Halloween 2018: May The Force Boo With You!

Every year Blue and I throw a Halloween party. Last year we went with Game of Thrones, or "Medieval." The year before was Stranger Things, and the one before that was theme-less because it was our first and we weren't that creative yet! This year was Star Wars- Episode IV (since it's our 4th one). 

As we've done in years past, there was a photo wall for pictures, goody bags for every guest, and a costume contest where everyone votes on a winner or couple's costumes and the winner wins a bottle; this year we chose The Velvet Devil (Merlot). All of the decorations are from the Dollar Store and Amazon. We usually have about 20 guests, there's lots of snacks and dancing, and though we do have beer and wine, our only request is that you bring what you're drinking. Anyway, enough chatter. I'm going to let the pics do the talking!

The Invite:

This year we created a Star Wars intro invite that you can see here, but here's what it said: 

"Coming Soon to a galaxy not too far far away, actually....

As pumpkin flavored beers and spiced lattes invade the galaxy, our heroes Dani and Blue summon the Resistance to gather once again for an epic battle of booze, food, and debauchery in celebration of Halloween!

We hope you can come, we'll see you at seven, but our Rebel Base must shut down at 11!"


The Decorations:

goody bags for the guests

Death Star, Falcon, and other aircraft decals

character decals- excuse the messy kitchen!

Han Solo in Carbonite poster

The Menu: I forgot to take pics of the food, but we had a good selection of hot and cold appetizers, and of course lots of desserts!

porgs in a blanket
mozzarella sticks
popcorn chicken
mini quiches
veggie platter
allthechipsndips
caramel apple sangria
brownies/ Kahlua cake/rice krispie treats

The Costumes: Costumes are strongly encouraged, but they don't have to go with our theme- any costume will do! This year I was Chewbacca (with a Porg on my shoulder) and Blue was Han Solo. I didn't get a pic of everyone (some were on other cameras), but here are some other fun costumes!

Me and Blue as Chewie and Han, Darth Vader, and a Jedi Master

Me and another Chewie!, our winner Princess Leia,
half of our Wendy and Waldo couple, and Star Wars group shot

Our Mountain Mama group, donut, 80's girl,
and Belle of the Masquerade Ball

Construction worker, devil, cheerleader,
mad scientist, Minnie Mouse, and an Oreo

I think (hope?!) everyone had a great time, I know I did! 

Did you attend a Halloween party this year? 

What are you wearing for Halloween?

Three On Thursday

Today I'm stealing a page from Steph's blog and sharing my top 3 things from this week!

1. Schick Silk Touch Up Multi-Purpose Dermaplaning Tool 

I forgot who I originally heard about this from, maybe Tanya? I'm not really into beauty but I'm very particular about my eyebrows, and because I hate tweezing (I'm no good with pain), I have to go to a salon to get them waxed. And sometimes, I wait just a touch too long in between visits. Enter this dermaplaning tool- it quickly and painlessly gets rid of those little hairs that pop up around the edges. It's super easy to use and the small blade is perfect for maneuvering and getting rid of just what you want- nothing extra (as in, no way to accidentally shave off an eyebrow). And at $6 for 3, it's definitely worth checking out.

2. Covergirl Lashblast Volume

I think I got this in a Walmart Beauty Box? I don't try new products often, and my go-to mascara is Maybelline Define-A-Lash, but this product does a great job of providing lots of volume without clumping, which is my biggest pet peeve with "thicker" mascara. I guess that's why it won an Allure Best of Beauty award! I also like that they keep the wand out of the mascara in the packaging. It just makes me feel like I'm getting more for my money.

3. Haagen Dazs Green Tea ice cream

I was craving matcha green tea ice cream since we had dinner at a hibachi restaurant a few weeks ago, so I decided to try to find it. Low and behold, Haagen Dazs makes it! It's not as good as the one in the restaurant, but it did hit the spot!

Have you tried any of these? 

What are you recommending lately?

Favorite Fall Recipes

When it comes to Fall I tend to think of food. And in keeping with that, I think of three things- football snacks, pumpkin everything, and spices. So today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Fall recipes! 

Dem Wedges

Grab some potatoes, cut them up, toss them (literally) in a ziplock bag with some spices and olive oil and throw them in the oven for 45 min at 350. BOOM. Easy peasy and super tasty appetizer! Also, I really love the website where I found this recipe. The recipes are given a comic, and everything seems so easy and fun. Check it out! 

