We Like Them Apples

We like them a lot!

Picked right off the tree to heavy bags to overflowing bowlfuls to yummy creations! Apple sauce, apple butter, caramel apples, apple fitters, apple muffins, apple cakes, apple cookies and a crafty little wreath. How 'bout them apples!

It is that most wonderful time of the year for heading up the mountain and picking apples. We like to go to Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. The drive is short and easy, the apples are delicious and the picking is fun! If that weren't enough, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and sometimes there is live music to really set the mood. You can enjoy a tasting of Virginia wines and buy a bottle to enjoy with your picnic lunch! The hay wagon ride is a also must. But the best part of all are the apple cider donuts- Some folks go just for the donuts! If you manage to get down the mountain with any donuts left you have the greatest self control know to humankind! Slightly dramatic of a statement but not completely untrue all the same! Check out our Pinterest page for apple ideas.

The season isn't over try this link for other great spots for apple picking in Virginia.

As if the joy of apple season isn't overwhelmingly wonderful enough, it is also that other most wonderful time of the year known as the Brunswick Stew Festival. We are talking stew people!  STEW!!!!! The best most wonderful most delicious most amazing STEW!  It is a top 5 favorite festival of Cocktails and Glitter! After, you have a belly full of stew it is time to head to the river for the Urbanna Oyster Festival and continue the fest with fresh oysters prepared every way imaginable.

We had a low key Happy Hour at Social 52 (the former Avalon). They were able to successfully close Avalon and open Social 52 in a fairly short amount of time and have now been open for about 2 months. The rooms feel much more open than before with exposed brick and reclaimed wood and definitely open up the place. With plenty of room at the bar and additional bar tables, it is a great Happy Hour spot for a large group. Their "social hour" deals are good, especially the half price flat-breads, which are ample in portion, cleverly named (as is most everything else on the menu) and topped with creative ingredients. Bathroom was boring, but at least clean. Has a WOW factor in that moms eat free at brunch! We forgot to ask the details on this but come on, that is just cool whether we know what it means or not...right? Ok, you're right we should have the 411. Take your mom there and find out the deal and let us know on our facebook page. But don't get suckered by the Bacon Chopped salad- it was very disappointing (lettuce with house made bacon bits---lame-o). Thankfully everything else was a hit and we would recommend it giving it 4.5 martinis.

One last thing, a shout out to two of our girlfriends who have not lost the art of the thank you note. The same day as that post we both had fun mail in the mailbox in the form of thank you notes from two great ladies. But these are two of the gals we were talking about it in that post that are always on top it. Thank you ladies for being awesome!



Cheers, 
K&H


P.S. Due to technical difficulties we were unable to post last week and apologize for the delay this week.  Stupid (wonderful) stupid (kinda awesome) stupid (whatever) technology!

The Lost Art of Thank You

The Thank You note that is or any written note or card be it for saying "thanks" or just to say I was thinking about you. 

Why is it that the simple, beautiful, thoughtful act of saying "Thank You" in the written form has become a lost art?  Why do we think a short-hand text message is an acceptable way to wish someone a Happy Birthday?  Why do children no longer have to write thank you notes for gifts?  Why is Facebook the only place to tell people what is happening in your world?  Gosh, you hardly even get a paper invitation to events anymore, God help us when wedding invitations go digital! 

Why, Why, Why? 

Ahhh, yes, because life is hectic and constantly in warp speed motion.  Clearly, we understand social media is a powerful and when used properly wonderful tool for communication, but it is not the only form of communication.  Sure an e-mail gets the job done in a pinch, and any acknowledge of thanks is never a bad thing, however, there is something so special and meaningful about a note of gratitude or love sent by mail.  Isn't there a part of you that goes to the mailbox hoping for fun mail mixed in with the junk mail and bills?  We sure do! 

Remember when folks used to mail love letters or when you passed notes in class hoping you didn't get caught or wanting to get the most Valentines in the second grade (well every grade, really)?  These life moments, these written life moments seem to be becoming something of the past verses something of the present and future.   

What is the best way to express your gratitude?  Of course there is no wrong way but we are partial to the written form.  Both our mother's instilled it in us.  

Kate does her best to stay on top of thank you notes and Heather is pretty good with cards for life moments or just because moments.  Between the two of us we do have a fair group of friends that are also great with mailed notes.  We always send each other cards that we find hysterical!   

Heather is what she likes to call a procrastinating perfectionist with a grammatical deficiency.  All words were made up at some point, so what if she makes up her own?  Snoop Dog does it all the time and his stuff is now in the dictionary.  Heather can get a months worth of birthday cards addressed, stamped and in pile with a sticking note saying when to put in the mail the first of every month.  However, she feels thank you notes must be eloquent drawn out storybooks and therefore is not as great with the old thank you note.  Hence why it took over 3 months for her to get all her wedding thank you notes written and sent.  Boo (and her mother) were not very happy, but eventually all notes were written and mailed.  Leading her to have that "ah ha moment" realization that the timeliness of the note is just as important as the act of writing a note.  She has gotten much better.

