electricity and most of all: jeans. :)

And my all-time favorite reenacting picture...

Me & Dad

"A Message for Suitors"

Next week: pictures of this coming weekend's time-traveling event. :)

Thursday ~ Skittles for Breakfast

If you held in your hand one yellow, one orange, one green, one purple and one red Skittle...and you had to eat them ONE at a time...in what order would you eat them?

I eat mine beginning with my least favorite: purple, yellow, orange, green, red. Because red is, of course, unequivocally the best flavored Skittle. :)

Tuesday ~ Starbucks Tuesday Link-Up Edition

Happy Starbucks Tuesday Link-Up, friends!

I’m here in my office enjoying my weekly Starbucks beverage while listening to the classics.

Would you like to join me?

Here’s how:

1. Post about any specialty beverage that you had today or this week.
2. Include a picture or two! Phone pictures not only accepted but almost expected. *grin*
3. I’d be delighted if you’d include the new “Starbucks Tuesday Link-up” picture seen above, but it is by far not required to join me!
4. Once you’ve posted your drink, hop back on over here to my blog. See the little “Simply Linked” gizmo down on the bottom of this post? Fill that baby out!
5. Hit “submit” and watch me jump up and wave as I see you walk through the door!

Today I officially ushered in the fall season by ordering my all-time favorite fall/winter Starbucks beverage:

Carmel Apple Spice Cider

If you have not had the Carmel Apple Spice this fall, then you're fall has not officially begun. If you've never had the Carmel Apple Spice ever, then your entire life has not begun. It's that good.

Carmel Apple Spice & Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake: what a cute couple. :)

I didn't actually order a venti sized drink. They must have been out of tall cups, because they gave me the venti for the price of the tall. That's what I call an unexpected blessing. ;)

************************

Hope to see anybody join me here for coffee or tea sometime today! Everybody's welcome and feel free to bring a friend. *waves*

Friday ~ Announcement: Starbucks Tuesday Link-Up

Introducing:

Like coffee or any other kind of coffee-shop specialty drink?
Then let’s do coffee together!
Take a picture of any specialty beverage you might have at any point during the week 

(phone pictures are most definitely accepted!) 

and post about in on Tuesday, then link-up with me!
 

It can be hot or cold.
Coffee, cream or tea.
Straight from a coffee-shop or even homemade!
 
Will you join me THIS Tuesday??
Come on.
It’ll be fun.
 

Thursday ~ Little Letters (Special Link-Up Edition)

**In order to participate in Rissi's Little Letters Link-Up, I have bowed to the trend and written some little notes of my own**

Dear Autumn Barn Dance:

I am really looking forward to decorating you! Let’s turn our barn into a fall fairy-land, ok?

Dear Frock Coat that I Need to Finish Sewing:

Don’t worry, I WILL get you finished in time. No matter than I was commissioned to make you a year ago. ;)

Dear Rolo McFlurry:

Despite the fact that you originated in a McDonald’s….thou art delicious.

Dear Fire-fighters:

Thank you for everything that you do for us on a daily basis that we don’t even think about or know about. You people are my heros.

Dear Dr. Who Fans:

Pleeeease stop giving away crucial information! I’m anxiously awaiting Season 1 to arrive so I can finally embrace the bandwagon, but I don’t want to know anything before I start! 

Dear Niece/Nephie Due in May:

I can’t wait to meet you in 7 months! I really should have gotten a mini-van instead of a 5-seater.

Dear Classical Music:

You make it feel more like Fall!

Dear Mazda:

I was so excited to get to drive you today because you are finally clean and sparkly again!
 

Dear Home-Owners:
Just so you know...I LOVE house-sitting! Think of me when you go on holiday! *smile*

Dear Bobby Pins:
The many things I can do with you continues to amaze me! You're the Coca to my Cola!

Wednesday ~True Love's Kiss

If you've been hanging around my blog for the past year, you might recognize the lovely couple in the pictures below. Last summer, I had the immense privilege of taking my best friend's engagement pictures with her then soon-to-be husband. In December, I was once again given the pleasure of taking their New Year's pictures. And now it is with GREAT excitement that I was blessed to be a part of the next installment of their lives - their pregnancy pictures!

Tuesday ~ Starbucks Tuesday

Aaaaand ladies 'n' gents, we're back in motion with.....Staaaaarbucks Tuesday!  I've gone 2.5 weeks without any Starbucks and it frankly didn't faze me at all! Perhaps my coffee cravings are directly linked with driving to work, because that's the only time that I find myself irresistibly craving it. But here I am again, sitting in my office with some classic tunes playing, sipping away on a cup o' fall.

Yes, this is my FIRST fall Starbucks drink. And it is the:

Salted Caramel Mocha!

This was my first time trying the Salted Caramel and I expected great things. But on this side of the mocha, I can't say it's anything other than ordinary. It tastes like nothing special and I can't say that it has enhanced the feelings of fall. In fact, although you can't taste the salt as a blatant flavor, there's just something in it's flavor that missed the target for me. Perhaps it's the slightly stronger taste of coffee. Despite my great love for Starbucks I do not have a great love for an obtuse coffee flavor. Anyways, I'd give it a 3 on a scale of 1-5. (Hhmm....maybe I should make a little coffee scale and start rating the drinks?)

But as I've said before, pastries cover a multitude of sins and my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake was just the ticket. :)

So, I'm considering a Coffee Link-up! Anybody interested? Like, take a picture of whatever coffee-ish beverage you might have during the week and then post about in on a Tuesday, with a link-up to me? Is this idea bomb-ish or brilliance? Talk to me, bloganistas!