Merlot Meatballs (Crockpot)

I first had these at Baiting Hollow Winery in Long Island, NY. They happened to be having a food festival on the day we were touring Long Island North Fork wine country. I swear, these are the best balls I've put in my mouth. They are a little sweet, perfect texture, and though they're called Merlot meatballs, you can't really taste the Merlot. I knew I had to find the recipe as soon as I got home, and of course I found the exact one on the Internets! The best part? You can make them in the crockpot! 

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (with cream cheese glaze)

Add a little spice and sweetness to your mornings! Basically you make a mix of cinnamon, butter, and light brown sugar, pour the batter on the griddle as normal, then using a baggy with the corner cut off (or a pastry/decoration bag if you fancy) and add the swirl to your batter. You don't need to do a cream cheese glaze, but you might regret it because it is to die for! I'm just sayin'. 

Football Woopie Pies

Gotta have a little dessert at your football gathering, right? These totally hit the spot. And you don't need any fancy tools to make them. You start by using a cake mix, you can shape the footballs using a knife on parchment paper, and I didn't make my own icing- store bought for me. But you can if you want. 

Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecakes

I make these for the office and Halloween parties every year and they are a major hit! I mean, what could be better than pumpkin and Oreos (unless you don't like pumpkin)?! Also, they are festive and super easy- sensing a theme here? The hardest part was melting the chocolate chips for the icing... so I started skipping that part and just buy the icing pens at the store. 

What are some of your favorite fall recipes? 

Fall Goals

Different from the fall bucket list filled with fun things I hope to do/see/experience this season, I haven't actively made a list of goals in quite some time, and I'm feeling like it's time to get back on the wagon. So here are some goals I'm attempting to complete in October, or at least this season! 

• Try 3 new recipes: I'm thinking this creamy, cheesy Italian sausage and basil penne, chili pasta bake, and cheesy Southwest chicken lasagna rolls (can you tell I like cheese?!)

• Buy boots

• Change out summer to fall wardrobe

• Decorate

• File paperwork: Back in May I pulled out all of my important paperwork to get my driver's license. They are still sitting on my dining room table. Thanks for the reminder Kristen!

• Cement down Nashville itinerary

• Finish (or make sure I finished) booking work trip later this month

• Create list and start the bonus round of Jenn's Fall Film Challenge

• Cancel Apple Music/Kindle Unlimited: I don't even remember when or how I got Apple Music, but I've never used it. I use (and love) Kindle Unlimited, find more on there that I can't get at the library, Blue and I both use it, and at $10/month I might just decide not to cancel that one. 

• Close out PO Box: I have a PO Box near work for a few years since I was moving around a lot and I kept it because that's where my student loans came in, but since I've paid 2 of them off and the other is paperless, I could definitely save the $112/year. 

What are some of your goals this month/season? 

Show Us Your Books: September

A very special SUYB linkup this month, as it's the 4th anniversary of this linkup! In honor of the occasion, I've found my very first post linking up with Steph and Jana, back in January 2015! Of course I've missed months here and there, but I've never stopped reading the other bloggers who link up and share the book nerd love! I'm so happy you guys have kept this linkup going and I've loved seeing it grow throughout the years- cheers to many more years, ladies! 

Paper Towns- John Green: 4 Stars
library e-book

After reading my first John Green last month and not loving it, I decided to give him another try, and I'm so glad I did! I liked this one much more than Looking for Alaska. I liked the night of revenge and when Margot disappeared and the beginning of the search with all of her clues, but then the middle dragged while Q searched through all of those subdivisions by himself. My favorite characters were definitely Ben and Radar; I liked Q but his mooning over the self-centered Margot got annoying. Everyone is saying I must read Fault In Our Stars so I'll probably read that one eventually. I'm on a thriller kick right now though. 

"It is so hard to leave- until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world." 

"I didn't need you, you idiot. I picked you. And you picked me back. And that's like a promise. At least for tonight. In sickness and in health. In good times and in bad. For richer, for poorer. Till dawn do us part." 

"'Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will...'""'Yeah, that's true,... But then again, if you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all.'" "...Maybe by imagining these futures we can make them real, and maybe not, but either way we must imagine them."

