Am I Rambling?

So many things have happened in the last week that I’m not even sure what I should talk about.  So please forgive me if I’m rambling.

Thank You!  I want to personally thank everyone who voted for our bar in the The ‘Burgh’s Best Neighborhood Bar contest.  I still can’t believe we won and we’ve had so much fun talking about it and promoting it down at the bar! 

Welcome ‘Lil Bastard!  For those of you who don’t know me, let me give you a little bit of background before you read the rest of this story.  Last year in October, I was in Dallas, TX, for my “Big Girl Job.”  While there, I managed to be stung by a scorpion seven times on my foot.  Turns out I could have died and since having been stung, I’ve had to adjust to some permanent changes in my foot i.e. I sustained terrible nerve damage and it still swells.  Well, since the scorpion incident, I really wanted to get a tattoo on my foot of a scorpion and the number seven.  This would be my first tattoo and I really thought that this one actually had good meaning behind it and it was a worthy tattoo.  So as a one year anniversary gift to myself, I finally got the tattoo last week while I was in Phoenix.  I named him ‘Lil Bastard in honor of the ‘Lil Bastart that almost took me out!

Snow…really!  It’s already so cold here that we had our first snow over the weekend.  Although it didn’t last long and there are no remnants of it happening other than it’s colder than a “well-diggers behind” out there, I still can’t believe it snowed.  It especially stinks since I just got back from Phoenix where it was 100 degrees!  I suppose it’s time to face the fact that winter is officially here.  It’s time to bust out the snow gear and snowboards and embrace the season.

Happy Halloween!  Today is Halloween so…Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone has a great day especially if you’ll be out trick-or-treating with your little ones.  I also want to say Happy Birthday to my sweet little niece.  Today she turns three. 

I think I’ve done enough rambling for today.  Happy Halloween everyone and be safe!

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Happy Halloween, Slackers!

With Halloween only a couple days away, it's getting late to find a costume, and if you're like me, you’re scrambling for a last minute idea. No, I am not going to suggest slapping on some plastic Anthony Weiner mask. The right Halloween costume takes work and skill, some thoughtfulness usually helps.

Killer costumes require a little more than a glance through your closet, or at the very most, a quick trip to the drug store. So what will you be? Luckily, I’ve got some ideas for you that shouldn’t take too much work:

1. So this might be a little farfetched, but, if you have curly hair, this is a great costume idea. My friend Ashley (thanks for letting me use your picture) was a lion and took advantage of her wonderful curly blonde locks to mimic a lion’s mane. Add some face paint, makeup, throw together some ears and voila!

2. Are you artistic? Be a fish! Here is a great couple’s costume that I thought was super cute.

3. Remember Twister? Take the plastic Twister game mat and hold it up next to your body. Wrap the dress around you and determine how much of the plastic you need to create a simple dress. Wrap the mat snugly against your body, but use enough fabric so that you can move easily. In addition to determining the width, decide on the length you want.

Or, find a white, inexpensive, simple dress or white clothes and buy different colors of felt. Cut the felt into large circles and use glue to stick them to your outfit. Buy a headband and use glue to attach the spin board.

4. For all of you beer pong fans, use cardboard to make a table. Glue on cups and carry around ping pong balls – easy enough!

5. An oldie but goodie… Where’s Waldo? Throw on some circular glasses, a tossle hat and a striped shirt.

Lastly, if you’re not in the mood to be creative, costumes are on sale now since you waited so long so you can probably pick one up for much less than what the rest of your friends paid for theirs. Happy hunting and Happy Halloween, slackers!

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Bah, Humbug!

Some of you reading this may start to call me the Grinch, maybe even Scrooge, but I must admit, I am not ready to celebrate Christmas. I am still cursing old pine needles that have randomly found their way into my socks, am I alone? I am not even 100% ready for Halloween (costume ideas?) let alone Thanksgiving, Christmas music, creepy mall Santas and holiday decorations.

Yes, maybe I crossed the line calling mall Santas creepy, I am sure there are some good ones out there. I do not want to exploit my adorable niece so I will refrain from sharing her photo she had taken with Santa a year or so ago - that Santa was just disturbing. I still wonder why my sister thought it was a good idea to let her sit on his lap. For a good laugh, please enjoy these wonderful photos of other mall Santas - you can view them by clicking here.

Anyway, I hope I am not alone when I say that I am not happy about Santa’s early return. I have never enjoyed cold weather, the warm summer months are simply too short. Every year big corporations seem to sneak Christmas in earlier and earlier. I noticed the first holiday display this month while shopping at Target which already had a small corner dedicated to ornaments, stockings and wrapping paper. The over-exposure of all things green and red completely weakens the great feeling you’re supposed to have when the actual holiday arrives.

It is only a matter of time until Downtown Pittsburgh is covered with wreaths, ribbon and garland. Bell ringers will too soon be out in full force, making me feel guilty walking by not giving them some of my hard-earned change. Christmas, as merry as it can be, does not need to hog the entire fourth quarter of the year.

With all we have been through this year, can’t we make it until after Thanksgiving to break out the holiday guest towels? Perhaps I have no heart but I would not be opposed to holding off on the holiday spirit until at least the first of December. Don’t let me fool you, I am no scrooge, I do enjoy the holidays and one good snow storm, but I am willing to wait. I do not want to rush into Christmas so quickly that I forget to enjoy it. With that said, I encourage you to fight the urge of drinking spiked eggnog; after all, it is OK to not be the first one in your neighborhood to put up lights.

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Halloween: The First Party-Holiday of The Season

September, one of my favorite months, is sadly coming to an end today. However, this means the fall/winter holiday season is nearing! The first of the party-holidays, Halloween, falls on a Monday this year, but the weekend prior will surely be full of ghosts and gouls lingering in your neighborhood.

As kids, we all loved to get dressed up and go trick-or-treating with our family and friends. But as we get older, digging your 25-year old hands into a bowl full of M&M's is unfortunately frowned upon. So instead, we have learned to celebrate Halloween with Bloody Mary's and spicy witches brew (see recipe below).

Entertain your friends with a Halloween party that will blow their mind. Tell them to be sure to find a sitter if they have kids because it might end up being like college again and lasting until 4 a.m.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

But don't spend $50 doing it. Take a look at what you have around your house. My favorite costume I ever made (and I am not a seamstress by any means) was Cleopatra. I found an old white bed sheet and made that into my dress. I had an old, long black weave from a previous costume that I cut into the short, Cleo-hair. I then found a gold belt and gold jewelry and made my way to the local Gabes (yes- I go there a lot!). I was able to find cheap and SUPER comfy gold shoes, some gold rope to spice up the dress and some fake snake tattoos for my arms. And there is Cleopatra. Images available by request! :)

EAT & DRINK THE NIGHT AWAY

Use this as an excuse to make girly drinks and creative hors d'oeuvres that the men might try! Find a simple Bloody Mary recipe here. Spicy witches brew is also a treat! There are many other drinks you can sip the night away on. You also can't go wrong with the traditional BBQ bat wings, eyeball platter and toasted pumpkin seeds. Find these and other halloween treats here.

DON'T FORGET THE CANDY

Just because we aren't 5 years old anymore doesn't mean we don't like candy! Hit up your local Sam's Club, Costco, whatever wholesale distributor that you are a member to or can convince your friend to take you, so you can get the best deal on a mixed bag of goodies.

Start planning now so your friends have enough time to find a sitter and plan ahead for the start of the party-holiday season!

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