Monday ~ In Which I Make a Come Back and Get an Award

You'd think that having two weeks off of work would have given me ample opportunities of multiple blog posts, but I guess I'm bound to disappoint you in that. It's been over a week since I posted, and it's been almost three weeks since we had a Starbucks Tuesday. If you've found yourself missing out on your no-calories cyber drink, check back again tomorrow!

One of the delightful things that kept me from posting was that in the second week of my holiday from work, I was house-sitting. And it.was.grand! I incidentally DID have the camera and I COULD have taken pictures and posted, etc...but you see...they had wireless. That is, wireless with unlimited data. Which mean....online movie marathons!! I just tallied up all the movies I watched, including shows, and ahem... the grand total was TWENTY movies, two of them having been watched twice, one of them being at least four hours. Yah, I was pretty much the girl on the couch underneath a laptop, drinking soda and eating potato chips. *grin* And for the record, Little Lady, my Pride & Prejudice's Darcy is still the hottest! Elliot Cowan may have been a better Darcy than Firth, but he can't beat Orlando Seale. ;)

Anyways, upon my arrival back to the bloggy-blog-asphere, I was informed of my awardship (enter that word into your dictionary, please) of a questionnaire/survey thing. I'm delighted to answer the questions, but I shall forgo the full eleven re-tags. If I tagged you and you don't like this kind of stuff, no prob. :)

{rules}

1. You must post eleven facts about yourself.

2. You must also answer the eleven questions the awarder has given you and make up eleven questions for your awardees to answer in turn.

3. Tag eleven fellow bloggers

4. Notify them that you've awarded them

5. No tagging back

6. And the eleven blogs you tag must have less than 200 followers.

{eleven facts about me}

 1) I never sleep in an unmade bed, even to the point where on several occasions, I’ve made my bed right before getting into it.
2) I like cottage cheese on chicken.
3) I love motorcycles.
4) When I was little, I got my head stuck in a chair back on Christmas day. My mom had to break apart the chair to get my head out. With pictures to prove it.
5) I have a thing for fire-fighters and paramedics. **find a happy place, find a happy place*
6) I’m the fourth of eight children and the loudest of all.
7) I’ve flown in an airplane well over 40 times.
8) I spent two years living out of a suitcase and “home” was a bus and semi.
9) I’ve been in a hot air balloon.
10) I am deathly afraid of being in water other than a swimming pool or bath tub.
11) My brothers say I have a song for every situation.

{Little Lady's Questions to Me}

1. Rain or Shine?
I’ll take an Irish day any day! Gray, rainy, cold….the stuff magic’s made of, in my opinion.
 

2. What was your favorite cartoon / movie growing up?
“Growing up” spans a good portion of my life (indeed, am I not still “growing up” to some degree?), but I”ll allot this form of “growing up” to my actual childhood. “And here we have the actual jungle location of the movie…Muppet Treasure Island!” The most quotable movie ever.
 

3. If you could be any character from a book, who would you be?
I have to admit being completely at a loss on this one.  The potential is truly overwhelming. (UPDATE: although while listening to my audio book during lunch break, I couldn't help but note to myself that it would be really cool to be Professor McGonagall...because she can turn into a cat!)
 

4. What is your favorite dessert?
Unoriginally - ice cream. :)
 

5. Favorite specialty drink (Starbucks/Biggby/Etc.)
It periodically changes, but this past summer it’s been Starbucks’ White Chocolate Mocha Frapp.
 

6. Favorite screen/literary couple?
Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe.
 

7. What is your favorite restaurant?
Red Robin ranks pretty high up there. I’m a beef burger kinda gal.
 

8. What is your favorite color and why?
Definitely blue. Because it’s a fresh, cleansing kind of color.
 

9. If you had to eat one food forever, what would it be?
Pepperoni pizza, dawg. :)
 

10. Mascara or blush?
Mascara! I almost never wear blush. I'm a firm believer in the power of eye make-up.
 

11. Is your hair color natural? 

It is! I dyed it once or twice, but neither dye jobs turned out well (especially the one that turned orange…), so I grew it out. I do have an unquenchable desire to have dark “chestnut” brown hair, but don’t want the pain of re-dying and eventually growing it out again.

{Questions for the Awarded to Answer}

To make it simple, why don't you just answer the same ones I answered? Little Lady did a frabjous job, and I hope she graciously doesn't mind me not only using her questions, but also stealing her questions format. 'Member, copying is the sincerest form of flattery. ;)

{The Awarded}

Breanne

Meghan (Just As I Am)

KatySuePillsbury

Coming soon: pictures of a couple that may or may not be familiar to you!

Thursday ~ Birthday Eve S'mores

One of my favorite institutions of our family is the celebration of "birthday eve." The night before someone's birthday, we'll have some kind of treat and often pop on a movie and watch it all together. It's a simple thing to do, but it's one of those things that I've seen bring my already super close family even closer. Birthday Eve's are a forever tradition in my book.

We actually had a conglomeration of treats this time: leftover cheesecake, homemade apple dumplings, and a "private showing" of s'mores. By happenstance, Katheryn (who's birthday it is tomorrow!), Stuart and I were left home for the evening by ourselves and I decided to bust out some of my s'mores supplies. And the way I do s'mores....is forget the Hershey chocolate - I use Reeses! (Brea: and that's Rees-ehz **wink**)