The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland- Rebekah Crane: 5 Stars

Kindle Unlimited

I picked this up due to the title alone because I thought it was cute, especially for a YA novel, but then upon finishing the book I don't think it fit what this book was about at all. Regardless, I loved this book. Cassie was such a bitch, but she felt "real." Same goes for Zander. It touches on a lot of very serious subjects of other campers very lightly which seems to have bothered a lot of other reviewers, but I just loved the quirky characters, their completely unlikely friendship, and the ending tugged at my heartstrings. 

A Simple Favor- Darcey Bell: 4 Stars

library e-book

I wish book editors or whoever would STOP the comparisons to Gone Girl or Girl on the Train. Seriously, it's annoying. Almost as annoying as Stephanie's fake as all hell blog posts in the beginning of most of the chapters. But it WAS suspenseful. I found myself re-reading sections like "Wait, what? Did that just really happen?" It was filled with unlikable characters and definitely had me guessing until the very end. 

A Secondhand Life (The Killer Thriller Series #1)- Pamela Crane: 4 Stars

library e-book (also available on Kindle Unlimited)

This was a recommendation from the library while I waited for A Simple Favor. The concept was really interesting and had me thinking about it for days afterwards: a girl gets an organ and suddenly has "organ memory" from the donor where she can experience the donor’s thoughts and see the past through their eyes. Weird, right?  Apparently it's a real thing too. Anyway, she's trying to piece together her flashbacks to find out who killed her donor without getting herself killed in the process. I really enjoyed the first person narration for both the protagonist and the killer. It's a well done who-dun-it that kept me interested enough to check out the next one...

Spoiler (highlight): I'm only adding this for my own benefit, because sometimes when I read a few psycho thrillers in a row, I forget. So yeah, the killer was Landon (the brother) who suffered from multiple personality disorder. 

A Secondhand Lie (The Killer Thriller Series #0.5)- Pamela Crane: 3 Stars

Kindle Unlimited

This is the companion novella to A Secondhand Life as Landon (Alexis' brother) explores why his and Alexis' father is in jail and if he's truly guilty of the crime after a robbery goes wrong. At 97 pages this story certainly packed a punch; there were lots of twists and turns I didn't see coming at all and it was a fast-paced mystery. 

Triggers warnings: Pedophilia, sexual assault. 

Spoiler (highlight): Again, this is for my own benefit. The father was innocent; it was the next door neighbor! 

The Lies We Told- Camilla Way: 4 Stars

Netgalley

The first sentence in this book had a severed head so I knew I was in a f*cked up story, and boy, was I right! Clara and Luke are in love and have just moved in together, and then BOOM Luke goes missing, 20 years after his sister goes missing. Clara enlists his best friend Mac help her find out where he is and if he's even alive when Luke's MIA sister suddenly gets in touch with her after a news broadcast where Clara pleads for help. The story flips back and forth between 1986 and 2017, and while the dual timeline structure was a bit confusing at times, it did fasten the pace even more. Definitely worth the read! 

 Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We Should All be Feminists- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: 5 Stars

library e-book

It's really not fair to call this an e-book because it was only 50 pages but it was an important essay and told in a conversational tone that I really enjoyed. No new concepts here, but I agreed with everything Adichie had to say and will definitely be reading more of her work. 

Currently reading: The Woman in the Window- A.J. Finn

On deck: Puddin'- Julie Murphy

What are you reading lately? 

Linking up with Steph and Jana!

What's New With Me/Currently

Reading: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and Lies We Told by Camilla Way. You can see a full list of what I plan on reading this season here!

Listening To: Avril Lavigne's latest, "Head Above Water," her first single after a 5-year hiatus. It's being described as Christian music because it's about her turning to God during her fight against Lyme disease. 

Watching: All of my regular shows are back- hooray! I've added two more to the regular line-up though: I Feel Bad with Dr. Cooper Freedman from Private Practice and Raj Koothrapali's Dad from Big Bang Theory, and the Murphy Brown reboot!

Also, a bunch on Netflix: Iliza Sheslinger: Elder Millennial, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Jenn's Fall Film Challenge (24/25- hoping to watch the last one tonight!)

Wearing: Cardigans. It's that weird time of year where it's in the 70's but with 95% humidity and I have no idea what to wear every day, so layers for the win.

