A Taste of Autumn

Old favorites get me in the autumn mood

My little pup-kin waiting patiently..."Mom, are the cookies ready yet?!"

Lately, I've been putting in long hours at my new job, and I barely have any time for myself and loved ones. My favorite month is almost over, and I haven't even experienced the joys of it because of my crazy schedule. I finally managed to get a day off, and instead of staying in pj's all day watching TV, (I only did that for the first half of the day,) I decided to actually make something. 

A friend's Instagram post inspired me to bake some cookies. Her post featured some fab pumpkin whoopie pies, and although I like pumpkin, I've always favored apple cinnamon as my go-to fall flavor. So I scoured the web for awhile to find an apple cinnamon whoopie pie recipe, and got to cookin!

I must say...they're pretty addicting! 

And now I'm off to get some chavelas with an old friend. Trying not to think of all the work that awaits me tomorrow. :)

Serendipity & Firefly

I had some of the yummiest food of my LIFE in Vegas this past weekend. I was so happy to finally try Serendipity 3. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The frozen hot chocolate (oreo version shown) is truly surreal. I thought it would be just a lot of hype with not much to back it up. But there's this mystery flavor that I tried to put my finger on that just makes it POP! Best quote of the afternoon came from Francesca: "Mmm...I just burped and it tasted like the mystery ingredient." 

A few photos courtesy of my talented bestie. Check out her rad Tumblr!

And don't even get me started on Firefly, a treasure found only in Vegas. Food (tapas) so delicious, it brings a tear to your eye. I couldn't get enough of it so you know I had to visit for a second time right before my flight home! 

Oh yes, and the sparkling sangria was to-die. A foodie expedition at its best!

Let me tell you bout my best friend

...and what a blast I had visiting her in the city of sin! After all these long hours at work lately, it felt so amazing to take a quick trip and just relax eat, drink, and shop for more hours straight than I'd care to admit. I can't believe how infrequently I see her; that's why we have to make the most out of each visit we get!

She's gonna kill me for posting this but it was too hilarious to pass up...we stopped at a casino off the strip for a $3.99 steak & egg breakfast at 4am. She just slumped over and passed. the hell. out. Not even steak & eggs could wake her. I wish I could post my video of messing with her to try to wake her up...priceless!

And did we sleep all day after our long nights? Heck no. Thank God it was still warm enough for a pool party!

Our friend (and her roomie,) Roya :)

It was such an amazing weekend with my bestie boo! Only 4 more weeks until I see her again. This time it's her turn to visit me :)

100th Post! Catch me on the 3six5.

Hi lovelies! Cheers to my one hundredth post! Check out my post on The 3six5 from earlier this week. It's a great project that showcases a different writer for each day of the year. It was such an honor to participate; enjoy!

xo

D

Breakfast at Ali's

Now that autumn is officially here, there's been an immediate shift in weather.  Highs reached the nineties earlier this week, but today was overcast and noticeably cooler. This was particularly evident when I spent a lovely morning at my friend Ali's hilltop estate. I absolutely love spending time here, and I secretly fantasize about living here when I make the drive up the hill. It's unbelievably serene, with breathtaking views for miles and miles...paired with great company, delicious food, and some bubbly of course, it made for an unforgettable Sunday.

{A great shot by my friend Alex}

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Working Woman

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! You wouldn't believe my life these past few weeks. I left my last job (which I loved!) for an amazing opportunity with Microsoft (which I also love!) Since then, I've traveled to Minneapolis and back for training, and at the end of this week, I'll have worked 13 days straight. I'm so thankful for this opportunity, and I hope you can bear with me while I figure out a routine that works.

Needless to say, I am in major need of some me-time and a glass of wine! And I can't wait until I can blog more often. I'm also looking forward to some much-needed vacation time in the next few weeks. Whew! That felt good to get off my chest :)

On a totally unrelated side note...have you ever seen The Big Easy?  I just got a chance to take in all of Dennis Quaid's yumminess in this 1987 flick.  It's also set in my favorite city; you should definitely watch it when you get a chance!

For now...I'm going to relax with a glass of zin, and my copy of Bridesmaids that just arrived. Best believe it's going to be a magical night!

A Family BBQ

And what exactly did my Monday entail? You guessed it...more babies! I'm just reaching that point in my life where all of my nearest & dearest are getting married and having beautiful babies. How lucky am I?

This cutie patootie is Markian, my boyfriend's baby bro. Before, when I would hear people say that a baby was so cute that they could eat him up, I was confused at their cannibalistic-sounding term of endearment.  Now, I completely understand...I am in LOVE with Markian and find myself kissing his hands and feet for no reason at all!

**Side note...just in case my weekend wasn't baby-oriented enough for you, we spent a lovely quiet evening Saturday catching up on a Harry Potter marathon with our dear friends, who are one month away from having a little one of their own!

Watching airplanes :)

After Roehl barbecued some delicious burgers, we took our bikes out and cruised around a nearby lake.  It was so perfect getting to relax and spend time together before we head back to work tomorrow. I'll definitely be counting down the days until next weekend!