We challenge ourselves to practice what we preach and make sure we send the occasional note to our friends and family and to make sure we send THANK YOU notes!  We hope you'll be inspired to make someone's trip to the mailbox a delightful surprise by sending a note or two of your own and to always send a thank you note (handwritten!) as often as possible!

Thank you for reading!

Cheers!

K&H

Setting the mood for fall

You scream, I scream, We all scream for Halloween!

Kate here. I love fall, LOVE IT! The only problem I have with fall is that I know the cold of winter is just around the corner. As a warm weather kind of girl, I need something to help me ease into the chill of fall. Between Halloween and the multitude of fall festivals in Richmond, there's enough to keep my mind off of the cold, dark nights that are on the horizon.

I've always been a fan of Halloween. I loved (and still do!) dressing up in creative costumes and decorating the house in spooky decor. Blending items purchased from the store and getting a little crafty, I've created something I'm calling "Halloween Shreik." Since I'm a fan of owls and bats in general, they get to play lead in the spookfest (although ravens are really taking over- a cool bird AND a Poe reference? Awesome!!)

Last year was my first Halloween aided by Pinterest. I found some free printable labels such as these and ran with it. Some were "seasoned" with tea and coffee grounds to give them an aged look. Some bottles and tins were spray painted, others left alone. Store bought fabric, candle holder, tray and cocktail shaker help fill in the space. Note the photo in the 2nd photo- taken at the now empty Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia PA. Talk about a spooky place! The port bottle in the top photo had a skull and crossbones etched into it using the same technique as the vases I made for my mom's birthday.

Potions!  Mostly from recycled bottles and jars.

Our bar got a little more flavor this month!

The mantle is always a fun place to decorate for the holidays. Ravens perch on spooky fabric and keep the bat bouquet company. Book jackets were printed on cardstock and aged with a lighter and coffee grounds. Small paperbacks keep the new spell books in shape.
 

The front hall went a little batty this year. I taped bat shapes onto the lamp shade for creepy effect. The framed photo was a creepy hologram I scored on sale last year. Paper bats (some purchased, others cut with the Silhouette), fly from the front door and up the stairs. A blown up image of a cemetery in Savannah was transferred to a canvas using textile medium. The front door was easy. I bought a grapevine wreath from the craft store, spray painted it black, and added fake cobwebs and glittery spiders. For Halloween night, we plug in a fog machine to really set the mood in the yard.

 

Inside the lamp shade

Photo of Bonaventure Cemetery

A cobwebbed wrapped grapevine wreath with some spider friends greet guests.

Last year's foggy front steps. It's easy to make your own awesome skirt!

Lastly the dining room. I was so excited last year to get the skeleton servers from Target! I personalized the buffet with painted pumpkins, an owl painting given to me from our talented friend Ashley, and a photo of the first Halloween my husband and I were together (zombie Lucy and Charlie Brown. It was the best costume ever). On the table, more pumpkins accented by candles. I used candy corn and dried black beans in the jars for some added texture.

A few other fun surprises can be found around the house, I just didn't have the room here to show you all! Over all, my favorite Halloween shriek decor are the photos of Halloweens past. I plan on adding to that collection every year!

Now that my house is in order, it's time to focus on the other fun things of fall, starting with the Richmond Folk Festival! It's the main event in Richmond this weekend- even if folk music isn't your thing, it's a great place to people watch and you're sure to find some freshly popped kettle korn!

Cheers, 

K&H

October is now Boob-tober

Boob-tober is a celebration of the boob! 

We all know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month but there is so much more to breast health than the scary "C" word. 


The boob should be celebrated not feared, or for some women, loathed. Much like your skin, if you take care of your boobs your boobs will take care of you.  However, we tend to forget about and neglect the care and health of our skin and boobs, until the lines start to show and the boobs start to fall. 

This month, we will all wear our pink to show our love and support of all women who have had their lives changed in so many ways by hearing the words "breast cancer" and then enduring the emotions and treatments of this cancer. We will celebrate your strength, spirit and womanliness. We will look to the future when this cancer is eradicated and no woman ever again must hear those two words. We will also celebrate the boob in all it's glory. 

So whether you call them breasts, boobs, ta tas, the girls, jugs, pride & joy, boobies, cans, melons, ninnies, The Dollys, hooters, in the way, ha has, assets, can cans, a gift from god, pancakes, second base, awesome... be good to them. Embrace their unique femininity, smile when they make heads turn, take pride in the knowledge they can produce life sustaining food and regardless of their shape or size, celebrate them and love them because they are yours and they are beautiful like you.

The bra has come a long way baby!

So this month we say Support your Girls give them the gift of a properly fitted bra for daily use as well as exercise.  Know your Girls: give yourself a self exam so you are aware of your normal.  Name your Girls seriously, why not?  Heather proudly calls her's "pride & joy."  Kate equally as proud referrers to hers as "rooby & looby boobie." Celebrate your Girls!

We won't spend the whole month blogging about boobs as we have to talk about apples and pumpkins and Halloween and Fall Festivals, but we may pepper in a tad bit or two more.


Cheers!

K&H