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!

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

September Anticipation

There is a giddy school girl anticipation to the month of September.  The bummer part about September is that it means summer is over, but it is also the month that leads us into everything fabulously fall such as back to school, fall festivals, apple picking, the leaves changing colors, football, Halloween, fall cocktails, fall hikes, lighting the fire pit, and less sweaty weather! 

With the crisp fall weather just around the corner, we are pondering very important questions such as...

• How many different ways can you make wings for the tailgate? (The endless possibilities and flavor combos are making our bellies rumble just thinking about it!)  

• How many apple influenced delectables can you create after you bring home that 237 pound bag of fresh picked apples from the orchard? Is there such a thing as eating too many apple donuts? (we think not!)

• What craft and decorating ideas will be inspired by the rich breathtaking colors of the changing leaves and the spooky celebration of Halloween? 

• How many fall festivals can we attend? (All of them...well maybe not all, but we'll have fun trying.)

• Will this year be the year we go for the raw oysters or will we just stick to the roasted? (Probably sticking to the roasted. Either way we get to say the word "shucked" a lot and giggle)

On top of all that, there is a lot to celebrate and remember in the fall. It is a time for remembrance for those our country has lost. Take the opportunity to say thank you to our armed forces. It is a time of celebration as we both celebrate our wedding anniversaries in September. It is a time for long weekends away and full blown out of the country vacation with great friends.  It is a time that the holidays still seem a bit off, but really we know they are right around the corner.  

September may be the 9th month of the year, but it has the air of everything being fresh and new as if the world is at your finger tips and anything and everything is possible. Much like the first of the year, September is a great time to reflect and make resolutions, as well as take stock of the resolutions made at the beginning of the year. Where do you stand with all you said would accomplish in the calendar year? No worries, there's still plenty of time to meet your 2013 goals whether you have stayed on track, need a reboot, or start from scratch!

Where does Cocktails & Glitter stand on goals we've made?

• Creating and sticking with a weekly blog--check

• Keeping up with all our tabs--needs some work

• Heather getting more comfortable with technology, the world wide web and social media--depending on the day. It is going smashingly well or there are tears lots and lots of tears...it is a long term project in progress with potential for great success!

• Time well spent with family and friends--check

• Loving and celebrating our RVA and all things festival--check, with lots more lovin' to come!

• Getting our Happy Hour on--check and our list of "places to try" continues to grow.

• Big "Nitty Gritty" projects-- partly check, with some still on the list (Heather has big plans in September).

• Crafting and sewing projects--check, with lots of fun ones still on the list. We still need to make the wreaths we wanted to way back in February!

• Meeting health and weight goals and exploring what really works for us--for the most part check but still working on it!

• Over using the word AWESOME!--not check enough! We have gotten away from this and need to get back on it!

For the most part we are right on track for reaching the goals we set for this year even though some goals have been added or changed as the year as progressed. We hope your goals are being met with awesome success as well. Please let us know on our Facebook Page what goals you have achieved this year and those you are still working toward.

Happy September everyone!

The leaves will be changing before you know it!

Cheers!
K&H