Collecting: Recipes. As with goals (below), I've been slacking on cooking anything new (or old, for that matter) in a while. I finally made a "big" grocery store trip, so now that I'm fully stocked again I need to actually get my butt back in the kitchen and cook some food!

Making: a list of fall goals. Different from the fall bucket list filled with fun things I hope to do/see/experience this season, I haven't actively made a list of goals in quite some time, and I'm feeling like it's time to get back on the wagon.

Taking: a trip to Long Beach, California later this month! It's actually a work conference/training course, but I've scheduled in two days of relaxation afterwards in CA. Last time I had a coworker with me and this time Blue was supposed to join me for a little getaway but it didn't work out, so this will be my first completely solo trip and I'm a little nervous!

Planning: our annual Halloween party! My costume is on the way, the decor has been (mostly) delivered, so now we're working on the menu.

What's Been Going On:

September kicked off with Labor Day weekend. My mom wanted to go on a little getaway to Mystic, CT. We were supposed to stay for 2 nights, but once we got there, she decided she only wanted to stay for one night, and try to go to the beach on Monday since neither of us had been all summer. So we shopped around Olde Mystick Village, got a bite to eat, and headed back to the hotel early. The next day we took a steamboat ride on the Sabino, the oldest wooden, coal-fired steamboat in regular operation in the U.S., and wandered around the Seaport Village at the Mystic Seaport Museum before catching an afternoon Amtrak back home.

On Monday we headed out early to catch a ferry to Rockaway Beach. While the ride was nice, it was ridiculously crowded and waaaay too hot. We made it to the boardwalk (where I took the picture above) before turning around and heading right back on the ferry! But it was an adventure nonetheless! 

The following weekend Blue and I headed to the Jersey City Distillery Festival. It was 3 hours of unlimited samples of all spirits- vodka, gin, whiskey, and of course my favorite- bourbon! They didn't have any bottles for sale, but I found out that they sell most of the products at the liquor store close to my job, and I definitely plan on picking up some of Misunderstood Ginger Spiced Whiskey. It's the perfect blend of spices for fall! 

That same weekend was our annual Mets/Phillies baseball game at Citi Field. The weather was pretty shitty so we wound up inside for most of it and left early (and the Mets won-ugh), but I'm still glad we were able to keep this tradition going!

A week later we met up with our friend Mark and checked out two new-to-me breweries and one of the most famous burger joints in New Jersey. White Manna is a tiny (like, no more than 20 people can fit), no-nonsense hamburger slider spot that has consistently made America's Top Burger" lists and been featured on multiple TV networks and papers. I didn't know any of this going in, other than being told "the burgers are sooo good." And they. Were. Phenomenal. I love it when places live up to the hype! (Also, apologies if you're now singing "manna manna...do doooo do do do" in your head!) As for the breweries, the beers at Ale-mentary weren't my fave as they had mostly hoppy IPAs, but I liked my flight at Brix City. I'm thinking we might just get a sack of sliders and head over to that one next time since they didn't have anything to eat but ample space to sit and enjoy a few brewskis. 

On the first official day of fall we went to see Ed Sheeran play at Metlife Stadium. Our seats were so high we were basically in the sky, but that didn't take away from his performance! He was absolutely amazing. I loved the parts when he was talking to the audience- he just seemed so down to Earth and humble. And the fact that he's able to play without a band, just using that looper thing always impresses me so much. Did I mention his openers were Clean Bandit and Snow Patrol?! We missed seeing some of their sets since we were tailgating, but we could still hear them and they sounded great too! 

We also celebrated  Blue's youngest niece's birthday with some hibachi at a local BYOB place. She's finally 21- woot woot! I think the best part was when she ran out of the restaurant when her mom wasn't looking to the liquor store next door to grab a second bottle of vino haha! 

We closed out the month at a local craft beer and food festival with a few of our favorites. Unlike the one we attended in the summer, this one wasn't so crowded that you had to wait an eternity on lines only to get to the front and be told that they ran out of food! I had empanadas from my favorite food truck, The Empanada Lady, riceballs from The Little Sicilian, and mini s'mores and peanut butter cupdonuts from Glazed and Confused. One of my favorite craft breweries, Funky Buddha, was there too! And it was close enough to take an Uber without spending a fortune so we truly got to enjoy ourselves! 

A busy but super fun month! 

How was your September?

Linking up with Anne and Kristen!